Government Administrative Unit Research Articles

Project monitoring model in central governmental administration

Purpose: The aim of this article is to present the project monitoring model in the central government administration as a set of interrelated, complementary elements that influence the implementation of strategic projects on a nationwide scale and affect tens of millions of Polish citizens. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a literature review and analysis of the existing system, prospective directions for the monitoring of strategic projects were selected. As a result of this work, a model was created that was assessed for significance and replicability. The most experienced group of experts and practitioners in this field took part in the CAWI survey. Findings: The high level of significance of all areas of the model has been proven and its universal nature has been confirmed, thanks to the possibility of being used in other administrative units. Research limitations/implications: Due to limitations resulting from security procedures for research conducted in central government administration units, only closed questions were used in the research. In the future, the study can be carried out on another, larger population, having previously prepared it appropriately. Practical implications: The practical use of the model in administration units can contribute to increasing transparency, efficiency and automation of planning and implementation of projects. Social implications: Increasing the quality of implemented projects in accordance with the presented model may have a large, positive impact on the final beneficiaries - society, in terms of effective use of public funds, shortened project implementation time, and obtaining project results consistent with expectations. Originality/value: The article presents a new model of project monitoring in central government administration, which may be useful for scientists conducting research in the area of project monitoring and management in other countries. The article falls into the area of projectification of the public sector. Keywords: project management, central government administration, Project Management Office (PMO), significance assessment, feasibility assessment. Category of the paper: Research paper.

Great Evacuation of Vilnius in 1915

Due to the threat of Vilnius being captured by the approaching German troops, the tsarist authorities decided to hastily move to the empire not only government administration units, industrial plants, and educational and financial institutions, but also the most valuable resources of cultural institutions, movable sacred objects, and Russian monuments. The population leaving the city also took with them valuable items, including objects of historic and commemorative value, as well as works of art. At the time, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania suffered colossal losses of movable cultural heritage objects collected over several centuries. Thanks to the dignified attitude of the local community remaining in Vilnius, it was possible to partially secure and save many items of cultural property from being exported, destroyed or dispersed.

Corporate Governance and Service Delivery in National Government Administration: A Case of Kirinyaga County, Kenya

Corporate governance is vital in ensuring ethical operations and stakeholder interests in companies, preventing fraud, misconduct, and conflicts of interest, leading to a more sustainable and profitable business. Concerns around corporate governance practices in government agencies can hinder their effectiveness and ultimately impact the quality of services delivered to citizens. This study aimed to examine the influence of corporate governance practices on service quality in the national government administration, case of Kirinyaga County. The specific objectives of this study were to examine the influence of organizational structure, stakeholder participation, ethical issues, and legal framework/policies on the service delivery of Kirinyaga County's national government administration. Concerning the theoretical aspect, the study was anchored by agency theory, resource dependency theory, stakeholder theory, and the SERVQUAL model. This study utilized a descriptive research design. The target population was from all the administrative units of Kirinyaga County, namely: Kerugoya Central, Kerugoya East, Kerugoya West, Mwea East and Mwea West, which formed the unit of analysis. The unit of observation was 143 officials from each of those units. The study adopted a stratified random sampling technique to select the study participants. Primary data was obtained by using a semi-structured questionnaire. To validate the questionnaire, content, construct and face validity were used. The study instrument's reliability was measured using the Test-Retest method, and Cronbach's Alpha was utilized as the reliability measure. A Cronbach's alpha equal to or greater than 0.7 was set as the threshold for reliability. As a result, the study instrument was found to be reliable. Data collected were coded and entered into the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences, which was used to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics were utilized to summarize the observed data, which included frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Additionally, inferential statistics were carried out using correlation and multiple regression analysis. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that all variables had a positive linear correlation. Regarding the impact of corporate governance measures on performance, the regression analysis indicated that the organizational structure and ethical issues variables had a strong positive relationship with national government service delivery. However, the stakeholder participation and legal and policy framework variables had a negative effect on the quality of service delivery. Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that maintaining an appropriate organizational structure and applying the appropriate ethical standards are key factors in determining positive service delivery. National government administration units that employ these two initiatives are likely to provide better quality service. In light of this, National government administration units should prioritize maintaining an appropriate organizational structure and implementing ethical standards to improve the quality of service delivery. Additionally, further research should be conducted on the negative impact of stakeholders' participation and legal and policies framework on service delivery to better understand how to mitigate these effects. By considering these recommendations, national government administration units can improve their service delivery and better serve their constituents.

