Transparent Administration Research Articles

ASSESSMENT OF TRANSMISSION EFFECTS BETWEEN “CORRUPTION-DIGITIZATION-ECONOMIC GROWTH”

The last decade has seen the rapid development of digital information technology, the intellectualization of control systems, the increase in the number and capacity of mobile and computer devices, and the accumulation of large amounts of data and its processing through machine learning algorithms, which inevitably leads to new opportunities for economic development. Rapid digitalization and its penetration into various spheres of public life contributed to increasing the level of transparency of public administration, strengthening public control, and reducing the bureaucratization of society. Hence, digital technologies can serve as tools to fight corruption and create conditions for intensive economic growth. Therefore, the topic based on the study of transmission effects in the chain "corruption-digitization-economic growth" is relevant. The work aims to develop methodological tools for assessing the transmission effects between digitalization, corruption level decrease, and economic growth. The following methods were used for the study: Levin-Lin-Chu, Hadri, Pesaran, and Chin tests, Dickey-Fuller tests - to check stationary variables; statistical criterion Kao - to check the existence of cointegration relationship between variables; modified least-squares method - to estimate regression coefficients based on panel data; coefficient of determination and Jarque-Bera test – to verify the adequacy of the econometric model. An empirical study confirmed the hypothesis of the presence of transmission effects between indicators that characterize the level of corruption in the economy, digitalization, and economic growth. It has been proven that the reduction of corruption and the growth of digitalization in studied countries contributes to economic growth.

The Effects of Trade Governance on Sugar Trade and Its Landscape of Policy Practices in Tanzania

Trade governance is important for the efficient implementation of trade policies that support and controls most of the global value chains (GVCs) trade in African countries. Poor trade governance leads to misalignment of trade policies and affects the sustainability of the agricultural commodities supply chains. This study used cross-sectional survey data of 375 randomly selected sugar supply chain actors in Tanzania to evaluate the level of trade governance in Tanzania and ascertain its effects on the sugar trade. Exploratory (factor analysis) and confirmatory (weighted least square regression) models were used for data analysis. The major findings are that governance affects the sugar trade with the magnitude of its effects being felt differently between farmers and traders. It shows further that abrupt trade policy change significantly ( p < .05) reduces sugar trade by almost half (47.7%) and lowers the overall level of efforts to invest within the sugar supply chain. Ensuring trade policies are stable and predictable will increase trade by allowing forward contracting and investments. It is also important to create awareness of institutions and organizations managing the sugar supply chain by encouraging transparency in trade policy administration and practices for improving trade governance.

The deliberations of the Municipal People's Council are a mechanism to establish administrative transparency at the municipal level in Algeria

The present study aims to know the extent to which administrative transparency is consecrated at the local level in Algeria through the People's Municipal Council deliberations, as it is considered as a place for embodying the values ​​of participatory democracy in local management. This study implies the guarantees of establishing administrative transparency, namely: increasing the number of sessions of the Municipal Council, setting the date and the place of the meeting, the publicity of the sessions, and the drawing up of the closing minutes of the session.
 However, this initiative has limited effectiveness due to the obstacles limiting its consecration, namely: the legislation of the confidentiality of deliberations as a procedure that contradicts transparency, as well as the unwillingness of local administrators to involve citizens in decision-making policy, in addition to the phenomenon of citizens’ reluctance to attend the council’s deliberations.

Формулювання системи підходів щодо удосконалення процесу оцінювання державних службовців як інструменту управління людськими ресурсами

Compliance of the national regulatory framework for the functioning of institutions and entities of the civil service with European and international legal counterparts, as well as the use of foreign experience in order to improve national institutions is a key aspect of finding other ways to ensure the effectiveness of the civil service in Ukraine and focusing the community's attention on the study and analysis the potential of these structures. One of these topical areas is the evaluation of the performance of civil serv-ants. It should be noted that at present a significant impact on the efficiency and transparency of public administration, the conditions for the professional activity of civil servants and the use of criteria for determining the level of attitude towards employees is exerted by the process of assessing civil servants as a tool for managing human resources. In this regard, the formulation of a system of approaches to improve the process of assessing civil serv-ants as a tool for managing human resources determines the relevance of this issue, since the issue of formulating such a methodology for determining the qualitative need for civil servants and persons in-volved in determining and ensuring a balance between the bodies is of particular importance at all levels of functioning and training of specialists in the specialty "Public Administration".

