This chapter provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state and progress of public administration reforms in Kazakhstan, evaluating its effectiveness and modernisation efforts. The chapter explores how recent and ongoing public administration reforms in Kazakhstan, in particular the Concept 2030 strategy, can increase public governance capacity to successfully implement national development priorities, enhance public services’ delivery and digitalisation, and strengthen institutional resilience. The analysis also highlights the role of key institutions, particularly the Ministry of National Economy, in co-ordinating and driving public administration reform agendas. The chapter concludes with recommendations to strengthen reform implementation and institutional frameworks, fostering a more resilient, participatory, and effective governance system to achieve Kazakhstan’s long-term ambitions.
OECD Public Governance Scan of Kazakhstan
Abstract
Kazakhstan has emerged as a regional leader in socio-economic development, underpinned by a series of strategic reforms since its independence in 1991. The 2013 Development Strategy of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2050 (“Kazakhstan 2050”) have established ambitious long-term goals, driving significant gains in life expectancy, education and income (UNDP, 2022[1]). Despite continued dependence on the commodities sector and the need for economic diversification, Kazakhstan has made great strides in maintaining economic growth and expanding private sector development, joining the WTO in 2015 (Figure 1.1).
Governments currently find themselves navigating a system of increasingly complex and overlapping crises. Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine have brought about immediate and urgent spillover effects on geopolitical stability and the global economy. Economic growth is projected to slow across OECD member countries as governments are confronted with high inflationary pressures and growing public debt. Kazakhstan is expected to outperform these economic trends – despite an anticipated slowdown in 2024, economic growth is expected to rebound in 2025, and public debt is likely to fall (Asian Development Bank, 2024[2]). In parallel, governments must also address long-term challenges, particularly regarding climate change, sustainable development and the digital transformation, that have an impact on the priorities and policies to be implemented by the public administration.
In parallel, Kazakhstan has made significant progress in enhancing its centralised public governance frameworks, focusing on improving public sector efficiency, transparency and public service delivery. The OECD 2014 report Kazakhstan: Review of the Central Administration and the 2017 Public Governance Review Toward a More Effective, Strategic and Accountable State in Kazakhstan identified critical areas for reform, including the need to strengthen ministerial autonomy and co-ordination, improve strategic planning and results-based budgeting, clarify institutional mandates and prioritise a model of public service delivery centred on citizens (OECD, 2014[3]); (OECD, 2017[4]).
A decade later, Kazakhstan has accelerated the digitalisation of its government and is pursuing an ambitious reform agenda aimed at establishing a responsive, transparent and effective public administration. Kazakhstan 2050 initiated reforms to create a welfare society based on an efficient and professional state and a developed economy with universal labour opportunities (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2012[5]). These reforms were further accelerated by a new wave of constitutional and institutional reforms in 2022, aiming at forming a professional and accountable civil service, strengthening the rule of law and modernising its institutions and public administration (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022[6]).
Note: Data for 2023 is provisional; estimate for 2024 is a projection from the same.
Source: (World Bank, 2024[7]).
Looking forward, the 2021 Concept for Administrative Reform in the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2030 aims to drive forward the country’s future vision of the public administration by cultivating a service-oriented government apparatus capable of meeting the complex socio-economic and institutional challenges of contemporary public governance (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2021[8]). These reforms are aimed at improving citizen-state interactions, increasing the efficiency of strategic planning, the quality of civil service personnel, the efficiency of the quasi-public sector, optimising the state apparatus and switching to a proactive model for the provision of public services, the development of local self-government, the improvement of regulatory and anti-corruption policies, and the transformation of the judicial and law enforcement system (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2021[8]). Effective public governance is crucial for ensuring the delivery of essential public services and promoting the overall well-being of citizens, providing a framework for responsive and inclusive decision-making processes that address the evolving needs of citizens. Efforts to strengthen the public sector in Kazakhstan have yielded tangible outcomes, evidenced by improvements in government effectiveness and control of corruption.
This chapter provides an overview of the public administration reform (PAR) landscape in Kazakhstan, monitoring its recent progress and re-evaluating the public administration’s effectiveness, strengths and challenges. It also discusses how the country’s PAR objectives can effectively strengthen its capacity in support of Kazakhstan 2050. This Public Governance Scan will look at areas of public administration modernisation, strategic planning and co-ordination, civil service reform and public sector innovation. It will review the progress made through recent public administration reforms, especially as part of the Concept 2030, and examine how ongoing reforms aim to navigate this complex environment, fostering resilience to evolving global dynamics and supporting Kazakhstan’s development objectives.
This chapter will present a comparative analysis of Kazakhstan’s public sector effectiveness, leveraging key performance indicators to benchmark against OECD member countries and countries in the Central Asia region. The chapter will then analyse the current state of PAR initiatives in Kazakhstan, mapping the trajectory of recent and ongoing efforts and paying particular attention to what has been successful in driving reform agendas. The chapter further examines the institutional landscape for PAR in Kazakhstan, identifying the key public agencies and their mandates in delivering the goal objectives of the Concept 2030, and offers key recommendations for updating the document at its midpoint to better align to the country’s national development goals.
The following chapters in the Public Governance Scan are structured around several public governance challenges that have been jointly identified with Kazakhstan and can be transformative to reach the long-term goals of Kazakhstan 2050.
Chapter 2 evaluates Kazakhstan’s centre-of-government (CoG) mechanisms, bodies and functions, comparing them with practices in OECD member and non-member countries. The chapter focuses on the structure, roles, and interactions of the CoG, particularly the Government Apparatus and the Executive Office of the President, with line ministries. It assesses the ongoing reforms aimed at transforming the Prime Minister’s Office into a more streamlined Government Apparatus, as well as improving co-ordination with line ministries. It will also analyse strategic and budget planning processes, as well as co-ordination mechanisms, to ensure the effective implementation of Kazakhstan’s long-term strategic documents.
Chapter 3 analyses Human Resources Management (HRM) policies in Kazakhstan, focusing on current and planned institutional arrangements. Guided by the OECD Recommendation on Public Service Leadership and Capability, it assesses the role of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs, the central body for HRM, in defining and implementing workforce management policies (OECD, 2020[9]). This evaluation aims to provide insights into the effectiveness and future direction of HRM practices within the civil service of Kazakhstan.
