Archives - Page 7

  • Modernization of public finances
    No. 44-45 (2003)

    Since the 1990s, the public finance sector in the Central American region has been promoting the modernization of the financial management of public institutions, a process that has developed in phases according to the budget cycle. This trend has shown the strengthening of this sector in different countries and its manifestations have been diverse and its results varied.

    Some of the purposes of this strengthening of public finances in the area are to make it possible to bring the payment of contributions, the demand for services and the provision of those services resulting from this collection closer together, as a means of making the management of the public treasury more transparent and efficient, generating savings and providing greater need for responses to the national population.

    The reforms introduced reflect changes in budgetary accounting systems. Thus, the growing commitment of public administrations to show greater transparency in the allocation and application of public resources has led them to adopt alternative budgeting, spending and accounting schemes that are fundamentally oriented towards obtaining results and have the capacity to generate solid information systems.

    In this sense, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has identified seven criteria to appropriately undertake the objectives of budget modernization, whose reforms, in a sequential manner, include the following:

    *Macro-fiscal rules

    *Multi-annual budgeting

    *Strategic planning of public agencies

    *Relaxation of internal controls

    Accounting and management on an accrual basis *Relaxation of internal controls *Relaxation of internal controls

    *Performance evaluation 

    ¨*Performance agreements

    Some of these measures have already been implemented in Central America. Their most relevant effects, which are not yet fully appreciated, is the beginning of important processes of reflection and analysis on the type and form of management with which public entities exercise their competencies, which are obviously projected in the medium term, but are those that can ultimately ensure better performance to meet collective needs.

    Hence, the importance of making a call to the urgency of continuing with the improvement of the governmental financial administration, as a way to contribute to a correct procurement and allocation of public funds, for a better welfare of the community.

    These readings that today the Central American Institute of Public Administration, ICAP, makes available to its readers, are a recognition of the efforts made by their authors, as a positive contribution to the trend towards an invigorated public administration, which allows a better coexistence in the Central American Isthmus.

     

  • Administrative careers and governance
    No. 42-43 (2002)

    The issue of governance is currently at the top of the global agenda. Its raison d'être is the examination of governmental deficits in an environment of unprecedented speed of change, which requires institutions to adapt to new rules in order to respond to society's demands.

    Its notion has become intertwined with the concept of good governance, with the idea of the rule of law and democratic institutionality.

    It is associated with a minimum characteristic of effective and efficient management by the State, which is why public administration is one of the essential instruments for the governance of a country.

    Therefore, the intention of helping to raise the quality of public action, through the strengthening of society's own capacity for self-government, are aspects that can undoubtedly be decisive in the arduous task of building an environment favorable to stability and development.

    In this sense, the Inter-American Development Bank, IDB, has been reiterating in recent years that "there is a direct relationship between economic development and the quality of the governance process". Therefore, governance and development are interacting factors, and institutional development is an essential component of it.

    Efforts in this regard have been crystallized in the framework of State reforms, aimed at revising public organizations, both horizontally and in the context of sectoral areas, with particular relevance to reforms of public employment in general and the Civil Service and Administrative Career, in particular.

    Consequently, the civil service, the Civil Service and the Administrative Career constitute government policies that lead to an explicit recognition of their relevance, in relation to the fact that they are essential instruments to help democratic governance.

    Hence the importance of the Seminar on Administrative Careers and Governance, which took place within the framework of the "XI Meeting of Directors of Civil Service and Human Resources of the Central American Isthmus", promoted by the Forum of Directors of Civil Service, jointly with the Central American Institute of Public Administration, ICAP, in its capacity as Technical Secretariat, held in Panama, Panama City, from August 20 to 23, 2002, with the fundamental purpose of opening a debate to retake the sense of institutionality in the Central American public administration, whose contributions we make available to our readers today.

    Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

  • Decentralization, of human resources and public investment
    No. 40-41 (2001)

    The Revista Centromérica de Administración Pública has distinguished itself by documenting recent advances in the processes of Reform and Modernization of the State, exposing the benefits and limitations of the measures and public policies promoted in the various fields of governmental activity.

