The author of this publication is aimed at portraying transformations, which they effected functioning of the local government in the system after the II world war for changes political, conducted in Poland at the turn of the nineties. The work is also discussing the internals of a local authority applied in this period, as well as about competence individual bodies had which at its disposal.
Performance measurement in public organisations became widespread after the introduction of New Public Management, with its focus on the effects of public activities. Managing by results started to be used by many countries’ local government units, which began – either on their own initiative or within the framework of national systems – to define, measure and compare the efficiency of public services. European and American experiences as regards measuring the results of their activity, including the quality of public services, are plentiful and varied. This paper presents the nature of performance measurement systems at the local level functioning in a few selected European and American countries (Great Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Germany, U.S. and Canada). The purpose of the paper is to identify the Polish experience in measuring local government performance against the background of foreign concepts.
The paper discusses issues of financial policy of local government and methods of the policy, as pursued in communes, counties and provinces. At the same time it points out to the need of enhancing the self-financing of local government entities, the fact being related to the potential for absorption of structural funds of the European Union. Considering this, application of diversified methods of financing of the local government becomes an indispensable condition of its financial activities.
The article deals with the issue of local government cooperation policy, which brings many benefits, such as higher efficiency of services provided, economies of scale, better use of resources, but mainly better meeting the local public needs of the entities operating in the locality, i.e., in particular residents and businesses. At present, it is possible to implement in the policy of co-operation besides the traditional cooperation based on voluntary and institutionalized co-operation (e. g. associations and micro-regions) also the principles of shared economy, which allows the use of resources that are not sufficiently exploited for the sake of preference of efficiency at the expense of ownership.
The article summarizes research results concerning policies implemented at local government level aimed at preventing and combating social exclusion and poverty. Findings of research have confirmed the main thesis that activities of the local government in this field should be regarded as not very effective. This is mainly caused by concentration of resources for helping those in deep exclusion. Additionally, the scope of assistance per an excluded person and his or her family usually does not allow for a meaningful improvement of their situation and for leaving exclusion.
The period of spontaneous social action is already passing. At present more professional action is acquiring significance. They require the different infrastructure of both personnels as well as different legal tools and financial housemaids of effective activity as well as the interaction between all sorts subjects. In Poland a system aptness was created for action of this type. The text consists of two parts. In first they analysed accessible materials and documents concerning the interaction of charter organizations with public and self-government institutions of different rank. System putting up the activity of this type was also in short reconstructed. In the second part research findings of own concerning beloveds of action were presented (8 initiatives were examined). In this action every single time a collaboration of different partners, focussed around was evident, of problems of social expelling. Examinations were carried out on the land of entire Poland. Conclusions are finishing the whole. One from actual in this context of matters a necessity of hierarchical examining grassroots initiatives seems to be. On the split level of the given activity because it is differently perceived by very actors of action.
The next (25) part of Cooperative Thought Library reminds of articles of two Polish professors: S. Bukowiecki's 'Social work and the state' and J. Kurnatowski's 'Solidarity', which appeared in 1929 in the 'Yearbook of Social and Political Sciences of the Free Polish University'.
Requirements imposed on public administration make it necessary to use more perfect tools to assure its efficient functioning. The methodology of measuring the quality and efficiency in the local government administration is a creative synthesis of theory of the economy, administration and the phraseology as well. It is necessary to define a lot of aspects connected with the aims of public administration and to introduce variables which can be used in empirical investigations at offices of the local government administration. This article deals with the ways of measuring organizational effectiveness of the local departments and with the measurement of the quality of the public services concerning requirements of the quality management system. The possibility of using methods of measuring the efficiency of allocation of resources, scale efficiency and technical effectiveness was shown. The efficiency and quality of the local departments was compared. Presented methods of the measurement make it possible to check the results how the local government administration functions, however they may also be implemented in the central level of administration
The article shows the role of local government in the acceleration of local development. Commune authorities' power and tasks make them responsible for the results of their decisions. Thus, it is necessary to manage the commune's material and non-material resources in an effective and creative way so that their use would entail the local development of a local government unit. Developmental challenges shall be regarded in a long-term context and thus, communes ought to depart from the administration and instead focus on strategic management.. One plane of the management of local development is of a particular importance - that is an economic development that aims at the support and development of enterpreneurship in a given area.
The next (25) part of Cooperative Thought Library reminds of articles of two Polish professors: S. Bukowiecki's 'Social work and the state' and J. Kurnatowski's 'Solidarity', which appeared in 1929 in the 'Yearbook of Social and Political Sciences of the Free Polish University'.
The article examines the problem of trust as a determinant of human capital management in local government units. In addition to the analytical and epistemological part, the text contains focus stud¬ies conducted among the representatives of senior management. The studies allow for the conclusion that among the major sources of crisis in the functioning of local government units is the crisis of trust resulting from the frequent changes in managerial/political positions, inadequate level of mana¬gerial competences and mental barriers, mainly in the form of suspicion and negative attitudes to the teams of officials employed by their predecessors.
