Organisation, accountability and oversight

About

The state administration should be developed according to clear policies and regulations, to ensure a rational, effective and efficient institutional structure. Administrative legislation which protects public interest and citizens’ rights, together with independent oversight institutions, are also needed to ensure effective compliance of administrative authorities with the rule of law. All these elements are essential for enhancing the trust of citizens in public institutions.

Key elements

Having an accountable public administration means that:

The organisation of the central government is rational, so that every public organisation is answerable for the planning, reporting and justifying of its actions to the parliament, the government or a ministry, and to the public.
The institutional and financial interactions among and across levels of government are based on sound legislation in line with international norms and principles, mutual communication, co-operation and coordination when designing and implementing policies, responsible financial management and transparency towards citizens and other stakeholders both at the subnational and central level.
Legislation guarantees that the public has access to information on what public institutions do and how they perform, but also on how they may serve citizens or businesses.
Strong and independent oversight institutions effectively scrutinise the work of the government and their recommendations lead to corrective actions in a timely and comprehensive manner.
A person who feels that their right to fair and effective treatment by the administration has been infringed should be able to uphold these rights in practice. If any wrongdoing by the administration has taken place, compensation or redress should be guaranteed.
The standards for integrity and ethical behaviour in the service of public interest are well-defined and noncompliance is effectively investigated and sanctioned. Tools and systems for protecting the public interest (including whistle-blower protection; lobbying regulation; a system of asset declaration and follow-up) support the functioning of an accountable and transparent public administration.

What SIGMA does

SIGMA assists countries in enhancing their accountability practices through:

Helping governments to review, diagnose, re-organise and streamline public administration organisations.
Assisting countries in setting up or monitoring the implementation of laws on transparency and access to information.
Supporting oversight bodies, such as parliaments, ombudsmen and anti-corruption agencies, in better fulfilling their functions, by providing them with international good practices, peer learning opportunities, development of tailor-made tools and practices.
Improving the functioning of administrative judiciaries through improving the legal framework regulating administrative court procedure and supporting its implementation.