Suchergebnisse

This paper focuses on the theoretical background of functions assignment between different levels of government. Decentralisation process in its broader concept means the release of central government power, transferring the responsibility and implementation of some public functions to the lower government tiers. This process raises many issues related to the state authority division: which of the functions should remain in the hands of central government and which should be devolved to the lower levels, and finally, which functions should be shared between different levels of government. In every decentralizing country questions about tax power and expenditure responsibility have to be answered. If the functions are divided in the proper way, the amount of expenditures for functions performance as well as the need for tax income to be collected to fund expenditures becomes evident. Therefore the allocation of financial resources and fiscal transfers must be carried out only after a distinct allocation of roles and responsibilities to different levels of government. The paper starts with the explanation of Musgrave's three main functions of state in market economy. This conceptual allocation of state duties helps to determine the place of functions, costs and tax income. While the macroeconomic stabilisation and income distribution in general are assigned to the central level, Fiscal federalism model provides resource allocation to sub national government with an important role. For the sake of objective it should be noted that while many contemporary authors in principle agree with the above stated division, some have the opposite opinion which is outlined in the paper next to the each function. [.]

This paper focuses on the theoretical background of functions assignment between different levels of government. Decentralisation process in its broader concept means the release of central government power, transferring the responsibility and implementation of some public functions to the lower government tiers. This process raises many issues related to the state authority division: which of the functions should remain in the hands of central government and which should be devolved to the lower levels, and finally, which functions should be shared between different levels of government. In every decentralizing country questions about tax power and expenditure responsibility have to be answered. If the functions are divided in the proper way, the amount of expenditures for functions performance as well as the need for tax income to be collected to fund expenditures becomes evident. Therefore the allocation of financial resources and fiscal transfers must be carried out only after a distinct allocation of roles and responsibilities to different levels of government. The paper starts with the explanation of Musgrave's three main functions of state in market economy. This conceptual allocation of state duties helps to determine the place of functions, costs and tax income. While the macroeconomic stabilisation and income distribution in general are assigned to the central level, Fiscal federalism model provides resource allocation to sub national government with an important role. For the sake of objective it should be noted that while many contemporary authors in principle agree with the above stated division, some have the opposite opinion which is outlined in the paper next to the each function. [.]

This paper focuses on the theoretical background of functions assignment between different levels of government. Decentralisation process in its broader concept means the release of central government power, transferring the responsibility and implementation of some public functions to the lower government tiers. This process raises many issues related to the state authority division: which of the functions should remain in the hands of central government and which should be devolved to the lower levels, and finally, which functions should be shared between different levels of government. In every decentralizing country questions about tax power and expenditure responsibility have to be answered. If the functions are divided in the proper way, the amount of expenditures for functions performance as well as the need for tax income to be collected to fund expenditures becomes evident. Therefore the allocation of financial resources and fiscal transfers must be carried out only after a distinct allocation of roles and responsibilities to different levels of government. The paper starts with the explanation of Musgrave's three main functions of state in market economy. This conceptual allocation of state duties helps to determine the place of functions, costs and tax income. While the macroeconomic stabilisation and income distribution in general are assigned to the central level, Fiscal federalism model provides resource allocation to sub national government with an important role. For the sake of objective it should be noted that while many contemporary authors in principle agree with the above stated division, some have the opposite opinion which is outlined in the paper next to the each function. [.]

