1. EC support to Member States in Good Governance
European Commission
Florian Hauser, EMPL
Louis Meuleman, ENV
16 May 2017
Sub-theme 4: Open and transparent government as a solid foundation
Session 20: Intra-European cooperation on improving public sector performance
EC support to Member States
in Good Governance

2. Overview Session 1 Overview of EC Instruments/Initiatives
Thematic Guidance
Practitioners' Network
Some Trends in Public Administration Reform
Intro to Case Study
Session 2
Case Study: Environmental Implementation Review
Discussion: Role of EC for suporting public administration quality

3. Key Points
Good governance & quality public administration matters fundamentally for the EU's & MS's success
The Commission provides analysis, funding, guidance, technical support and has several initiatives to help Member States improve
There are encouraging and discouraging trends in public sector reform
To really improve, we need to go beyond cost cutting; but to look at root problems, and focus on transparency, capacity and professionalism
The cross-cutting nature of "public administration" and limited Commission mandate in this area makes our work not easy – we need a more regular & engaged policy dialogue with Member States

4. EC Instruments (examples only!)
ESIF EUR 5 bln
CEF, ISA
EC Instruments (examples only!)
Investment
Research Funding
Analysis
Peer Networking
Guidance
Technical Support
Soft Standards
Tools
JoinUp
OPSI (OECD)
EIR
European Semester
Factsheet
Single Market SB
Justice Scoreboard
E-government
eGovernment Action Plan
Policy Dialogue
Environmental Implementation Review (EIR)
Regio TAIEX (Twinning)
FISCALIS
ESF Transnational
Structural Reform Support Service
EIR
EIR
Quality Administration Toolbox

6. What is the relation between "general" and "sectoral" ?
Distribution of CSR/structural challenges (all policy areas) by institutional capacity dimension
What is the relation between "general" and "sectoral" ?
Do we need "general"?

7. Guidance
2017 update

8. Introduction
Principles & values of good governance
Seven thematic chapters:
Better policy-making
Embedding ethical & anti-corruption practices
Professional and well-performing institutions
Improving service delivery
Enhancing the business environment
Strengthening the judicial system
Managing public funds effectively (including PP and ESIF, TO11)

9. Discussion Notes – NEW content
Policy coordination at the Centre of Government
Managing integrity & corruption risk
Performance management
Multi-level governance – tackling policy problems across political & administrative boundaries
Managing and motivating staff in an era of agile administration and automation
Informed policy-making: insightful, innovative and inclusive
Managing service delivery
Public administration reform: making positive change happen
40 new cases

10. Discussion Notes – main messages 1
Fundamentals: Remain important – clear principles and values, constant vigilance to promote integrity, avoid conflicts of interest, and deter, detect and act on corruption
Policy-making & implementation: growing role for understanding what people want (big data analytics), how they act ( behavioural insights) and engaging directly with them (co-design and co-production, collaborative commissioning
40 new cases

11. Discussion Notes – main messages 2
Structures and institutions: tendency to (re)centralise in recent years, but historic trend is to decentralise (autonomy and accountability), bring decision-making power closer to the people, much ongoing reorganisation, important to avoid dysfunctional administration, get structures right but also 3Rs (responsibilities, rights & resources), as well as cooperation and coordination (multi-level governance … links to Louis)
Service delivery: E-services continue to expand (makes MLG redundant?), but also shared services (an austerity phenomenon?); need to manage portfolio of services, role for ‘creative decommissioning’?
40 new cases

12. Discussion Notes – main messages 3
Strategic planning: all above affects the workforce, including impact of automation on employment in public administration (‘rise of the robots’), need to plan accordingly for changing levels and skills
Talent management: millennials will be core to the future workforce, how do you attract, manage and motivate the right people, create a conducive environment (see van Massenhove)
Performance management: away from ‘new public management’ towards strategic agility, greater focus on outcomes
Making change happen: VUCA leads to systems thinking, Vanguard approaches (systemic thinking); need to be alive to conditions for change, but also overcoming resistance and inertia
40 new cases

13. Some trends in public sector reform
Challenges
Positive
Negative
Cost & efficiency improvement
Citizens trust in government
Transparency & openness*
Attractiveness & motivation
Quality of services
Social cohesion
Beyond New Public Management
Balance between:
Hierarchies
Markets
Networks
future
*not everywhere…

14. Pathology and cure?
International governance benchmarks (WB, OECD, WEF, etc.) give a snapshot proxy of performance (useful)
BUT – benchmarks don't tell us much about root causes of problems (clientilism, culture)
(Formal) Reforms on paper (job descriptions, evaluations, etc. often not fully implemented – clientilistic system left untouched)
"Rationalisation" - depletes capacities and knowhow; low morale and apathy

