1. © OECD A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union, principally financed by the EU THE COORDINATION OF THE DECENTRALIZATION PROCESS Claudia Lung Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform Central Unit for Public Administration Reform Conference on Good Governance and Public Administrative Reform Bucharest, 6 December 2007

2. Good Governance has many dimensions Political accountability Central government Effective public sector management Civil society& Media Private sector interface Decentralization Decentralization - the transfer of administrative and financial competences from the central government level to the local government level or to the private sector Local governments participation

3. Why decentralization? To increase the accountability of local governments; To improve the quality of the public services (local governments know better the needs of the local communities and are more appropriate to comply with, rather than central government); To enhance the participation of citizens to the decision making process;

4. Prerequisites for a successful coordination of the decentralization process  Strong political will;  Adequate administrative capacity for both central and local government;  Active involvement of the institutional structures;  Information management;  Common language;  Policy first, legislation later.

5. egal framework & EU assistance Legal framework & EU assistance Government Programme 2005-2008, Framework Law on decentralization (no.195/2006), Law on local public finances (no.273/2006), Law on local public administration (no.215/2001). Government Programme 2005-2008, Framework Law on decentralization (no.195/2006), Law on local public finances (no.273/2006), Law on local public administration (no.215/2001). PHARE twinning projects – Decentralization & Deconcentration Process led by the Central Administration RO2004/IB/OT/01, Strengthening Financial Autonomy of Local Governments through Continuation of Fiscal & Financial Decentralization RO2004/IB/OT/02 PHARE twinning projects – Decentralization & Deconcentration Process led by the Central Administration RO2004/IB/OT/01, Strengthening Financial Autonomy of Local Governments through Continuation of Fiscal & Financial Decentralization RO2004/IB/OT/02

6. Institutional Framework Interministerial Technical Committee for Decentralization (ITC), Working Groups for decentralization at the level of line ministries, Technical Secretariat of the ITC Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform responsible for the technical coordination of the decentralization process Ministry of Economy and Finance

7. MIAR’s role in decentralization - coordination - (I) Provides expertise to the line ministries in elaborating, implementing, monitoring the sectorial decentralization strategies Develops tools, methodologies, guidelines for the efficiently delivery of public services by the local governments to the citizens Develops the monitoring system of the decentralization process

8. MIAR’s role in decentralization - coordination - (II) Strengthening the partnerships with all stakeholders involved in the decentralization process Enhance the cooperation with local governments – networking Capacity building for a successful decentralization

9. Outputs Assignment of competences (state of the art) exclusive shared delegated Tools, concepts, guides developed City manager concept Intercommunity development association Integrated County Information Offices Self-assessment test for Romanian local governments – openness and access to information Comprehensive Budget Manual for local governments

10. Next steps  Reengineering the institutional structures;  Designing new instruments and concepts to support the decentralization process;  Coordinating the set-up of cost and quality standards;  Developing Performance Indicators for the decentralization process.

11. Thank you! Claudia Lung Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform Central Unit for Public Administration Reform Claudia.lung@mira.gov.ro