Improving efficiency and transparency of local public management through citizen participation. Some evidence from local experiences in Spain TAIEX Workshop on the promotion of the participative approach in local management Alger, January Autonomous University of Madrid /Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Fabiola Mota

OUTLINE 1.Introduction: The New Public Management (NPM) and the Local Governance (LG) 2.The quality of citizen participation in local public policy in Spain: an empirical research 3.Effects of citizen participation on public policy making and management: improving efficiency and transparency 4.Conclusions

 Since the early 90’s, local public administrations in Spain have adopted some basic principles of the New Public Management approach with emphasis on citizen’s preferences and their satisfaction as the key working norm.  The citizen is looked on as a client that demands quality, information and efficiency in the provision of public services.  While searching primarily for administrative efficiency, the adoption of the NPM contributed to shape a new mode of governing in which citizen participation became essential. Introduction: NPM and LG The Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions

Paradigm of NPMParadigm of Governance Management autonomyPolitical autonomy Efficiency of administrative procedures Citizen involvement in policy decision- making Optimum resultsLegitimate results Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions  After the 2000, the new approach of the Governance enhanced the public orientation toward citizen participation in policy decision making and implementation.  The goal of providing good public services was not enough. Introduction of new public goals that required an open government which emphasized government responsiveness and accountability, and public administration transparency.  Local governance involves a coordinated action between the public administrations and the social and economic stakeholders.

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions  The involvement of citizens in policy decision- making and implementation, does really improve the efficiency and transparency of local public administrations?  Empirical research carried out from 2013 until 2015 in seven Spanish municipalities shows it does.  Municipalities selected from the MECPALO Spanish database of about 500 participatory experiences developed in the three Spanish regions of Andalusia, Catalonia and Madrid.  10 participatory mechanisms were selected: the five with the most intense/quality of participation and the 5 with the least intense.

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions  An index of intensity/quality of participation

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions  Then up to 20 policy proposals per each mechanism were chosen and classified by policy areas.  Only the participatory policy proposals that were eventually accepted and implemented by the local government were analyzed through fieldwork (by searching for official information and holding interviews with local technicians, politicians and social groups)  In the end, the study included 28 participated policies  For more information of the research project:

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions  Do public policies coming from a highest quality participatory mechanisms perform better in terms of efficiency and transparency?  Five principal empirical findings shall be highlighted: 1.Local governance: The better the quality of citizen participation mechanism the larger the number of stakeholders involved in the policy implementation process. Graph 1. Correlation coefficient (Pearson R values) for actors’ involvement and index of intensity

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions 2.The better the quality of citizen participation the more likely it is that various stakeholders participate in the assessment of the public policy implementation. To the extent that citizens and policy stakeholders are involved in formal and evidence-based procedures in order to assess whether the policy management or the economic, social or environmental effects of the public policy are as expected, it implies a policy of improved quality and likely greater efficiency. Civic associations (neighbourhood, youth, environmentalist, sportive, etc.), employers organizations, participatory organs and other public administration (no local) are the stakeholders the most involved in the policy assessment.

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions 3.The better the quality of the participatory experience the more likely it is that a higher number of local government departments be concerned with the implementation of the policy. There is a positive relationship between the index of intensity/quality of participation and the number of local governmental departments concerned with the policy at stake. It may be a proof of the cross-sectional character of local policies and an evidence of the innovative effect of intensive citizen participation on policy management: it would contribute to overcome the more traditional bureaucratic process of policy design and implementation focused on an unique policy domain.

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions 4.The more intensive the participation involved in the participatory mechanism the least the cost of implementing the policy. The final cost or budgeted cost of these policies is lesser than the one of policies coming from lesser intensive participation (Pearson’s r= -0,919). This finding supports a common conclusion about the effects of citizen participatory mechanism on public policies: less public spending.

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions 5.The better the quality of citizen participation mechanism the greater the transparency and public diffusion of the whole policy process. There is a positive correlation between the availability on the web of any public document about the policy and the quality of citizen participation. Participatory policies coming from a high quality participatory mechanism are more transparent because up to date public information is provided online

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions Likewise, the degree of public diffusion is also related to the level of participation intensity index so that the higher the intensity the higher the diffusion of the public policy (not only online but also through open public events, local media and so on) Low intensityHigh intensityTotal Diffusion 6 (54.6) 17 (100) 23 (82.1) No diffusion 5 (45.5) 0 5 (17.9) Total11 (100) 17 (100) 28 (100)

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions  When citizen participation takes place through participatory mechanisms of higher quality (in terms of facilitator, external consultant and expert involvement, level of information provided to participants, number of stages of the policy process in which citizens get involved and the number of participatory tools applied in the process) then local public policy making and management are more similar to the local governance practice.

Introduction: NPM and LG Quality of Citizen Participation Effects on Local Public Policy Management Conclusions More private and public stakeholders get involved in the policy implementation process, especially in the policy assessment. More local government departments are concerned with the policy implementation. Less public spending and therefore more public efficiency. Open government: transparency in public information which facilitates public accountability.

Autonomous University of Madrid /Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Fabiola Mota Thank you for your attention