Criteria for determination of municipality administration system - evaluation of Lithuanian mode

ENWith a view to modernising state management in the last decade, Lithuania has focused mainly on observing the experience of how foreign countries have handled state management and the development of the self-government system. Lithuania did not gain experience in self-government due to historical circumstances, and it has been a problematic transition, so efforts were made to learn from countries with many years of experience in the self-government, although the process has been challenging The municipal administration of each country has the task of implementing the functions delegated in laws and supporting the decisions of municipal politicians in order to establish and maintain ongoing public services. The municipal administration can achieve its goals by establishing efficient structural departments with clearly defined functions, decision-making, accountability and control mechanisms. The article features a good practice of Lithuania – the analysis of municipal administrations by proving that the municipal system is the best system for representative and executive municipal institutions to properly perform municipal functions established by law and where the staff of such municipal administration can ensure the performance of these functions. Citizens of each country take an interest in the political and administrative space where important decisions that affect their daily lives are made. The decisions made in municipalities directly affects the provision of public services to municipal residents, so the influence of these decisions is analysed in more detail than anywhere else in municipalities.The aim of the article on the analysis of Lithuania’s municipal administrations’ system is to analyse peculiarities of municipal administrations’ structure, legal framework; to assess the quality of internal administration; and to provide suggestions for improving the legal framework in order to ensure optimal quality of activities of municipal administrations. In order to achieve the aim, the article is divided into theoretical and analytical parts, and provides conclusions and suggestions. The theoretical part analyses what is the organizational structure of the municipality and what should it be; examines the types of organizational structure, the degree of centralization/decentralization and its impact on organisational structure, while assessing management standard and its “height”, along with other legal regulation and administration issues. The analytical part of the article specifically investigates the municipal administrations of Lithuania chosen according to relevant criteria, identifying both positive and negative (to be corrected) legal regulation and administration areas. Recommendations are provided, based on theoretical and analytical parts, and with consideration of the responses from respondents obtained during surveys, in order to ensure the implementation of objectives set out in this article. [From the publication]