David Špaček

Public Management as a University Discipline in New European Union Member States

Abstract Many market-type mechanisms were introduced in the public administration reforms in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Therefore public administration higher education in CEE should prepare not only classical public administrators but also public managers to operate in this new environment. This paper summarizes our research results on three new Central European members. The focus is on the scale of public management (PM) programmes, on the proportion of PM courses in the curricula of accredited PM programmes and on the dominant teaching approaches.

E-participation and its practice in Czech regional government

Today, e-participation represents a relatively young field of research. Its instruments apparently attempt to improve government by achieving better governance. Based on the international e-participation literature, the first part of the presented paper discusses the existing terminology. The second part introduces results of web-content analysis of e-participation practices of 13 Czech regions. The results clearly indicate the predominant supply of e-information instruments, but the analysis also discovered emerging Czech pioneers of e-participation among Czech regions.

Does Public Administration Higher Education in CEECs Reflect Demands Created by NPM Reforms

Does Public Administration Higher Education in CEECs Reflect Demands Created by NPM Reforms? The first part of the paper summarizes NPM approaches in public administration reforms in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs), and focuses particularly on contracting of public services delivery, outsourcing of supportive services in public organizations and Program (performance) budgeting and performance evaluation and financing. The problems discussed in the first part open a discussion on public management education of civil servants in CEECs with which deals the second part of the paper. The data available clearly indicate that the contents and quality of public management higher education in the three selected countries - Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland - do not meet the current needs of a modern state.

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.

Coordination of and Through E-Government: The Case of the Czech Republic

Abstract Although e-government as a research topic is rather embedded in public-administration literature, and coordination of and through e-government is visible in European countries, coordination of and through e-government has not been paid much attention. Consequently this paper deals with this topic. Its text outlines emerging coordination practices that can be observed in European countries, and it also indicates issues using the Czech e-government development and some key national initiatives as examples. Th e presented text concludes that although elements of strategic planning may become embedded and institutional and regulatory mechanisms stabilized in the country, other issues such as a weak accountability culture may exist and hinder coordination practices.

Promotion Of Quality Management In Public Administration - The Approach Of Czech Central Government

Promotion Of Quality Management In Public Administration - The Approach Of Czech Central Government The first part of the paper summarizes the specifics of quality and its management in public administration. The second part introduces the approach of the Czech central government to quality management promotion in public administration with regard to classification of approaches proposed by Löffler and Vintar (2004). The approach is more converging to Löffler and Vintars ‘hands-on’ and supportive approach rather than to passive or control-orientation approaches.

Public Administration Reform in Czechia after 2000 – Ambitious Strategies and Modest Results ?

Abstract The chapter summarizes and discusses the main topics, developments and issues of Czech administrative reform, based on desk research, secondary literature on developments of administrative reform in the country and input obtained through mapping and analyzing ESF / ESIF support and interviews with employees of central bodies that are responsible for the coordination and evaluation of the use of ESF / ESIF support. It is based on findings prepared within the project European Public Administration Country Knowledge (EUPACK) that focused on researching dynamics of public administration in EU member states and the contribution of external support to improving public administration quality. The research indicates that partial results have been accomplished particularly in the following areas: openness and transparency, quality management implementation (by municipalities and regions) and e-government. Civil-service legislation has been consolidated rather recently, yet has changed various times, and this undermines every effort to evaluate its effects. A national PA evaluation system is being developed by the Ministry of the Interior but focuses (similarly to PA strategies and related operational programmes) on input indicators. This raises questions about possibilities to evaluate actual quality in PA and results of projects implemented within PA reforms.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND CZECH SELF-GOVERNMENTS: EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Abstract Although knowledge management has become the subject of an enormous quantity of articles and books in recent times, certain more problematic aspects of it remain neglected. Firstly, literature addressing knowledge management concentrates almost exclusively on business organizations and fails to provide details or recommendations adequate to effective application within the sphere of public administration. This holds especially true for Czech academic literature. Secondly, despite a reasonable number of articles on knowledge management in scientific journals, information about perceptions of knowledge-management activities, procedures and tools within organizations lacks detail. The purpose of this article is to investigate and summarize the activities, procedures and tools in use for dealing with knowledge within Czech self-governments and to discuss the main empirical findings. Although the quantitative survey herein does not provide fully representative data, it is still in a position to indicate that knowledge management in Czech public administration tends to be underdeveloped as well as undervalued.

E-government Policy and its Implementation in the Czech Republic: Selected Shortcomings

Abstract The paper summarizes the specifics and challenges of e-government policy, and then discusses the apparent shortcomings of policy implementation and challenges for further development in the Czech Republic. It draws attention to problems in national e-government policy and in practical policy implementation (instability of governance, low quality of evaluation, low involvement of stakeholders in project design, and public procurement issues).

Enhancing Coordination through E-government in the Czech Republic

E-government is usually explained as the use of ICT in public administration, aimed at improving various aspects of public administration in its internal and external relations. E-government may serve as a coordination instrument (e.g. through one-stop shops, shared infrastructure and web services and networking with partners), or it can be perceived as a specific public policy, which, due to its complexity, inevitably requires coordination.