This OECD Policy Coherence Scan examines the Slovak Republic’s strategic, institutional, policy and legal arrangements for supporting coherent government action on complex, cross-sectoral priorities. Prepared under an EU Technical Support Instrument multi-country project and guided by the OECD Recommendation on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development, the Scan looks at long-term planning and recent centre-of-government reforms as well as processes for connecting strategic priorities with budgeting, investment, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It also considers how ministries, subnational governments and stakeholders are engaged throughout the policy cycle. The Scan identifies opportunities to strengthen the centre of government’s stewardship role, improve co‑ordination across institutions and levels of government, make more systematic use of evidence and impact assessment, and align policies, investments and performance frameworks with long-term national priorities, including sustainable development and well-being.
OECD Policy Coherence Scan of the Slovak Republic
Abstract
Executive summary
The Slovak Republic has established important foundations for its sustainable development objectives through strategic frameworks such as Slovakia 2030, the National Investment Plan (2018-2030) and ongoing work towards a new long-term national vision, Slovakia 2040, as well as a new strategic investment framework, Investment Plan Slovakia. Together with recent reforms to strengthen strategic planning, policy coherence and whole-of-government co‑ordination, these initiatives reflect the Slovak Republic’s commitment to implementing the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda and promoting more integrated approaches to policymaking. Nevertheless, challenges remain in translating long-term ambitions into coherent and measurable outcomes. Policymaking remains largely sector-driven and links among strategic planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting processes are not yet sufficiently developed.
Policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD) provides a practical governance approach for achieving these objectives. As an adherent to the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (hereinafter the OECD Recommendation on PCSD), the Slovak Republic has committed to strengthening whole-of-government approaches, managing policy trade-offs and fostering mutually supportive policies across economic, social and environmental dimensions. This report provides a focused assessment of the Slovak Republic’s governance arrangements against the OECD Recommendation on PCSD. It identifies opportunities to strengthen the role of the centre of government (CoG) in supporting sustainable development and well-being.
Commitment to sustainable development is evident, but not yet consistently reflected across government
The Slovak Republic demonstrates political commitment to sustainable development, but sustainability is not yet consistently positioned as a long-term priority cutting across sectors. Government programmes contain numerous objectives related to sustainability and recent reforms have sought to strengthen strategic leadership from the CoG in support of long-term planning and policy coherence. However, sustainable development remains largely addressed through sectoral policies rather than a shared government-wide agenda supported by common goals, joint accountability and co‑ordinated delivery mechanisms.
Long-term strategic planning is developing but fragmentation remains a challenge
The Slovak Republic has established long-term frameworks, including Slovakia 2030, and is developing a new national vision through Slovakia 2040. Nevertheless, the large number of sectoral strategies, limited use of strategic foresight and weak mechanisms for strategic alignment create risks of duplication, inconsistency and siloed policymaking.
Policy integration is improving but links to budgeting remain weak
Recent initiatives to strengthen strategic planning, performance management and investment prioritisation demonstrate growing efforts to integrate policies across sectors. However, budgetary processes remain insufficiently connected to long-term priorities, limiting the government’s ability to translate strategic objectives into co‑ordinated investments and reforms. While European Union (EU) funds play an important role, stronger mechanisms are needed to ensure that EU and national funding streams are complementary and contribute to long-term sustainable development.
Co‑ordination mechanisms exist, but their strategic potential is underused
The Slovak Republic has established multiple co‑ordination mechanisms, including government councils, working groups, task forces, and consultation procedures to support cross-government co‑ordination. However, co‑ordination can occur late in the policy cycle and focus more on procedural compliance than on strategic problem solving, limiting its contribution to addressing cross-sectoral priorities and trade-offs.
Engagement across levels of government and society remains uneven
Regions, municipalities, civil society organisations, academia and other stakeholders contribute to sustainable development processes, including the preparation of major strategic frameworks such as Slovakia 2030, Slovakia 2040, Programme Slovakia 2021-2027 and the NRRP. However, the timing of their involvement varies across institutions, and engagement may take place too late to meaningfully shape policy design. Although formal consultation mechanisms exist, their effectiveness often depends on individual ministries and teams, with capacity constraints further limiting meaningful participation and shared ownership of reforms.
Impact assessment frameworks have broad coverage but are not yet used strategically
The Slovak Republic’s regulatory impact assessment system covers a broad range of economic, social and environmental dimensions. However, impact assessments are often conducted late in the policymaking process and treated as compliance exercises rather than as strategic tools. Limited use of alternative policy scenarios, cost-benefit analysis and assessment of cross-sectoral and cross-border impacts reduces their ability to identify policy interactions, manage trade-offs and assess coherence with long-term sustainable development and well-being objectives.
Monitoring and evaluation capacities are being strengthened
The introduction of a key performance indicator-based monitoring framework, the use of spending reviews and the development of a sustainable well-being framework indicate increasing attention to results‑oriented governance. However, existing monitoring systems focus mainly on sectoral performance and do not yet adequately capture cross-sectoral outcomes or long-term impacts on sustainable development and well-being.
The centre of government can play a stronger role in enabling policy coherence
Ongoing reforms provide an opportunity to strengthen the CoG’s role in strategic planning, co‑ordination, monitoring and implementation. Through the Strategic Co-ordination Centre, the Central Database of Strategic Documents and the emerging network of Strategic Co-ordination Units, the CoG is developing tools to guide long-term priorities, support co‑ordination and collaboration across ministries and strengthen alignment among policies, budgets, investments and performance systems, playing a central role in enabling PCSD and supporting sustainable well-being.
To strengthen PCSD and accelerate progress towards the SDGs, this scan recommends that the Slovak Republic:
1. Establish Slovakia 2040 as the overarching long-term vision for national development, with sustainable development and well-being as central objectives and PCSD as a governance approach. Use the vision to guide future government manifestos, sectoral strategies and investment priorities across electoral cycles underpinned by political leadership and cross-ministerial ownership.
2. Strengthen the strategic role of the CoG by building on recent reforms, including the Strategic Co-ordination Centre, the Central Database of Strategic Documents and the network of Strategic Co-ordination Units. Enhance its capacity to promote alignment among policies, investments and reforms across government.
3. Strengthen links among strategic planning, budgeting and public investment decisions through medium-term and long-term planning frameworks, performance-based approaches and clearer connections between priorities and resource allocation. Leverage Investment Plan Slovakia and the NRRP to better align investment decisions and funding streams with long-term national priorities.
