This publication is the product of a project which SIGMA started in autumn 1995. The country papers were completed in late spring 1996, and since that time some countries have reviewed their training strategies. Lithuania, for example, has adopted a regulation concerning the qualification of civil servants, which includes training. The rationale for launching this project was the recognised need for more detailed information on training systems and on the organisation of training in central and eastern European countries. This information is essential to the efforts by countries in transition, working in collaboration with the donor community, to develop demand-driven training strategies, efficient structures for civil service training, and cost-effective and sustainable training activities.