Evaluating a Business Ecosystem of Open Data Services Using the Fuzzy DEMATEL-AHP Approach

The government has formulated and implemented an open data policy to promote administrative transparency and economic development in recent years. Therefore, most previous studies on open data have focused on e-government. Consequently, an open data service industry committed to providing innovative value-added data application services has emerged in Taiwan, with small- and medium-sized enterprises being the driving force. However, in a complex industrial environment, enterprises need to promote efficient data services development by developing a cross-disciplinary business ecosystem cooperatively. Nevertheless, few studies have discussed the open data service industry from the perspective of business ecosystems, making it impossible for enterprises to evaluate the business ecosystem of open data services built by them. In this study, we used the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy decision-making and trial evaluation laboratory methods to construct five evaluation dimensions and thirty-one evaluation criteria. We organized them into an evaluation scale to measure the business ecosystem’s performance of open data services built by enterprises. Then, using the case analysis method, we tested the applicability of the evaluation scale. This study examined the assessment scale of ecosystem construction in the open data industry, from the perspective of a business ecosystem, and analyzed the importance of each key criterion.

Fundamentals of Open Government Reforms

The article describes the general principle of open government reforms. This is a universal model, suitable for any countries with small adjustments. The concept of openness enshrines the basic principles of openness of federal executive bodies, tasks and mechanisms (tools) for their implementation and contains a system of strategic guidelines in the field of ensuring openness and transparency of public administration, accountability and control of power to civil society and the formation of an effective dialogue between federal executive bodies and citizens, public associations and the business community. The scientific novelty lies in the study of the model of open government reforms and the identification of the benefits of implementation. The methodological basis of the study is the works of modern authors, revealing the issues of the emergence of open government reforms and their impact on modern states. As a result, the main stages of implementation of open government reforms have been formed, and the features of the application of reforms in the Russian Federation are described.

Fiscal Regulatory Frameworks through the National Revenue Authority as an Engine of Economic Growth in Sierra Leone: An Overview

The study explored the fiscal regulatory frameworks through the NRA as an engine of economic growth in Sierra Leone. The study revealed that revenue mobilization is an important device for the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) in accomplishing its determinations for poverty reduction; delivering its Agenda for Prosperity; building up financial independence; and reaching middle income standing. It also exposed that the financial and regulatory frameworks that support NRA to perform effective revenue mobilization are based on the following regulations and laws such as: revenue laws enacted by parliament; annual budget, Finance Act, Strategic plan; the assessment of collection and accounting for all revenue collected. In addition, the use of electronical based systems, the provision of tax legislation and policy, transparency in the tax administration, modernization of custom service department, the national acts, regional treaties, other international treaties are some of the financial and regulatory frameworks that back NRA to perform effective revenue mobilization.

RTI: A Tool of Good Governance

Transparency and accountability in administration are the basic elements for successful operation of democracy in the country. Like pure oxygen, information is the major element that citizens need to live in the social structure of the society and maintain its democratic balance. The enactment of the Right to Information Act in 2005 is a historic event in the annals of democracy in India. Right to Information (RTI) in India was implemented through Judicial pronouncements as a Fundamental Right under Article 19 (1) (a). This RTI Act became a pioneer tool for the Indian citizens to promote, protect and defend their Rights, apart from ensuring greater transparency it also acts as a deterrent against the arbitrary exercise of public powers. A major drastic change can be achieved towards transparency and accountability in governance by implementing the Act both in letter and spirit.