This paper focuses on the theoretical background of functions assignment between different levels of government. Decentralisation process in its broader concept means the release of central government power, transferring the responsibility and implementation of some public functions to the lower government tiers. This process raises many issues related to the state authority division: which of the functions should remain in the hands of central government and which should be devolved to the lower levels, and finally, which functions should be shared between different levels of government. In every decentralizing country questions about tax power and expenditure responsibility have to be answered. If the functions are divided in the proper way, the amount of expenditures for functions performance as well as the need for tax income to be collected to fund expenditures becomes evident. Therefore the allocation of financial resources and fiscal transfers must be carried out only after a distinct allocation of roles and responsibilities to different levels of government. The paper starts with the explanation of Musgrave's three main functions of state in market economy. This conceptual allocation of state duties helps to determine the place of functions, costs and tax income. While the macroeconomic stabilisation and income distribution in general are assigned to the central level, Fiscal federalism model provides resource allocation to sub national government with an important role. For the sake of objective it should be noted that while many contemporary authors in principle agree with the above stated division, some have the opposite opinion which is outlined in the paper next to the each function. [.]

Declining rural population increases distances to public services, they become more expensive. Therefore, provision of public services is a growing challenge in rural areas not only in Lithuania but also in Europe. Public services are one of the aspects of rural vitality, which is widely debated by both scientists and politicians. Demand aspects are debated, new, innovative ways of provision of public services discussed, new service models combining private, public sectors and community resources are sought. The aim of the study was to identify public services, the demand for which is the greatest in rural areas. To achieve the aim, the questionnaire for elders of Lithuanian rural wards was prepared. The questionnaires were sent to all Lithuanian rural wards – 450 and 352 elders' answers were received. The results showed that the best served are public services as information accessibility, school-age children education and social services. The public services where a lot of changes must be done are such as primary health care and all types of utilities (water, sewerage, waste), public transport.

Declining rural population increases distances to public services, they become more expensive. Therefore, provision of public services is a growing challenge in rural areas not only in Lithuania but also in Europe. Public services are one of the aspects of rural vitality, which is widely debated by both scientists and politicians. Demand aspects are debated, new, innovative ways of provision of public services discussed, new service models combining private, public sectors and community resources are sought. The aim of the study was to identify public services, the demand for which is the greatest in rural areas. To achieve the aim, the questionnaire for elders of Lithuanian rural wards was prepared. The questionnaires were sent to all Lithuanian rural wards – 450 and 352 elders' answers were received. The results showed that the best served are public services as information accessibility, school-age children education and social services. The public services where a lot of changes must be done are such as primary health care and all types of utilities (water, sewerage, waste), public transport.

Declining rural population increases distances to public services, they become more expensive. Therefore, provision of public services is a growing challenge in rural areas not only in Lithuania but also in Europe. Public services are one of the aspects of rural vitality, which is widely debated by both scientists and politicians. Demand aspects are debated, new, innovative ways of provision of public services discussed, new service models combining private, public sectors and community resources are sought. The aim of the study was to identify public services, the demand for which is the greatest in rural areas. To achieve the aim, the questionnaire for elders of Lithuanian rural wards was prepared. The questionnaires were sent to all Lithuanian rural wards – 450 and 352 elders' answers were received. The results showed that the best served are public services as information accessibility, school-age children education and social services. The public services where a lot of changes must be done are such as primary health care and all types of utilities (water, sewerage, waste), public transport.

Declining rural population increases distances to public services, they become more expensive. Therefore, provision of public services is a growing challenge in rural areas not only in Lithuania but also in Europe. Public services are one of the aspects of rural vitality, which is widely debated by both scientists and politicians. Demand aspects are debated, new, innovative ways of provision of public services discussed, new service models combining private, public sectors and community resources are sought. The aim of the study was to identify public services, the demand for which is the greatest in rural areas. To achieve the aim, the questionnaire for elders of Lithuanian rural wards was prepared. The questionnaires were sent to all Lithuanian rural wards – 450 and 352 elders' answers were received. The results showed that the best served are public services as information accessibility, school-age children education and social services. The public services where a lot of changes must be done are such as primary health care and all types of utilities (water, sewerage, waste), public transport.

