Regional Self-government Research Articles

Strategické hlasování ve slovenských regionálních volbách 2013 a 2017: Důkazy pro Duvergerův zákon ve volbách předsedů samosprávných krajů?

Strategické hlasování ve slovenských regionálních volbách 2013 a 2017: Důkazy pro Duvergerův zákon ve volbách předsedů samosprávných krajů?

Advancing the Pomorskie RIS3 Multi-Level Implementation Scheme

The aim of the proposed scheme is to assist the Pomorskie regional authority in the further implementation of the smart specialization concept for the benefit of the blue growth sectors that are considered as a competitive advantage of this region against all other Polish regions. Current implementation system is based on Agreements on Pomorskie Smart Specializations and on the regulation on the Council performance. The regional self-government is the owner of the implementation process, including the entrepreneurial discovery process. The proposed advanced implementation system postulates that the Council should become the owner of the latter process, its operation should be based on the regulation concluded between the Marshal and the Council. Moreover, it is proposed that the Council is supported by a dedicated and experienced coordinator well rooted in the domain of the smart specialization. Activities of the coordinators are financed by the regional self-government authorities via the dedicated financial tool, so-called strategic project. Advanced implementation scheme is expected to enable the regional authorities to create the functional and efficient set up of RIS3 for the next financial perspective.

Organizational and Economic Principles of Agricultural Machinery Use

Abstract Technical support of producers of agrarian products has always been and will remain a topical issue in realities of agrarian sector of Ukraine. In recent years, integrated forms of agricultural enterprises have become more widespread, which make it possible to increase and renew a machine-tractor park of their participants. In course of study four main technologies of soil cultivation and their impact were considered, an amount of necessary machinery and equipment, energy and labor costs, and impact on quality indicators of soil health. Also, main organizational forms of enterprises that provide equipment rental services or perform fieldwork were analyzed. Proposals were made regarding a merger of existing enterprises into agro technical centers, which would increase an efficiency of their functioning and cover functions of regional self-government. Also, the most common forms of machinery usage by agricultural enterprises were considered.

SIGNIFICANCE OF NATURAL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: ARCHETYPAL APPROACH

The issues of the essence of the concept of “natural capital”, as well as management in the field of conservation of natural capital have been investigated. The author uses an archetypal approach. The activity and structure of international organizations engaged in environmental policy have been analyzed. The basic features aspects and cooperative efforts in biodiversity identified shortcomings for international and suggests ways to address them have been investigated. The basic state policy measures improving conservation and reproduction of natural capital have been ordered. The basic approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of conservation based on best international experience. The economic evaluation of natural capital resources of Ukraine has been done and the necessity of increasing the annual state budgetary financing natural capital conservation has been improved. The methodic of evaluating the effectiveness of conservation on three levels: national, regional and local has been ordered, to better analyze the actual state of natural ecosystems, to investigate the dynamics of the cost of maintaining of natural capital by various sources (state budget of Ukraine, the cost of regional state administrations and local self-government). The experience of international financing of natural capital conservation through environmental funds has been studied, funds of NGOs and grant projects. Scientific and practical interest in the work is the proposed funding mechanism for biodiversity conservation in the current economic climate of Ukraine. Investigated the organizational structure of government natural capital conservation of Ukraine. The effectiveness of government natural capital’s conservation has been investigated. The functions of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine as a central body of executive power in the field of natural capital conservation have been studied and analyzed. The staffing Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine has been investigated, the system of placement and examined staffing departments of the Ministry, responsible for natural capital Ukraine, has been analyzed. The best foreign practices of natural capital public administration and recommendations for its implementation in Ukraine have been ordered.

Public Administration Reforms in Slovakia: Limited Outcomes (Why ?)

