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The Influence of Government Priorities on Public-Administration Reforms in Europe

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  • Nakrošis Vitalis

    (Professor in public administration at the Institute of Intemational Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University, Lithuania.)

Abstract

The article assesses how and the extent to which political or policy priorities of European governments condition reform processes and their results in times of crisis. This research is based on desk research and statistical analysis of the 2013 EUPAN survey data on public-administration reform initiatives in Europe. The article finds that the place of public-administration reforms on the governmental agenda partially explains the process of public-administration reforms, but it cannot account for the variation in the (perceived) reform results. Also, the results of this research confirm that EU-13 and (potential) candidate countries face more difficulties in reform implementation due to a combination of comprehensive reform strategies and weak administrative capacities. If the quantitative analysis was able to uncover some broad trends common to European public administrations, more qualitative approaches (causal process-tracing and case studies) are needed to capture specific contexts and changing processes in different European public administrations on which delivery progress is inevitably contingent. In order to explain why some windows of opportunities are seized while others are missed during the process of public-administration reforms, it is important to undertake process-tracing in within-case and between-case analysis and focus on causal configurations in the study of particular reform cases.

Suggested Citation

  • Nakrošis Vitalis, 2015. "The Influence of Government Priorities on Public-Administration Reforms in Europe," NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy, Sciendo, vol. 8(1), pages 21-40, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:njopap:v:8:y:2015:i:1:p:21-40:n:2
    DOI: 10.1515/nispa-2015-0002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Christiansen, Peter Munk & Klitgaard, Michael Baggesen, 2010. "Behind the Veil of Vagueness: Success and Failure in Institutional Reforms," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 30(2), pages 183-200, August.
    4. John Williamson, 1994. "The Political Economy of Policy Reform," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 68, October.
    5. Jan-Hinrik Meyer-Sahling, 2012. "Civil Service Professionalisation in the Western Balkans," SIGMA Papers 48, OECD Publishing.
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