1. Friendly office contest
Czech Republic
Filip Zavřel
16th May 2017

2. Introduction Czech Republic Area: 78.866 sq. km
Number of municipalities:
6.258
Population:
10.5 mil.
Average size of municipality:
under inhabitants
Employees in PA:
approx
GDP per capita:
19,800 USD
Parliamentary democracy, unitary state

3. Joined model of public administration
Due to the joined model of public administration, a part of the state competencies is transferred to local and regional level (municipal and regional offices).
Territorial self-governing units (municipalities and regions) differ to each other by the scope of performance of the state administration (delegated competence).
Municipalities are divided into three types:
Municipalities with basic scope of delegated competence (I. type)
Municipalities with authorised municipal office (II. type)
Municipalities with extended powers (III. type)

4. Joined model of public administration
State administration
- ID cards, travel documents, driving licences
- Building authority
- Register of cars
- Offences
- Business office
- Register of births and deaths
- Register of inhabitants
Self-government
- Property
- Territorial development
- Territorial plan
- Culture
- Tourist industry
- Education
- Social care
Secretary
Mayor
Municipal office

5. Types of municipalities
Municipalities with basic scope of delegated competence (6254)
All the municipalities belong to this category.
Municipalities with extended scope of delegated competence:
These municipalities perform the state administration in delegated power also in the territory of other municipalities, it means for municipalities, which belong to their administrative district.
Municipalities with authorised municipal office (388)
Municipalities with extended powers (205)
They provide the highest extent of services within delegated powers.

6. Logo of Friendly Office contest

7. Friendly Office contest
Due to a widespread public opinion about the unkindness of officials and offices (long lines, paperwork, unwillingness), the State (the Ministry of Interior) seeks to improve the quality of services offered by municipal offices above the level required by law.
Municipalities are not subject to state. So state can not directly dictate which services they provide to citizens.
Municipal offices with extended powers (III. type) were selected for the popular competition, as offices where most citizens are coming for resolving administrative issues.
The first competition, which took place in June 2016, was focused on 205 municipalities of III. type.

8. Friendly Office contest of III. type municipalities
The aim of the contest was :
to map the state of public services offered by III. type municipalities,
to award the representatives of municipalities who of their own will started offering better services,
to motivate other municipalities to set premium services and thus improve the overall quality of public services.
identify good practice and share it among other offices.
In June 2016, the competition covered 179 of the 205 municipalities of III. type (87 %). The awards went to the top three offices in each of the 14 regions and to the top three offices for the entire Czech Republic (45 awards).

9. Criteria In 2016 there were 42 criteria, in 2017 56 criteria.
The criteria can be divided into four groups:
Accessibility of office for citizens
Transparency of office
Office communication
Quality management

10. Awards for the winners of Friendly office contest
Part of awards is a sticker with the logo of Friendly Office that winners can put up at the entrance doors of their Office and citizens can recognize that their Office offer quality services.

11. A sticker for winners of Friendly Office contest

12. Friendly Office contest of II. type municipalities
In December 2016, the contest was organised for the first time also for municipalities of II. type (with authorised municipal office).
Due to a lesser extent of delegated powers, the criteria of the competition had to be modified. So, there were a less account of criteria (around 40).
116 municipalities were competing (64 %).
On the occasion of the awarding, a publication with examples of good practice was issued. It describes examples of premium services and details on their implementation.

13. Presentation of publication with examples of good practice

14. The main benefits of contest
Currently, the second edition of the Friendly Office contest for the municipalities of III. type is under way. So, an annual comparison of the competition can not be clearly established.
However, the aim is to motivate the representatives of municipalities to increase the level and quality of offered services and the opening of the Office to the citizens, so that the office became more friendly, and to improve public opinion on the Public Administration in general.

15. Thank You
Filip Zavřel