System elektronicznego zarządzania dokumentacją EZD PUW a wewnętrzne normatywy regulujące zarządzanie dokumentacją w jednostkach administracji samorządowej i rządowej w terenie (2011–2021). Wybrane aspekty

Artykuł zawiera sprawozdanie z badań dotyczących funkcjonowania systemu Elektronicznego Zarządzania Dokumentacją Podlaskiego Urzędu Wojewódzkiego (dalej EZD PUW), który jest drugim pod względem liczby wdrożeń systemem typu EZD w administracji publicznej w Polsce. Celem badań było ustalenie, w jaki sposób wprowadzenie do stosowania EZD PUW wpływa na działanie registratury w urzędzie, obieg dokumentów oraz sposoby załatwiania i dokumentowania spraw. Tekst składa się z części wprowadzającej, omówienia metody gromadzenia i analizy materiałów źródłowych oraz prezentacji wyników w dwóch ujęciach – dla jednostek, które wskazały system tradycyjny jako podstawowy sposób dokumentowania przebiegu załatwiania i rozstrzygania spraw oraz dla urzędów, które za główny system zarządzania dokumentacją uznały EZD. Badaniem objęto 163 urzędy administracji samorządowej i rządowej w terenie, które w latach 2011–2022 wprowadziły do stosowania system EZD PUW. W grupie tej znalazły się 133 urzędy miejskie, gminne oraz miejsko-gminne, 32 starostwa powiatowe, 13 urzędów wojewódzkich oraz 5 urzędów marszałkowskich. Autor przeanalizował odpowiedzi udzielone w ankiecie skierowanej do wytypowanych urzędów oraz udostępnione przez respondentów normatywy wewnętrzne dotyczące zarządzania dokumentacją elektroniczną, będące suplementem do podstawowych instrukcji kancelaryjno-archiwalnych wymaganych przez przepisy prawa. Badanie pokazało niejednorodność regulacji wewnętrznych dotyczących wdrożenia systemu EZD PUW i jego funkcjonowania w poszczególnych urzędach, zarówno w wypadku pełnego wprowadzenia elektronicznego obiegu dokumentów, jak i rozwiązań hybrydowych. Zdaniem autora, ta różnorodność rozwiązań przekłada się na heterogeniczność funkcjonowania urzędów i dokumentowania ich działalności, co w obszarze działania administracji publicznej jest zjawiskiem niepożądanym. Wskazano dwie główne przyczyny takiego stanu rzeczy. Pierwsza to obowiązywanie – nieprzystających do obecnych rozwiązań stosowanych w biurowości elektronicznej – przepisów państwowych z 2011 r. regulujących organizację biurowości administracji publicznej w Polsce. Drugą jest nieadekwatna do współczesnych potrzeb kancelarii elektronicznej polityka nadzoru nad narastającym zasobem archiwalnym prowadzona przez archiwa państwowe. Do artykułu załączono dwa aneksy zawierające wykazy wewnętrznych regulacji wpływających na postępowanie z dokumentacją. The EZD PUW electronic records management system vs. internal norms governing records management in local and state government units in the field (2011–2021). Selected aspects The article is a report from a survey concerning operation of the Podlaskie Voivodship Office’s Electronic Documents Management system (hereinafter: EZD PUW), which is the second most implemented EDM- type system in public administration in Poland. The aim of the survey was to determine how the implementation of EZD PUW affects the operation of the Office’s registry, the workflow of documents and procedures for handling and documenting cases. The text comprises an introductory part, a discussion of the method of collecting and analysing source materials, and a presentation of the results divided into two perspectives – for the offices that indicated the traditional system as their primary method of documenting the course of handling and resolving cases, and for those offices that recognized the EDM system as their main documentation management environment. The survey covered 163 offices of self- government and government administration units, which implemented the EZD PUW system in 2011–2022. The group included 133 Municipal Offices (urban, rural and mixed), 32 County Offices, 13 Voivodship Offices and five Marshal’s Offices. The author analysed responses to a survey addressed to the selected offices, as well as the internal regulations, provided by the respondents, determining procedures for management of electronic records, supplementary to the basic office and archival manuals required by law. The survey revealed lack of uniformity of internal regulations regarding the implementation of the EZD PUW system and its operation in individual offices, both in case of implementation of fully electronic document workflow and in case of hybrid solutions. According to the researcher, such diversity of solutions translates into heterogeneity in the operation of offices themselves as well as in the documentation of their activities. According to the author, such a situation is undesirable in the field of public administration operations. Two main reasons for this state of affairs were indicated. The first is the applicability of the 2011 framework state regulations governing the organization of clerical work in public administration in Poland, which are not adapted to the current electronic office solutions. The second is the supervision policy on the part of the state archives with regard to the growing archival resource, inadequate to modern needs of an electronic chancellery. There are two appendices to the article , containing lists of internal regulations affecting the handling of records.

