Suchergebnisse

This article addresses the issue of how political and administrative actors relate to each other, focusing on the selection of Senior Civil Servants as key actors to implement public policies. A literature review and documental analysis were carried out, and an on-line questionnaire was applied to Senior Civil Servants in managerial positions in Portugal between 2004 and 2011 (n = 964). The results show that, in all cases, the p-value was equal or less than .05 (p ≤ .05). The analysis allowed us to confirm two main criteria used for the selection of Senior Civil Servants (political and professional) and their respective factors. Despite indicating that the political criterion somehow plays a role in the selection of public officials in Portugal, the study could not confirm the hypothesis that political factors are predominant when hiring senior civil servants in the country. ; Este documento respalda la problemática acerca de cómo los actores políticos y administrativos se relacionan, enfocando particularmente la selección de altos funcionarios públicos como clave en el proceso de implementación de políticas públicas. Con respecto a la metodología utilizada, se realizaron una revisión de la literatura y un análisis documental, así como la aplicación de un cuestionario online a altos funcionarios que ocuparon cargos gerenciales entre 2004 y 2011 (n = 964). En todos los análisis se consideraron estadísticamente relevantes los resultados de dos pruebas de hipótesis con un valor de p igual o inferior a .05 (p ≤ .05). El análisis permitió confirmar dos componentes/criterios principales que están en la fuente de la selección de altos funcionarios públicos (políticos y profesionales) y, dentro de cada uno, los respectivos factores que los componen. Pudimos reconocer que el componente político tiene su peso, pero no fue posible confirmar completamente la hipótesis de que, en Portugal, los factores que influyeron en la selección de los altos funcionarios públicos fueron principalmente políticos. ; Este artigo centra-se na problemática sobre como os atores políticos e administrativos se relacionam, concentrando-se na seleção de altos funcionários públicos como peças-chave no processo de implementação de políticas públicas. Em relação à metodologia adotada, foram realizadas uma revisão da literatura e uma análise documental, bem como a aplicação de um questionário on-line para altos funcionários que ocupavam cargos gerenciais entre 2004 e 2011 (n = 964). Em todas as análises, foram considerados estatisticamente significativos os resultados dos testes de hipóteses, com um valor de p igual ou inferior a .05 (p ≤ .05). A análise permitiu confirmar dois componentes/ critérios principais que estão na fonte da seleção de altos funcionários públicos (políticos e profissionais) e, dentro de cada um, os respetivos fatores que os compõem. Pudemos reconhecer que o componente político tem seu peso, mas não foi possível confirmar completamente a hipótese de que, em Portugal, os fatores que influenciaram a seleção de altos funcionários públicos eram predominantemente políticos.

Comunicação apresentada no Congresso do IIAS-IISA no âmbito do IX Grupo de Estudo: Serviço público e política, realizado em Ifrane, Marrocos de 13 a 17 de junho de 2014

The article analyses the political-administrative dichotomy and the relationships between administrative and political actors. Based on the Peters and the Aberbach, Putnam, and Rockman models of interaction between political and administrative actors, some representative cases were selected and studied in order to identify the specificities of senior civil servant selection, recruitment and employment regimes. The main objective was to verify if there is some space for hybrid management models, combining both the political and meritocratic requisites, in the context of the contemporary democracies. The paper also presents some proposals for a more integrated strategic selection and management policy for senior civil servants, aiming at the improvement of transparency, legitimacy and merit in the selection processes. ; Straipsnyje analizuojama politinė-administracinė dichotomija ir administratorių bei politikų ryšys. Remiantis Petersu, Aberbachu, Putnamu ir Rockmanu, politikų ir administratorių sąveikos modelių tyrime buvo pasirinkti atvejai, leidžiantys išanalizuoti aukštesniųjų valstybės tarnautojų atrankos ir įdarbinimo specifikos režimus. Svarbiausia buvo patikrinti, ar galima į politines-administracines sistemas įtraukti hibridinius vadybos modelius, kartu suderinant politinius ir karjeros režimus šiuolaikinių demokratijų kontekste. Straipsnyje taip pat pateikiami keli pasiūlymai dėl integralesnės strateginės aukštųjų valstybės tarnautojų atrankos ir vadybos politikos, siekiant daugiau skaidrumo, teisėtumo ir pagerinti karjera paremtą atranką į tarnybą.