The methodology of public governance has only been analysed recently. The methodology of public governance consists of a collection of concepts, ideas, reforms, degrees and other problems of theory. The role of methodology is important in the field as applied, practical and interdisciplinary as public governance. The study analyses how public administration theory developed at the end of the twentieth and at the start of the twenty-first century. The article examines the theories of public sector practice, such as theories on public organization behaviour, public management, and public policy implementation in a global environment. Theories on bureaucratic politics seek to explain how the politics–administration dichotomy is transforming from the traditional theoretical framework to the new democratic systematic framework and to a new understanding of public governance democratization, which is central in today's organizational theory. The primary issue addressed in the article is the development of public administration and governance theory in the period of globalization and modernization, and changes in the definition of the role of theory in public governance. ; Straipsnyje analizuojama šiuolaikinio viešojo valdymo metodologijos galimybės tobulinant viešųjų institucijų veiklą, efektyvinant viešosios politikos ir viešųjų programų bei projektų įgyvendinimą. Daugiausia dėmesio yra skiriama bendrųjų sociologinių ir specifinių viešojo valdymo teorijų vietai ir vaidmeniui demokratizuojant viešąjį valdymą šiuolaikinėmis globalizacijos sąlygomis. Valdymo demokratizavimo metodologijos problema aptariama remiantis visuotinai viešojo valdymo teorijoje priimta nuostata, kad metodologija (Ch. E. Lindblom, J. E. Lane, J. Dewey, D. Easton ir kt.) suprantama kaip mokslinių tyrinėjimų srities tyrimo logika ir kaip organizacijų bei individų praktinės-intelektualinės veiklos logika.

Reduced public procurement costs, increased competition among suppliers, quicker processes of the procurement, promotion of the use of diverse methods of public procurement, optimization of human resources, improved public procurement accounting and control options and increased transparency in public procurement – these are the main objectives set out by the legislative institutions, initiating public procurement transference into the electronic space. But are these strivings of the legislative institutions meets the actual results? Very rarely opportunities to make preliminary comments or suggestions are given to specialists – practitioners working directly with public procurement, thus preventing unintended practical problem situations from occurring. Taking this into consideration was formulated the goal of this paper work – to analyze legal an practical regulation of the performance of public procurement by electronic means and to determine whether the problems faced by public procurement professionals – practitioners, organizing public procurement procedures by electronic means, can be solved only by revising (improving) the legal and practical regulation. Paper work analyze the existing legal and practical regulation of public procurement performance by electronic means, identifies four phases of public procurement performed by electronic means, and by interviewing public procurement practitioners using interview method identifies problematic factors of the legal and practical regulation for every phase separately. Paper work also identifies problematic areas faced by public procurement specialists – practitioners lacking the necessary competencies. At the end of paper work the proposals for the solving identified problematic factors are formulated.

Reduced public procurement costs, increased competition among suppliers, quicker processes of the procurement, promotion of the use of diverse methods of public procurement, optimization of human resources, improved public procurement accounting and control options and increased transparency in public procurement – these are the main objectives set out by the legislative institutions, initiating public procurement transference into the electronic space. But are these strivings of the legislative institutions meets the actual results? Very rarely opportunities to make preliminary comments or suggestions are given to specialists – practitioners working directly with public procurement, thus preventing unintended practical problem situations from occurring. Taking this into consideration was formulated the goal of this paper work – to analyze legal an practical regulation of the performance of public procurement by electronic means and to determine whether the problems faced by public procurement professionals – practitioners, organizing public procurement procedures by electronic means, can be solved only by revising (improving) the legal and practical regulation. Paper work analyze the existing legal and practical regulation of public procurement performance by electronic means, identifies four phases of public procurement performed by electronic means, and by interviewing public procurement practitioners using interview method identifies problematic factors of the legal and practical regulation for every phase separately. Paper work also identifies problematic areas faced by public procurement specialists – practitioners lacking the necessary competencies. At the end of paper work the proposals for the solving identified problematic factors are formulated.