Spatial exploration of non-resilience to food insecurity, its association with COVID-19 and household coping strategies in East Gojjam districts, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a significant multifaceted threat to the global community. Ethiopia, as a Sub-Saharan African country, is suffering from chronic food insecurity, and the emergence of such a pandemic will exacerbate the situation. As a result, this study investigated the spatial variation of non-resilience to food insecurity, its relationship with COVID-19, and household coping strategies to become resilient in the long run among households in the East Gojjam Zone of Northwest Ethiopia. From September 22 to December 24, 2020, an agro-ecological-based cross-sectional study of 3532 households was conducted to assess the spatial distribution and associated factors of non-resilience to household food insecurity. The enumeration areas (EAs) and households were chosen using a multistage sampling technique. Data were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire and checklist using an Android device loaded with an Open Data Kit (ODK) template. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the specific factors associated with household non-resilience to food insecurity. A thematic analysis was conducted to investigate the opportunities and challenges of resilience for household food insecurity. Nearly two-thirds (62.5%) of the households were farmers, 67.9% lived in rural areas, and nearly three-quarters (73.8%) earned less than or equal to ETB 2100 per month. Males headed more than four-fifths of the households (81.7%). We found that nearly two-thirds of the households (60.02%), 95% CI 58.40, 61.64) were food insecure. After bivariate logistic regression, we found that households who were divorced (AOR = 2.54 (1.65, 3.87)), daily laborers (AOR = 2.37 (1.15, 4.87)), government employees (AOR = 2.06 (1.05, 4.05)), residents of highland and hot areas (AOR = 11.5 (5.37, 16.77)) and lowland areas (AOR = 1.35 (1.02, 3.15)) were frustrated by COVID-19 (AOR = 1.23 (1.02, 1.50)) and price inflation (1.89 (AOR = 1.42, 2.56))) were at higher odds of being non-resilient to household food insecurity at a 95% confidence level. Geospatial hot spot analysis revealed that Kurar kebele (the lowest government administrative unit) in Dejen District and Debre Markos town were the red-hotspot areas of household non-resilience to food insecurity. Less than a quarter of the households attempted to cope with food insecurity by adjusting their food consumption, while more than 60% of the households chose none of the coping strategies tested. According to the thematic analysis, the degree of poverty (lack of asset ownership), the COVID-19 pandemic, farm decreased variety, and low crop productivity were identified as challenges to coping with the hardship of resilience to food insecurity. During the COVID-19 pandemic and public emergency, the proportion of households that were unprepared for food insecurity reached its peak. It was recognized that a segment of the population with low economic capacity was more vulnerable to food insecurity and less resilient. Tough developmental gains will be undermined in this case. As a result, each responsible body and stakeholder should develop and implement solid corrective plans for the local context.

