Reforming the administration: ineffective solutions
In the May 11th edition of ARA, it was published an article by the rector of the Autonomous University of BarcelonaJavier Lafuente, under the title "A Leap Forward for the Catalan Public Sector." I fully share Mr. Lafuente's desire to reform the administration to make it more useful to citizens. However, I disagree with the method he proposes. Mr. Lafuente states that the transformation of the public sector "must pivot on three fundamental pillars: digitalization, staff technical training, and recognition of those dedicated to it." I align myself with the thesis of economist Daron Acemoglu, when he states that the prosperity of countries lies in having good institutions. Without good institutions, and public administration is a fundamental one, better financing for Catalonia or the transfer of the commuter rail network will be of little use. Consequently, we have a lot at stake in the implementation of the reform, and therefore, we must get it right.
1. Digitalization.When any social group has complained about hyperbureaucracy to a public authority, whether municipal or the Generalitat, the response has been automatic: we will digitize! Well, the public sector of the Generalitat of Catalonia occupies one of the top positions among European regions in digitalization (European Union Digital Economy and Society Index), but it ranks last in quality of government (European Quality of Government Index). Therefore, digitization is not the solution if we have not first pruned administrative procedures. If we don't do so, we end up digitizing pathologies. Are digital technologies necessary? Obviously they are, but they should always be aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public services, something that has not been the case.
2. Staff development.The civil servants of the Generalitat (Catalan Government) are exhausted by taking courses on the use of digital technologies and management. No one is left behind in this process. But it is necessary to apply this knowledge to improving the quality of services. To say that the public administration must attract talent, without any other considerations, is an empty statement. If we place a talented person in one of the many positions in our administration today, they will most likely end up becoming a bureaucrat. An engineer working in the private sector will be results-oriented. This same engineer, placed in the public administration, will be oriented toward strict compliance with regulations. Does this mean that our administration doesn't need talent? Of course it does, but to take advantage of it, it is necessary to change the organizational configuration of our administration, to change its DNA, putting the citizen at the center. The first thing that must be done is to define and separate the space of politics from the space of management, that is, to implement professional public management, as advanced countries do in their capacity as governments. I cannot, due to the size of the article, go into detail on this.
3. Recognition of those who dedicate themselves to it.Recognition for those who dedicate themselves to public service should be based on the quality of the public services they provide. It's obvious that there is a flawed image of public workers, but the solution lies not in demanding their recognition, but in making political decisions aimed at improving service delivery. And from there will come legitimate recognition of their work.
