Improving The System For Assessing The Effectiveness Of Public Administration

Abstract

The subject of this article is the development of practical approaches to assessing the effectiveness of public administration and public authorities in solving socio-economic problems. The purpose of this article is to identify the features and approaches to the formation of existing systems for assessing the effectiveness of public administration, public authorities in Russia and in foreign countries; directions of improving the system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration in solving socio-economic problems in Russia, including through the adaptation of foreign experience. The results of the work are an analysis of existing systems and approaches to assessing the effectiveness of public administration, public authorities in Russia and foreign countries; defining a new approach to the formation of a system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration in Russia; formulation of conclusions on the subsequent directions of improvement and implementation of the system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration in Russia. The findings of the study can be used to improve management, legal regulation and the practice of applying efficiency assessment mechanisms in the system of state and municipal administration, further transforming the system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration at the levels of public administration, as well as at the municipal level in a single paradigm of the public administration system, which is being built in a single vertical and on a common basis of legal regulation in Russia, in order to achieve the strategic goals of the state.

Keywords: Assessing public authority effectiveness, municipal administration, public administration, public administration

Introduction

One of the components of effective public administration in solving social and economic problems is not only their implementation, but also the assessment and control of the results of their implementation. The mechanisms for their assessment and control can be both legal and managerial and organizational, having a socially oriented, strategic nature.

Problem Statement

Today, the existing system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration in Russia as a whole, including the system of public authorities, requires detailed improvement and should be embeddable into a new formed approach to the system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration in Russia as a whole, aimed at solving strategic socio-economic problems in the paradigm of unified public administration in joint interaction with the public.

Research Questions

The subject of this article is to research the development of practical approaches to assessing the effectiveness of public administration and public authorities in solving socio-economic problems.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this article is to identify the features and approaches to the formation of existing systems for assessing the effectiveness of public administration, public authorities in Russia and in foreign countries; directions of improving the system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration in solving socio-economic problems in Russia, including by adapting foreign experience

Research Methods

The methodology of this study included analytical, comparative and formally legal methods.

Findings

One of the new mechanisms of public administration is the creation of a system of assessment procedures. In the Russian Federation, there is an assessment of the effectiveness of the activities of executive authorities at the regional level.

Previously, a similar assessment system included 11 (President of the Russian Federation, 2012) indicators, then a number of indicators were added and their number rose to 23 (President of the Russian Federation, 2017). These indicators did not reflect the specific results of the state and administrative activities of the authorities, but the general socio-economic situation in the regions, indirectly dependent on the results of the functioning of state bodies, and did not take into account the general world trends in terms of the possibility of an economic crisis, the implementation of globalization processes in the world economy, other socio-economic trends. Quantitative information on performance indicators was mainly formed on the basis of Rosstat data.

At present, the existing system for assessing efficiency is being improved in detail, and a formal approach to building regional ratings is being eliminated. To date, the system uses calculation methods for 15 indicators approved by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated April 25, 2019 No. 193 "On assessing the effectiveness of the activities of senior officials (heads of supreme executive bodies of state power) of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the activities of executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Federation" (President of the Russian Federation, 2019):

• trust in the authorities;
• high-performance jobs (off-budget sector of the economy);
• the number of employees of small and medium-sized businesses;
• labor productivity in the basic non-resource sectors of the economy;
• salary;
• investments;
• the level of poverty;
• life expectancy of the population;
• natural population growth;
• the number of families who have improved housing conditions;
• availability of housing;
• the share of cities with favorable environment;
• the quality of the environment;
• level of education;
• the share of roads that meet regulatory requirements.

In addition, in the Russian Federation, the effectiveness of the activities of the heads of federal executive bodies and the federal executive bodies themselves is assessed in order to ensure favorable conditions for the implementation of business; a list of indicators has also been formed that allows one to assess the level of energy efficiency improvement.

However, to date, the existing system for assessing the effectiveness of public authorities in the Russian Federation requires detailed improvement and should be built into a new formed approach to the system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration in Russia as a whole.