Assessment of the Level of Implementation of Internal Audits in Polish Public Hospitals

Purpose: The aim of the article is to evaluate the work of internal audit units in Polish public hospitals. An additional objective was the assessment of the indicators used by the Ministry of Finance (MF) to verify the work of auditors in government administration units. Design/Methodology/Approach: The authors have analysed specialized literature concerning audit issues in hospitals analyzing data included in the MF reports for 2012-2019, presenting indicator values related to internal audits, their quality and efficiency. Findings: Studying the literature of the subject revealed that there is a research gap concerning evaluation of the efficiency of internal audits at hospitals. Practical Implications: The authors’ analysis of MF reports of internal audit units in hospitals and the interpretation of the indicators contained in them enabled evaluation of the functioning of internal audits at analysed hospitals and determining their position compared to other entities from the research sample. Indicator values for hospitals vary from those obtained from other public sector units, as particular public finance sector units’ function in various legal and organizational environments and vary in operational aims and specificity. Originality/Value: The results from the conducted analysis should be regarded as a starting point for more advanced evaluation studies of the functioning of internal audits in hospitals.

Epidemic risk of arboviral diseases: Determining the habitats, spatial-temporal distribution, and abundance of immature Aedes aegypti in the Urban and Rural areas of Zanzibar, Tanzania.

In Zanzibar, little is known about the arboviral disease vector Aedes aegypti in terms of abundance, spatio-temporal distribution of its larval habitats or factors associated with its proliferation. Effective control of the vector requires knowledge on ecology and habitat characteristics and is currently the only available option for reducing the risk of arboviral epidemics in the island nation of Zanzibar. We conducted entomological surveys in households and surrounding compounds from February to May 2018 in the urban (Mwembemakumbi and Chumbuni) and rural (Chuini and Kama) Shehias (lowest government administrative unit) situated in the Urban-West region of Unguja island, Zanzibar. Larvae and pupae were collected, transported to the insectary, reared to adult, and identified to species level. Characteristics and types of water containers were also recorded on site. Generalized linear mixed models with binomial and negative binomial distributions were applied to determine factors associated with presence of Ae. aegypti immatures (i.e. both larvae and pupae) or pupae, alone and significant predictors of the abundance of immature Ae. aegypti or pupae, respectively. The survey provided evidence of widespread presence and abundance of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes in both urban and rural settings of Unguja Island. Interestingly, rural setting had higher numbers of infested containers, all immatures, and pupae than urban setting. Likewise, higher House and Breteau indices were recorded in rural compared to the urban setting. There was no statistically significant difference in Stegomyia indices between seasons across settings. Plastics, metal containers and car tires were identified as the most productive habitats which collectively produced over 90% of all Ae. aegypti pupae. Water storage, sun exposure, vegetation, and organic matter were significant predictors of the abundance of immature Ae. aegypti. Widespread presence and abundance of Ae. aegypti were found in rural and urban areas of Unguja, the main island of Zanzibar. Information on productive habitats and predictors of colonization of water containers are important for the development of a routine Aedes surveillance system and targeted control interventions in Zanzibar and similar settings.

Multi-Criteria Stochastic Selection of Electric Vehicles for the Sustainable Development of Local Government and State Administration Units in Poland

Increasing the popularity of electric vehicles is one way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making the economy more sustainable. In Poland, the use of electric vehicles is to be increased by the adoption of the Act on Electromobility and Alternative Fuels. This Act obliges local government units and state administration to expand the electric vehicle fleet. The expansion of the fleet should be carried out on a planned basis, based on rational decisions supported by economic analyses. Therefore, the aim of this article is to provide a recommendation of an electric vehicle that meets the needs of local and state administration to the greatest extent possible. The aim has been achieved using the multi-criteria decision analysis method called PROSA-C (PROMETHEE for Sustainability Assessment—Criteria) combined with the Monte Carlo method. The PROSA-C method allows promoting more sustainable vehicles with high technical, economic, environmental and social parameters. The Monte Carlo method, on the other hand, is a stochastic simulation tool that allows for taking into account the uncertainty of parameters describing vehicles. As a result of the research, the most and least attractive vehicles were identified from the perspective of the needs of local government units and state administration. Moreover, the conducted research allowed confirming the effectiveness and usefulness of the research methodology proposed in the article and the procedural approach combining the PROSA-C and Monte Carlo methods.