    In this sense, the current review of Central American public administration shows a strong pressure derived from the intense changes that have occurred in the public sphere. Indeed, in recent decades there has been a significant transformation in the institutional profile of the State, which has led to changes in public management, with the appearance of new objects of general interest, generated by the development of emerging needs in terms of welfare and social coexistence, highlighting for the purposes of these issues of the Central American Journal, the following three renewal processes: decentralization, improvement of governmental human resources and public investment.

    * With respect to the first, progress has been made in political-administrative decentralization, with special emphasis on legal and regulatory aspects and municipal strengthening, while fiscal decentralization, transfer of competencies and intergovernmental relations constitute challenges to be continued, and new opportunities are emerging to activate options for deepening in this area.

    * The modernization measures introduced in the field of public employment and human resources management in the Region have been slow and have made little progress. However, proposals and technical designs have been promoted concerning the Civil Service Regime and the civil service, which are awaiting political decisions, and which show the various possibilities for addressing this sensitive issue.

    * In terms of the reorientation of public investment in general, significant adjustments have been made, taking into consideration both the role of the State and economic policies, with the aim of promoting economic and social development with broad participation of the private sector, and based on the creation of national public investment systems in all the countries of the Area, as guiding bodies dedicated to boosting their management.

    This publication brings together different perspectives on these three aspects, and constitutes an effort to systematize and disseminate the achievements and products of improvement investments in these matters, so that more and more professionals, academics and the general public may have elements that allow them to better understand the relevance of the sustainability of innovations for the purposes of modern public management, as well as the importance of citizen participation, argued with informed and constructive positions, in the feedback of instruments, mechanisms and instances dedicated to government administration.

     

  • Public service: ethics and transparency
    No. 38-39 (2000)

    The serious social problems suffered in the Central American Isthmus have provoked a revitalization of the topic of ethics and public function.

    Simultaneously, the terms governance, accountability and transparency have gained notoriety to characterize a new culture of public service, with a greater awareness of a series of duties towards civil society, which together we can call the "duties of transparency in public management".

    Thus, the forum of Directors of Civil Service and Human Resources, together with the Central American Institute of Public Administration, ICAP, in its capacity as Technical Secretariat and following a long-standing tradition, promoted a collective reflection on the topic to be studied at the "X Meeting of Directors of Civil Service and Human Resources of the Central American Isthmus", This meeting was held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, from September 20 to 22, 2000, and focused on "ethics, transparency and productivity in human resources management" as elements that have become determining factors in the development of the region's civil service.

    Some relevant conclusions that were discussed in general at this Meeting, revolved around: 

    *Interesting questions about the main manifestations and critical aspects of the weakening of public values in which we are immersed. The system of values that must be reclaimed and revitalized in order to renew the public service.

    *The importance of ethical reflection lies in the fact that it is oriented to solve moral dilemmas in our public and daily actions, both as individuals in a community and work environment, as well as in a family and affective environment. Consequently, ethical judgment is that made on praxis or human action in all its dimensions.

    *Current trends were analyzed, including those derived from reforms in public management in general, and of the Civil Services, the governing bodies of government human resources, in particular, as well as some ethical initiatives were emphasized.

    *The various elements of the ethical infrastructure were considered: political commitment, effective legal framework, effective accountability mechanisms, effective code of conduct, supportive attitude towards public service and an active society that plays the role of watchdog over government officials.

    ICAP, through its Central American Journal, is pleased to present the material that was the basis for the collective dialogue of this Meeting, which includes innovative initiatives, both in the area of ethics and the modernization of the public service.

     

  • Public Finance Management
    No. 37 (1999)

    That is why on this occasion, the Central American Journal of Public Administration, continuing with its extensive task of regularly disseminating the progress and developments in the region in the field of public administration, publishes this issue to address the topic "Public Finance Management", with the collaboration of technicians from different countries that reflect different points of view on issues that are of interest to our work, including a very valuable and useful material for specialists in these matters.

     

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