Chapter 4 outlines best practices in public sector innovation management that are applicable to Kazakhstan, based on experiences from OECD countries. This chapter identifies the main innovation needs within Kazakhstan’s public sector and showcases relevant examples from OECD member and non-member countries. It establishes a baseline of the innovation potential in Kazakhstan's public sector, presents international best practices relevant to its innovation system and identifies key stakeholders who would most benefit from capacity building and awareness-raising. The chapter further emphasises the importance of reforms to address technological advancements, evolving user needs and complex challenges, as reflected in the OECD Declaration on Public Sector Innovation (OECD, 2024[10]).
Modernising and enhancing the effectiveness of the public administration are crucial to the overall success of a government’s plans and policies. This requires a multi-pronged approach, including improving the quality, access and responsiveness of services provided by the state, streamlining and developing high quality regulations, while simultaneously investing in digital and technological tools and skilled civil servants, among many other endeavours. Achieving more effective and inclusive public governance entails enhancing the capacity of public institutions and bolstering their responsiveness to citizens’ needs.
Using key performance indicators on public governance, this section analyses Kazakhstan’s public sector effectiveness through benchmarking against OECD member countries and other selected countries across four dimensions:
Size and scope of government: this measures the government’s role in the economy and society.
Agility and resilience: this assesses the government’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Responsiveness: this analyses the government’s ability to deliver public services that meet citizens’ needs.
Inclusiveness: this evaluates how effectively the government engages and represents all citizens, including marginalised groups.
This section also briefly examines Kazakhstan’s capacity to address cross-cutting policy issues, particularly regarding policies to fight climate change.
1.2.1. Kazakhstan’s governance reform efforts have led to notable improvements, particularly in overall government effectiveness and in reducing perceived corruption and poverty
Kazakhstan has made consistent strides in government effectiveness, as evidenced by its World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGIs) score rising from 47.1 in 2016 to a record high of 58.5 in 2022. This dimension reflects the perceived quality of public services, policy implementation, civil service independence and the government’s credibility in maintaining its policy commitments (World Bank, 2024[11]). The country has also seen modest improvements in the WGIs’ “Rule of Law” and “Voice and Accountability” dimensions.
The fight against corruption is part of Kazakhstan’s strategic priorities and has shown significant progress. Between 2017 and 2022, the country’s percentile rank in the “Perceived Control of Corruption” dimension more than doubled, increasing from 20.0 to 48.6 (Kaufmann and Kraay, 2023[12]). In particular, Kazakhstan has established a strong institutional integrity framework, with the Anti-Corruption Agency mandated with the detection and prevention of corruption, as well as the co-ordination of anti-corruption policy implementation and mainstreaming; the adoption of the Anti-Corruption Concept 2022-2026 and its Action Plan; and the 2022 update of the 2015 Code of Ethics for Civil Servants providing an important foundation for building a culture of integrity in the public sector. However, in practice, the strong centralisation of the integrity system hampers the institutional independence of key actors, remaining legal and structural limitations prevent civil society and the media from fully participating in the integrity framework, and the implementation of ethical standards in the public sector remains a challenge (OECD, forthcoming[13]).
Kazakhstan stands as a regional leader in public sector effectiveness and is steadily closing the gap with some comparable OECD member countries. The 2022 WGIs indicate that Kazakhstan outperforms its Central Asian neighbours – Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – in all dimensions, except “Political Stability and “Absence of Violence/Terrorism”, and it doesn’t differ significantly from few OECD countries (Figure 1.2).
Source: Based on (Kaufmann and Kraay, 2023[12]).
Kazakhstan has made strides in reducing poverty but needs to continue working on reducing income inequality
Since gaining independence, Kazakhstan has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty. The overall income level of the population increased over the past three decades from USD 1,647 in 1990 to 13,137 in 2023, in line with values for Türkiye and Argentina, while the poverty rate at USD 6.85 a day (2017 PPP) declined drastically from 75% in 2001 to 11% in 2021, well below the upper-middle income average of 26% (World Bank, 2024[7]). Kazakhstan has also nearly eradicated extreme poverty, reducing the percentage of population living below the international poverty line of $2.15 per day (2017 PPP) from 12.81% in 2001 to 0.02% in 2021, close to the global forefront (World Bank, 2022[14]). In the first quarter of 2024, the share of the population with income below the national subsistence minimum stood at 4.6% (Bureau of National Statistics, 2024[15]).
Kazakhstan also holds a leading regional position in terms of human development, with the country’s human development index (HDI) increasing from 0.672 in 1990 to 0.802 in 2022, positioning Kazakhstan within the very high human development category. This performance was mainly driven by an increase in life expectancy by 4.6 years, expected years of schooling by 2.6 years and mean years of schooling by 4.9 years (UNDP, 2022[1]). Adjusting for inequality (IHDI) lowers Kazakhstan’s 2022 HDI to 0.734. Nonetheless, Kazakhstan is amongst the world’s most egalitarian countries, with a Gini index falling from 36 in 2001 to 29.2 in 2021, in line with countries such as Hungary, Croatia and Poland (World Bank, 2024[16]), and with a declining trend of HDI loss due to inequality since 2010, the inception year of this measure (UNDP, 2022[1]). Nonetheless, inequality has shown a general increasing trend since 2015, with a rise of the Gini index from 26.8 in 2015 to 29.2 in 2021 (World Bank, 2024[16]), the sharpest rise having occurred between 2019 and 2020, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on employment.
