SIGMA - Support for Improvement in Governance and Management in Central and Eastern European Countries - is a joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union. The initiative advises transition countries on improving public governance at the central government level. SIGMA comprises two expert teams that provide individually tailored services to 15 countries. One team counsels the ten European Union candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on financial control, external audit and the civil service, and complementing the EU's twinning programme. The other team works with countries in the Western Balkans to strengthen public institutions, giving particular emphasis to budget, trasury and taxes; financial control and external audit; and civil service and administrative reform.

SIGMA's "Candidate Country Team" serves Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The "Western Balkan Team" advises Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In all countries, SIGMA aims to:

- assist beneficiary countries in their search for good governance to improve administrative efficiency and promote adherence of public sector staff to democratic values, ethics and respect of the rule of law;

- help build up indigenous capacities at the central governmental level to face the challenges of globalisation and of European Union integration plans; and

- support initiatives of the European Union and other donors to assist beneficiary countries in public administration reform.

SIGMA works within the OECD's Public Management Service, which provides information and expert analysis on public management to policy-makers and facilitates contact and exchange of experience amongst public sector managers.

For more information, contact us at:

SIGMA Programme 2, rue André-Pascal 75775 Paris Cedex 16 France

Fax: (33.1) 45. 24. 13.00 E-mail: sigma.contact@oecd.org