OECD Public Governance Scan of Kazakhstan

Executive summary

Kazakhstan emerged as a regional leader in socio-economic development over the past two decades, driven by a series of long-term reforms outlined in strategic plans, most notably the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy. The country has maintained steady economic growth, accompanied by significant improvements in life expectancy, education, and income levels. Accelerated digital transformation and institutional reforms were designed to create a more efficient, digital and human-centred public administration to better serve citizens and support long-term economic development. Currently, Kazakhstan is implementing comprehensive public administration reforms outlined in the Concept for the Development of the Public Administration until 2030, which seeks to enhance government efficiency, improve public service delivery, enhance public service competencies, and strengthen institutional accountability.

This report evaluates Kazakhstan’s public governance reform efforts against international best practices, building on previous OECD assessments. It focuses on four key areas: public administration modernisation, machinery of government and strategic planning, human resources management (HRM) and public sector innovation, providing tailored recommendations.

Modernising the public administration

Kazakhstan has made significant strides in modernising and digitalising its public administration since the 2014 OECD Review of the Central Administration. It has improved government effectiveness, agility and responsiveness, achieving notable progress in digital government initiatives. Public administration reform remains a priority, with responsibilities clearly assigned to the Ministry of National Economy (MNE). Under the “Concept 2030” strategy, Kazakhstan aims to strengthen institutional co-ordination, promote participatory governance through the “Listening State” concept, and foster digital advancement within the public sector. Although these reforms have led to positive change, there are still areas for improvement in engaging citizens and aligning with national development objectives.

Kazakhstan could consider:

• Updating Concept 2030 to integrate innovation, sustainability and citizen participation as core priorities of public administration reform.

• Ensuring Concept 2030 aligns with the Concept on the Development of the Civil Service for 2024-2029 to support civil service reform.

• Strengthening the “Listening State” principle by expanding and strengthening citizen engagement tools, enhancing Public Councils and institutionalising participatory policymaking.

• Improving inter-ministerial co-ordination by establishing a high-level council, structured meetings and technical working groups focusing on public administration reforms.

• Establishing a centralised monitoring system to track implementation progress across the administration, streamline evaluations and enhance performance management.

Strategic and state planning and policy co-ordination

Kazakhstan has developed a clear long-term vision for social and economic progress, with strategic planning playing a pivotal role in guiding the country’s development. Successive strategic plans have driven improved human development outcomes, income levels, and reduced poverty rates. To sustain these gains, Kazakhstan is decentralising powers and responsibilities, particularly from the President and its administration to the government and local levels of governance. More than 500 functions were transferred to line ministries and agencies, especially on policy development and implementation. The Prime Minister’s Office was transformed into a Government Office, with functions close to those in OECD Member countries, and with enhanced responsibilities on economic policies.

Kazakhstan has also enacted a new decree and practices to further unify and optimise its strategic planning framework, ensuring that governance structures align with national priorities while promoting policy co-ordination at all levels. Further improvements are needed to consolidate and streamline the system, particularly by enhancing the legal framework, simplifying reporting processes, and improving performance management tools and practices.

Kazakhstan could consider:

• Continuing to implement the decentralisation agenda by providing line ministries with the tools, resources, and capabilities needed to fully exercise their enhanced policy design, formulation, and implementation roles.

• Ensuring that the newly created Government Office has the capacity and instruments to perform its duties, including with respect to economic policies, performance management and monitoring, and increasing its capacities to steer cross-cutting priorities from the centre.

• Ensuring that roles and responsibilities in strategic planning are clearly implemented in line with the new decree by clearly defining co-ordination responsibilities between the MNE and the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms (ASPIRE).

• Implementing the new monitoring process that reallocates the National Development Plan (NDP) implementation activities and sequencing between the MNE and ASPIRE and expanding performance management systems by creating an online platform to track progress on national priorities.

• Further developing formal co-ordination mechanisms and procedures to ensure alignment of strategic priorities, streamlining existing strategies and updating strategic planning tools for guidance and support.

Public employment and management

Kazakhstan’s public administration reform agenda, outlined in the Concept 2030 and the Concept for the Development of the Civil Service for 2024-2029, seeks to transform the civil service into a more efficient, transparent, and human-centred system. Key objectives of these reforms include attracting specialised professionals, improving recruitment processes, enhancing HRM, professionalising civil service careers, and digitising public services. While these initiatives align with OECD practices, challenges remain in strengthening systemic capacities for public employment and management, investing in public service capability, and reinforcing mobility and flexible working arrangements.

Kazakhstan could consider:

• Fully implementing the e-Qyzmet platform across central administrations to strengthen public employment systems and build an evidence base for HRM policy decisions.

• Addressing recruitment challenges by developing proactive attractiveness strategies and formalising performance assessments across government.

• Expanding workforce flexibility by increasing mobility opportunities, incentivising strategic movement with managerial support and streamlining administrative processes.

Innovation management in the public administration

Kazakhstan is undertaking ambitious reforms to modernise its public administration and support a more digital government, with examples of public sector innovations found in many areas. However, there is no strategic framework or central body to steer efforts to increase public sector innovation across the relevant public bodies, such as the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry (MDDIAI) and the MNE. Nonetheless, there are clear opportunities to harness innovation in the public sector, particularly through better co-ordination and targeted capacity building.

Kazakhstan could consider:

• Developing a public sector innovation strategy, incorporated into the Concept for Administrative Reform in the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2030.

• Establishing a dedicated unit for public sector innovation within the MNE, supported by a strategic framework to guide innovation efforts, while enhancing the role of the MDDIAI in fostering digital innovation across government institutions.

• Improving digital services by making them more user-friendly and responsive to citizens’ needs and encouraging bottom-up innovation by involving citizens in the decision-making process.

• Creating an enabling environment for innovation by investing in training programmes and project management reforms to equip public servants with the skills and tools for driving innovation and introducing dedicated financial and non-financial support for public sector innovation.