1.2.2. Size and scope: Kazakhstan’s government is relatively small in terms of spending compared to the OECD average but employs a larger share of the national workforce
Public administration models vary significantly in size and scope across countries, reflecting distinct political systems, histories and traditions. These differences underscore the diverse approaches governments take to fulfil their commitments to citizens. While the size and scope of government do not inherently determine public sector efficiency, comparing Kazakhstan’s public sector on the international level offers valuable insights into its governance model and facilitates comparisons with similar countries. Kazakhstan’s economic and governance model features a large quasi-public sector, with state-owned enterprises (SOEs) playing a significant role in the economy and in delivering public services and social benefits. SOEs are crucial in sectors including energy and mining, operating in at least 20 out of 30 economic sectors (OECD, 2024[17]). Estimates from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of National Economy indicate that SOEs represent 14.5% of GDP, employ 1.2 million people, and that 80% of them provide services to citizens or other government entities. Revising the scope of SOEs and reducing the state’s presence in the economy are key objectives of the 2025 National Development Plan and the Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030 (Ministry of National Economy, 2022[18]), as their dispersed ownership structure underscores the importance of ongoing reform efforts (OECD, 2024[17]).
Kazakhstan’s general government expenditure is notably lower than both the OECD average and that of most Central Asian countries. In 2022, the OECD average for general government expenditure as a percentage of GDP was 46.3%, while Kazakhstan’s was significantly lower at 21.7% (Figure 1.3). Nonetheless, when compared to OECD countries with significant gas, oil or mineral exports, such as Canada (42.2%) and Norway (39.2%), Kazakhstan’s expenditure remains lower. Among Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan’s general government expenditure is lower than that of Tajikistan (27.9%), Kyrgyzstan (36.8%) and Uzbekistan (34.8%), but higher than in Turkmenistan (9.4%) (IMF, 2024[19]).
As in other OECD countries, Kazakhstan experienced a surge in government expenditure in 2020, primarily due to significant economic disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic severely impacted Kazakhstan’s consumption channel, due to nationwide and global lockdowns, and domestic revenue, with a sharp decline in oil prices (OECD, 2020[20]). In response, the government rapidly implemented an anti-crisis package totalling nine percent of GDP, aimed at strengthening the social safety net and supporting businesses, particularly SMEs (OECD, 2020[20]). These measures, along with additional support initiatives including tax incentives, digitalisation efforts and concessional lending, helped Kazakhstan weather the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
Note: Data for Australia, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States refer to the year of 2021; data for Türkiye refer to the year of 2020.
Source: (OECD, 2023[21]); Data for Kazakhstan obtained from (International Monetary Fund, 2023[22]).
Public sector employment in Kazakhstan is significantly higher than the OECD average and is comparable to that in Scandinavian countries. As of 2023, nearly one third (28.2%) of total employment in Kazakhstan is in the general government sector (Bureau of National Statistics, 2023[23]). This is comparable to public sector employment percentages in Norway (30.9%), Sweden (29.3%) and Denmark (28%), where public employment plays a critical role in the economy, particularly in health care education and emergency services (Figure 1.4). The legacy of Soviet institutions provides historical insights into the large size of Kazakhstan’s public sector, originating from the large, centralised workforce customary to the extensive state control of that era (Baimenov, Uteshev and Suleimenova, 2022[24]). As in many OECD countries, civil servants constitute the majority of public employees in Kazakhstan and are governed by specific public legal frameworks, such as the Law on Civil Service (OECD, 2018[25]). This is comparable to countries such as Italy, where all public employees in the central administration are civil servants, or Switzerland, where civil servants in the central public administration do not typically have lifetime employment guarantees, unlike the traditional civil service model. Senior and middle management roles, particularly those related to policy development and management, are predominantly filled by civil servants, although some functions may also be carried out by other types of public employees (OECD, 2018[25]).
Despite the high proportion of public sector employment, public sector wages represented 13.8% of total expenditure in 2022, below the OECD average (Astana Civil Service Hub, 2023[26]). In the OECD, employee compensation represents the second largest category of government expenditures, amounting to 20.1% of total spending in 2021, with 37 out of 38 member countries actively reducing their spending on employee compensation as a share of total expenditures (OECD, 2023[27]). Kazakhstan also shows the lowest share of public sector wages in total expenditure across Central Asia and Eastern Partnership Countries (Astana Civil Service Hub, 2023[26]). If part of the difference can come from a diverging definition of public sector compensation as encompassing wages and allowances, and social security and pension contributions, or as simply equivalent to wages, this difference also needs to be read against Kazakhstan’s relatively low general government expenditure level, which would tend to indicate that public sector wages are relatively lower in Kazakhstan than in other countries of the region. Future reforms to civil service structure and spending in Kazakhstan are likely to be implemented following the Agency for Civil Service Affairs’ recent Concept for the Development of the Civil Service for 2024-2029 (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2024[28]).
Note: Data for Chile, Colombia, New Zealand is not available. Data for Australia refer to 2021; data for Costa Rica and Switzerland refer to 2020; data for Iceland refer to 2019; data for Kazakhstan refer to 2023.
Source: (OECD, 2023[21]); Data from Australia calculated by the Australian Public Service Commission using data from the (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2024[29]); Data for Kazakhstan approximated from (Bureau of National Statistics, 2023[23]).
1.2.3. Agility and resilience: Recent years of public administration reforms have aimed at shifting towards a more decentralised and autonomous system
Government effectiveness hinges on its ability to be both agile and resilient. Agility refers to a government’s capacity to make swift decisions, co-ordinate their implementation and adapt its organisational structure and resource allocation (OECD, 2015[30]). This adaptability enables governments to respond effectively to evolving needs, emerging priorities and shifting contexts. Resilience, on the other hand, focuses on a government’s ability to absorb and recover from shocks while preparing for future challenges, whether socio-economic, institutional or environmental (OECD, 2023[31]). Ideally, governments should cultivate both agility and resilience to navigate a complex policy environment successfully.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a significant stress test for Kazakhstan’s public institutions, revealing their notable agility and resilience in handling the crisis. Initially, the government concentrated on addressing the immediate surge in COVID-19 cases and enhancing healthcare capacity. It implemented a broad range of measures, including PCR testing, the development of a mobile application for monitoring immunity, and expanded quarantine requirements (IMF, 2021[32]). However, the pandemic introduced challenges beyond the immediate health crisis, impacting the public administration’s ability to co-ordinate across different levels of government, ensure effective resource distribution, and maintain public compliance amid rapidly changing guidelines (WHO, 2020[33]). The strain on public sector infrastructure underscored the need for improved crisis management and communication strategies.