Development of tourism should be based on common participation of local governments, enterprises and communities. Strong impulse for building and enlargement of infrastructure and tourism service was given by European funds, for which local governments and firms can apply. This support should be analyzed two-fold: subjective 'who' and geographical 'where' funds were used and what is their potential. The article presents spatial analysis of tourism development in Poland from the perspective of public sector.
The self-government reform has equipped the local councils with a wide range of significant instruments for influencing local economic structures, supporting initiatives of the local community, attracting outside investors, developing fiscal policy, and managing communal property, etc. Nevertheless, the actual operations of self-government depend on particular people and their capacity to fulfil the function of local authorities.The article presents the results of research designed to identify factors that exert an influence on the activity of local authorities in the process of stimulating socio-economic growth in the analysed communes, and to determine the role of non-governmental organizations in the process of stimulating the activity in these regions. The results of the conducted analyses have made it possible to formulate the following conclusions.In the active communes the members of local councils were better educated, their vocational structure was more diversified, and they mostly represented a pro-market orientation. In the management of such active communes the strategic and long-term approach was dominating. These communes had successes in obtaining non-budgetary means and were creating better conditions for the development of business activity. The inhabitants of communes where the local government was active usually indicated heads of village authorities or mayors as leaders. The communes with a poorly developed network of the non-government organizations, selected for the survey, showed a very limited participation of the local community in the socio-economic life.
The emergence of self-governed communes meant that local communities began to be treated as subjects and communes became organizations whose development depends chiefly on the active attitudes and creativity of local communities. The conducted research has indicated that local development depends chiefly on the enterprising character and competencies of persons forming self-government bodies in individual communes. Differences between the communes, especially the evident polarisation in terms of development of infrastructure and investment outlays, are a proof of developing independence but they also reveal the faults and shortcomings of local democracy, particularly those observable in the practical implementation of the principles of creation of the local administrative elite. The conducted research has made it possible to state that the competencies of persons holding positions in the self-government organs are evolving towards the use of personal features for the purpose of participation in the redistribution of benefits that can be obtained thanks to fulfilling a public function. Also the amount of means allocated to investments and the use of this factor in shaping a system of incentives and as a criterion of selection of persons to posts in bodies administering the communes are the cause of their polarization. This is the reason why there exist in the analysed region communes that occupy very high and very low positions in the national rankings although they have similar geographical and natural conditions.
The local government sector plays an important role in the Polish system of public finance. Local financial economy has certain specific features and is a tool for resource allocation in a market economy. The role of local government sector in the public finance system can be evaluated by analysing its share in the raising and spending of public resources. In 2010, there was a decrease in the share of local government revenue and expenditure in total government revenue and expenditure, as well as in relation to the GDP.
The maintenance of cleanliness and order in communities is the responsibility of the municipality as the basic unit of local government in Poland. The municipality performs its role in the field of environmental protection according to a range of legal provisions. Changing regulations affect the application of the law of cleanliness and order in communities, leaving it open to interpretation. A key guide in this regard is the wealth of court decisions on cleanliness and order in communities and waste management.
Currently, not to be underestimated is the role of local governments in the field of environmental protection. It is on their different levels that local authorities determine the efficiency of setting environmental standards for local communities. The efficient implementation of regional operational programs determines the possibility of implementing the principles of sustainable development.
As a part of the public administration, local government represents one of the forms of decentralization. It is primarily based on constitutional principle of subsidiarity, autonomy in realizing its tasks and responsibility for their realization. The basic units of the territorial administrative division under the Polish legislation, municipalities and cities, have an important role to play here. These units have legal personality, judicially protected independence, and receive funds from public income which makes them independent from other government bodies and from the state. Nevertheless, cities are not sovereign in decision taking or law making processes and they merely carry out state enforced tasks. This structure strengthens the supervisory role of the central administration which is primarily focused on verification. The modern world enforces decentralization processes. The development of cities is based on active adaptation of innovations offered by information societies. At the beginning of the XXI century, municipal governments were indirectly forced to introduce new forms of public and local management. The fundamental dimension of these forms is embodied in a symbolic transition “from administration to management”.
The article is an attempt to summarize the effects of restructuring health-care units reporting to county self-governments. Examples are the counties of Lower Silesia, where the problems of health care reform are particularly important. It was found that the transition process advanced here is relatively high. Unfortunately, this results in serious debt of county units.
In the article, an explanation of the basis of the new regionalism had been presented as a way of regional authority governance. Moreover, the paper includes characteristics of elements of the new regionalism, as follows: the concept of learning economy and the flexicurity concept. The relationship between the new regionalism and concepts mentioned above is visible through the cooperation among institutions, organizations and companies.
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