For instance, in the Russian Federation, the source of the formation of the results of the values ​​of the indicators of the existing system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration and the activities of public authorities are still statistical indicators characterizing the general trends of socio-economic development in general, without taking into account the specific measurable managerial contribution of public authorities.

It is also worth noting that the implementation of state power is strictly regulated by the relevant powers and budgetary policy for the corresponding year and planning period, which makes its own adjustments to the priorities of strategic development, at the levels of the state and its regions.

At the same time, it is important to take into account the factor that any system of public administration is not closed from external factors and building its functioning only in the regulatory paradigm with the results of its implementation in the form of appropriate ratings is currently not effective.

In view of the fact that the state cannot be considered as a closed system that operates in close relationship with other systems-countries as elements of a common global system, it is important to understand the essence of different approaches to the corresponding assessment of efficiency at the global level. Russia is an active participant in the world community, therefore it is necessary to understand its level in world rankings, approaches to their formation in order to adapt positive experience in the formation of the system itself, indicators and approaches to the formation of a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of public administration in general and, accordingly, of public authorities.

Foreign experience of countries shows various practical approaches to assessing the level of efficiency of public administration. Thus, on the basis of the methodology itself developed, the World Bank calculates an integral indicator of public administration (Governance Research Indicator Country Snapshot), which makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of public administration in the context of countries (The World Bank Group, 2020). It is a set of 6 indices that assess 6 key components of public administration: accountability and opinion of the population, restraint of corruption, stability of political processes and the absence of violent measures, the rule of law, the quality of the legislative framework, and the level of government performance. Each of these indices includes a set of indicators totaling about several hundred.

In Canada, the performance of public administration is assessed annually as part of the functioning of the Management Accountability Framework (Government of Canada, 2018). This system and the Federal Accountability Law ensure the effectiveness of management activities and accountability of government authorities. The Treasury Board of the Secretariat of Canada, through this oversight tool, assesses direction in government. The 2018 report was formed on the basis of an assessment of the following areas: financial management, results management, personnel management, information and information technology management.

Each direction of public administration is assessed using a set of specific indicators. The assessment of financial management consists in assessing a set of indicators: resource management, management of transfer payment programs, management of internal control, financial potential.

In addition, Canada has developed a Performance Measurement Framework based on performance indicators.

Quality assessment systems have been developed and applied at the international level. Under the auspices of the European Commission in 2000, the European Institute of Public Administration formed an approach to assessing the quality of management of public authorities (Common Assessment Framework), the basis of which is a self-assessment mechanism, and is also used to improve the efficiency of public organizations. The evaluation criteria within the framework of this methodology are:

1) opportunities: leadership; staff; strategy and planning; partnerships and resources; processes;

2) results: for the population; for consumers; for staff; key results.

This technique is a key component of most programs for reforming the sphere of public and municipal administration in Europe. It is used in 39 European countries and over 2000 organizations are its active users.

The analysis of the above approaches to the system for assessing the effectiveness of management in the public sector made it possible to determine the main purpose of their application—this is serving the good of society, which will increase its confidence. “Having received a credit of trust of the population, the state will be able to increase the social effects from the implementation of state programs, concepts of modernizing public administration, including the state civil service” (Shchukina, 2019, p. 172).

The analysis of practical approaches to the formation of indicators for assessing the efficiency of the public sector system in foreign countries showed that public confidence can also be digitized and its level can be measured. The American company Edelman estimates the trust barometer in organizations in various sectors, including government, from 27 countries (Edelman Berland, 2020). For about 20 years, annual monitoring has been carried out in organizations in the spheres: business, mass media, governmental and non-governmental. The sample is formed by respondents aged from 25 to 64 years.

The analysis by Edelman in 2014 showed an increase in public distrust of government organizations in much of the world. In the global community, on average, trust in governments fell four points. During this period, a historical minimum was recorded, which is mainly associated with global political crisis events in the world arena. In general, in 22 countries of the world out of 27, the government has become less trustworthy than 50%.