In response, Kazakhstan launched several initiatives to bolster administrative resilience and enhance response mechanisms. These included an accelerated digital transformation of government services, which enabled remote work and online service delivery, ensuring continuity for citizens. The government also streamlined regulatory processes to speed up the procurement and distribution of medical supplies and vaccines. Additionally, Kazakhstan strengthened its public health response and data management capabilities through international partnerships and technical assistance (Battakova et al., 2023[34]). These measures not only addressed the immediate challenges of the pandemic but also laid the groundwork for more agile administrative practices in future emergencies.
Kazakhstan’s public governance system is primarily centralised and hierarchical, with the President and its Executive Office playing a key role in decision-making, defining a national strategic vision and overseeing the implementation of presidential priorities. The Executive Office supports the President in various areas, including foreign policy, socio-economic development, regulatory policies, personnel, defence and regional development, with functions to make proposals, monitor developments and co-ordinate with other public bodies (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2010[35]); (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2024[36]). Since 2019, the President has established four new government agencies, including the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms (ASPIRE), and created the Supreme Reform Council under the Executive Office of the President (BTI, 2024[37]). Policy co-ordination and strategic planning nonetheless remain centralised, involving a few key actors from the central government, including the Government Apparatus and the Ministry of National Economy (see Chapter 2).
Recent years have seen significant reforms to Kazakhstan’s public administration, aimed at shifting from a highly centralised structure to a more decentralised and autonomous system that rebalances powers between institutions across different governance levels and embodies the principles of a “Listening State” to further engage citizens in policymaking. These reforms have transferred many responsibilities from the Executive Office of the President and the Prime Minister’s Office to central ministries and local authorities. The 2022 State of the Nation address, “New Kazakhstan: The Path of Renewal and Modernisation”, and subsequent addresses have sought to enhance the effectiveness and accountability of the public administration by revising and limiting the powers of the President, decentralising executive power and empowering local governance structures (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022[6]); (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022[38]); (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2023[39]). Key reforms have included the transfer of approximately 500 functions to line ministries and local state bodies, reducing the direct role of the Executive Office in sectoral policymaking, and granting expanded authority to line ministers and akims (see Chapter 2). Nonetheless, important efforts remain to further decentralise and increase citizen engagement in policy and decision-making, particularly to fulfil Kazakhstan’s ambitions to support a “Listening State”.
The ministerial reorganisation in September 2023 further illustrates Kazakhstan’s commitment to a more agile and responsive state. This reorganisation introduced several key changes, including the establishment of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the re-establishment of the Ministry of Transport, and the division of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development into the Ministry of Industry and Construction and the Ministry of Transport. Additionally, the Ministry of Information and Social Development was restructured into the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2023[40]). These changes have been designed to better address sector-specific needs more effectively and streamline administrative processes.
1.2.4. Responsiveness: Kazakhstan has undertaken significant efforts to improve public service delivery by expanding digitalisation and adopting a life-event approach
Responsiveness in public administration refers to actively addressing citizens’ diverse needs and concerns, fostering inclusive growth that allows everyone to benefit from economic progress. A responsive government listens to the public’s expectations and reacts promptly and flexibly to their needs.
Kazakhstan has been a regional pioneer in the development of e-government, launching the first online government portal in 2006. Since then, the development and enhancement of e-government services through Egov.kz have been key priorities of the government. Initiatives such as the 2013 Informational Kazakhstan 2020 programme and 2017 Digital Kazakhstan have successfully advanced online public administration systems for both citizens and businesses (Government of Kazakhstan, 2017[41]); (egov.kz, 2021[42]); (Digital Kazakhstan, 2022[43]). Kazakhstan views digitalisation as a means to drive long-term economic growth and improve quality of life, focusing on overcoming challenges related to connectivity, regulatory frameworks and digital literacy (egov.kz, 2021[42]); (OECD, 2023[44]).
Official data from 2022 shows that 85.4% of public services were delivered online, with a satisfaction rate of 94.6% (Digital Kazakhstan, 2022[43]). Kazakhstan’s performance in the UN E-Government Survey further highlights its progress, as the country ranked 28th in e-government and 15th in e-participation in 2022, outperforming the Central Asia average and many European countries including Czechia, Latvia and Poland (UN, 2022[45]). These results underscore Kazakhstan’s leadership in telecommunication connectivity, online service provision, and human capital development within Central Asia, as reflected in the UN E-Government Development Index (Figure 1.5).
Source: Based on (United Nations, 2022[46])
The government of Kazakhstan has also undertaken significant efforts to streamline and simplify public services, employing digitalisation as an opportunity to reduce administrative burdens and more proactively address the needs of citizens. To ensure the continuity of public service delivery in the digital transformation, Public Service Centres have been established nationwide as one-stop shops for to who delivering services to citizens, particularly those that have limited access to digital public services. These centres are expected to decrease in number as the digital uptake of services from citizens increases. Recently, new mechanisms have been introduced to enhance citizen engagement and feedback, including e-appeal systems and “Natizhe” centres where individuals can submit appeals to various government agencies (Ministry of National Economy, 2022[18]). The digital model developed for the e-appeal system is quickly becoming the primary window of interaction between government and its citizens for all matters, allowing all public authorities to work with the same data. Further successes include the implementation of electronic court offices and the creation of digital operating licenses for businesses, lowering both the cost and time in accessing public services; an OECD survey found that businesses in Kazakhstan are overall satisfied with the quality of online service provision, including on licensing and permitting (OECD, 2023[47]).
The integration of advanced technologies into public administration modernisation, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), is of growing importance across OECD member countries. Harnessing AI can increase the productivity, responsiveness and accountability of the public sector to respond more effectively to citizen needs (European Commission, 2023[48]). As of 2023, Kazakhstan ranks among the top 50 countries in the AI Preparedness Index, and given its remarkable success in the digital transformation, is well-positioned to adopt innovative applications for AI in the public administration (IMF, 2023[49]). In France, for instance, a pilot programme was launched at the end of 2023, introducing generative AI to support public servants providing more detailed and rapid answers to user questions and comments through the programme Services Publics + (French Government, 2024[50]). In early 2024, the scope of AI has been increased with the aim to improve the effectiveness of public service delivery, and covers the automatization of diverse administrative procedures, such as the transcription of court hearings or public human resources management (Ministry of Transformation and Civil Service, 2024[51]).
