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Description
In the past decade, Romania has taken steps to improve public governance in various aspects, such as strategic planning, budgeting and public spending, regulatory policies, anti-corruption, regional development, etc. However, it lacks so far, an integrated strategic approach therefore these measures have been implemented in an incoherent manner. In order to tackle this, the General Secretariat of the Government (GSG), in partnership with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Romanian Digitization Authority (ADR) and with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), proposed a project aimed at achieving a coherent approach and structured governance of the country.
The five components of the project are the following: (1) enhancing the capacity of the center of the government to act as a liaison between the various ministries and central agencies in order to achieve a better implementation of the public policies (2) elaborating a set of recommendations in order to improve the mechanisms to achieve an open government (3) implementation of the strategies for digital governance (4) evaluation of the system of public integrity and behavioral interventions in order to tackle corruption and (5) public sector innovation.
In the long run, the project will ensure synergy between government-developed policies and the real needs of the population, especially those of vulnerable groups, by increasing the quality of services provided.
Summary of project results
Romania has taken lately important steps to improve public governance in various aspects, such as strategic planning or performance measurement and management, budgeting and public spending, regulatory policy, anti-corruption, regional development, etc. However, these initiatives lacked an integrated, strategic perspective and, therefore, developed in a disconnected manner.
In order to respond to these challenges, the General Secretariat of the Government (SGG), in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and the Authority for the Digitalization of Romania, implemented the "Development of administrative capacity in the field of public governance - a coordinated approach of the Romanian Government Center" project. The project aimed to achieve a more coherent, structured approach to public governance of the country''s reform agenda, increasing the coherence between public policies and citizens'' needs. The project was developed on five components: governance center, open government, digital government, public sector innovation, and public integrity.
One of the main activities of the project was the organization of 15 workshops and working sessions aimed at promoting open government and innovation in the public sector. These sessions involved approximately 200 participants from various institutions, including sustainable development centers, ministries and the Romanian Parliament. Participants had the opportunity to discuss the challenges and solutions for a more open and efficient government.
An important moment in the project was the OECD mission to Bucharest, from May 2022, which evaluated the progress in the implementation of Romania''s National Sustainable Development Strategy 2030. Following this mission, essential recommendations were formulated to improve national sustainable development strategies, and Ms. Carina Lindberg from the OECD highlighted the significant progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The project also included an assessment of the innovation capacity of the public administration, identifying barriers and proposing solutions to stimulate innovation in the public sector. These efforts will support the development of a national innovation strategy, aimed at transforming public administration into an engine of sustainable development. Within SGG, the "Innovation Laboratory" was established (https://sgg.gov.ro/1/laboratorul-de-inovare/). An informal network of volunteer innovators in public administration was also created with over 200 members. OECD experts have consistently supported the piloting of the SGG innovation lab by providing theoretical foundations, through a systemic and practical approach. A public sector innovation action plan and a Practical guidance for stewarding the innovation lab were developed.
Another important result of the project was the launch of the Open Government Review of Romania (OGR) on July 7, 2023. This detailed assessment of the state of open government in Romania provided clear recommendations for improving transparency and efficiency in public administration.
The project had a significant impact, supporting the achievement of the objectives of the National Sustainable Development Strategy 2030 and strengthening Romania''s position in foreign policy, including in the OECD accession process. The implemented measures contributed to the transformation of the public administration into a more transparent, efficient and oriented structure towards citizens'' needs.