Comunicação apresentada na 17.ª conferência anual da NISPACee, realizada de 14 a 16 de Maio de 2009. ; Bureaucracy is, nowadays, synonymous with inefficiency, ineffectiveness, impersonality, stiffness as well as selessness, wastefulness or even corruption. Despite the negative connotation of the word bureaucracy is in fact an essential structure for the implementation of public policies. It is difficult to conceptualize a governmental model without the existence of such a structure. Therefore, the question that remains up to date since the end of the nineteenth century has to do with the balance and relationship of political and administrative powers. Formally, there is a clear separation between the political and the administrative functions and roles. However, in practice, this crystal relationship gives place to a more complex reality according to the specificities of each country. Taking this into consideration, this paper analyzes the evolution of the senior civil servants selection processes according to the main models of State and Administration. Other aspects addressed include the political-administrative dichotomy and the relationships between administrative actors (traditionally selected for a long period) and political actors (elected for a short period by citizens). Although these relationships are, in a theoretical approach, quite clear and "crystal", according to the formal tasks of each actor, in practice they are not clear and these two actors are mutually dependent: political actors rely on civil servants' knowledge and civil servants are under the authority of elected politicians. This issue is relevant when analyzing both the legitimacy of the civil servants' power and their independence and neutrality towards political bodies. Firstly, it poses the question of democratic legitimacy, considering that senior civil servants hold some informal power that can influence and determine the design, implementation and evaluation of public policies and, consequently, its original meaning. Secondly, it raises issues of administrative neutrality and independence because, in a limit situation, the proximity and inter-permeability relations between political and administrative actors enhance the discussion about the administration impartiality as well as the socia representativeness of public policies. Considering this context this paper identify the main models of interaction between political and administrative actors were identified, in a theoretical perspective. However, these are extremist and idealistic models that disregard the potential combinations of more than one model. For this reason and according to the identified political-administrative macro-configuration models, representative cases were selected in order to identify specificities of senior civil servants' selection and the recruitment processes, as well as selection and public employment typologies. This paper also points some proposals in order to get a more integrated strategic selection and management policy for the senior civil servants, aiming at the improvement of transparency, legitimacy and merit among the selection processes.

In recent decades, New Public Management became the hegemonic doctrine and public administration reforms strongly incorporated its ideals and premises. Currently, in the context of the global crisis, arises the question if this public administration paradigm is the one that better fits the governance challenges of the new century. Taking this context in mind, this paper looks at how the Portuguese managerial reform takes into consideration the new governance paradigm and analyses the possibility of combining the managerial reforms approach and the new governance paradigm. We conclude that it is possible to successfully make this combination. However, taking into consideration the specific context that characterises our citizenship, more developments have to be done in order to improve citizens' behaviours regarding active citizenship. ; Straipsnyje analizuojamos Portugalijos viešojo administravimo reformų raidos ypatybės, atskleidžiant naujosios viešosios vadybos ir naujojo viešojo valdymo apraiškas. Akcentuojama, kad daugelyje Vakarų šalių naujoji viešoji vadyba yra jau pasenęs administravimo būdas, tačiau Portugalijoje ji dar sparčiai plėtojasi. Tai įvertinant, straipsnyje pagrindžiama, kad viešojo administravimo reformose tikslinga derinti vadybines ir naujojo valdymo nuostatas, išryškinant valdymo demokratizavimo ir skaidrumo bei piliečių dalyvavimo valdymo procese svarbą. Nurodoma, kad tai įgyvendinti trukdo nepakankamas piliečių aktyvumas.

Comunicação apresentada na 17ª Conferência Anual da Network of Intitutes and Schools of Public Administration (NISPA) em Birdua, Montenegro de 14 a 16 dem Maio de 2009. ; The fundamental role of human capital in economical and social success of individuals, organizations and nations is broadly recognized. In a context of globalization, dominated by innovation, accelerating technological progress and, subsequently, a constantly changing worldwide economy, the awareness of scientists and political decision-makers that competences and skills are an essential factor for both sustainable economic growth and social cohesion has contributed to this recognition. Naturally, investment in human capital is therefore a priority in public policy, mainly in the fields of education and training. However, this type of investment has not always brought the desired results. When this happens, the deficit in human capital tends to worsen due to the fact that social demands, in terms of knowledge, are incompatible with the waste of opportunity and public budget. This problem has been the object of concern and analysis by scientists and international organizations. Amongst these, OECD deserves special attention, for carrying out studies and identifying indicators capable of measuring, as objectively as possible, human capital and benefits from investing on it. In terms of training success, one of the most important criteria is the organizational context in which one works, including the consistency between individual and organizational performance. Consequently, training plans must be founded on an ex-ante analysis of human capital competences necessary to the organization and there must be an ex-post analysis, after the training, concerning the results obtained and the contributions of individual competences to the improvement of organizational performance. In the Portuguese Central Public Administration case, evaluation studies on the training cycle demonstrate that current training design and planning practices are casuistic and are not preceded by any needs assessment, which makes the ex-post evaluation impracticable. The purpose of this paper is to overcome this deficiency by providing public organizations a simple, clear and effective methodology to manage competences and training processes, in order to valorize human capital and to improve organizational performance. The developed methodology as been tested on a several number of public organizations in Portugal and consists on a linkage between the strategic goals of public organizations, according to the public policies, and the needed competences in order to achieve that goals.

Comunicação apresentada na 4th Annual ICPA - International Conference on Public Administration "Building bridges to the future: leadership and collaboration in public administration", na Universidade de Minnesota nos Estados Unidos, de 24 a 26 de setembro de 2008 ; Bureaucracy is nowadays often considered a synonymous of inefficiency, ineffectiveness, impersonality, stiffness, uselessness, wastefulness and even corruption. Nevertheless, it is true that bureaucracy is an essential structure for the implementation of public policies. Authors like Mozzicafreddo, Peters, Aberbach, Chevalier, and others, consider that relations between public officials (permanently appointed) and politicians (elected for a limited time) are formally "crystal", but in practice, reality has proven to be more complex. Top public officials are in a hybrid place some elsewhere between political and administrative spheres, which reanimates the long-lasting discussion on how senior civil servants should be selected. This paper intends to contribute to a more clarified discussion on how top officials hybrid management models can, or not, be a good practice, taking into consideration different case studies on administrative culture.