Kazakhstan has also piloted life-event approaches to public services in collaboration with the OECD and other international organisations, integrating this model into the digitalisation of certain services. These initiatives create a more user-friendly and responsive public service environment, ensuring that citizens’ needs are met more efficiently and effectively. For instance, the government has launched proactive public services, targeting citizens at key life events without their direct request. In 2017, Kazakhstan launched a service for childbirth, which combined processes like birth registration, kindergarten enrolment and assigning childcare benefits into a single streamlined service, reducing administrative burdens and processing times for families (egov, n.d.[52]). This programme has been complemented by the launch of the Digital Family Card in collaboration with UNDP, which uses data from multiple government databases to proactively identify and support families in need, offering services such as social payments and assistance (Cavanaugh, 2024[53]). Leveraging these reform efforts, Kazakhstan, like many OECD member countries, could further accelerate this transformation of public services into more human-centred ones through life event approaches, as underlined by the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Human-Centred Public Administrative Services (OECD, 2024[54]).
1.2.5. Inclusiveness: Kazakhstan has developed ample mechanisms to build a “Listening State”, but needs to accelerate to fully integrate participatory policymaking into government decision-making
Inclusiveness refers to the degree to which an environment is accessible and equitable for all people regardless of their age, sex, identity, or ability. Within the public administration, this concept translates into fostering a diverse workplace that embraces individuals from various backgrounds and ensuring that different voices are heard and included to support policymaking and decision-making at all levels of the administration. Such a commitment to inclusiveness is essential for creating a public sector that truly reflects the diversity of the population it serves in both internal structure and decision-making.
Inclusiveness in policy making also calls for governments to further increase citizen participation in policymaking, as well as in service design and delivery. It looks at the existing tools and practices used by the government to better meet the expectations of citizens by responding to their interests and needs, and to actively engage with them as partners. Using meaningful participatory mechanisms helps ensure that citizens are put at the heart of policy making (OECD, Forthcoming[55]).
In recent years, the country has placed great emphasis on embedding the principle of the “Listening State” into their model of public administration and governance, aiming to increase government accountability and citizen participation. The concept aims to ensure that the government works for the interests of citizens, to establish a dialogue on the expectations and issues that citizens face and to respond to them in an efficient and objective manner (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022[6]). The government has carried out a number of important initiatives to further involve citizens and civil society organisations in policymaking and decision-making.
Echoing recommendations in the OECD 2014 Review of the Central Administration, the establishment of Public Councils in 2015, through the Law on Public Councils, created a platform for civil society to engage more actively in governance (OECD, 2014[3]); (OECD, 2017[4]). More than 260 Public Councils have been established at the national, regional and local levels that act as advisory bodies to ministers and public institutions (OECD, 2020[56]). Furthermore, Kazakhstan has established 34 National Councils that gathered public and external stakeholders to involve them in advisory and consultative roles in selected fields of policymaking. The Government Apparatus has also established a Citizen Reception Centre to further consult and gather feedback from citizens.
In the realm of public services, feedback mechanisms have been developed for both online and in-person services, allowing citizens to express concerns, submit appeals and share their experiences. The system of e-appeal has also been expanding fast, enabling citizens to provide almost real time feedback on public services or issues through smartphones and online government platforms. Kazakhstan reported than more than one million appeals were submitted in 2024 alone. This is part of a broader trend aimed at reinforcing the protection of individual rights, also testified by the strengthening of the status of the Commissioner for Human Rights and the re-establishment of the Constitutional Court by the 2022 constitutional changes.
The involvement of NGOs in Kazakhstan has also grown, with 18,204 active NGOs operating across various sectors, including education, sports, human rights and culture (Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2024[57]). Notably, more than 20% of these NGOs focus on protecting the rights and legitimate interests of citizens and organisations. Recent legislative reforms, including a new NGO funding mechanism, have strengthened the sector, positioning NGOs as strategic partners. While these advancements are reflected in the Civil Society Participation Index, which increased from 0.42 in 2018 to 0.48 in 2023, further progress can be made in systematically engaging citizens in policymaking (V-Dem, 2023[58]).
Finally, reforms to human resources management in the civil service have established a digital talent pool platform aimed at expanding a career in the civil service to all citizens, drawing young professionals from the private sector and the regions (see Chapter 3) (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022[38]).
Reflecting these initiatives, Kazakhstan has made continued improvements in the Voice and Accountability” WGI dimension but remains significantly behind OECD and upper middle income countries’ average (World Bank, 2024[11]). This highlights that the impact of these initiatives has remained subdued so far, and could be accelerated, leveraging the experiences of OECD member countries. Importantly, Kazakhstan needs to ensure that these mechanisms are also used on key government objectives, issues and priorities, including but not limited to long-term plans, territorial development, climate and other topics. Despite their rapid development and implementation, there has been no follow-up or reporting on how the existing mechanisms have contributed to policymaking nor what use has been made of their inputs to design or modify existing policies. Furthermore, civil society organisations are still seldom consulted by policymakers, limiting their influence on decision-making (BTI, 2024[37]).
To enhance inclusiveness in both civic participation and public administration, Kazakhstan could further adopt innovative consultative, participatory and deliberative mechanisms reflecting on the experiences of OECD member countries, including in public service design and delivery in line with the OECD Recommendation on Human-Centred Public Administrative Services. This could involve studying the experiences of countries such as Ireland and Finland in advancing the participation agenda and using innovative citizen engagement mechanisms, including citizens’ assemblies, participatory budgeting and virtual community spaces (OECD, 2020[59]); (see Box 1.1.). This could also be expanded to support the inclusiveness of public service delivery, implementing mechanisms that allow the public to be involved directly in the design and improvement of public services (OECD, 2024[54]). For instance, many countries have used annual, citizen-wide surveys to gather the views of public service users, identify priorities for reforms and target actions. France runs an annual survey targeting 2,500 users of public services, in collaboration with a private survey company and a public institute. The results are shared with the public and displayed in a Barometer of Public Services (DITP, 2023[60]).