15. ESF Transnational Cooperation

16. Possible way forward…
openness to society, dismantle clientilistic policies
size of public sector is the lesser problem, but irrational structure, uneven allocation of staff
attractiveness as an employer (adequate structures, less bureaucracy, team orientation, mobility)
fight red tape & extend citizens' rights through e- government
make administration a tool for entrepreneurship & growth

17. Overview of ESF funded projects

22. … from now on… (2017 - 22) EUPACK & "ongoing evaluation"
Better understanding and dialogue with Member States:
In which areas are you investing? (sectoral, horizontal, capacity building, structural reform…)
What are successful projects?
What are risks and lessons learnt?
EU value added?
What are the needs for the future?
EUPACK & "ongoing evaluation"

23. The case of the EU's Environmental Implementation Review (EIR)
Session 2:
Teaching Silos to Dance for Policy Coherence:
The case of the EU's Environmental Implementation Review (EIR)

24. Teaching Silos to Dance?
Break down mental silos if they prevent change
Don’t break down institutional silos if they provide the necessary structure, reliability, transparency, communication points
-> We need to ‘teach silos to dance’’*:
Create cross-cutting projects, partnerships, stimulate open-mindedness and collaboration; change procedures to open them up
* Niestroy, I. and Meuleman, L. (2016). Teaching Silos to Dance: A Condition to Implement the SDGs. Guest article published on 21 July 2016 at

25. The EIR as tool to support EU policy coherence
The Environmental Implementation Review (EIR) is a two-yearly cycle of analysis, dialogue and concrete collaboration to boost environmental implementation
28 Country reports with main challenges, opportunities & successes
Communication: Synthesis report on common trends and challenges
Annex with all suggested actions
Inclusive, cross-sectoral, multi-level country dialogues
&
Political exchanges in the Council
Analysis
Dialogue
Collaboration
Concrete action: e.g. guidance; (administrative) reforms; Peer 2 Peer tool for sharing experiences & expertise; bilateral projects; political conclusions, etc.

26. The EIR as tool to support EU policy coherence
The analysis phase of the Environmental Implementation Review has shown that five 'root causes' of weak environmental implementation exist across the Member States:
Ineffective coordination among local, regional and national authorities
Lack of administrative capacity and insufficient financing
Lack of knowledge and data
Insufficient compliance assurance mechanisms
Lack of integration and policy coherence, among others: silo-thinking

27. Teaching Silos to Dance: Strategies (1)
TS2D strategy
EIR Case example
Reframe issues to make them attractive challenges for other sectors/actors
From: Farmers are the cause of environment damage.
To: In order to achieve a sustainable food production system we have common challenges to achieve clean air, water, soil, and biodiversity.
From: Cars are the cause of air pollution in cities.
To: There is a common interest to achieve sustainable mobility.
From: Current economies damage the environment.
To: There is a common challenge to developing a sustainable, circular economy to ensure competitiveness in the long

28. Teaching Silos to Dance: Strategies (2)
TS2D strategy
EIR Case example
Build trust to transform 'enemies' into 'opponents' and 'coalition partners' into 'friends'.
Strategy: In addition to finding common interests through reframing, investing in mutual trust is essential to develop mutual gains. In this diagram, moving from top to bottom (= from low to high trust) is often possible! The EIR case shows that 'enemies' can become 'opponents' and 'coalition partners' can become 'friends'.

29. Teaching Silos to Dance: Strategies (3)
TS2D strategy
EIR Case example
Create a peer support culture:
Exchanging expertise & experiences across sectors/actors
EIR stimulates collaboration of Member States at all levels. National EIR country dialogues already show a peer support culture: MSs inviting each other as observers.
Launch of TAIEX EIR Peer 2 Peer Tool mid-2017: Very cost-effective tool to finance 'matches' between demand and offer of expertise, through expert visits, study visits and small workshops.

30. Teaching Silos to Dance: Strategies (4)
TS2D strategy
EIR Case example
Create informal meeting places:
Colleagues from different silos getting to know each other
Cross-cutting topics with environment dimension are being discussed during 'Beaulieu Cafés': informal talk shows with live music

31. Conclusions
Break down mental silos where they prevent change. Don’t break down institutional silos as they provide the necessary structure, reliability, transparency, communication points
There are at least for strategies to 'Teach Silos to Dance', as the EIR case shows:
Reframe issues to make them attractive challenges for other sectors/actors
Build trust to transform 'enemies' into 'opponents' and 'coalition partners' into 'friends'.
Create a peer support culture: Exchanging expertise & experiences across sectors/actors
Create informal meeting places: Colleagues from different silos getting to know each other

32. Discussion After 2020? Which (emerging) role for EC? More of? Less of?
Investment
Research Funding
Analysis
Peer Networking
Guidance
Technical Support
Soft Standards
Tools
Which (emerging) role for EC?
After
2020?
More of?
Less of?
Better?
Different?
Focus:
Horizontal?
Sector?
Issue?

33. Thank You florian.hauser@ec.europa.eu louis.meuleman@ec.europa.eu
EIR website: