The Principles of Public Administration and the European integration path: Measuring the fundamentals
The Principles of Public Administration0F1 sets out standards of good performance of public administration and outlines the main requirements to be followed by countries during the European Union (EU) integration process. Good public administration is key for achieving economic growth, competitiveness and better quality of life. Democratic governance and the rule of law require capable, accountable and effective public administration.
Overall approach: Focus on implementation and results, analysing a variety of primary data sources against precise criteria and benchmarks for an objective and balanced assessment
The updated 2023 edition of The Principles of Public Administration reflects the most recent international standards, applicable EU acquis and citizen expectations for modern public administration in Europe. Endorsed by the OECD and the European Commission, it covers the same broad scope and thematic areas as the previous edition.
The Assessment Methodology of the Principles of Public Administration2F2 contains a set of standard indicators that SIGMA applies consistently to measure the state of play against the Principles, including the preconditions and enablers for successful reforms (appropriate laws, policies, procedures, institutional structures and human resources); the public administration’s actual implementation practices; and subsequent results (how the administration performs in practice). In the new Assessment Methodology, more than half of all criteria focus on implementation practices and results.
While the overall approach recognises that no single measurement method can fully cover the complex issues related to all organisational and behavioural aspects of public administration, SIGMA relies on information from a comprehensive range of sources: administrative data from public registries; national statistics; legislation reviews and government reports; surveys of citizens, businesses, public servants and contracting authorities; case reviews of sample government documentation; and over 100 interviews with public servants, civil society, business associations and other relevant stakeholders. This information is cross-checked and triangulated to arrive at a balanced assessment.
The assessment applies the established methodology commonly used for evaluating countries in the process of EU accession. However, with regard to the Republic of Armenia, the analysis and recommendations are adapted to account for the political undertakings and binding legal commitments deriving from the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) concluded between Armenia and the EU.
A regional series with long-term perspective
This monitoring report assesses the state of play in public administration and progress in improving its quality. As was the case with SIGMA’s assessment in 2019, this 2025 report also addresses all Principles and provides a comprehensive and detailed picture of the state of public administration in the country.
This report is based on the Assessment Methodology developed to accompany the updated Principles of Public Administration (2023). While the narrative sections clearly describe developments since the last assessment and enable comparisons with previous reports, the significant methodological differences between this report and previous ones make comparisons of indicator values inapplicable.
Key insights and recommendations for decision makers, and detailed performance data for practitioners
Thirty-two Principles make up the framework for the six thematic areas, and each Principle has one or two indicators. There are 36 indicators in total, with 289 sub-indicators and 1 732 individual criteria. Indicator values for each Principle are presented at the top of every overview table, ranked on a scale of 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest) and based on the total number of points received for the sub-indicators.3F3 The indicator values provide a comparative picture of the state of play as of 30 June 2025.
The structure of the report mirrors that of the Principles. Each Principle contains a dedicated overview of associated indicator(s) and a summary analysis of the main strengths and weaknesses. Analytical findings and the most relevant recommendations are provided to guide reform efforts and inform the policy dialogue and discussions within the government administration and between the European Commission and the Government.
SIGMA provides an executive brief and summaries for each of the six thematic areas to facilitate understanding at different levels of detail and insight. While the monitoring report shows overall indicator values only, the SIGMA data portal4F4 offers a detailed criteria-level analysis.
SIGMA wishes to thank the Government for its collaboration in providing the necessary administrative data and documentation, as well as for its active engagement during the validation process to ensure the factual accuracy of all information used. We also thank the experts who contributed to this report. Finally, the European Commission partnership and support has enabled SIGMA to prepare this comprehensive long-term focus on public administration reform.