Croatian Public Administration Research Articles

Decision Making on Introducing of Blockchain Technology in Croatian Public Administration

Blockchain technology has many features enabling great potential to transform every aspect of life. In this paper, we consider application of Blockchain in public administration sector. We utilize the Value Measuring Methodology (VMM) for the purpose of the profitability assessment of introducing Blockchain into the public administration. This process is conducted by multi criteria decision making with a group of experts. Results of cost-effectiveness analysis and AHP analysis, which are part of VNM, indicated direct user value as the largest benefit, followed by operational value for the State. Potential risks are identified along with the costs summarizing an analysis.

Instytucjonalne i realizacyjne skutki decentralizacji administracji publicznej w warunkach chorwackiej administracji terenowej

In 2020, the deconcentrated model of the performance of state administration tasks in Croatian territorial units was replaced with the model of administrative decentralization. The new State Administration System Act abolished the county state administration offices as first-instance state administration bodies and transferred their tasks to the delegated scope of competence of counties as second-level self-government units. The paper explores the effects of administrative decentralization. Based on theoretical assumptions on decentralization effects, comparative experience with administrative decentralization ex-ante evaluation of county state administration offices abolition, five hypotheses about the effects of administrative decentralization in Croatian territorial governance setting are formulated. The hypotheses are tested by analysis of the legal and institutional framework of the performance of delegated tasks, empirical data gathered through the questionnaires, nine interviews, and secondary data. The results show that administrative decentralization strengthened the role of Croatian counties, strengthened their administrative role, strengthened the role of county governors, increased the horizontal and weakened vertical coordination, improved some aspects of service delivery but not uniformity in service provision across the state territory, and improved the transparency but not led to the democratization of county government. Five national-specific factors are analyzed as possible explanations for such results: general societal trends, external pressures, characteristics of Croatian public administration, general features of the Croatian local self-government system, and adopted organizational design.

»We are with You, Ukraine« – analiza upravnih kapaciteta za implementaciju instituta privremene zaštite u Hrvatskoj

»We are with You, Ukraine« – analiza upravnih kapaciteta za implementaciju instituta privremene zaštite u Hrvatskoj

Implementing a quality management system in the Croatian public administration

Purpose: On the example of a regional self-government unit, the paper aims to provide additional evidence to support the notion that the application of a quality management system (QMS) in public administration produces positive change in organizational culture, improves business processes as well as the quality and delivery of services, etc., and, as such, is a necessary precondition for modernization and improvement of its efficiency. Methodology: International scientific and professional research shows that the application of quality management systems in public administration is a prerequisite for modernization and improvement of overall system efficiency. The paper gives an overview of the QMS implementation in public administration in the Republic of Croatia and presents the effects of the application of the international standard ISO 9001 in Osijek-Baranya County. Results: The results indicate that the application of QMS in Osijek-Baranya County has had significant effects on the operation of public administration. The most significant among them are financial savings, increased transparency, acceleration of business processes, etc. Conclusion: The application of a quality management system in public administration has produced positive effects especially in terms of improving (streamlining and speeding up the processes as well as increasing transparency of work thus providing an avenue towards modernizing and improving the overall efficiency of public administration.

The (Lack Of) Demand for Performance Information by the Croatian Parliament

This paper explores the demand for performance information by members of the Croatian Parliament, and the supply thereof by the Croatian public administration. The research consists of data content analysis of parliamentary questions and answers in the first six months of 2015. The results show that the demand for performance information by MPs is lower than its supply by the administration. The MPs’ personal characteristics have an influence on the demand for performance information since higher demand is shown by those belonging to opposition parties, while those most experienced politically are the ones requesting least information. The influence of MPs’ education on the demand for performance information is not unequivocal. Two issues are further discussed: development of the performance management system and an increase in the power of executives, which can be a result of the Europeanization process.

Реформа государственного управления в Хорватии: Медленная модернизация в условиях европеизации устойчивой к изменениям бюрократии

Over-politicization co-exists in the Croatian public administration with legalism, formalism and red tape. Low reform, innovation and initiative capacities are among the results of such an administrative model. Croatia has a relatively big and strong but ineffcient public administration. Internal bureaucratic resistance to modernization is observable. Foreign actors play a moderate role in administrative reform. The European Union has exerted the strongest influence on modernization on the basis of conditionality policy, insistence on the administrative capacity building, and the European Semester procedure. E-government policy, transparency, and strategic planning are the reform areas with the above-average reform results.