E-Government as a Tool in Controlling Corruption

ABSTRACT Combating corruption is crucial to achieve sustainable development. With the digital revolution, the use of Information and Communications Technology by the government can promote more efficient services, diminishing the discretionary power of officials, and thus reducing corruption and promoting sustainable development. This study empirically investigates the impact of e-Government in reducing corruption on a large panel data of 175 countries, from 2003 to 2019, by estimating regression models. The results suggest that e-Government, accountability, political stability, economic wealth, and internet are significant determinants of corruption. E-Government can be a significant tool to curb corruption, although e-Government Development Index needs to exceed a threshold of 0.39 to reduce corruption. Although e-Government is a recent phenomenon, it can be regarded as an important tool for combating corruption and improving governance, enhancing transparency in public administration, since it reduces discretional power and increases the chance of exposure, eliminating some opportunities for corruption.

Openness and Accountability in Turkey in the Context of Accession to the European Union

There are many indicators showing the need for restructuring of the Turkish public administration. The basic nature and problems of the administrative functioning are mostly related to the bureaucratic culture from the past. Turkey has made important public administration reforms in recent years in order to change this bureaucratic culture, which is based on centralization and secrecy. The European Union (EU) is the most important external dynamic of these reforms aiming at openness, transparency, accountability, participation and ethical structuring in public administration. These principles are also an element of the European Administrative Space (EAS), EU governance and the subject of Europeanization in public administration. Among these principles, openness and accountability constitute the subject of this paper. Openness, transparency and accountability of government bear critical importance for the proper functioning of accession process. Within this period, a number of regulations have been passed to ensure institutionalization of an open and accountable administration, resulting in the establishment of new agencies in Turkey. However, although essential steps were taken in terms of openness and accountability before the accession negotiations began on October 3, 2005, the reforms entered into a phase of deceleration thereafter. Therefore, the reforms appear to have been affected by the development course of Turkey-EU relations and slowed down as the relations deteriorated. In this context, these reforms are examined under the following dimensions based on EU progress reports and relevant legal regulations: (i) openness and right to information, (ii) financial transparency and accountability, (iii) ethical principles for public officials.

Administrative Transparency and its Impact on Reducing Levels of Job Alienation: An Analytical Research of the Opinions of a Sample of Workers in Al-Muthanna Governmental Cement Plant

The research aims at testing the relationship between administrative transparency as an independent variable in the level of organizational alienation of the employees of the studied organization as a dependent variable through the study and analysis of the opinions of a sample of workers in the Muthanna Cement Plant. For the purpose of identifying statistical differences between both research variables and reaching a set of conclusions and drafting recommendations, a questionnaire was drafted that included 33 items and collected data from 245 respondents from the various departments representing the study community and then collecting and analyzing the data and test the hypotheses using SPSS software through the use of descriptive statistic methods (percentages, arithmetic means, variance, materiality, simple correlation coefficient, simple linear regression). The research found that the existence of a relationship, an association and an influence with high p-values of administrative transparency in reducing the levels of organizational alienation and creating a climate of work through publicity in procedures and reasons for making decisions and issuing clear instructions will contribute in reducing the culture of confidentiality and monopoly of information. The most important thing recommended by the research is the need for senior management to identify the most important practical concepts that are needed to be clarified for working individuals in order to reduce administrative routine and clarify decisions and instructions and discuss them with all administrative levels in the organization and that could possibly contribute in enhancing the levels of employees’ job satisfaction in a way that can directly affect to reduce their levels of organizational alienation.

If I tell you I will have to kill you: secrecy in public administration in a time of securitization and militarization

ABSTRACT Critical security studies examine how everyday life is affected or transformed by practices that militarise civil society. This article addresses one such area: qualitative changes in the openness and transparency of public administration, instating a mode of suspicion and secrecy. The article is based on interviews and observations in the area of the total defence in Sweden, where we during three years encountered challenges in gaining access to authorities that initially welcomed participation of researchers, but progressively became inaccessible. We use these experiences to reflect on both methodological issues and wider implications for the securitisation of civil society. The article concludes that difficulties in gaining access to the field may itself serve as valuable data in understanding the changing condition of public administration in a time of militarisation.

