The aim of this article is to analyze selected legal and economic aspects of the activities of a municipal administrator (wójt) in Poland. Based on the comparative method as well as on the latest expert studies in the field of law, administration, and economics, the author compares the changes that have taken place in the systemic status and in the activities of wójts. The most important legal acts regarding their powers have been examined. The influence of wójt on shaping the municipality’s budget and managing its assets have been analyzed. The effectiveness of management in the face of the diversity of Polish municipalities has also been compared. Empirical examples of effective public management by wójts have been used. The results of the local government elections in 2018 have also been analyzed as a test of the managerial competence of the wójts under consideration.
Strategic decision making is a determinant of the efficiency of management of any organization. The specificity of local government and the separation of powers: executive decision-making authority, causes that freedom of discretion is very limited. Effective local leader tries to make such decisions, whose effects are associated with a clearly marked direction of commune development, with continuous increasing of quality of life of its inhabitants.
The integration of our country with other members of the EU established favourable conditions for the development of the public sector, followed by the society’s hope of life improvement as well as the quality of the distribution of widely comprehended goods and services. The evolutionary transmission from typical administering to the idea of the public administration should mean that this sector will be operating in accordance with the rules of the modern management applied in enterprises in which the organization’s capability to operate in competitive conditions and orientation towards a client is stressed. The present paper synthetically presents the main assumptions and development of the public management in Poland.
In the present article, the authors describe the best practices of management processes in local government administration offices. The authors describe these practices, the implementation of which is not significantly dependent on achievement by the local government office a certain level of organizational maturity: methods of quality management (including TQM,ISO certification, and a model of excellence EFQM) a Common Assessment Framework and methods of strategic management (balanced scorecard).
Information policy is an instrument of governance in the modern administration, which enables the achievement of public and strategic objectives. First stem of forming this policy would be considering the public information as a strategic resource, owned not only the local authorities, but mainly the local community. The scope of information policy should be compliant to the main purpose of the development strategy of local government units. Conscious of information policy is the foundation of the smooth and effective functioning of such units. In the longer term may signifi cantly increase the development potential of individuals and thus improve the quality of life of local communities.
Competencies are a set of distinctive resources and opportunities. They relate to specific capabilities of management and to performance of management methods. In the catalogue of existing managerial competencies, an increasingly important role is played by trust. The deep insight in this field of literature gives grounds for the inference that trust is rather a means to achieve public organisations’ goals, than being the end in itself. Therefore in this article we have assumed, that contemporary competencies, to a large degree, rely on trust which is rationally and relationally rooted. The main aim of this paper is to identify and evaluate components of trust with reference to the competences of public managers mirrored in their new profiles. To achieve the goal of the article, publications of the field of organisational studies and public management which aim to show the importance of creating trust within an organisation were reviewed to identify main managerial competences analysed in the context of public trust as an important factor of improving public organisations. Moreover, the results of a survey with 93 respondents carried out in 2014 in 8 units of local public administration from the Malopolska Region were used. As a result the main components of trust in new public managers’ profiles have been identified and assessed.
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 Vintar's ‘hands-on’ and supportive approach rather than to passive or control-orientation approaches.
The main objective of this article is to present the role of public administration and the factors that shape in the face of challenges posed by the process of Europeanization. The specific goal, however, is the analysis of factors conditioning the fulfilment of the function of public administration in the process of Europeanization in Poland and Germany. The research problem of this article is the analysis of differences in the functioning of public administration in both countries. This sector plays a key role in the effective participation of a country in the processes of Europeanization, as well as determines its internal efficiency. The article uses research methods specific for social sciences, in particular political sciences. The first of the methods used is comparative studies, which show similarities and differences in the functioning of public administration of both countries in the processes of Europeanization. Using the medium-range system method, attempts were made to define the place of public administration as an element of the functional subsystem of the European policy of a country, and also showed the evolution of changes taking place in this sector. In turn, neo-institutionalism of rational choice and historical neo-institutionalism made it possible to indicate the factors determining the administrative efficiency of the state in the process of Europeanization. In the study quantitative techniques were mainly used, i.e. the analysis of statistical data from institutions such as the European Commission – E-government Benchmark, Bertelsmann Foundation - Sustainable Governance Indicators, World Bank - Worldwide Governance Indicators, Gallup World Poll. A critical analysis of the literature was also carried out regarding the evolution and role of public administration in the process of Europeanization. The main research hypothesis is contained in the statement that the efficiency of public administration as an instrument of European state policy is conditioned by institutional and social factors, which require a longer time perspective and properly used legal and institutional instruments for the emergence of positive effects.
The paper examines the issue of public service ethos and poses a question how that specific culture fits into the framework of public management. The author states that in the early 21st century, the Weberian model of bureaucracy is under increasing pressure of market-logic driven models of public management. On the other hand, an alternative to both classic bureaucracy and modern public management seems to have emerged in the form of public governance theory. In the context of contradictory influences, Poland 's administration finds itself at a crossroads nowadays, as it struggles with the bureaucratic legacy and underdeveloped public service ethos, while entering the foreign land shaped by not entirely compatible logics of the market and public governance.
