The Impact of public administration reforms in Lithuania: systemic managerial changes and persisting organizational differences

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LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Naujoji viešoji vadyba; Reforma; Reformos; Vidurio ir Rytų Europos šalys; Viešasis administravimas; Viešasis valdymas; Central and Eastern European countries; Lithuania; New public management; Public administration; Reform; Reforms.

ENIn this chapter we analyse the impact of NPM-style reforms and other domestic factors on public administration changes in Lithuania over the last five years. According to Pollitt and Bouckaert (2011), results of public management reforms depend on the content of reform packages and their implementation process. Therefore, this chapter explores the relationship between reform trends, reform processes, managerial instruments and public administration outcomes in the context of the recent financial crisis. We focus on the distinctive trajectory of performance management whose implementation was one of the main priorities of the 2008-2012 Lithuanian government. In many Western European countries performance management was the central feature of NPM reforms aimed at increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of public administrations, as well as making them more accountable. Based on the COCOPS data recent research argued that considerable variation in the use of performance information in European public organizations was related to the implementation of performance management instruments and organizational factors (types of organizations and different policy fields) (Hammerschmid, van de Walle and Stimac, 2013). Furthermore, political factors could play a role in the performance management of public sector organizations in the CEE region. For instance, it was argued that high party fragmentation and frequent turnover of CEE governments could limit the capacity of ruling parties and executive politicians to control agency performance through formal and institutionalized instruments, leading to the application of political and informal instruments (van Thiel, Verhoest, Bouckaert and Lægreid, 2011).Therefore, in addition to the impact of NPM reforms we analyse the influence of political and organizational factors on the application of performance management tools in Lithuania. We expect that despite the impact of recent reforms in Lithuania on performance management, the application of various managerial instruments can differ depending on the functions, autonomy and politicization of Lithuanian public administration organizations. The article is divided into several sections. We shortly present the background of administrative reform in Lithuania before presenting our findings on public management reforms implemented in Lithuania throughout 2008-2012 and undertaking a more in-depth analysis on the application of different managerial instruments in Lithuania. Finally, the article concludes by discussing the main outcomes of reforms and their implications for future research. [Introduction]

• Politikos mokslai / Political sciences
• Vadyba / Management