The object of master thesis' research is the aesthetics of public space in shopping malls in Lithuanian cities. The paper researches the object-forming factors, evaluation criteria and analysis, historical, socio-cultural and political context, philosophical, psychological and art research findings, the ratio of the global image culture. The thesis of the paper analyses seven major shopping malls in Lithuania, rendering the most common aesthetic patterns and inherent aesthetic qualities, that are peculiar in Lithuanian largest shopping centres. The method of research is based on three key elements of visual space: meaning, structure and identity. The context of meaning is presented in the first chapter, overviewing historical development of the concept of public space. Its conclusion is that a shopping mall is a field for aesthetic representations of economic power. The second chapter examines the structure of space. It is suggested that shopping malls are simulating urban public spaces for the consumer-oriented reasons. Therefore, the method of comparison between urban and shopping mall spaces is applied. As a result, the most specific elements and their transformations common both to the shopping mall and urban public spaces are distinguished and analysed. The third chapter examines identity. It analyzes themes and motives of interior design, also comparing aesthetics of shopping malls with the global image culture. It is concluded that the shopping mall is an inherent stage for the expression of the global image culture. The structure of thesis paper is: introduction, three chapters, conclusion, references and illustrations, appendix. Thesis consists of: 106 p. text without supplements, 66 pictures, 1 table, 121 bibliographical entries. Appendix included.

The object of master thesis' research is the aesthetics of public space in shopping malls in Lithuanian cities. The paper researches the object-forming factors, evaluation criteria and analysis, historical, socio-cultural and political context, philosophical, psychological and art research findings, the ratio of the global image culture. The thesis of the paper analyses seven major shopping malls in Lithuania, rendering the most common aesthetic patterns and inherent aesthetic qualities, that are peculiar in Lithuanian largest shopping centres. The method of research is based on three key elements of visual space: meaning, structure and identity. The context of meaning is presented in the first chapter, overviewing historical development of the concept of public space. Its conclusion is that a shopping mall is a field for aesthetic representations of economic power. The second chapter examines the structure of space. It is suggested that shopping malls are simulating urban public spaces for the consumer-oriented reasons. Therefore, the method of comparison between urban and shopping mall spaces is applied. As a result, the most specific elements and their transformations common both to the shopping mall and urban public spaces are distinguished and analysed. The third chapter examines identity. It analyzes themes and motives of interior design, also comparing aesthetics of shopping malls with the global image culture. It is concluded that the shopping mall is an inherent stage for the expression of the global image culture. The structure of thesis paper is: introduction, three chapters, conclusion, references and illustrations, appendix. Thesis consists of: 106 p. text without supplements, 66 pictures, 1 table, 121 bibliographical entries. Appendix included.

The article analyzed and summarized the challenges of resolving public policy implementation and public service delivery problems in the evolution of public sector changes – from new public management to new public governance – based on new ideological normative, values and complexity of interorganizational relations, network governance, new level of contract governance. The main goal and tasks of the article are to analyze the essence of strategic view and features in new public governance ideology, to explain the main problems and specific factors inhibiting strategic thinking and the mission of strategic thinking and strategic governance in the whole of public governance tools in the start of XXI century. The efforts to identify main indicators and criteria of new public governance are done in the article. However, to encompass a lot of formation, implementing and evaluating the first steps of new public governance, and generally to assess new public governance theoretical concepts and best practice as whole is impossible. The article attempts to contribute to this effort by presenting, explaining, describing the elements and factors of new public governance: the development of analytical leans for strategic thinking in decision making, better communication in interorganizational perspective, new level of requirements to democratic mediation of stakeholder interests, implementing social responsibility of organizations, the transparency and prevention of corruption at all levels and networks of governance. ; Straipsnyje analizuojami šiuolaikinio viešojo valdymo etapo pokyčiai, iš kurių svarbiausias yra naujosios viešosios vadybos kaip vadybinės ideologijos inkrementinis evoliucionavimas į naująjį (gerąjį) viešąjį valdymą. Straipsnyje išskiriamos naujojo viešojo valdymo indikatorių, sąlygojančių faktorių diagnozavimo galimybės, bandoma apibrėžti besiformuojančius teorinius naujojo viešojo valdymo dekompozicinius elementus. Siekiama identifikuoti esminius valdymo evoliucijos pokyčius, kryptis ir elementus – tokius kaip tarpsektorinę integraciją, tinklaveiką, įvairių rūšių ir formų bei struktūrų partnerystę, strateginio mąstymo ir veiklos kokybinius pokyčius ir naujojo viešojo valdymo strateginį pobūdį formuojant ir įgyvendinant viešąją politiką. Svarbiausia grandis, jungianti naujojo viešojo valdymo sisteminius elementus, yra valdymo demokratizavimo kryptingumas, humanizuojantis valdymo procesus, metodus, akcentuojantis viešojo valdymo struktūrų, vadovų ir viešojo sektoriaus vadybininkų socialinę atsakomybę už piliečių – tiesioginių viešųjų paslaugų gavėjų – vilčių ir lūkesčių realizavimą.