Information systems projects’ success in government units: the issue of information systems integration

Abstract This paper seeks to establish the impact of Information Systems (IS) integration on project success in Government Administration Units (GAUs) in Poland. To attain this objective, the study addresses three basic issues: (1) does IS integration have an impact on IS project success, (2) is back-office IS integration related to IS project success, and (3) is front-office IS integration related to IS project success. To explore these issues the literature was critically reviewed, a case study and a survey were conducted, and experts’ judgments considered. To measure the impact of IS integration on IS project success empirically we gathered 220 survey responses from GAUs. The study identified 10 IS project success measures (SMs), as well as 26 IS project success factors (SFs). One of the SFs is related to IS integration. The impact of the IS integration factor was analyzed in comparison to other factors. The correlation analysis shows that IS integration in GAUs is significantly and positively correlated with IS project success. This study establishes that both front- and back-office IS integration has a positive relationship with IS project success. The findings provide some support for IS project management in GAUs in Poland.

Relacje pomiędzy samorządem terytorialnym a administracją rządową w warunkach pandemii COVID-19

The aim of the study is to show the mutual relations between the government administration and local government units in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article uses the decision-making method in order to analyse the actions taken and the decision-making process. Discourse analysis is used to study the communication process between the government administration and local government administration. To analyse the legal acts adopted during the pandemic, an institutional and legal analysis was used. New, serious challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic did not change the difficult, tense relations between the local government and the central administration, nor did they weaken the conflict between them. In the period of the epidemic, the current animosities, which had existed even before its outbreak, were reinforced. They were related to the dispute between the omnipotence of the state and decentralist tendencies. Additionally, new discrepancies, resulting from the consequences of the epidemic and radical actions taken in relation to it, arose.

Risk Map for a Selected Organization

Abstract The publication presents a risk map for a selected organization concerning external hazards, i.e. those whose source is not derived from the internal conditions of the functioning of the organization. To this end, a risk management process was carried out, consisting in the identification of hazards, their analysis, risk assessment, and risk response. The risk map shows a visual presentation of these hazards together with the defined risk level. This map is used to identify hazard zones within the examined organization, serving as a database also for all entities interested in the business activity of the organization, the entities neighboring the facility, or private persons. Furthermore, this tool is particularly useful for local government administration units for the purpose of proper crisis management within the administered area. The risk map is also used to identify internal risk areas in the organization.

The New Approach to the Strategic Project Management in the Polish Public Administration

Abstract The article deals with a way of standardizing project and program management methods in public administration, considering that they have been initiated by a number of administration units having a great autonomy, independently of the government strategy. To manage the government strategy, an original model of the unification process of managing projects and programs executed as part of the strategy and supported by a dedicated IT system has been specially developed and implemented. The essence of the presented approach is to replace the top-down forcing changes toward unifying the project management methodologies used by government administration units by stimulating interest in facilitation and benefits provided by the IT system and, as a result, also a willingness to join the system. Such voluntary joining the system is associated with voluntary adaptation of the previous locally applied management method to the methodology supported by the IT system.

Solving the Problem of Waste Management in the Hospitality Industry- A Case Study of Chariot Hotel in Buea, South West Region - Cameroon

Waste management is intended to reduce adverse effects of waste on health, the environment and challenges abound in the management and recycling of waste. This industry therefore need planning in the management and the recycling of these waste as the total rubbish or waste produced in a country is so enormous and there is also a lot of excellent work going on around many council areas or municipalities this in an effort to ensure that this is an industry to be proud of and one that will continue to secure effective, sustainable and ecologically sound waste management and recycling for many years to come. When waste is disposed of properly, you can prevent hazardous materials from contaminating the environment as well as the health of the population leaving in that area as rubbish and waste is known to cause air and water pollution and especially rotting garbage produced is also known to produce harmful gases that when it thus mix with the air it will cause breathing problems in people. The Buea Municipality which is the local government administrative unit have been left with the responsibility of overseeing the work done by this privately held organisation (HYSACAM), a local waste management company that has been contracted to manage waste in its municipality.