Abstract The goal of this paper is to document and to analyse public administration reform dynamics and outcomes in three selected areas – transparency and accountability, civil service and local self-governments. The high level of potential access to government information in Slovakia does not “produce” increased accountability, predictability and also does not effectively serve as a tool to control corruption. We argue that citizens are not only victims, but also accomplishers: their tolerance for corruption, excessive bureaucracy and rentseeking is confirmed by many existing studies. Concerning civil service reform, Slovakia shows a substantial reform reversal towards politicisation and centralisation after 2001, which clearly threatens the fundamental features of democratic governance. Soon after the EU accession in 2004 major regressive changes took place, and the Civil Service Office was abolished in 2006. The new legislation in force from 2017 (forced by the EU conditionality) should return the Slovak civil service back on the right track – let us to see. With regard to self-government the reforms aimed towards the establishment of more independent local and regional self-government. However, the major issue here is the extreme fragmentation on the municipal level – almost 3,000 municipalities in the country, most of them bellow 1,000 inhabitants. Many studies confirm that amalgamation (or at least functional amalgamation) is necessary – but there is no political will to start it. What are the main lessons from the Slovak case ? The information provided indicates that the Slovak Republic belongs to the “standard” group of CEE countries – after the first wave of democratisation reforms immediately after 1989, most of the later changes were realised “thanks to” external motivations and pressures – and not always really welcomed. The specific issue, however, is the decentralisation reform in 2000 – 2005. This change, providing really fragmented local self-government by extra rights and responsibilities, was internally driven, with positive results from the point of view of self-government principles, but with many hurdles caused by too large a number of too small municipalities.

Analysis of the European experience of administrative and territorial reform

The article analyzes the problems of the functioning and dynamics of public administration reform and the territorial organization of the authority of the developed European democracies in the context of social and legal processes of decentralization of authority, the approval of financial autonomy of local and regional self-government. The scientific paradigms of the analysis of the concept of regionalism, its types, historical evolution, ideological foundations, causes of origin and preconditions of distribution are presented.

Institutional Participation as a Question of Legitimacy in Structural Reforms

Creating new government levels through structural reforms also changes the settings of institutional participation. In this article, institutional participation is scrutinized as a question of legitimacy in changing the local government by focusing on the effects of creating regional self-government. To investigate this question, this article utilizes a triangulation of data and methods through statistics, a survey, and interviews. By considering many viewpoints, it is possible to create a general view of the diverse interpretations of the question. The study shows that structural reforms not only change the structures of participation but also require organizational “sponginess” for citizen involvement in order to create a new, legitimate government level.

Administracja samorządowa i instytucje kultury w województwie podlaskim. Podstawy regionalnej polityki publicznej

Przedmiotem analizy w artykule jest udział administracji jednostek samorządu terytorialnego w prowadzeniu instytucji kultury. Na tle ogólnopolskim przeanalizowana została sytuacja w województwie podlaskim. Główne zagadnienia opracowania to zasady i metody finansowania instytucji kultury przez regionalny samorząd terytorialny oraz różne sposoby pozyskiwania przez instytucje kultury dodatkowego, pozabudżetowego dofinansowania ich działalności, szczególnie ze środków pochodzących z budżetu Ministerstwa Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego oraz Unii Europejskiej.Autor wskazuje na zróżnicowanie przestrzenne, społeczne i finansowe związane z dostępem do wydarzeń kulturalnych i uczestnictwem w nich na przykładzie województwa podlaskiego. Postuluje większą profesjonalizację zarządzania instytucjami kultury na szczeblu województwa oraz prowadzenie prorozwojowej polityki kulturalnej przez jednostki samorządu terytorialnego. Akcentuje również konieczność aktywizowania lokalnych i regionalnych społeczności w związku z wydarzeniami kulturalnymi i współuczestniczenia mieszkańców w ich organizowaniu. Uczestnictwo w kulturze na poziomie lokalnym i regionalnym oraz rozważna polityka władz w tym zakresie są podstawą budowaniasilnych więzi społecznych i tożsamości regionalnej mieszkańców.