Coordination Instruments in Croatian Integration Policy

The key question addressed in this paper is that of connecting the institutional setting and planned outcomes of the integration policy with the instruments and types of coordination in the government system. Integration policy may be defined as a “wicked problem”, as it is a cross-sectoral issue that concerns the responsibilities of various actors. Integration is not a policy that can develop serendipitously; it needs to be designed and proper instruments of coordination should be developed. It requires coordination across different sectors and tiers of government, with both formal and informal coordination structures and instruments that can be used to facilitate coordinated implementation of policy goals and measures. Croatia has only rather recently started to develop its integration policy. Due to a relatively small number of migrants, the integration policy is primarily targeted at the refugee population. In practice, integration is an inter-departmental task dealt with by different organisations (ministries, agencies) at different governmental levels (national, local) and includes their cooperation with different non-state actors. This is very challenging in the highly fragmented and pluralistic Croatian public administration system, which lacks integrative government capacity, strategic planning, and prioritisation of developed consultative mechanisms. The paper analyses the recently promoted Croatian integration policy in the light of coordination models and instruments. It provides an overview of the types and instruments of coordination in the government system and presents the development of the Croatian migration and integration policy, its institutional setting, and the implementation of integration in practice. Finally, it provides a classification and evaluation of the coordination instruments in the integration policy.

One Candle, Two Candles… Is There the Third One ? Croatian Public Administration Reform before and after the EU Accession

One Candle, Two Candles… Is There the Third One ? Croatian Public Administration Reform before and after the EU Accession

Mogućnosti korištenja audita sustava upravljanja kvalitetom za unaprjeđenje učinkovitosti javne uprave

Prema zahtjevima međunarodne norme ISO 9001:2015, provođenje audita sustava upravljanja kvalitetom ključna je pretpostavka provjere usklađenosti sustava sa zahtjevima međunarodne norme i zahtjevima sustava upravljanja kvalitetom organizacije koja ih primjenjuje. Rezultati provedenih internih audita sadrže informacije vezane uz nepravilnosti (nesukladnosti u odnosu na zahtjeve norme), preporuke za poboljšanje, a sve s ciljem unaprjeđenja postojeće poslovne prakse. Istodobno, analiza pozicije Republike Hrvatske na međunarodnim ljestvicama konkurentnosti pokazuje značajno zaostajanje u odnosu na države srednje i istočne Europe. Analiza usporedbe Republike Hrvatske s drugim državama na temelju međunarodnih analiza konkurentnosti pokazuje zaostajanje u svim segmentima konkurentnosti. Pritom, u skladu s preporukama Europske komisije u sklopu konvergencijskog programa nacionalnih reformi u Republici Hrvatskoj, slabost sustava ogleda se i u (ne)učinkovitosti javnog sektora koji je potrebno unaprijediti. Rad jedinica lokalnih i regionalnih samouprava (u daljnjem tekstu: uprava) u Republici Hrvatskoj nadziru tijela državne uprave, institucije nadležne za provođenje poslovanja pravnih i/ili fizičkih osoba, skupštine u gradovima i županijama, a u općinama općinsko vijeće kao i jedinice unutarnje revizije i internih auditora ako uprava ima implementiran sustav upravljanja kvalitetom prema jednoj od međunarodnih normi. Postavlja se pitanje mogućnosti korištenja audita u svojstvu oblika nadzora sustava upravljanja kvalitetom kao strateškog alata za unaprjeđenje rada uprave, odnosno povećanja učinkovitosti sustava i podizanja razine konkurentnosti. U radu je dan kratak pregled učinkovitosti javne uprave Republike Hrvatske na međunarodnim ljestvicama konkurentnosti, prikaz oblika nadzora rada uprave s posebnim naglaskom na specifičnostima nadzora prema metodologiji međunarodne norme ISO 9001:2015 i Smjernica za auditiranje sustava upravljanja kvalitetom i/ili okolišem ISO 19011:2012. Konzultirana je stručna i znanstvena literatura o iskustvima i ulozi primjene internih audita u javnoj upravi. U zaključnim razmatranjima analizirane su mogućnosti korištenja internih audita kao osnove unaprjeđenja sustava upravljanja kvalitetom.

Novi trendovi u razvoju hrvatske upravne znanosti

This brief and unpretentiously written text has as it s main propose to warn on occurrence of new trends within recent croatian administrative science. It´ s a fact that ever more female colleuge on Cathedra of administrative sciences of Faculty of Law University of Zagreb emerged as employees in scientific-educational vocation, which was once predominantly „male“ discipline. Therefore, their autoritative and professional engagement in each aspect oft he discipline should be welcomed, from substantially traditional aspects to efforts on opening new thematic areas. Especially great credit of female teachers of administrative science lies in process of europeization of croatian public administration and their endeavour to point out deficiencies in actual state and recomendations for their avoidance. In this way croatian administrative science catches connection on contemporary processes, within discipline in european context. With it´ s width and coverage of themes, both ancient and new ones Croatian administrative science testifies it´ s vitality and displays it can handle with corpus of positive law discipline et least on equall level

Strategic Management and Performance Measurement – A Connected or Disconnected Duo? Evidences from Croatian Public Administration

The paper examines the link between strategic management and performance measurement in the public sector. The main hypothesis is that the stages of strategic management development are positively correlated with the number of performance dimensions measured by public organisations. In order to examine the stated hypothesis results from the empirical research conducted in Croatian public administration are being presented. A questionnaire has been sent to 253 central and local organisations and additional interviews have been conducted. The results confirm the hypothesis and determine that the enhancement of strategic planning and management is one of the main stimuli for performance measurement in Croatia.