Confidence of US citizens fell by 16 points or 37%, French citizens expressed their confidence position less by 17 points (or 32%), in Hong Kong the decline was 18 points (or 45%) (Edelman Berland, 2014). The countries of Western Europe trusted the government in 2014 as follows: 28% in Mexico, 20% in France, 19% in Poland, 18% Italy, 14% in Spain (Edelman Berland, 2014).

One of the states in which, according to the report of the Edelman company at the end of 2014, an increase in the index of confidence in public authorities is observed is Russia. The level of the indicator rose from 36 points to 37 points (Edelman Berland, 2014). In 2015, confidence in the Russian government increased from 36 points to 45 points. Growth was also observed in the following countries: Sweden, Poland, Spain, Argentina (Edelman Berland, 2015).

In 2019, the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer shows that trust has changed a lot over the year: people have shifted their trust to relationships under their control, primarily to their employers. Globally, 75% of people trust “their employer” (Edelman Berland, 2019).

The trust of citizens should become one of the main criteria in achieving the global strategic goal of the work of state and municipal authorities of the countries of the world, including in Russia, to improve the life of the population and increase its comfort and safety.

A relatively new indicator in the rating of the investment climate of Russian regions is the integral index of a territorial subject. The rating shows the degree of efforts of the regional authorities to create favorable conditions for the implementation of entrepreneurship and the development of domestic industry.

For the first time, the national rating in the Russian Federation was conducted in 2014 by assessing 21 regions; 76 regions in 2015, 85 regions in 2016 and 51 regions in 2017 showed an increase in the integral criterion, and in 2018, 78 regions increased their last year indicators (Agency of Strategic Initiatives, 2018).

Currently, in Russia, measures are being taken in the public administration system aimed at forming an optimal structure of public authorities and increasing the efficiency of their activities.

In order to define and improve management efficiency in the public sector, various approaches are being introduced. Thus, on the basis of sociological surveys on the implementation of public services, the population assesses the effectiveness of the activities of the heads of federal executive bodies.

Thus, at present in Russia, at the legislative level, approaches to the formation of a system and assessment of public administration are regulated, which is carried out annually on a mandatory basis and the results of which are available to the population.

At the same time, there is currently no single universal methodology for forming a system and assessing the effectiveness of public administration, which is optimal for use in all government bodies and at all levels of government, including municipal ones.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new approach to the formation of a system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration, which will sufficiently cover all the key aspects of the complex and the functionality of the authorities. This system should be in the "subject-object-subject" paradigm of mutual influence, take into account external influence, take into account the main functions of government bodies and, through the implementation of government mechanisms, achieve the country's strategic goals (Figure 1).

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The essence of public administration, like any administration in general, reflects an orientation towards purposeful change in the interests of the state of the controlled object. At the same time, an important factor is the understanding that the system for assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of public administration, like the public administration system as a whole, cannot be closed and it is important to take into account external factors influencing it when achieving the strategic goals of the state. The effect of the implementation of management activities, including taking into account the state and municipal levels, in any area is ultimately measured by the level of goal achievement.

The functioning of this system is carried out by implementing the mechanism of public administration and management functions aimed at the object, taking into account the influence of the object of management on the subject to achieve the set goals.

In modern trends in the development of the world community, it is difficult to imagine a closed management system, in the existence of which other external factors (political circumstances, international events, the state of the international economy, international legal norms, foreign policy of countries, scientific and technological progress, international organizations) would not interfere, which, of course, separately affect both the object of management and the subject of management, to a certain extent changing their individual elements, goals and the like. Therefore, changes in the functioning of the control object will certainly lead to changes in the implementation of control of the controlled subject.

