This report is the third in a series of short thematic contributions under the OECD Public Governance Reviews programme, which provides countries with a diagnostic, actionable recommendations, capacity building and implementation support for key public governance issues. The series builds on practical advice and capacity-development activities provided by the OECD Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate to countries undertaking reforms aimed at strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of their public administration. Along with the two other thematic reports in the series – The Public Sector Salary System in Slovenia (2012) and Poland: Developing Good Governance Indicators for Programmes Funded by the European Union (2013) – this report contributes to the development of a suite of hands-on approaches and methodologies that can prove particularly useful for countries developing and implementing practical actions towards improving the quality of the public administration.

The Slovak Republic is undertaking a comprehensive reform of its public administration to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of the public administration and support growth and development. The strong focus of the EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 on enhancing institutional capacity is providing an opportunity for supporting public administration reform that the government is rightly seizing.

An efficient and effective public administration is instrumental in fostering growth and well-being. However, improving the quality of the public administration rarely happens overnight or by ignoring the particular reality of each country. Any reform needs to take into consideration the often complex administrative, cultural, legal and political constraints that reformers face. Political will and ownership of reform design and implementation are essential ingredients for sustaining reform over time.

Central government co-ordination: the transfer of some key horizontal responsibilities to the Government Office, the Slovak Republic’s Centre of Government institution, has the potential to improve co-ordination; however, further improvements are needed. There is a wide network of advisory boards, usually attached to specific ministries; the line ministries lead on their policy areas and the Council of Ministers takes final decisions on key issues. This leaves a gap, where complex policies and reforms that cut across traditional ministerial lines of command need to be addressed more collectively before they can be put to the Council of Ministers.

This chapter identifies the key elements to be considered for the development of a comprehensive strategic framework for public administration reform. It first examines some of the key contextual aspects of public administration reform and presents the key strategies and policy initiatives aimed at reforming the public administration. It then moves on to assess Centre of Government institutional structures, inter-ministerial co-ordination mechanisms, strategic planning processes, and tools and institutions for effective monitoring and evaluation.

This chapter identifies the key elements to be considered for the development of a human resources management strategy. It first presents the human resources management reform agenda in the Slovak Republic. It then examines the capacities of the central civil service for strategic planning, policy analysis and development, as well as for working directly with citizens and businesses. It then moves on to analyse the institutional and legal aspects of human resources management reform. It finally presents some key conditions for making reform happen.