Ideology, cleavages, and voting behaviour in 2009 and 2013 regional elections in Slovakia

When explaining electoral behaviour, cleavage theory with its practical consequences constitutes a traditional question in established Western democracies, but is just emerging in post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The general objective of this study is to identify the spatial patterns of election results and inter-electoral shifts in support of politico-ideological blocs (measured by distribution of mandates, gained by parties at 2009 and 2013 regional elections) at the level of self-governing regions of Slovakia, and evaluate the impact of socio-political cleavages that these territorial discrepancies within the country are caused by. Elections for regional self-government held in Slovakia in 2013 are properly evaluated, when a total of 408 regional MPs were delegated to parliaments of eight NUTS3 level regions. Spatial patterns of numbers and inter-electoral changes of the mandates gained by individual political blocs representing the right wing, etatist stream, parties of ethnic orientation, so-called ‘Slovak coalition’ and independent candidates are displayed not only at the regional scale, but also at the hierarchically lower level of election districts (with 90 territorial units). For regional elections, socio-economic and ethnic cleavages are considered the most important determinants of spatial differentiation related to the voting behaviour of the electorate, and then distribution of power in regional politics, but the phenomenon of independent candidates has the potential to compete with their explanatory value increasingly.

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

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

The Croatian fiscal equalization system is improving

The agenda of the 58th Croatian Government's session, held on September 28, 2017, included, among other items, a Proposal for an Act on the Financing of Local and Regional Self-government Units. Under the proposed Act, the local government financing system has been changed for the 18th time since 1993, i.e. it changes almost every year. Such frequent revisions of the regulatory framework (accompanied by amendments to income taxation regulations) hamper the long-term financial planning of local government budgets. However, the proposed local government financing act deserves commendation for introducing a new fiscal equalization model.

Samorząd województwa a lokalne podmioty polityki społecznej. Wzajemne relacje i ich uwarunkowania

Artykuł dotyczy problematyki współpracy samorządu regionalnego z lokalnymi podmiotami polityki społecznej. Jego celem jest zdiagnozowanie uwarunkowań współpracy w odniesieniu do przykładu samorządu województwa wielkopolskiego. Empirycznie opisane zostaną relacje z podmiotami samorządowymi na poziomie gminnym i powiatowym oraz przedstawicielami trzeciego sektora, jako głównymi partnerami województwa w realizacji usług społecznych. Wnioski formułowane są na podstawie badań ilościowych przeprowadzonych techniką wywiadu kwestionariuszowego (PAPI) wśród przedstawicieli lokalnych podmiotów polityki społecznej oraz wywiadów pogłębionych (IDI). Analiza empiryczna poprzedzona jest uzasadnieniem wagi międzysektorowych relacji we współczesnej polityce społecznej, co podjęty problem lokuje w kontekście współczesnych przemian państwa opiekuńczego.

Nadzor nad radom izvršnih i upravnih tijela jedinica lokalne samouprave u Hrvatskoj

Specifičnost nadzora nad radom izvršnih i upravnih tijela lokalne samouprave leži u opreci između upravnih obilježja jedinice lokalne samouprave i njezinih samoupravnih obilježja. Stoga on treba biti ustrojen na način kojim se respektiraju samoupravne ovlasti lokalne samouprave, ali pritom istodobno štiti zakonitost u cjelokupnom pravnom sustavu. U radu se istražuju oblici nadzora nad izvršnim i upravnim tijelima jedinica lokalne samouprave u Hrvatskoj, pri čemu se, nakon razmatranja prirode nadzora, subjekata nadzora i nadzornih ovlasti, posebice analizira nadzor unutar samih tijela lokalne samouprave, hijerarhijski upravni nadzor od strane tijela područne (regionalne) samouprave te upravni i inspekcijski nadzor od strane Ministarstva uprave, upravnosudski nadzor kao i nadzor od strane pučkoga pravobranitelja. Poseban naglasak stavljen je na instrumente provođenja svakoga pojedinoga nadzora te na nadzorne ovlasti kojima raspolažu nadzorna tijela. Pritom se skreće pozornost na utjecaj koji na učinkovitost i djelotvornost nadzora imaju broj i veličina lokalnih jedinica i posljedično njihova objektivna sposobnost obavljanja poslova iz samoupravnog djelokruga.

