The Learning Government Research Project -Assessing policy making reform in Romania

 

 

Work and Advocacy Plan

1. Aim of the project and the research problem.

  My research project looks at the policy transferal / diffusion patterns in transition countries with particular emphasis on the institutional building and policy making process.

Noticing the lack of clear and integrated evaluation , by using examples and hypotheses drawn from the literature, previously tested in the region and other development countries, I intend to create an integrated and possibly comprehensive image of the strong and weak points of policy reform, especially in relation with the activity of international organizations and development donors (World Bank, DFID, EC, and UNDP)

The results of this research are par excellence practical ones. They are shedding light on previous and current assistance projects and reform initiatives in this area. Firstly the government can use the report as landmark for its committed reform on policy making. The methodology of the research can be used across other levels of government (local, de-concentrated) and it can help identify new areas where the international assistance is needed.

More importantly the report can become a ‘user guide' for designing and implementing democratic and development assistance projects in Romania/ transition countries with a good chance of becoming useful for other countries in the region especially those who share a more recent experience in democratic institutional development (Southeastern Europe, Caucasus and GUUAM). International organizations and donors can add to their own evaluations a better design of their assistance programs and even identify area were their contribution is still necessary. Civil society can benefit from this research by being offered a base of public debate for the policy making reform, a field which is severely under analyzed and discussed. The report can also be used for further scholarly research dedicated to the policy making process in Romania and CEE / SEE.

2. Related OSI & SON Programs and institutions

There are a number of institutes which can be interesting for my research. I would refer here to the national Open Society Institutes. CEU – SUN is also interesting as a way to spread policy analysis skills throughout the region. Apart from that there is s significant number of OSI policy institutes in the region (I would mention here the ones in Slovakia , Poland , Moldova and Romania )

3. Related policy institution and programs

In my research I will approach, conduct interviews and disseminate the results to the following institutions and organizations

Governmental bodies

• General Secretariat of the Government
• Chancellery of the Prime Minister
• Ministry of Education and Research
• Ministry of Interior
• Ministry of Finance
• Ministry of Justice
• Ministry of Environment

International organizations policy reform stakeholders

World Bank
European Commission
United Nations Development Program
Department for International Development UK

Professional associations

Epsnet (European Political Science Network)
ECPR (European Consortium of Political Research)
NISPACEE
IPSA (International Political Science Association)
Romanian Political Science Society

Policy institutes and other organizations

OSI Romania
SIGMA Program
Institute of Public Administration Maastricht

4. Main deliverables

• A policy paper presenting findings and recommendations drawn from the research
• A book on policy making reform in Romania . The research that I am carrying will provide the background for a book project which will gather contributions from main stakeholders in the policy making process in Romania . I am currently organizing meetings with potential contributors and I am glad that there is a growing number of them becoming interested. Many of them are advising ministers or are involved in policymaking at senior level, having also a consistent academic background. I would mention here only the confirmed contributions (health, culture and religious denominations, transportation, education, policy coordination at central level, public administration). The contributions will also be presenting examples of good practices across public sector. An event will be organized in order to launch the book, which will be also promoted in the academic community in Romania , for possible inclusion in the course syllabi (public policy, public administration public management, political institutions, political economy etc.)
• A series of lectures in the Romanian National Institute for Administration on policymaking reform in Romania . The lectures will present overview of the literature, main findings of the research and an introduction in the issues of institutional assistance for development to senior officials in Romanian public services, one of the target users of the policy paper. The lectures will be offered also in my home university, National School of Political Studies and Administration, to the interested faculty and students.
• A seminar on policymaking reform organized in Bucharest , together with the IPF colleagues.
• An article on the same topic in the prestigious Journal Public Administration and Development, edited by Prof Dr, Paul Collins who is also contributing in the book

I have applied for support to attend and present a paper in the World Congress of International Political Science Association that will take place in Fukuoka , Japan in 2006. This will be a good chance to promote IPF and my project, as the topic proposed is relatively the same with the one of my research.