Zastupljenost nacionalnih manjina u hrvatskoj javnoj upravi: ocjena uspješnosti posebnih mjera zapošljavanja

Zastupljenost nacionalnih manjina u hrvatskoj javnoj upravi: ocjena uspješnosti posebnih mjera zapošljavanja

Conflicts of preferences and domestic constraints: understanding reform failure in liberal state-building and democracy promotion

ABSTRACTThis paper challenges the common explanations that failures of external state-building and democracy promotion are the result of a lack of domestic capacity or a lack of domestic willingness against an externally set liberal agenda of state-building and democratisation. Studying political decision-making on a micro-level, we argue that both explanations fail to capture the multi-faceted motivations and interests of domestic actors that go beyond mere ‘resistance’ against externally induced liberal reforms. Rather, criticism of reforms might be rooted in ideas of social justice and claims to socio-economic security. Furthermore, these explanations tend to overlook the need for domestic elites to bargain with various domestic stakeholders. A case study of Croatian public administration reform illustrates that failure of externally promoted reforms remain an option when significant international resources are available for liberal state-building and the target of reform is a relatively mature bureaucracy.

Coordination for Policy in Transition Countries: Case of Croatia

The formulation and implementation of public policy depends on the coordination capacities. In recent decades the need for coordination has increased due to the fragmentation caused by NPM reforms, decentralisation processes, the proliferation of the cross-cutting issues, as well as increased globalisation, Europeanisation, and professionalization. The coordination problem in Croatian administration, similarly to other transition countries, is critically important but understudied. This paper is based on a preliminary research on coordination in Croatian public administration with regard to policy formulation and implementation of three policies – regional development policy, anticorruption policy and e-government policy, based on the interviews conducted with higher civil servants and public officials. A special emphasis is given to the role which various actors play in coordination, as well as the structures Government employs in order to coordinate. The research shows that the development of coordination instruments in Croatia suffers from inefficiencies and is greatly influenced by politically driven considerations.

Evidence-Based Policy Making and the Implementation of Regulatory Impact Assessment in Croatia

Purpose: This study is dealing with the application of evidence-based policy-making in Croatian public administration and the general role of applied policy analysis in the Croatian system of governance. Methodology: This development is illustrated by the peculiarities of introducing regulatory impact assessment (RIA) tools in Croatian public administrative structures. Findings: The author is pointing out various limitations in the usage of policy analysis tools in formulating, implementing and evaluating public policies in Croatia. The crucial role of RIA for enhancing executive capacity of governance structures is particularly stressed in the study. The final part of the article is devoted to the prospects of further development of RIA as an applied policy analysis tool within the Croatian system of governance

Public Administration: Main Factor in Successful Management of Coastal Area Development in Republic of Croatia

The modern society requires a rational, professional, stable and socially accountable public administration that serves its citizens. Analysis of the status and functioning of the Croatian public administration shows that there are still many shortcomings and problems that must be solved. This paper outlines the basic characteristics of public administration as a set of structures and processes aiming to start and implement the policies in accordance with the public interest. Also, it explores the way and the level of success of managing the common good, with special attention given to the management of the coastal area, whereas the management of the coastal area is defined as an activity comprising different levels of management – local, regional, national and international. The author stresses the need to coordinate the different levels and emphasize the importance of organizing the work process and the capabilities of the managing structure. This is necessary because the public administration often makes decisions directly influencing the citizens’ quality of life on a local and individual level. Given that the public administration has a great amount of power in all countries, it must be controlled. The author states that beside self control of public administration it is also needed to conduct the additional control. That kind of control is necessary due to the inestimable value of Croatia’s coastal and other resources. Based on the results of the research the author suggests measures to improve a continued and efficient control.

Reforming the Civil Service as the Precondition for Public Administration Reform in Croatia

Weaknesses in the Croatian public administration pose one of the most important impediments to advancing reforms in the country, which requires a restructuring and modernizing of the public administration in the context of European integration as well as in the perspective of economic recovery and growth. The present article analyses the present state of fulfillment of the administrative criteria for EU membership in Croatia, particularly questioning the fulfillment of European principles of civil service, claiming that reform of this sector is crucial for a modernized, transparent and efficient public administration.