Political & Administrative Transparency and Entrepreneurship

Political & Administrative Transparency and Entrepreneurship

The Impact of Digitalization on the Transparency of Public Authorities

Transparency of public power is one of the main aspects of civil society. The actions of public administration bodies must be transparent, open, and ensure citizens’ legitimate rights and interests. Large-scale digitalization of society also affects public authorities, opening up new opportunities for improving the transparency of public administration and creating risks at various levels of public administration. The study is devoted to the issue of transparency of public authorities under the influence of digitalization. The normative legal acts of Ukraine, the Strategy of digital development, scientific achievements of domestic and foreign scientists are analyzed. The main elements of transparency of public authorities are identified: transparency, openness, and publicity. The level of digitalization penetration into the bodies of legislative, executive and judicial branches of power is characterized. The main functions that digitalization can perform in relation to public authorities are identified. The main achievements of Ukraine in terms of the public power digitalization, which has increased its transparency level, are described. They include a network of web portals of legislative, executive and judicial authorities, which provide public information in the form of messages, files, open data sets, photo and video information. Another important achievement is the service of providing services online and the introduction in Ukraine of full-fledged digital documents, which are analogs of physical. The main indicators of digitalization and characteristics of public authorities are identified: Digital Development Level, IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, ICT goods exports, ICT goods imports, ICT service exports, Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, Control of Corruption. A canonical analysis of digitalization impact on the transparency of public authorities quantitatively shows that public authorities are closely linked to digitalization and influenced by it.

Utilization of Information Technology to Increase Human Resources Capacity and Internal Control Systems on Local Government Financial Reporting Information

There are increasing demands from the public related to the accountability and transparency in public sector administration. The governments usually respond by providing financial information to the public. In order to fulfill public rights to the information, government is also establishing the efficient way to achieve transparency by utilizing information technology (IT) in both financial management and public administration. This study aims to analyze the effect of human resource capacity and government internal control systems on the value of local government financial reporting information using information technology as a moderating variable. The population in this study is the financial manager in 41 government units in Palu City, Indonesia. The sampling technique uses purposive sampling with analysis tools processing data using WarpPLS. The results showed that human resource capacity had a positive and significant effect on the value of local government financial reporting information. The results also revealed that government's internal control system had a positive and significant effect on the value of local government financial reporting information. In terms of moderating effects, the results found that the use of information technology moderates the relationship between human resource capacity and the value of local government financial reporting information and the relationship of the government's internal control system to the value of local government financial reporting information.

The Impact of Digitalization on the Transparency of Public Authorities

Transparency of public power is one of the main aspects of civil society. The actions of public administration bodies must be transparent, open, and ensure citizens’ legitimate rights and interests. Large-scale digitalization of society also affects public authorities, opening up new opportunities for improving the transparency of public administration and creating risks at various levels of public administration. The study is devoted to the issue of transparency of public authorities under the influence of digitalization. The normative legal acts of Ukraine, the Strategy of digital development, scientific achievements of domestic and foreign scientists are analyzed. The main elements of transparency of public authorities are identified: transparency, openness, and publicity. The level of digitalization penetration into the bodies of legislative, executive and judicial branches of power is characterized. The main functions that digitalization can perform in relation to public authorities are identified. The main achievements of Ukraine in terms of the public power digitalization, which has increased its transparency level, are described. They include a network of web portals of legislative, executive and judicial authorities, which provide public information in the form of messages, files, open data sets, photo and video information. Another important achievement is the service of providing services online and the introduction in Ukraine of full-fledged digital documents, which are analogs of physical. The main indicators of digitalization and characteristics of public authorities are identified: Digital Development Level, IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, ICT goods exports, ICT goods imports, ICT service exports, Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, Control of Corruption. A canonical analysis of digitalization impact on the transparency of public authorities quantitatively shows that public authorities are closely linked to digitalization and influenced by it.

