Efficient public administration

Thematic objective 11

The objective is to create institutions which are stable and predictable, but also flexible enough to react to the many societal challenges, open for dialogue with the public, able to introduce new policy solutions and deliver better services. The investment in the structures, human capital and systems and tools of the public sector is oriented towards more efficient organisational processes, modern management, motivated and skilled civil servants.

Support for public administration reforms through Cohesion Policy is linked to Country Specific Recommendations, Economic Adjustment Programmes (where applicable) and National Reform Programmes.

Key actions for the European Social Fund:

Investment in institutional capacity and in the efficiency of public administrations and public services (at all levels of government) with a view to reforms, better regulation and good governance:

• reforms to ensure better legislation, synergies between policies and effective management of public policies, and transparency, integrity and accountability in public administration and spending of public funds;
• development and implementation of human resources strategies and policies;
• Enhancing efficiency of administrative services;

Capacity building for stakeholders delivering employment, education, health and social policies, and sectoral and territorial pacts to mobilise for reform at national, regional and local level:

• enhancing the capacity of stakeholders, such as social partners and non-governmental organisations, to help them delivering more effectively their contribution in employment, education and social policies;
• the development of sectoral and territorial pacts in the employment, social inclusion, health and education domains at all territorial levels.

Key actions for the European Regional Development Fund:

• Strengthening institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administrations and public services related to the implementation of ERDF and in support of actions in institutional capacity and in the efficient public administration supported by the ESF, including where necessary the provision of equipment and infrastructure to support the modernisation of public services in areas such as employment, education, health, social policies and customs.
• Administrative capacity related to European Territorial Cooperation can also be funded

Key actions for the Cohesion Fund:

• Strengthening institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administrations and public services related to the implementation of the Cohesion Fund.

Technical Assistance

In addition to the investments in efficient public administration under Thematic Objective 11, technical assistance is made available to the authorities that administer and use ESI Funds to help them perform the tasks assigned to them under the various European Structural and Investment (ESI) Fund Regulations.

Technical assistance also supports actions designed to reduce the administrative burden for beneficiaries, actions to reinforce the capacity of beneficiaries to use the ESI Funds as well as actions to reinforce the capacity of relevant partners.

The Commission has launched several initiatives in order to support the implementation of the funds, including the TAIEX REGIO PEER 2 PEER exchange system and the provision of training for experts from Member States about ESI Funds rules and regulations and seminars on anti fraud and corruption measures linked to the management of the funds.

Technical Assistance interventions focus on the delivery of ESI Funds only (for example, by reinforcing the human resources necessary to manage the funds, hiring consultants for studies, project preparation or monitoring/evaluation activities, training, networking, etc.) and is therefore limited to the programme period. Thematic Objective 11 has a wider and longer term goal. The focus is on genuine reform and systemic change to improve intrinsic public administration performance independent of EU funds management.