In the last decade the main issue of the international discipline of public administration was the so called New Public Management. The most important elements and goals of this trend unfolded not only in journals but almost in every public administration modernisation programme of advanced countries. Also, there were attempts to implement its methods and principles. Simultaneously with the appearance of New Public Management, many articulated their complaints against the trend, but this could not influence its spread. Today the matter is ripe for evaluation, especially following the recent economic crisis the time has come to evaluate the effects, consequences, results and setbacks of New Public Management. In order to do this, it is not only necessary to introduce the development of this discipline and to describe its aims and methods, but also to explain its criticism and experiences as well as the reasons why New Public Management was unable to reshape national public administration in line with the original ideas.
We have witnessed fundamental changes in developmental conditions in the last decade. Their pace is constantly growing, and the increasing dynamics of socio-economic transformations create a new reality. The consequences of the changes affect not only companies, but also public administration. Therefore, the goal of the article was to identify the directions of the reforms of new public management in Polish and Spanish public administration in the years 2010-2015. An analysis of the research results shows that the most important trends of the reforms in Poland included: i) transparency of actions, ii) digital administration and e-government and iii) cooperation between various entities of the public sector, whereas Spanish respondents regarded the following trends as the most important: i) digital administration and e-government, ii) reduction of the public sector, iii) transparency of actions. The results of the research show the progressive convergence of the directions and tools of the reforms in EU countries, while maintaining differences in some aspects of development in particular countries.
Celem artykułu jest prezentacja głównych założeń badawczych projektu badawczego „Modele zarządzania i ich uwarunkowania w gminach wiejskich”, który zakłada identyfikację głównych elementów i konstrukcji modeli zarządzania w gminach wiejskich oraz głównych uwarunkowań ich wyboru. W proponowanych badaniach model zarządzania rozumiany jest jako zbiór podmiotów, procedur, metod i narzędzi planowania, decydowania i wdrażania lokalnej polityki publicznej w wiejskiej gminie. Autorka prezentuje także pytania problemowe i proponowane metody i techniki badawcze.
EN
The aim of the article is to present the main objectives of a research concept ‘Models of management and the determinants of their functioning in rural comunes’. The projex=ct involves, among others, identify the elements and design managements models in rural communes (gminas) together with te main determinants of their selection. In the proposed research, a rural communes management model (the explained variable) is understood as a set of entities, processes, methods and tools for planning, decision- making and implementation of local public policies in the communes. The author also presents the problem qestions, as well as research methods and techniques.
Social impact bonds are an innovative mechanism for financing social tasks with the financial resources of private investors. The repayment of the capital invested and capital gains depends on obtaining a predetermined social aim that is paid for by the public side under the “payment for results” formula. The previous work on this mechanism focused mainly on its task and organizational dimension. In this paper, the author attempts to define the social impact bond as a financial instrument. In particular, the financial side of the mechanism is considered. First, an attempt is made to determine the place of the social impact bond in the theoretical classifications of financial instruments. Second, the place of the instrument is indicated in the system of financial law. Finally, some remarks are made on the need to have the new instrument regulated in Polish legislation.
Objectives: The official food safety system in Poland is divided between a number of specialised inspection bodies. The effective implementation of the entire inspection and supervision process requires multi-direction co-operation. The aim of the study presented was the identification of the barriers to and boundaries of the inter-organisational cooperation between the inspection bodies involved in the official food safety process. Research Design & Methods: Qualitative research methods: analysis of organisational documentation, industry reports, post-audit reports and in-depth interviews with employees of five inspection bodies. Findings: The co-operation between the inspection bodies should be multi-threaded and multi-lateral. In fact, the mechanisms that encourage co-operation are relatively weak and there are numerous barriers between them. The lack of the inter-organisational co-operation is caused by various factors: cultural, social, political, legal, and organisational norms and values. The key source of the barriers is the fragmentary perception of the food safety supervision process by employees, which results from the lack of a systematic approach to this process. The employees of the inspection bodies perceive the remaining inspections as external entities and not co-workers taking part in a common process aimed at common good. Implications/Recommendations: This article suggests some policy implications. The evolutionary solutions may include measures to eliminate the differences between inter-organisational co-operation postulated in legal regulations and real practices. The revolutionary activities may consist of building a comprehensive system of official food safety which will lead to consistent supervision over the entire food chain, and not only over the individual stages thereof. The construction of such a system may require changes in the number and the scope of tasks of the existing inspections. Contribution/Value Added: The inter-organisational co-operation problems as part of the official food safety process are not specific to only the system in Poland: similar difficulties are found in many countries. Therefore these research findings have potentially wide application.
The text is a review of the book by Piotr Stankiewicz, Playing the Atom, which includes the original results of the research on the Polish case of social management of technology in the nuclear power generation sector.
PL
Tekst jest recenzją książki Piotra Stankiewicza Gra w atom zawierającej rezultaty oryginalnych badań nad stanem społecznego zarządzania technologią w Polsce na przykładzie energetyki jądrowej.