The system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration should be formed on the basis of the effective implementation of the public administration mechanism, the main components of which should be:

1) goal setting—the formation of specific measurable results;

2) the formation of criteria for achieving a goal—a set of indicators characterizing the degree of goal achievement;

3) the formation of criteria for the contribution of the management component to the achievement of the goal—a set of measurable digitized indicators showing the degree of influence of the management decision on the achievement of the goal;

4) comparison of the achieved results with the planned ones—the results of the values ​​of indicators for achieving the goal;

5) adjustment of the goal and management decisions—if necessary, according to the results achieved and if the achieved results do not correspond to the planned ones.

Further research involves the transformation of this system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration at the levels of public administration, as well as at the municipal level within the paradigm of a unified public administration system, which is built in a single vertical and on the general principles of legal regulation in Russia, in order to achieve the strategic goals of the state, which, in turn, are projected at the level of regions and municipalities.

Conclusion

Thus, the assessment of certain processes in public administration has become an integral part of the content of management activities, one of the management mechanisms. The components of this mechanism can be both legal and managerial and organizational, having a socially oriented, strategic nature.

In Russia, there is an assessment of the effectiveness of the activities of executive authorities at the regional level, including the management team. The results of the activities of the heads of federal executive bodies and the federal executive bodies themselves to create favorable conditions for doing business are also assessed; a list of indicators for assessing in the field of increasing energy efficiency is also formed.

However, today the existing system for assessing the effectiveness of government bodies in Russia requires detailed improvement and should be built into a new formed approach to the system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration as a whole. One of the components of the proposed approach to the system of assessing the effectiveness of public administration is the mechanism of public administration, which is based on the target nature of management activities, the formation of criteria for achieving goals and a specific management contribution to their achievement.

The result of the implementation of this approach is an increase in the index of public confidence in government organizations, government bodies, the implementation of public administration in general. Having received a credit of trust of citizens and in a single interaction between the state and society, the social effect from the implementation of state programs, the introduction of mechanisms for modernization and optimization of public administration will be much higher.

Further research involves the transformation of this system for assessing the effectiveness of public administration at the levels of public administration, as well as at the municipal level within the paradigm of a unified public administration system, which is built in a single vertical and on the general principles of legal regulation in Russia, in order to achieve the strategic goals of the state, which, in turn, are projected at the level of regions and municipalities.

References

• Agency of Strategic Initiatives (2018). National investment rating 2018. Retrieved on 12 July, 2020, fromhttps://asi.ru/government_officials/rating/

• Edelman Berland. (2020). Edelman Trust Barometer: Repot 2020. https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2020-09/2020%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Special%20Report%20-%20Fight%20for%20Racial%20Justice.pdf

• Edelman Berland. (2019). Edelman Trust Barometer: Global Press Release 2019. https://www.edelman.com/news-awards/2019-edelman-trust-barometer-reveals-my-employer-most-trusted-institution

• Edelman Berland. (2015). Edelman Trust Barometer: Press Release 2015. https://www.edelman.com/news-awards/trust-institutions-drops-level-great-recession

• Edelman Berland. (2014). Edelman Trust Barometer: Press Release 2014. https://www.edelman.com/news-awards/trust-government-plunges-historic-low

• Government of Canada. (2018). Management Accountability Framework government-wide report. https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/management-accountability-framework/2017-18-management-accountability-framework-government-wide-report.html

• President of the Russian Federation (2012). Оn the assessment of the effectiveness of the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Decree of No. 1199. Retrieved on 17 August from http://government.ru/docs/all/83805/

• President of the Russian Federation (2017). On assessing the effectiveness of the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Decree No. 548. Retrieved on 17 August from http://government.ru/docs/all/114011/

• President of the Russian Federation (2019). On the assessment of the effectiveness of the activities of senior officials (heads of the highest executive bodies of state power) of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the activities of the executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Decree of No. 193. Retrieved from http://government.ru/docs/all/121640/

• Shchukina, T. V. (2019). Transformation of the public administration system in the Russian Federation: new strategies and directions of integration: monograph. Voronezh: IPC "Nauchnaya kniga", 2019. 224 р.

• The World Bank Group. (2020). The Worldwide Governance Indicators project. http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/#reports