The decade of administrative reform: results and new challenges

A new administrative reform was launched 10 years ago. It developed in a few main directions. First, the whole block of functions of the Federal and Regional bodies of the executive power was subject to revision. The task to do away with the excessive and duplicate functions both of the executive power bodies and their subordinate organizations was set and partially realized. Second, the procedure of performing the functions, that were acknowledged to be necessary, have been improved and regulated. This made it possible to simplify and to reduce the difficulties of interaction of the citizens and business with the public administration to some extent Third, performance management technologies which include program targeted tools and estimates of the administrations work are being actively inculcated. Thus, new conditions have been created for the transition to budgeting the performance management of the public administration, and to forming the budget according to the program principle. Fourth, the executive power has become more open from the information point of view and prepared to interact with civil society. The open government has been set up, standards of an "open ministry" and "open region" have been worked out, open data are being actively formed.Analysis of numerous investigations showed a certain positive result of all these measures. Pussias rates on using new technologies by the public administration have increased. However, business climate has not noticeably improved, and the rates of the economic growth have decreased. The slowing down might have been higher but for the realized reforms.The current situation depends significantly on the fact, that the principles proclaimed at the beginning of the administrative reform have not been completely realized. It refers first of all to the elimination of the excessive state functions, which can especially be seen in the field of control and supervision. The inculcated procedures of estimating the regulation impact of the standard acts projects have not become a real barrier for ineffective excessive regulations. The adopted administrative regulations have made bureaucracy more transparent and specified the measure of its responsibility, but the potential of simplification of the administrative procedures has not been fully realized in especially interdepartmental relations. As for the performance management tools, they have not been coordinated so far and often misguide public administration of the Federal, regional and municipal levels. Citizens participation in public administration, the feed-back system is not effective enough.Many of the deficiencies considered above are brought about by the natural problems of innovations development and inculcation, which need approving and adjusting. However, in many cases insufficient look into the reform, bad coordination, inconsistency and imbalance of the steps in reforming of the administrative system may give a negative result.