Performance Management and Performance Appraisal: Czech Self-Governments

Abstract Managing and measuring performance became an important part of administrative reforms motivated by the New Public Management ideology. However, a badly implemented system designed for measuring and managing performance may distort the behaviours of actors. The goal of this paper is to outline the preliminary picture of the current situation of performance management generally and particularly of performance appraisal at the level of the Czech local and regional self-governments. The presented data, despite the fact that our field research covers only a non-representative samples of the “best” self-government bodies, show first that performance and quality management is not a neglected area in the Czech Republic. Its practice is rather decentralized, and the central government focuses on methodical support and coordination rather than on being strict and requiring certain tools to be implemented. The core problems revealed by the interviews are that the implementation of new instruments is usually based on a trial-and-error approach in its beginnings and that the implementation is award- and project-driven. Our preliminary data clearly indicate that the performance-appraisal situation is even more problematic - they indicate that performance-appraisal systems are introduced in only a limited number of self-government authorities. The set of criteria used in the evaluation is problematic, and the objectives of the performance appraisal are unclear for managers. As a general rule, a performance-appraisal system is not directly linked with implemented performance management and especially not with a payment system.

Fifteenth amendments to the Local Government Unit Financing Act

The Government has submitted for urgent parliamentary procedure the fifteenth Proposal for an Act on Amendments to the Act on the Financing of Units of Local and Regional Selfgovernment with the final Act Proposal. Let us recall that the Act on the Financing of Units of Local and Regional Self-government has underwent numerous changes since its adoption in 1993 (OG 117/93, 69/97, 33/00, 73/00, 127/00, 59/01, 107/01, 117/01, 150/02, 147/03, 132/06, 26/07, 73/08, 25/12 and 147/14). Therefore, the Government should finally prepare a consolidated version of the Act.

25 lat działalności samorządu terytorialnego

25 lat działalności samorządu terytorialnego w Polsce to okres w historii Polski szczególny – czas dynamicznych zmian politycznych, społecznych i gospodarczych, których samorządy w znaczącym stopniu były kreatorami. I trzeba przyznać, że to właśnie te pierwsze, najtrudniejsze przecież lata nie miały sobie równych, bo tak ogromnego entuzjazmu i zaangażowania społecznego nie udało się osiągnąć już nigdy później. Miałem szczęście uczestniczyć w budowaniu samorządu terytorialnego w Polsce niemal od początku, na wszystkich jego szczeblach.Na obejmujących swe funkcje samorządowcach spoczęła ogromna odpowiedzialność, bo kredyt zaufania, jakim ich obdarzono, związany był z ogromnymi oczekiwaniami społecznymi: 25 lat temu nie chodziło przecież tylko o możliwość przeprowadzenia wyborów samorządowych, ale o fundamentalne zmiany we wszystkich dziedzinach życia. Decentralizacja i demokratyzacja polskiego państwa nie byłyby możliwe bez samorządów. To one włączały w przemiany całe społeczeństwo, uczyły odpowiedzialności i transparentności działania.Budowa samorządu terytorialnego w Polsce była też ogromną operacją logistyczną, na niespotykana dotąd skalę ‒ 25 lat temu ponad 100 tysięcy osób z urzędników państwowych zmieniło się w samorządowych, zdobywając nowe umiejętności i kompetencje, m.in. korzystając z wcześniejszych doświadczeń innych krajów. W wyniku komunalizacji mienia gminy przejęły wtedy kilka milionów nieruchomości i ponad 1500 przedsiębiorstw.Doświadczenia legislacyjne i organizacyjne pierwszego etapu reformy pozwoliły już jednak w 1991 r. rozpocząć prace nad jej drugim etapem – tworzeniem samorządów powiatowych i wojewódzkich, co nastąpiło po ośmiu latach. Samorząd regionalny powstawał już w momencie, gdy Polska przygotowywała się na przyjęcie unijnych środków przedakcesyjnych, w których podziale samorządy regionalne miały odgrywać znaczącą rolę. To na samorządach regionalnych spoczęła odpowiedzialność za tworzenie warunków do rozwoju województwa i wzrostu jego konkurencyjności.A przed nami kolejne ogromne wyzwanie – optymalne wykorzystanie środków unijnych z okresu budżetowego 2014-2020. Nie mam żadnych wątpliwości, że zrobimy to dobrze.

