Paper/Speech Details of Conference Program for the 16th NISPAcee Annual Conference Program Overview Panel on Getting Public Administration Reform to Work Author(s) Catalin Campeanu National Institute of Administration Bucharest Romania Catalin Campeanu;Noemi Marin Title Young professionals scheme – Succes or failure for the public administration reform in Romania File Paper files are available only for conference participants, please login first. Presenter Abstract Paper Abstract Title: Young Professionals Scheme – Succes or Failure for the Public Administration Reform in Romania. Authors: Catalin Campeanu – Director, Department of Institutional Cooperation and Development, National Institute of Administration, Romania; Noemi Marin – Public Manager, National Institute of Administration, Romania. ABSTRACT Introduction: Considering the European context and the need for further development of the Romanian administrative sector, the reform of the public administration aims to improve the management in the public sector thus contributing to more efficient public administration. In order to meet the objectives foreseen by the Romanian Government Strategy for Public Administration Reform, a stable and politically neutral body of professional civil servants was considered necessary to establish. Within this context, in 2003 a joint program, Young Professional Scheme”, developed by the Romanian Government and the European Commission was initiated in order to create a corps of professional civil servants, situated at strategic level of the Romanian public administration, called public managers. A public manager benefits of a fast track scheme and is financially highly motivated. Scope of the research: The paper intents present an objective analysis of the present situation of the program mentioned above and the proposals of possible solutions for improvement. Methodology: Descriptions, ex-ante and ex-post analysis, studies, statistics. Results and findings: According to the legislation framework put in place in order to ensure the success and the sustainability of the project, the public manager should be placed in different sectors of the public administration directly subordinated to a senior civil servant, having responsibilities such as elaboration and implementation of reform strategies, coordination of different departments etc., thus contributing directly to the process of public administration reform. However, the estimated results of the initial project were not entirely the ones that have been expected in terms of their placement at strategic level, responsibilities given by their hierarchic superiors and actual results of their work, as there were many obstacles coming from different directions. Still, after 4 years good results came up with strong impact in some key areas. • The project’s outcomes are certain and sustainable; • A network of public managers have been created with strong and positive impact on improvement of communication and cooperation between institutions; • Certain changes of the legislative framework are strongly recommended; • A strategy for raising awareness regarding the role and potential of public managers should be developed; Conclusions The medium – long term impact on the process of public administration reform, cannot be yet measured. However, on a short run, the present estimations are positive as cases of good and best practices involving public managers (even on a hostile environment) have become more and more numerous.
