Performance Management in the Public Sector: Opportunities for Syria

The relevance of the article is due to the fact that in the context of the state and legal reform in Syria, the problem of improving the efficiency of public administration and its individual elements is becoming particularly relevant. The current system of social standards and guarantees has proved itself unsuitable for the conditions of a market economy. Growing problems in the economy — a drop in GDP, a decrease in budget revenues and an increase in budget deficit — exacerbate social problems and reduce access to public services. In this connection, the limited budget funds have significantly reduced public consumption funds and, as a result, certain services have become almost inaccessible under low household purchasing power. The article substantiates the need for modernization in the management system that would meet the requirements of a democratic state with a socially oriented economy. Modernization should be aimed primarily at the introduction of budgeting and systems that contribute to the improvement of services provided by public authorities. Theoretical and methodological understanding of the improvement processes in the activities of the state authorities of Syria, as well as other states that are in similar conditions, has led to the conclusion on the relevance of the transition from obsolete forms and methods of management to modern ones, where the goal setting and implementation of tasks to achieve the goals are carried out within each individual management entity, and goal setting is focused on a clearly defined result. It is proved that such a mechanism can be the introduction of budgeting and performance management in public administration.