Public Policy Failure: The Case of Arts and Sports Policy in KazakhstanArgynbekov, Maxat; Joldybayeva, Elmira
2024 NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
doi: 10.2478/nispa-2024-0001
AbstractIn his address to the nation on September 1, 2020, Kazakhstani President Kassym- Jomart Tokayev pledged to promote mass sports and arts among youth. To achieve this, the Kazakhstani government launched ArtSport, a nationwide initiative to create new programs from swimming and dancing to sculpture. Nevertheless, the multi-million-dollar initiative was suspended in 2022 due to various problems and scandals. This article aims to understand and explain why ArtSport failed to achieve its policy goals despite the central government’s commitment and enormous investment. This article examines the nationwide initiative from the theoretical lens of the policy cycle to achieve the research aim. Adopting a qualitative approach to a case study, it combines the analysis of official and non-official documentary sources with anonymous elite interviews of senior government officials at the regional Culture and Sports Committees. Tracing the policymaking process from agenda setting to implementation, we argue that although the Government’s intentions were good, the policy design behind ArtSport had critical weaknesses that led to failure in policy implementation. These weaknesses include the initiative’s overly ambitious scope, the technical shortcomings of the ArtSport online platform, and lack of funds. As a result, ArtSport failed to achieve its expected outcomes, andthe initiative was also marked by embezzlement and corruption scandals. Given the Government’s decision to continue with ArtSport through policy changes and additional funding, this article develops practical recommendations to improve the program design and implementation process.
Citizens’ Satisfaction with “Citizens’ Initiatives”: The Case of the Municipality of LjubljanaKozjek, Tatjana; Verbič, Miha; Umek, Lan
2024 NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
doi: 10.2478/nispa-2024-0002
AbstractBased on a survey, this article analyses the satisfaction with communication between citizens and public servants in the Municipality of Ljubljana (MOL). It highlights the potential of a citizen relations management tool to emphasise the importance of effective communication between the municipality and citizens, the role of civic engagement in the development of the municipality and the importance of understanding and managing differences in satisfaction between citizens and public servants. A notable satisfaction gap exists, with citizens generally more satisfied than public servants, except for accessibility to initiatives and problem-solving. The study recommends adopting successful tools, such as those used in Ljubljana, to improve communication, citizen participation and the quality of services. It emphasises the importance of understanding communication dynamics to tailor municipal improvements and promote civic engagement and calls for further research in Central and Eastern European municipalities.
Vulnerability and Resilience of Slovak Municipalities in the Era of AusterityMalicka, Lenka; Vancová, Jana; Hadačová, Daniela
2024 NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
doi: 10.2478/nispa-2024-0003
AbstractThe consequences of periods of austerity, generally connected with economic crises, are not only reflected in the financial performance of local governments but also in the range in which they can face shocks. Monitoring the vulnerability and resilience associated with these shocks and the subsequent impacts on the financial situation of Slovak municipalities points to financial resilience, the ability to be proactive or, on the contrary, to be passive as a reaction to evolving environmental conditions. The paper examines the ability of 2,923 Slovak municipalities in the period 2005 - 2022, according to their size categories, to respond to periods of austerity in the economic reality of the Slovak Republic: The Global Financial Crisis from 2009 and the recent ongoing economic crisis arising from the crisis COVID-19, the subsequent military crisis in Ukraine, and the related energy crisis (multi-crisis). The resilience and vulnerability of Slovak municipalities, considering the size categories, are measured by employing a primary dispersion measure as the standard deviation of six financial indicators mirroring the local government’s performance in the form of indexes linked to 2005. The results confirm the vulnerability of Slovak local governments in considered eras of austerity with relevant recovery periods, demonstrating a considerable degree of resilience. Besides, we reveal other structural breaks in the monitored period, which influenced the economic circumstances of Slovak municipalities, too.
Collaborative Approach on Digital Government Transformation: In-Depth Analysis from Expert InterviewMaulana, Rio Yusri; Durnik, Mitja; Decman, Mitja
2024 NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
doi: 10.2478/nispa-2024-0005
AbstractDigital transformation changes how private and public organisations conduct their business, stressing the importance of collaboration with various stakeholders. The public sector, especially local government, is forced by citizens’ demands to change how it operates. This research examines the characteristics of existing literature on collaborative governance and digital transformation and explores the unevenness of digital transformation due to the broad autonomy granted to local governments. Qualitative methods were used, conducting in-depth interviews, advanced observations, and detailed data collection from government agencies, NGOs, and citizens of West Java, Indonesia. The enquiries reveal that governments faces silos and fragmented approaches. The results contribute to the literature, serve as a reference for improving the role of local government in collaborative digital transformation, and provide greater legitimacy in the public policy process. In the context of local government, the success of digital transformation initiatives in West Java can be attributed to effective collaboration and facilitative leadership from implementing the Penta-helix strategy and establishing Jabar Digital Service (JDS) as a dedicated unit for managing digital transformation.
Innovation Policy Coordination: The Role of Communication for UzbekistanMukhitdinov, Rozdon D.