Citizen assemblies: the case of Ireland
Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly highlights how deliberative engagement can address cross-cutting issues and support strategic goals. The Climate Assembly (2016–2018) featured a chairperson and 99 citizens representative of Ireland’s electorate, chosen randomly based on age, gender, social class, and region. Members heard from 15 climate experts and 6 advocates for low-carbon transitions. A dedicated public service secretariat ensured smooth operations and contributed to drafting the final report, which incorporated citizen input and underwent validation by the full group. A parliamentary committee reviewed the Assembly's recommendations to integrate them into Ireland’s legislative agenda.
National Dialogue: the example of Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a broad legal base for citizen participation, including the Constitution, and has also made significant progress in moving from open government to open state. The Government implemented several National Dialogue Tables with a wide range of stakeholders including private sector actors, civil society representatives, and ordinary citizens from 2014 to 2018. These dialogues were conceived as a “systematic mechanism for exchanging initiatives, setting agendas and promoting agreements for the elaboration of public policies and government actions” and were initiated by the Presidency. This National Dialogue established in three spaces: “a space for political dialogue, a space for productive dialogue, and a space for social dialogue” (Latinno, 2016[61]). A co-ordination committee was established to set priorities, coordinate and guide the process, provide feedback and instruction and align the conclusions emerging from each space.
One specific recent example is the National Dialogue with the aim to discuss, analyse and collectively build inputs to formulate a bill to amend the Public Employment Framework Law (PEFL), which was organised by the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (MIDEPLAN). Over 180 people from the government, private and civil society sector were invited, working groups were established (categorised by job family), guiding “golden rules” were negotiated and adopted by all parties to ensure responsible and respectful dialogue. The closing event took place in April 2023.
Citizen and users’ panels: examples from the United Kingdom and France
In the United Kingdom, the Forest of Dean District Citizens’ Jury offered local residents an opportunity to evaluate potential hospital locations, ensuring decisions met community needs. The process allowed citizens to actively shape healthcare infrastructure decisions and reinforced transparency in public service planning.
In France, user panels help co-design public services and identify pain points in administrative processes. Mobilised for specific objectives, these panels have been instrumental in reforming administrative processes tied to significant life events. For instance, a panel of 650 participants focused on simplifying the process of reporting a death in the family. Their input informed the creation of clear, user-centric guidance and streamlined administrative steps, demonstrating the potential of user engagement to enhance service delivery.
To sustain citizen engagement in participatory processes, it is essential to ensure accountability for citizen participation, including by providing citizens with a clear overview of the entire policy process and by communicating and providing feedback on the outcomes and the use of the inputs collected during participatory mechanisms (OECD, Forthcoming[55]). In line with the OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes, Kazakhstan could communicate more systematically and transparently about the outcomes of participatory processes to the wider public. For each participatory tool, the corresponding public agency could communicate on how collected data will be taken into account in the policy cycle. Kazakhstan could also place increased emphasis on closing the feedback loops for each tool, ensuring that all participants are informed about the outcome of their inputs. Communicating throughout subsequent steps of the feedback loop can increase the sense of trust of citizen over their contribution to policy design (OECD, 2022[65]).
Kazakhstan’s progress in gender equality is approaching the OECD average, but gaps remain in female representation in government and public administration
Kazakhstan has also emerged as a regional leader in gender equality, approaching the OECD average in several areas. The 2023 Global Gender Gap Index ranked Kazakhstan 62nd out of 146 countries, the highest in Central Asia (World Economic Forum, 2023[66]). This ranking reflects Kazakhstan’s significant strides in closing gender gaps in education and health. As a signatory to multiple international conventions and a country committed to legislative improvements, Kazakhstan has shown a strong dedication to advancing gender equality. The establishment of the National Commission on Women, Family and Demographic Policy under the President, the first of its kind in the region, is a testament to this commitment. This advisory body is tasked with implementing comprehensive state policies on family and gender equality (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, n.d.[67]).
Kazakhstan’s progress is evident in the OECD’s Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI), where the country scored 20.9 out of 100 (100 representing absolute discrimination), leading Central Asia and approaching the OECD average of 15.3 (OECD, 2023[68]). Notably, Kazakhstan excels in areas such as “Discrimination in the family” (14.8) and “Restricted civil liberties” (11.5), with scores close to the OECD averages of 13.6 and 15.1, respectively. However, despite no formal barriers to female employment in the Kazakh political or civil service, female underrepresentation in politics and leadership remains a significant challenge, with women making up 27.1% of the House of Representatives and only 8.4% of political-level civil servants as of 2017 (OECD, 2017[69]). This stands in comparison to OECD member countries, where the average percentage of women in parliament stands at 33.8% and the average percentage of women in cabinet ministerial positions is at 35.7% as of 2023 (OECD, 2023[70]). These disparities highlight the need for continued efforts, which the updated Concept of Family and Gender Policy until 2030 aims to address (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2016[71]).
1.2.6. Cross-cutting issues: Kazakhstan’s national commitments to cross-cutting challenges such as climate change show potential for stronger emphasis in inter-sectoral reform objectives
Cross-cutting issues, such as climate change, gender inequality, are complex problems that impact multiple sectors of society and require co-ordinated government action. As these challenges intensify, they demand new skills, approaches and a collaborative effort across the public sector. To effectively address these issues, governments must adopt long-term thinking, ensure stable resource allocation and secure strong high-level political support.
Kazakhstan, like many countries, faces significant challenges and opportunities related to climate change. The country’s unique geographical conditions and historical reliance on natural resources make it particularly vulnerable to climate-related threats, affecting water resources, agriculture, public health, and broader socio-economic development. According to IPCC assessments, Kazakhstan is already experiencing shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns, with projections indicating a 10% decline in pasture efficiency by 2030 and a 50% water demand deficit by 2040 (UNDP, 2021[72]).
In response, Kazakhstan has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 under the Paris Agreement. The country has integrated climate considerations into its strategic planning documents and action plans, aligning national priorities with green economy goals and the international climate agenda. A significant milestone was the adoption of the Strategy on Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2060 in 2023 (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2023[73]). This Strategy sets ambitious net-zero goals, requiring targeted and effective policies across all sectors and levels of government.