Topic relevance and the scientific issue. Development trends of electronic government, their importance for the efficiency of state institutions and for increasing the implementation of public expectations as well as for the development of democracy is undoubted (Millard J., 2003). Electronic government is commonly perceived as the prolongation of state government in electronic space, manifesting itself as realization of state functions, improvement of organizational changes while applying information technologies (Designing E-Government, 2002). Electronic government is one of the ways to modernize state government, to carry out the state reform, while adjusting to the requirements of the knowledge society (Augustinaitis, A., Petrauskas, R., 2002, Paliulis, N., Jurkenaitė, N., 2006), to improve the quality of the relation between the public and the government (Limba, T., Petrauskas, R., 2004). Due to the above mentioned reasons electronic government is able to and has to become one of the effective elements and priorities to the implementation of strategic governance of the state (Andersen, K. V., Henriksen, H. Z., 2005). Discussions keep going on (Dillon, S., Deakins, E., Chen, W., 2005; Domarkas, V., Lukoševicienė, V., 2006) about which of the electronic government features is the most important. There has been a number of concept interpretations of electronic government and constructions of its essence. It is admitted in most discussions (Goldkuhl, G., Persson, A., 2006; Buckley, J., 2003; Burn, J., Robins, G., 2003) that application of information technologies is the background to the main principles of the implementation of electronic government, creating new ways and opportunities for the public to obtain information and public services provided by state institutions, as well as enabling public sector institutions to cooperate not only with each other but also with their clients. Ideas of electronic government establishment are concurrent with the efforts being realized in many countries to modernize public sector, in order to achieve several fundamental targets, such as transparency, efficiency and simplicity (Millard, J., 2003). Putting it in other words, electronic government is the phenomenon of the development of public relations regulated by state and self-government institutions, having the purpose to increase the transparency of the decision making carried out by the executive government, to provide information and public services for the public, business entities and other public sector institutions in a more qualified and effective manner employing the opportunities offered by information technologies. Electronic government is being implemented worldwide and in all levels of governance. Local authorities play a particularly important role, since they can identify the changing customers' needs best of all (Ancarini, A., 2005). Although the governance functions of those institutions in different countries slightly differ, their common goal remains the same, that is not only to make the governance itself more efficient, but also to make it more accessible for the public (Gronlund, A., 2002; Gugliota, A, Cabral, L., 2005). Municipalities, that are able to provide public service for the consumers in more effective and modern ways can also meet other public needs, in this way implementing directly one of the principles of European local self-government charter that was ratified in Lithuania in 1999, which is the one of ensuring a tighter link between local self-government and the public (Official Gazette, Nr.82-2418, 1999). Basing on that it can be claimed, that the role of electronic government is of quite an important manner while making an impact on a suitable choice of different models for the implementation of the above mentioned and other principles of local authorities. Models of electronic government services, that are created and being analyzed by worldwide scientists, aim at seeking solutions and their alternatives for more efficient public services provision. The years of establishment of the models being analyzed in this paper reflecting the recent development trends of models of electronic government services show that the subject matter of the models of electronic government services is relevant and fairly new worldwide as well as in Lithuania. Quite recently, in 2006, a project named "The Development of System Interaction Capacity - the Interoperability of Public Administration Institutions Information Systems" was started to be designed, which is project of a practical implementation of important fragments of the "Interoperability" model of electronic government services. The implementation of this project that aims at not only the central government, the local authorities' institutions, but also improving their relation with the public can be named as the focus of relevance of the topic that is being analyzed. Issues and their solutions concerning the efficient electronic government