Regionalisation of the Republic of Slovenia

The paper critically examines the planned introduction of fourteen regions in the Republic of Slovenia (RS). Regions as a mandatory second level of selfgovernment will be of major importance for the decentralisation of Slovenia, and consequently for the implementation of the principle of subsidiarity as the fundamental principle in arranging relations between the State and sub-national government levels. However, there are some serious disagreements about the size, competences and financing of the regions. An appropriate division of the state territory into regions is the basis for the optimal territorial organisation of material activities as well as for the settlement of population and decentralisation of state functions. Numerous economic, administrative, geographical and other reasons justify the need to divide Slovenia into regions, preferably into six to eight regions. The paper confronts this project with international criteria and standards as well as with some cases of regionalisation in the European Union (EU) and in the Council of Europe (CE) member states. The author recognises that in almost all CE member states, far-reaching reforms of regional authorities have been completed, are in progress or are planned for the years ahead. The CE, preparing a document (recommendation/convention) on regional self-government, respects the sovereignity and freedom of member states to determine their own internal organisation in conformity with the fundamental standards and principles of democracy. The CE also considers that the process of decentralisation and the regional authorities where they exist can facilitate economic growth, sustainable development, quality public services and the strengthening of democracy.

Innovation Policy as a New Development Driver of the Regions in Slovakia: Does Activity of Regional Self-government Matter?

Abstract Fundamental changes that occurred in Central and Eastern Europe (including Slovakia) in recent two decades have caused that regional policy as well as regional development has become one of the hottest national policy issues. If one connects this issue with the existence of regional disparities, there is no surprise that also the EU considers this topic an extra important one. Various scholars point out that innovation policy is the right path how to achieve sustainable regional development and how to improve competitiveness of less developed regions. This article is aimed particularly at the innovation policies of the Slovak self-government regions and their outcomes.

New tax revenue distribution between central government and units of local and regional self-government in Croatia

The government has submitted for urgent parliamentary procedure a Proposal for an Act on Amendments to the Act on the Financing of Units of Local and Regional Self-government. Instead of the current revenue distribution scheme based on the status of areas of special national concern (ASNC) and hill and mountain areas (HMA), the proposed new distribution depends on the development index .

SMART SPECIALIZATIONS OF THE REGIONS - FASHION OR NECESSITY?

Objective of the study: One of the main European Union’s assumptions regarding financing regional development is to support the so-called smart specializations. The smart specialization strategies are to be the basis for the implementation of the “Europe 2020” strategy (EU 2020) on the regional and national level in the new financial perspective 2014-2020. The necessity for its development results from the regulations package of European Parliament and the Council laying down the rules regarding European Structural Funds, adopted on 17th December 2013. The objective of the study is to revise to what extent the European Union’s requirements relating to the regions preparation for the new financial perspective have been realized by the Polish regional self-governments and to what extent the adopted smart specializations result from the stakeholders’ conviction on the possibilities of individual regions and the benefits that the made choice will bring and to what extent from current trends (fashion). Material and study methods: The medium-term strategy documents (development strategies for the years 2014-2020 or equivalent documents) prepared by provincial self-governments in relation to the new union’s programming period for the years 2014-2020 and legal acts and the European Union’s strategic documents regarding the same period constituted the primary study material. Due to this type of material the documents’ direct and comparative analysis was the basic study method. Results and conclusions: The research revealed formal realization of European Union’s requirements for Polish provinces development strategies preparation for the 2014-2020 period based on smart specializations. Although all the provinces have already begun the work on specialization’s areas identification, including smart specializations, in a part of the regions the available works’ results are not fully justified in the prepared strategies and analyzes. It is significant that the majority of drawn up documents does not determine its specializations by the possibilities of cooperation with neighboring regions - notable exceptions are: Regional Innovation Strategy of Lubelskie Province to 2020, which was presented at a joint meeting of the Lubelskie and Świetokrzyskie provinces’ boards and the Strategy for the Southern Poland’s development. Since there is still time greater smart specializations correlation of the regions with its neighbors would be recommended, particularly in the statistical analysis context carried out by the Eurostat, which divides Poland into six regions, not sixteen.