During the last 15 years, former Communist countries have made significant social, political, and economic progress. Free elections, public policy debates, market economy, diverse civil societies are the proof of this. National public administration systems and practices have also changed dramatically. Today's civil servants are more professional and capable than they were a decade ago; many public managers utilize the best public administration research has to offer; efficiency and effectiveness play important roles in art and science of governing. The transition to democratic and prosperous societies is in full swing in Central and Eastern Europe. Some countries  already joined the EU in May 2004. Whilst the degree of advancement is varied, democracy and market economy as values and as a reality have taken roots in the region. As these changes occur, public administration practice and theory have faced a number of new as well as traditional challenges.

 

 

National, regional and local governments are struggling to secure the necessary revenues to meet the growing demands for public services. It is increasingly more difficult for  governments to meet the expectations for traditional public services and also be a player in a market economy.
The development of national, regional and local systems of public administration has to accommodate the appropriate roles for politicians and public servants. What type of relationship do we have? What type of relationship do we want here?

 

Public administrators and researchers need to address such ethics topics as corruption, public servant  integrity, personal political beliefs and discharge of public functions.

With different diverse social and ethnic groups voicing their concerns and claiming their rights, what should the appropriate governmental response be? Will bureaucratic representation help to alleviate some of the tensions? Ethnic tensions and conflicts are still a reality in some parts of the region. What are the best ways to address these issues? Are public managers well equipped to deal with them?

 

The demands to, requirements for and expectations of a public servant have changed. What should a model public employee look like? What skills and knowledge should he/she possess? How much civil service protection do we want to provide? What is the role of training institutions in civil service reforms?

 

Globalization brings the opportunity to introduce  modern management, change the way in which government works through the use of modern technology,  and the utilization of  more effective and efficient governing models. It also brings new problems. With so much discretion in a public manager's hands, how would he/she  handle the dilemma of national, public and local interests?

 

The discussion of these topics will help  the academic community and practitioners alike to advance public administration theory and practice, and take one more step towards a more democratic and prosperous society through the sharing of ideas and evaluating reforms.