Priority support areas indicated in the description of Objective 1 of NSRF – Enhancing the functioning quality of public institutions and expansion of partnership mechanisms result from reforms undertaken by the Government of Poland for purposes of modernising the operation of public administration. The basic document, the provisions of which set out the reform trends in the public sphere in Poland, is the National Reform Programme for the years 2005−2008 in support of implementation of the Lisbon Strategy. Further− more measures in support of enhancing administrative capabilities within the Cohesion Policy in Poland in the years 2007−2013 contribute to implementation of provisions of the public administration reform stipu− lated in such documents, as: Regulatory Reform Programme, Strategic trends of informatisation devel− opment in Poland until 2013 and forecasting perspective for transformations of the information society up to 2020, Anti−corruption Strategy and National Development Strategy for the years 2007−2015.
A factor that hinders preparation of a complex reform of the Polish public administration is that no complex analysis for functioning of public administration in Poland is available. Hence an elementary measure aimed at enhancing administrative capabilities within NSRF is to diagnose the standing of public administration in horizontal spheres, as well as in selected aspects of its functioning. This measure will be implemented within priority V Good governance, OP Human Capital.
Measures designated for implementation of Objective 1 of NSRF in the sphere of enhancing capa− bilities of public institutions to efficient and effective implementation of tasks comprise support for creating strategic abilities of the Polish public administration, improving institutional efficiency of public institu− tions, enhancing the quality and accessibility of public services, improving the competences of the clerical staff and development of administrative capabilities of the justice administration. They will be implemented first of all as complex projects oriented at modernisation of the public sphere.
In addition modernisation of the Polish public administration is also taking place through participa− tion of its units in development and implementation of Community policies, including the EU Cohesion Policy. Community principles concerning ways of participation of the Polish administration in benefiting from structural funds and the Cohesion Fund affect the development pf process organisation of tasks in administration, enhance strategic capabilities as regards programming, monitoring and evaluation, as well as cooperation mechanisms through the necessity of running vertical and horizontal coordination. Development of strategic capabilities of the Polish public administration within NSRF will be imple− mented by providing support to processes of establishment and implementation of policies and pro− grammes, including in particular by enhancing cooperation and coordination between public administra− tion units and through enhancing abilities related to programming, monitoring, implementing and evalu− ation of development policies. Measures in this scope are covered by provisions of the National Reform Programme, which in the sphere of microeconomic and structural policy foresees measures in support of better quality of legal regulations (measure 2.1.) and by provisions of the Regulatory Reform Programme, adopted by the Council of Ministers in July 2006. Support from means of structural funds with respect to regulatory reforms and abilities of developing and implementation of policies and programmes within NSRF will be implemented through the following measures financed from the European Social Fund (priority V Good governance, OP Human Capital):
• improvement of functioning of the system that evaluates consequences of regulations, • implementation of programmes directed at simplification of national legal acts,
• development and implementation of systems for diagnosing and elimination of administrative burdens, including in the sphere of economic law,
• development and implementation of a monitoring system for legislation works of the Council of Ministers,
• enhancing capabilities of the public administration (government and self−government administra− tion) with respect to development and implementation of programmes and strategies,
• enhancing local self−government units in implementation of high quality local legal regulations, • rationalisation of coordination mechanisms and cooperation between public administration units. Enhancing institutional efficiency in the Polish public administration within NSRF will be achieved through modernisation of management processes in public administration, including first of all through implementation of the financial management system according to tasks and development of modern human resources management. To improve institutional efficiency measures will be instigated which are covered by provisions of the National Reform Programme (measure 1.7 Implementation of a long− term budgetary planning system), which assumes support for improving the effectiveness in which public means are used in the sector of public finance.
As regards enhancing institutional efficiency measures that will be executed will be financed from the European Social Fund (priority V Good Governance, OP Human Capital) aimed at modernisation of the modernisation processes, i.e.:
• support for deployment of the financial management system in task formulation, • support for development and implementation of the management system by objectives,
• implementation of managerial rationalisation in public administration on the level of the entire organisation, as well as in selected aspects of public administration units operation as well a identification and propagation of good practices in this respect,
• support for the staff management process, including the development of models, tools and stand− ards for human resources management, and support for personnel and training departments in public administration units.
One of the elements in establishment of institutional efficiency of the Polish administration is improving the quality and accessibility of public services, by introducing modern services provided by electronic mail. In addition informatisation of public administration allows rationalisation in functioning of public administration, and as a consequence at reducing administrative barriers for business opera− tion of entrepreneurs, as well as facilitating and hastening the information flow between different admin− istration levels and the customers. Measures in this respect contribute to implementation of the National Reform Programme (measure 2.2. Simplification of administrative procedures and reducing costs of running business operation and measure 3.3 Development of information and communication technolo− gies in economy and administration) and conform to the Strategic trends of informatisation development in Poland until 2013. Furthermore, they are covered by measures of the Government of the Republic of Poland, aimed at limiting bureaucracy that hinders the development of enterprises, and used for facilitat− ing investments (e.g. introduction of a single service desk for entrepreneurs in an office). For this purpose complementary measures will be executed within OP Human Capital (Priority V Good Govern− ance) and OP Innovative Economy (Priority 7 Establishment and development of information society in Poland), and namely:
within OP Human Capital
• introduction and propagation of client service standards in self−government administration, • introduction of the “one−stop−shop” system (single access points for entrepreneurs in administra−
tive offices),
• development of system related provisions and informatic tools to assist public management; within OP Innovative Economy
• establishment and development of platforms for integrated electronic services designated for business and for citizens related inter alia to fiscal settlements, administrative charges, registra− tion of business operation, services related to public procurement,
• establishment of multi−channel transaction platforms,
• making available and promoting standards for electronic communication between administration on the one hand, and enterprenurs and citizens on the other.
