National PAR Monitor 2017/2018

Public administration reform (PAR) is today considered a fundamental requirement for
the EU aspirants on their accession path. As a complex and all-encompassing reform, PAR in the Western Balkans region is being thoroughly assessed through the lenses of the SIGMA Principles of Public Administration, developed by the OECD/SIGMA and endorsed by the EU. These Principles define what makes a well-functioning administration in terms of its ability to deliver transparent, efficient and effective services to citizens and to support socio-economic development.

In the context of a high external pressure for tangible developments in PAR, homegrown
demand for better administration becomes even more important to keep pressuring the
government to pursue reforms once the external conditionality dissipates as the result of a
completed accession process. Civil society actors, with local knowledge of an administration’s functioning, can lead such domestic advocacy efforts aimed at better administration. An independent PAR monitoring and evidence-based dialogue with the government represent a good approach to achieve this goal.

WeBER PAR Monitor approach Based on such a rationale, the WeBER project has completed its first monitoring cycle. Its structured and evidence-based approach to PAR monitoring brings the reform closer to the public by particularly focusing on PAR aspects with most relevance to the civil society and the public.

WeBER PAR monitoring strongly relies on the strengths, skills, and local knowledge of the
civil society in the Western Balkans. It builds on SIGMA’s Principles of Public Administration as a cornerstone of PAR, while assessing them from the standpoint of an independently produced PAR Monitor methodology. Overall, the methodology is based on the selection of 21 SIGMA Principles within six key areas, monitored and reported through 23 compound indicators that focus on different aspects of PAR.

The PAR Monitor methodology is rooted in the regional approach. The design of all
WeBER indicators enables comparisons between the administrations in the Western Balkans and allows for regional comparability of results. In addition to the methodology, the PAR Monitor package comprises a comparative monitoring report for the entire WB region as well as six reports which elaborate on detailed findings for each administration. The present report provides monitoring results for Serbia, including a set of actionable recommendations for each of the six PAR areas, directed at the creation of a more citizen-oriented, more open, transparent and accountable administration.