To reach its long-term objectives for low-carbon and sustainable development, Kazakhstan can further enhance policy coherence, improve accountability and strengthen co-operation among various actors. Additionally, there is potential to boost knowledge exchange and increase transparency in decision-making processes (Poberezhskaya and Bychkova, 2021[74]). While several OECD member countries have begun integrating climate considerations into its public administration, Kazakhstan could also incorporate these into its reforms. This might include measures such as promoting alternative mobility for civil servants, improving energy efficiency in public buildings, adopting green procurement practices, enhancing the green skills of civil servants and monitoring the public sector’s carbon emissions and energy use (OECD, 2022[75]).
Over the past decade, Kazakhstan has implemented comprehensive PARs across multiple strategic fronts. The 2013 Development Strategy of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2050 initiated reforms prioritising the creation of an efficient and professional state service aligned with market economy principles (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2012[5]). Building on these foundations, the Plan of the Nation – 100 Concrete Steps outlined in 2015 further advanced these reforms by introducing institutional changes aimed at transitioning to a career-based civil service model and improving transparency and accountability in human resource management (HRM) and service delivery (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2015[76]).
The 2021 Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030 represents a continuation of these efforts, aiming to address the gaps and challenges left by previous reforms. The dedicated PAR plan’s focus on decentralising decision-making and accountability, while centralising HRM and legal services, reflects the country’s efforts to balance autonomy with a whole-of-government reform agenda (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2021[8]). The transition of select public functions to a competitive market framework also introduces new dynamics, particularly in terms of ensuring equity and access in service delivery. While the emphasis on refining strategic and budgetary planning and professionalising government personnel is crucial, the effectiveness of these measures depends on the government’s commitment to reforming institutional practices and foster a culture of performance and accountability. Moving forward, the successful implementation of the Concept 2030 will hinge on the government’s capacity to integrate its reform ambitions into a cohesive framework that addresses both immediate operational challenges and long-term governance objectives.
These ongoing reforms align closely with public administration reform strategies in OECD countries. Since 2015, most OECD countries have implemented PARs to promote good governance and policy outcomes (OECD, 2024[77]). These comprehensive reform strategies have targeted improvements in public service delivery, digitalisation, administrative simplification, human resource management, flexibility in governance, long-term priorities, and integrity and accountability. For example, Czechia has developed a human-centred public administration reform plan that includes objectives on increasing the effectiveness of public institutions and enhancing citizen consultation and empowerment (Box 1.2).
More than 95% of PARs cover service delivery or digitalisation and around 50% are linked to participation, addressing cross-cutting challenges or trust in government.
Note: Data analysed for 30 OECD countries having implemented PARs or separate initiatives since 2015; thematic areas in orange are addressed in the Concept for the Development of Public Administration in the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2030, blue stripes indicate thematic areas not fully addressed in practice.
Source: Based on preliminary findings from desk research.
In Kazakhstan, these reform dimensions (see Figure 1.6) are deeply embedded within the PAR agenda, as evidenced by the country’s commitment to digital public service delivery, improving civil service competitiveness and integrity, and pursuing institutional reforms to enhance government agility (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2021[8]). Additionally, emerging areas of public governance, such as public participation and the shift toward citizen-centric service modernisation, are becoming increasingly prominent in OECD PARs, with more than half of OECD countries incorporating these dimensions. (OECD, 2024[77]). While Kazakhstan has made recent strides in these newer reform areas, there remains significant potential to develop innovative instruments for participatory governance and link PAR to cross-cutting issues, including the country’s climate ambitions. In particular, given the strategic priority of the “Listening State” concept, additional objectives, components and mechanisms on citizen participation could be considered in the public administration reform agenda.
Czechia’s public administration reform strategy, Client-oriented Public Administration 2030, was published in 2020 by the Department of Strategic Development and Co-ordination of Public Administration, which operates under the Ministry of the Interior. While Centres of Government (CoG) in OECD countries are often involved in designing, steering and monitoring public administration reform, this role is devoted to the Ministry of Interior in Czechia.
The strategic document envisions “a client-oriented public administration creating conditions for the growth of prosperity in Czechia and further increasing the quality of life of its population”. The PAR articulates three overarching global objectives, subdivided into five strategic aims: quality and accessible services of public administration, efficient system of public administration, efficient public administration institutions, competent human resources and informed and engaged citizens. To achieve these aims, the PAR delineates key projects, including the digitalisation of public services, optimisation of control mechanisms, promotion of evidence-based decision-making and enhancement of skills-based training of both local and state civil servants. The PAR further underscores the importance of improving communication between public administration entities and citizens, as well as raising awareness about citizen participation in public affairs. Special attention is directed to specific population groups, such as individuals with disabilities, to ensure their equal access to public services.
The implementation timeline is structured around three Action Plans, with the initial two spanning three years each and the final Plan extending over four years. In preparation of the PAR, public feedback was solicited through online questionnaires in 2018. This input was thoroughly reviews and integrated into both the PAR and the corresponding Action Plan.
This section analyses Kazakhstan’s ongoing PAR initiatives, focusing on identifying the key drivers behind the country’s reform efforts. It also provides an in-depth analysis of the institutional framework supporting PAR in Kazakhstan, mapping out the main public agencies and their respective roles in achieving the objectives outlined in the Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030. The section concludes with key recommendations to help Kazakhstan effectively develop, monitor and implement its public administration reform agenda, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of administrative and institutional reforms and contributing to a more efficient and accountable public administration.
1.3.1. Kazakhstan continues to advance a comprehensive public administration reform agenda that addresses both longstanding national objectives and contemporary challenges
Public administration reform priorities are guided and supported by long-term strategic documents and presidential addresses
In December 2012, Kazakhstan 2050 defined the country’s long-term priorities to develop a strong democratic state supported by a globally competitive market economy and an efficient and competitive state service. Kazakhstan 2050 presented the seven principles necessary to guide the establishment of a “professional state”, including (i) a comprehensive and professionally trained government, (ii) the use of Action Programmes based on proposed strategies, (iii) efficient inter-institutional co-ordination, (iv) increase of authorities and responsibilities of ministers, (v) decentralisation within ministries, (vi) decisive combat against corruption, (vii) and improvement to contemporary recruitment, training and career advancement systems (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2012[5]). As a long-term strategic document, the principles outlined in Kazakhstan 2050 continue to inform the current public administration reform agenda, which has been continuously adapted to meet contemporary national challenges.