Measures in support of investments in human capital are aimed at enhancing professionalism of clerical staff by improving their qualifications. Objective 1 of NSRF assumed measures oriented at enhancing transparency in public administration, which conform to provisions of the Anti−Corruption Programme – Anti−Corruption Strategy – II stage of implementation 2005−2009, adopted by the Council of Ministers on 25 January 2005. One of the strategic objectives is the establishment of transparent and citizen friendly public administration structures suitable for an open information society. Objective 1 of NSRF will be implemented through measures anticipated in priority V OP HC Good Governance:
• improvement of qualifications of staff employed in public administration, especially by reviewing training needs, as well as general and specialised training courses (plans comprise the delivery of training courses directly connected with the reform programmes being implemented, inter alia as regards task based planning and improving the functioning of the evaluation system of regu− lation consequences),
• working out competency standards for staff employed in local self−government units,
• making evaluations of training needs in local self−government units, including inter alia planning measures on the basis of results of executed studies,
• international exchange programmes for staff employed in local self−government units,
• improving the ethical culture level in public administration personnel by way of advisory assist− ance and promotion of ethical attitudes,
• advisory assistance and training in the scope of ethics and avoiding conflict of interest in local self−government,
• promotion of principles, mechanisms and procedures that enhance clarity of the local self−gov− ernment especially in the form of experience exchange networks, information and promotion campaigns, seminars, conferences and competitions.
An area that requires particular support to allow achievement of appropriate administrative capac− ity is the justice administration. Measures aimed at assuring a high quality of services provided by the justice administration through improving the efficiency and effectiveness of functioning of justice admin− istration units are contained within the National Reform Programme (Measure 2.3. Rationalisation of economic judiciary) and are consistent with other measures launched by the Polish government in sup− port of improving the operation of courts (e.g. rationalisation of court proceedings). Support for the justice administration in priority V OP Human Capital covers the following measures:
• diagnosing the justice administration standing,
• deployment of rationalisation measures to facilitate access to the justice administration and man− agerial rationalisation measures in selected areas of functioning of institutions,
• propagation of information concerning alternative ways of dispute resolution, • general and specialised trainings for the justice sector personnel.
A separate intervention area specified in Objective 1 of NSRF is support for institutions that imple− ment NSRF. Intervention in this area differs from measures executed within NSRF in support of enhancing the capabilities of public institutions to efficient and effective implementation of tasks, first of all different objectives of granted assistance, and also a limited group of support beneficiaries. Measures in this scope are to assure efficient NSRF implementation, and within it of operational programmes, and are
addressed at units participating in NSRF implementation in the years 2007−2013. Support for institutions that implement NSRF covers the following financial operations from technical assistance means:
• enhancing and financing of employment, working out and implementation of human resources management and continuous advancement of staff qualifications,
• supporting processes that take place in implementation of NSRF and preparation of future oper− ations in structural funds and programme documents for the programming period after 2013, • assuring means and instruments indispensable for realisation of an effective evaluation process
of the NSRF implementation in conformity to preset requirements,
• assuring the necessary equipping for implementation of tasks related to implementation of NSRF, as well as preparation, modernisation and adaptation of premises used by entities involved in management and implementation of NSRF,
• supporting informatic systems that serve NSRF implementation processes, in particular through financing their establishment, development and keeping up,
• supporting the process of communication, information and NSRF promotion, and the process of experience exchange and information flow between participants of the NSRF implementation process.
The above mentioned measures are being executed within OP Technical Assistance and compo− nents of technical assistance in other operational programmes.
Support for the third sector in Objective 1 of NSRF is strictly correlated with non−government organisations playing a role in the process of providing public services. To establish appropriate condi− tions for delegation of tasks to public institutions from the third sector measures will be launched in support of development of a partnership state model which comprise working out cooperation mecha− nisms between public administration and institutions of the third sector, as well as popularisation of a partnership method in creating policies and implementation of public tasks through assuring appropri− ate information and education campaigns. An important element in development of partnership in rela− tions between public administration and non−government organisations and social and economic part− ners is the development of cooperation in creation of public policies and programmes through propaga− tion of the principles of consultations and partnership and social dialogue institutions. Including the third sector in the process of providing public services necessitates having those institutions appropriately prepared for professional execution of public tasks by enhancing their potential in this respect. Meas− ures in this scope will be realised pursuant to provisions of the Act dated 24 April 2003 on public utility operation and on volunteer operation.
Measures aimed at supporting better functioning of public institutions anticipated in NSRF are financed form means of the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. The OP Human Capital assigns 610m euro on measures connected with implementation of the good governance principle in the public administration sphere. Support for technical assistance within all operational programmes amounts to ca. 2.5 billion euro.