2024 NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
doi: 10.2478/nispa-2024-0006
AbstractThe relative importance of various drivers of economic growth and prosperity has evolved over time, and innovation is the primary driver of economic growth for a growing number of countries. Innovations can be developed in countries where the state innovation policy is effectively implemented, and the state coordinates the subjects of innovation policy. The coordination requires integration, digitalization and sharing of information across departments and sectors. The objective of this paper is to describe how Uzbekistan’s innovation system has evolved during the last decade since Uzbekistan moved from a highly regulated mixed economy to an open market economy. In this process, we start by describing the national innovation system of Uzbekistan, describe some of the key changes in the innovation policy coordination system, the legal acts of reforming the public administration, the bodies responsible for the implementation of laws, monitoring and evaluating the fulfillment of the set strategic tasks. Then we will reveal the state’s role in coordinating and establishing an effective national innovation policy, reveal the theoretical aspects and compare them with the implementation in Uzbekistan. For these purposes, data from open and transparent sources from 2009 to 2021 are analyzed, and the impact of various factors on Uzbekistan’s economic and innovative development using econometric analysis is evaluated. The conclusion of the research consists of the recommendations that are given in order to improve the state innovation policy, establish communication and achieve the goals of the government.
Cross-Organisational Collaboration Management of Digital Innovation in the Public Sector - The Case of the Estonian Employment RegisterNommik, Steven
2024 NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
doi: 10.2478/nispa-2024-0007
AbstractCross-organisational collaboration management has been an important topic in academic literature, representing the nexus of modern governance arrangements. Organisational boundaries are becoming increasingly blurry with continuous digitalisation through new interaction patterns, resulting in the proliferation of cross- organisational collaborations across sectors and within the public sector. This study contributes to the existing literature by analysing cross-organisational collaboration management within the public sector through the case of the Estonian Employment Register. The author conducted semi-structured interviews with engaged stakeholders and coded the data with a concept-driven and data-driven coding scheme for the analysis. The interviews were analysed for occurrences and co-occurrences. The case highlights the role of system context (pre-established connections, decentralisation, digital infrastructure), process challenges (differences in perspectives, organisation-centric approach, power imbalances) and management interventions (contingent leadership, shifting roles, trilateral connections) for cross-organisational collaborations. The findings demonstrate the importance of pre-existing informal connections in shaping the available alternatives for instruments. Digitally capable agencies can capitalise on opportunities for digital innovation through their technological capability and reputation. The key challenges remain with expanding the cognitive framework beyond the established interaction arenas to adapt to perspectives beyond the initial networks. The ability to maximise the potential of digital innovation is also contingent on designing compatible human interaction processes to manage machine interactions.
Mapping Fiscal Research Trajectories through Bibliometric Analysis: Echoes of Global Crises in Central and Eastern EuropeRavšelj, Dejan; Umek, Lan; Tosun, Mehmet Serhan; Aristovnik, Aleksander
2024 NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
doi: 10.2478/nispa-2024-0008
AbstractWorld economies have faced numerous crises throughout history. Fiscal issues have accordingly become a crucial aspect of economic policy discussions, particularly in Eastern Europe, a region shown to be especially vulnerable to the recent economic shocks. The paper therefore aims to provide a bibliometric examination of trends in fiscal research via the lenses of major economic and financial crises. The bibliometric analysis is based on 6,640 documents published between 1970 and 2022 and indexed in the Scopus database. The results reveal that fiscal research associated with crises has grown sharply over time, with significant bursts one year following each major economic and financial crisis. The most cited journal articles in fiscal research highlighted the following issues in all countries, including Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries: economic reform policies (1970-1997), economic development and financial conditions (1998-2008), crises in Europe and post-crisis recovery (2009-2019) and post-crisis recovery and effects (of the COVID-19 pandemic) on the public and business sectors (2020-2022). As well as identifying key countries and journals, although diverging in approach and scope the findings show shared interests in macroeconomic policy, fiscal stability, and the impact of crises on economic performance and public finance. Developed countries have addressed complex global economic issues and advanced development, whereas Central and Eastern European nations have focused on the transition from planned to market economies. This observation reflects their distinct economic paths and fiscal research interests, as revealed in detailed content analysis by subperiods. The findings maybe of benefit for both the scientific community and evidence-based policymaking.
Digital Transformation in Organizational Management: A Bibliometric AnalysisUrs, Nicolae; Roja, Alexandru; Nisioi, Ioana
2024 NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
doi: 10.2478/nispa-2024-0009
AbstractThis research article aims to provide an in-depth examination of the complex aspects of digital transformation, from an organizational management perspective. The study offers an overview of the prominent research interests and trends in this field, shedding light on organizational changes brought by digital transformation, and on the strategic shifts it requires. To achieve these objectives, the research utilizes bibliometric analysis techniques, specifically performance analysis and science mapping. The analysis is conducted using the VoSviewer software application, which efficiently integrates data from multiple databases, including Web of Science and Scopus. The findings reveal that digital transformation, within the context of organizational management, encompasses diverse research directions and themes that play a central role in its success. Key areas of focus include innovation, leadership, dynamic capabilities, digital innovation, and change management. These themes highlight the pressing need for organizations to navigate and thrive in the digital age. The research contributes to the understanding of digital transformation and its implications for organizational management, both in private and public organizations, highlighting the differences between the two.