services provision occur worldwide. In some countries, Lithuania is one of them, the models that are identified only hardly coordinate with the models of electronic government services covered in this work or separate fragments of such models being applied in local self-government levels. In order to solve those problems it would be expedient to find new, improved and more effective models of electronic government services that can meet the needs of customers better while providing electronic government services. The object of the thesis. The models of electronic government services. Aim and objectives of the thesis. The aim of work is to develop a model of electronic government services which could ensure the efficient integration of electronic government services in the local self-government level. There have been set the following objectives for the above mentioned aim to be achieved: 1. To reveal the aspects of development trends, problems and efficiency of electronic government services provision in municipalities; 2. Having analyzed the models of electronic government services and having carried out their comparative analysis, to establish the main features of those models; 3. Having analyzed the application peculiarities of the models of electronic government services in the municipalities of certain countries, to establish advantages and disadvantages of applying those models in the countries; 4. Having analyzed the application opportunities of the models of electronic government services in the municipalities of Lithuania, to offer a new model of electronic government services for the municipalities of Lithuania; 5. To carry out research of the application opportunities of the new model of electronic government services for the municipalities of Lithuania. Hypothesis (H1). The current model of electronic government services applied in the municipalities of Lithuania does not enable the efficient provision of electronic government services for customers. Hypothesis (H2). The developed model of electronic government services enables to ensure efficient integration of electronic government services in the local self-government level in Lithuania. Scientific novelty of the thesis. The systematic, comparative analysis of the models of electronic government services carried out in the scientific work and the assessment of opportunities of their application in the self-government level have hardly been analyzed which makes the topic a novelty in Lithuania.With the help of the method of comparative analysis the models of electronic government services have been assessed and there has been distinguished the total of six. Two of them being the main common models of electronic government services have the features that enable the development of new models of electronic government services that are more targeted at changes taking place in public needs and inside organizational processes signifying the novelty of dissertation work. The scientific work analyzes the improvement opportunities of the models of electronic government services and their application alternatives in Lithuanian municipalities. The newly developed model of electronic government services that has been designed basing on the principle of integrating online expert consultation is primarily targeted at improvement of inside processes' changes of an organization. Practicing the application of that model in the local self-government level starting with improvement of inside processes of an organization should help adapt more accurately and efficiently to the changing needs of the society while providing electronic government services, thus establishing a higher public value. The novelty of work is reflected not only through the integration opportunities' assessment of the principle of online expert consultation into the theoretical models of electronic government services that have already been developed by the scientists, but also on the basis of this principle there has been developed a "Holistic model of integrating electronic government services" and its practical application realization with the design of "The project of implementing the principle of online expert consultation on the model of electronic government services". The project is based on the implementation of online consultancy service for the officials of Lithuanian municipalities and is aimed at helping to improve their qualification in this area, as well as changing the attitude that can be sometimes wrong concerning the purpose of providing electronic government services for the public and applying information technologies in local authorities. The research of the scientific work, in particular the experiment that has been carried out in the form of online expert consultancy seminars for Lithuanian municipalities on electronic government services, as there have been no experiments of this kind in Lithuania so far. Sources and methods of the thesis. The scientific work is