Geo-enabled Decision Support System for Potential Clean Energy Mix for Bali, Indonesia

Five types of clean energy sources have been assessed, and spatial distribution mapped for energy mix analysis using desa, a village or the smallest government administrative unit in Indonesia, as the unit of analysis. The results show that the total technical potential of clean energy in Bali is 100,664 GWh/yr. They show that there is great potential to enhance the share of clean energy in electricity generation, and meet demand projected to be 4,993 GWh/yr. in Bali in 2019. These results can be used for policy analysis to help Indonesia to meet, and even exceed, the targeted 23% share of clean energy in total power generation by 2025, establish mini/micro gird power generation plants, and formulate feed-in tariffs for the main electricity grid.

Is shrimp farming a successful adaptation to salinity intrusion? A geospatial associative analysis of poverty in the populous Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta of Bangladesh.

The Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna delta of Bangladesh is one of the most populous deltas in the world, supporting as many as 140 million people. The delta is threatened by diverse environmental stressors including salinity intrusion, with adverse consequences for livelihood and health. Shrimp farming is recognised as one of the few economic adaptations to the impacts of the rapidly salinizing delta. Although salinity intrusion and shrimp farming are geographically co-located in the delta, there has been no systematic study to examine their geospatial associations with poverty. In this study, we use multiple data sources including Census, Landsat Satellite Imagery and soil salinity survey data to examine the extent of geospatial clustering of poverty within the delta and their associative relationships with salinity intensity and shrimp farming. The analysis was conducted at the union level, which is the lowest local government administrative unit in Bangladesh. The findings show a strong clustering of poverty in the delta, and whilst different intensities of salinization are significantly associated with increasing poverty, neither saline nor freshwater shrimp farming has a significant association with poverty. These findings suggest that whilst shrimp farming may produce economic growth, in its present form it has not been an effective adaptation for the poor and marginalised areas of the delta. The study demonstrates that there are a series of drivers of poverty in the delta, including salinization, water logging, wetland/mudflats, employment, education and access to roads, amongst others that are discernible spatially, indicating that poverty alleviation programmes in the delta require strengthening with area-specific targeted interventions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11625-016-0356-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Malaria incidence and entomological findings in an area targeted for a cluster-randomized controlled trial to prevent malaria in Ethiopia: results from a pilot study.

BackgroundThis study was part of the work to prepare for a cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of combining indoor residual spraying and long-lasting insecticidal nets on malaria incidence. A pilot study was done to estimate the variations of malaria incidence among villages, combined with entomological collections and an assessment of susceptibility to insecticides in malaria vectors.MethodsA cohort of 5309 residents from four kebeles (the lowest government administrative unit) in 996 households was followed from August to December 2013 in south-central Ethiopia. Blood samples were collected by a finger prick for a microscopic examination of malaria infections. A multilevel mixed effect model was applied to measure the predictors of malaria episode. Adult mosquitoes were collected using light traps set indoors close to a sleeping person, pyrethrum spray sheet catches and artificial outdoor pit shelters. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to detect the sources of mosquito blood meals, while mosquito longevity was estimated based on parity. The World Health Organization’s tube bioassay test was used to assess the insecticide susceptibility status of malaria vectors to pyrethroids and carbamates.ResultsThe average incidence of malaria episode was 4.6 per 10,000 person weeks of observation. The age group from 5 to 14 years (IRR = 2.7; 95 % CI 1.1–6.6) and kebeles near a lake or river (IRR = 14.2, 95 % CI 3.1–64) were significantly associated with malaria episode. Only 271 (27.3 %) of the households owned insecticide-treated nets. Of 232 adult Anopheles mosquitoes collected, Anopheles arabiensis (71.1 %) was the predominant species. The average longevity of An. arabiensis was 14 days (range: 7–25 human blood index days). The overall human blood index (0.69) for An. arabiensis was higher than the bovine blood index (0.38). Statistically significant differences in Anopheline mosquitoes abundance were observed between the kebeles (P = 0.001). Anopheles arabiensis was susceptible to propoxur, but resistant to pyrethroids. However, An. pharoensis was susceptible to all pyrethroids and carbamates tested.ConclusionsThis study showed a high variation in malaria incidence and Anopheles between kebeles. The observed susceptibility of the malaria vectors to propoxur warrants using this insecticide for indoor residual spraying, and the results from this study will be used as a baseline for the trial.