The enactment of a good law is the basic instrument of good governance. The model of creation and application of the law, however, gives rise to an issue. The main flaws of the Polish legislation include: fluctuations of legal provisions, infringements of legislative procedures, lack of transparency, inconsistencies, temporary solutions and its incompatibility with the EU law and the Constitution.
Objectives: The public sector has been subjected to financial pressure. One of the tools to improve the environment of the public sector entities and introduce greater management flexibility in governance is establishing Shared Services Centres (SSCs). Research: The article presents a case study regarding the implementation process and the effectiveness assessment of this solution based on the example of the city of Toruń. Research Design & Methods: The paper provides a case study of SSC of the city of Toruń. Findings: Based on the results, it can be concluded that the key barrier to the implementation of SSCs as the innovation tool of public management is the lack of understanding of business management tools among directors of public sector units that were not involved in the issue of management efficiency. Implications / Recommendations: What appears to be the most challenging is the sociological factor that matters in terms of SSCs implementation. Social capital of the units’ directors, trust, and reciprocity is much more important than institutional arrangements. Contribution / Value Added: The paper shows the first evaluation of SSC in local government in Poland based on a case study. It is believed that this approach might be very fruitful for further theoretical research and practical implementation. Article classification: research article
Objective: New public governance is one of the most popular paradigms in public administration management. The aim of this article is to examine the co-production of public services, which is gaining interest in many European countries, including Poland, and to find out how co-production is defined, what the reasons to pay attention to this tool are, how we can distinguish between different models of co-production and, last but not least, what the possibilities and drawbacks of introducing it into practice are. Research Design & Methods: The article is a literature review based on the most important public management journals. Findings: In conclusion, the author shows new ways of defining co-production and presents a proposal for further research strategies for the co-production of public services. Implications / Recommendations: The meaning of co-production of public services has varied over the last few years due to the fact that various new elements have emerged. Therefore there is still a huge field, to cover such as conducting research about the use of social media in the co-production of public services. Contribution / Value Added: The most recent literature review about co-production was conducted by Vooberg in 2014. As a result, this article refreshes the knowledge about it and proposes a new research agenda for the future.
Objectives: The key aim of the paper is to outline the concept of integrated risk management in municipal construction enterprises, seen as a supportive function that facilitates the overall management of an organisation. What matters most, both in the theory and in practice, is the ability to use appropriate methodology in this respect. Such issues now constitute an integral element of public management in Poland. Research Design & Methods: A cognitive gap, identified in the scholarly literature, has served as a starting point for the theoretical and conceptual discussions addressed in this paper, in particular, within the scope of risk management methods. This paper contains a review of the literature on this subject. Deduction and induction have been used to formulate the conclusion. Another method employed in this paper is synthesis. The conclusions drawn in this paper result also from the observations made during long-term research into risk, including in the public construction sector, which has been conducted by the author at the University of Economics in Katowice. Findings: The concept proposed in this paper is the outcome of the author’s studies, conducted with a view to identifying solutions, both theoretical and methodical ones, in the area of risk management in municipal construction enterprises operating in Poland. Integrated risk management provides the basic framework for the concept which is drawn up as a result of the research. Implications / Recommendations: In its main body this paper presents a recommendation which consists of a modification of the general concept of Construction Risk Management (CRM) into Integrated Construction Risk Management (ICRM), with a simultaneous proposal that the general risk management concept (theory), which is followed by commercial companies (Enterprise Risk Management; ERM), should be implemented in municipal construction enterprises as well. The proposed solutions may then be transferred to the practical operations of such municipal entities or of public organisations at large (the utilitarian dimension of knowledge). Contribution / Value Added: This paper is an attempt to add to the theoretical background to risk management in the public sector, which refers, in particular, to New Public Management (NPM), the notion used by municipal construction enterprises in Poland.
Objectives: In the article a comparative research of the participatory budgeting systems at the local level in Poland and Ukraine was carried out. Research Design & Methods: The objects of the study were ten cities of the specified states (five from each country). In the case studies, systemic analysis of legislations of Poland and Ukraine in public finance sphere connected with participatory budgeting were used as well as quantitative analyses of budget resources directed at supporting participatory budget. Using this approach gave us the opportunity for complex research of participatory budgeting mechanism in both countries. Findings: As a result of the research, the peculiarities (differences) of the practice of using participatory budgets as tools of direct democracy at the Ukrainian and Polish cities’ level were specified. On this basis, the authors outlined obstacles for the efficient use of participatory budgets based on the experience of the two countries, formulated guidelines and standards in compliance with which it would be possible to implement quality participatory budgeting into practices of the cities’ public administration. Implications / Recommendations: This article indicates the need to conduct analyzes of participatory budgets to draw conclusions and effectively use this tool in the future. Contribution / Value Added: This research builds knowledge about participatory budgeting by analysing the use of this instrument of direct democracy in two different countries (Poland and Ukraine), which are at different level of EU integration an may help effectively plan and implement participatory budgeting in different national contexts.
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