Comparative Analysis of Public Administration Reforms in Kosovo and Serbia
Keywords:
реформы государственного управления, государственное управление, Центрально-Восточная Европа, новое государственное управление, евроинтеграция, стандарты, административный потенциал, эффективность государственного управленияAbstract
Problem. In the context of European integration, Western Balkan countries face the challenge of a gap between the formal import of European Union institutions and standards and their actual administrative effectiveness. A comparative analysis of governance reforms in states with different political statuses (the recognized Republic of Serbia and the partially recognized Republic of Kosovo) presents particular complexity. Both experience common pressure to improve public administration systems but possess different potentials and development trajectories. Methodology. The study is based on a comparative analysis methodology and relies on a unified analytical framework – the "Principles of Public Administration" from the OECD/EU SIGMA (Support for Improvement in Governance and Management) initiative, a joint initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union. The theoretical basis is a synthesis of classical reform paradigms: the Weberian model (building a meritocratic bureaucracy), the concept of "New Public Management" (NPM), and post-NPM approaches, which allows for the identification of hybrid administrative systems. Research Results. It was found that Serbia and Kosovo demonstrate different profiles and stages of administrative transformation. Serbia has achieved greater operational efficiency, especially in the digitalization of services and financial management, while Kosovo's progress is fragmented, with strengths in oversight and regulatory institutions. A key common challenge is the chronic deficit of effectiveness – the gap between adopted strategies/laws and their practical implementation, rooted in the weakness of the civil service and the politicization of personnel processes. Practical Application. The research findings can be utilized by the authorities in Serbia, Kosovo, and international organizations to adjust administrative reform programs. The conclusions indicate the need to shift focus from creating formal frameworks to investing in administrative capacity, depoliticizing the civil service, and developing managerial competencies. The work also offers an analytical tool for comparative assessment of reforms in other countries in the region facing similar challenges and pressures of European integration.Downloads
References
Чемоданова О. Н. Использование инновационного метода управления бизнес-процессами leansixsigma в сфере государственного управления (на примере Лос-Анджелеса) // Самоуправление. 2019. Т. 2, № 2(115). С. 232-235.
Аглян В. Р. Государственный менеджмент и модель неовеберовского государства: к вопросу о перспективах развития концепций в постсоциалистических странах Европы // Постсоветские исследования. 2024. Т. 7, № 6. С. 663-674.
Белинский А. В. Соседи, партнёры, конкуренты: Западная и Центрально-Восточная Европа на переломе эпох // Актуальные проблемы Европы. 2024. № 2(122). С. 22-39.
Еремеев С. Оценка эффективности государственного управления в международных рейтингах // Общество и экономика. 2020. № 9. С. 29-40.
Куликова Н. Россия и страны центрально-восточной Европы: новый железный занавес // Общество и экономика. 2022. № 12. С. 16-39.
Тарасов И. Н. Президенциализм в странах Центральной и Юго-Восточной Европы: проблема институциональной определённости // Россия в полицентричном мировом порядке: вызовы и новые парадигмы развития: Материалы Х Всероссийского конгресса политологов РАПН с международным участием, Москва, 05-07 декабря 2024 года. Москва : ООО Издательство «Аспект Пресс», 2024. С. 627.
Щербак Н. В. Институциональная поддержка модернизации государственного управления в условиях реализации политики европейской интеграции // Аспекты публичного управления. 2016. Т. 4. № 3(29). С. 21-28.
Chemodanova, O. N. (2019). The use of the innovative leansixsigma business process management method in the field of public administration (on the example of Los Angeles). Self-government, 2(2-115), 232–235. (In Russian)
Aglyan, V. R. (2024). State management and the model of the neo-Heber state: on the prospects for the development of concepts in the post-socialist countries of Europe. Post-Soviet studies, 7(6), 663–674. (In Russian)
Belinsky, A. V. (2024). Neighbors, partners, competitors: Western and Central-Eastern Europe at the turning point of epochs. Actual problems of Europe, 2(122), 22–39. (In Russian)
Eremeev, S. (2020). Assessment of the effectiveness of public administration in international ratings. Society and Economics, 9, 29–40. (In Russian)
Nakrosis, Vitalis. (2011). Public Sector Organization in Central and Eastern Europe: from Agencification to De-Agencification. Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences. Special Issue, 160–175.
Batalli, M. (2017). Consequences of administrative silence in public administration. SEER Journal for Labour and Social Affairs in Eastern Europe, 20(1), 152–140.
Hammerschmid, G., Walle, Van de S., Andrews, R., & Bezes, P. (2016). Public Administration Reforms in Europe. Edward Elgar Publishing. 304 p.
Kulikova, N. (2022). Russia and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe: the new Iron Curtain. Society and Economics, 12, 16–39. (In Russian)
Tarasov, I. N. (2024). Presidentialism in the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe: the problem of institutional certainty. In Russia in a Polycentric World order: Challenges and new development paradigms (p. 627), Proceedings of the X All-Russian Congress of Political Scientists with International Participation (December, 05–07, 2024), Moscow. Moscow: Aspect Press Publishing House, LLC. (In Russian)
Shcherbak, N. V. (2016). Institutional support for the modernization of public administration in the context of the implementation of European integration policy. Aspects of public administration, 4(3-29), 21–28. (In Russian)
Fejzullahu, A., & Belegu, B. (2022). The challenges of public administration reforms in Kosovo in the context of eurointegration process. Journal of Liberty and International Affairs, Institute for Research and European Studies. Bitola, 1, 292–307.
Drechsler, Wolfgang. (2015). The New Public Management Then and Now: Lessons from the Transition in Central and Eastern Europe. In Michiel De Vries & Juraj Nemec, Eds., Implementation of New Public Management Tools. Experiences from Transition and Emerging Countries (pp. 33–49). Brussels: Bruylant.
Kotnik, Žiga. (2018). Development of Public Administration and Governance in Central and Eastern Europe: Content Analysis of The NISPAcee Journal. NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy. Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 11, 228–252.
Bileišis, Mantas, [et al.]. (2017). Public Administration Reforms in Eastern European Union Member States. Post-Accession Convergence and Diverge. Ljubljana, Vilnius. 504 p.
Vries, M., & Nemec, J. (2013). Public sector reform: an overview of recent literature and research on NPM and alternative paths. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 36(1), 4–16.
Green, Christopher. (2021). Public Administration in Central Europe: Ideas as Cases of Reforms. Journal of Asian Universities, 1(1), 26–28.
Nobari, Nazak. (2021). Public Administration Reforms in the Emerging Markets’ Era. In Faghih, N., Samadi, A. H. (eds) Dynamics of Institutional Change in Emerging Market Economies. Contributions to Economics (pp. 239–262). Springer, Cham.
Dan, S., & Pollitt, C. (2015). NPM Can Work: An optimistic review of the impact of New Public Management reforms in central and eastern Europe. Public Management Review, 9(17), 1305–1332.
Nemec, Juraj. (2014). Comparative Analysis of Public Administration Reforms in Former Socialist Countries of Central and Eastern Europe. International Journal of Civil Service Reform & Practice, 4, 93–113.