Filing the world: Archives as cultural heritage and the power of remembering

Abstract This article analyzes the relationship of archives to law and history, taking a critical look at the complex interplay between preservation, memory, and forgetting. Going beyond the idea of the archive as fixed and immovable, the article considers the archive in its dynamism, its chronological evolution, and its changing relations to both the state and the private individual. The article draws on examples from both national legislation and international bodies to highlight different problems arising from crucial dichotomies. The case of Italy shows how the significance of archives oscillates between historical and administrative; the French case underlines the clash between state secrecy and public access; and English-speaking countries bring about a discussion on the contrasts between private and public property. Cases of national as well as international bodies provide examples of archives’ relationship to memory and oblivion, as well as of global and local management. The article considers how the establishment of dedicated institutions, guidelines, and constraints shapes the process of document preservation and access, enabling or frustrating the dissemination of historical awareness, administrative transparency, and human rights recognition.

Governance Quality and Tax Revenue Mobilization in Nigeria

Abstract An evaluation of the quality of governance as a major determinant of tax revenue generation is important to both the government and the Nigerian public. It has become required as a result of many rising economies’ reliance on several taxes to raise income. Tax income generation is crucial to the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and rising economies’ economic progress. This study addresses the influence of both political (political stability), institutional (corruption) and bad governance on the mobilization of tax revenue in Nigeria. To serve this purpose, the study employed a time series data set from 2000 to 2020. After subjecting the data to the unit root test, the study further employs Ordinary Least Square (OLS). The findings revealed that corruption and political instability have a positive and significant impact on Nigeria’s tax revenue mobilization. Bad governance, on the other hand, has a positive and insignificant influence on Nigeria’s tax revenue mobilization. The study focuses on improving governance quality by lowering corruption rates and increasing transparency in tax administration. To accomplish so, countries must execute policy reforms such as establishing an effective and strict judicial system, offering monetary incentives for tax officers to lower the risk of corruption, and, most crucially, broadening the revenue base rather than raising tax rates. As a result, the tax administration will improve, and the economy’s overall tax revenue collection will improve.

Lobbying in the UK: Towards Robust Regulation

Abstract This article argues that the transparency regime regulating the activities of lobbyists in the UK and the devolved administrations fails to address the core problems of political lobbying and should be replaced. This is particularly important following Brexit because the regulatory landscape will change significantly in the years to come. The Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 establishes a registry-based system of regulating lobbyists seeking to communicate with the government in Westminster. The Scotland (Lobbying) Act 2016 establishes a similar system, with calls for a lobbying register in Wales also growing. Analyses of existing laws reveal several flaws with those registry-based systems resulting in inadequate levels of transparency. To remedy the shortfall and to get transparency right, this article argues for two changes. First, a more robust register for professional lobbyists premised on greater transparency that is harmonised for Westminster and the devolved administrations. Secondly, the creation of a centralised public website acting as the official forum for advocacy tied to specific legislative proposals.

Barriers to transparency in Bhutan's public administration: A new typology of opacity

AbstractIn democratic emerging countries, transparency can play an important role in reducing corruption, but only if certain barriers are overcome. This investigation contributes to transparency theory by studying the barriers to transparency and proposing a typology consisting of five barriers that lead to opacity. With focus on the public administration tasked to control corruption in the mining sector of Bhutan, we conducted 98 semi‐structured interviews within seven different stakeholder groups in different regions of Bhutan to determine the barriers to transparency in fighting corruption. A qualitative analysis technique revealed first‐ and second‐order themes resulting in five forms of opacity: idiosyncratic (nature of the industry and corruption); systemic (adequacy of information management system); deliberate (willingness to exercise control); organizational (role and process ambiguity); and capacity (sufficient resources to control). This analysis of the mining sector, a high corruption industry, in a unique, low corruption democratic emerging country, Bhutan, provides practical implications to policy‐makers attempting to improve transparency, and hence, reduce corruption. Policy and managerial implications of this research include paying more attention to the national control agencies that could be improved by heeding the five key factors that we have highlighted.