The socio-economic challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a new wave of public administration reform. On 1 September 2020, the President delivered the State of the Nation address “Kazakhstan in a New Reality: Time for Action”, outlining key reform priorities in a crisis context (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2020[80]). The address called for a new, more efficient and responsive model of government with measures to further decentralise power and enhance local governance, as well as a fairer and more transparent state that protects citizen interests through judicial and anti-corruption measure.
Building on the momentum of reforms initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic and responding to the events that occurred in January 2022, Kazakhstan has since enacted significant public governance reforms. Citizen unrest and dissatisfaction with the current institutional model in Kazakhstan catalysed further changes to strengthen the effectiveness of the public administration and the state’s accountability to the people of Kazakhstan. On 16 March 2022, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan delivered the State of the Nation address “New Kazakhstan: The path of renewal and modernisation”, laying out a vision for an effective and accountable state supported by a robust civil society (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022[6]). “Priority Nine: Decentralisation of local self-government” outlined clear objectives for administrative and institutional reform aimed at empowering local self-governance (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022[6]).
A cornerstone of these reforms were the constitutional amendments designed to limit presidential power and strengthen the role of the parliament, addressing concerns about the concentration of authority in the executive branch. These changes aimed to establish a more balanced system of governance by significantly curtailing the President’s authority to override parliamentary decisions, empowering the legislature to play a more decisive role in shaping national policies. Additionally, the amendments prohibited the President from being an active member of a political party during their tenure and close relatives of the President from holding high-ranking government or public sector positions to combat nepotism and ensure impartial decision-making (Kazinform, 2022[81]). Further amendments aimed to enhance the structure and functioning of the Mäjilis and the Senate to broaden political participation (Kazinform, 2022[81]). The replacement of the Constitutional Council with a Constitutional Court aimed to introduce a robust mechanism to uphold constitutional principles and enforce checks and balances, with responsibility for judicial appointments now divided across the President, the Mäjilis and the Senate (Kazinform, 2022[81]). Moreover, measures to bolster the rule of law and human rights protections were also introduced, for instance with the strengthening of the mandate of the Commissioner for Human Rights. The abolition of the death penalty underscored Kazakhstan’s commitment to aligning with international human rights standards.
Since 2022, significant reforms have been implemented to empower line ministries with mandates previously held by the Executive Office of the President and the Prime Minister’s Office, expand regional and local self-governance, and enhance the capacity of the public administration. The State of the Nation address “A Fair State. One Nation. Prosperous Society” outlined an agenda to devolve sectoral competencies to ministries and transform the Prime Minister’s Office into a Government Apparatus responsible for cross-sectoral co-ordination (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022[38]). Approximately 500 functions were transferred to line ministries, including some to local bodies (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2023[82]). Reforms also enhanced the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and introduced new procedures for selecting and dismissing civil servants, along with a digital talent pool platform (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2022[38]). These reforms are being implemented in stages under “Project 15: Optimal State Apparatus” of the Concept 2030’s Action Plan, with the first focusing on devolving executive power and de-bureaucratising the state apparatus and the second stage decentralising implementation powers to regional and local executive bodies (Ministry of National Economy, 2022[18]).
Most recently, the 2023 State of the Nation accelerated these reforms, reducing the Executive Office of the President’s responsibilities to shaping the strategic direction of socio-economic development (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2023[39]). The Government was granted full authority for implementing economic policy, and ministers and akims for sectoral decision-making. The address further acknowledged the need to de-bureaucratise the state apparatus, establishing a political employee personnel reserve and enhancing citizens’ direct participation in local executive decision-making. These reforms aim to optimise the whole-of-government management structure of the public administration and enhance the flexibility and independence of government agencies, with leadership shared among the central and regional government bodies (Ministry of National Economy, 2022[18]).
The government has been carrying out a PAR strategy to reflect and implement the national strategic priorities expressed by the President
In February 2021, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan approved by presidential decree the Concept for the Development of Public Administration in the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2030, which aims to build a service-based and “human-centred” model of public administration (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2021[8]). The Concept 2030 operationalises the country’s strategic vision for PAR in Kazakhstan since the COVID-19 pandemic and aims at addressing key areas including citizen-state interaction and trust, strategic planning models, the competitiveness of the civil service and the development of local self-government. The plan is informed by five guiding principles derived from international best practices in the professionalisation and optimisation of state personnel, the use of long-term state planning frameworks, the application of data modelling and analysis to inform decision-making, and the simplification of the administrative-regulatory environment. These principles seek to build a state that is effective, accountable, professional, pragmatic and that listens to its citizens. Key reform areas for public administration include:
Formation of a client-oriented and open government apparatus: systematise interactions with citizens through direct feedback channels, enhance responses to media and NGO inquiries, create a “single window” for citizen appeals, ensure openness of information, and involve citizens in decision-making processes.
Improving approaches to strategic and budgetary planning, as well as reforms: introduce scenario planning, streamline the strategic and budgetary processes, delineate responsibilities for reform implementation, ensure transparency and stakeholder involvement in policy development and evaluation.
Formation of an optimal and effective state apparatus: conduct a comprehensive functional analysis to eliminate redundancies, centralise auxiliary functions, transform business procedures and digitise operations to enhance efficiency and accountability.
Transition to proactive public services based on the needs of citizens: introduce the concept of “socially significant services” for public monitoring and expand digital service provision through the eGov mobile application to ensure services are accessible, efficient, and user-friendly.
Improving the quality of human resources and professionalising the government apparatus: identify and develop citizen talents, introduce a “positional” civil service model, automate HR records, use advanced evaluation methods such as “360 degrees”, attract contract professionals and foster continuous improvement and organisational culture among civil servants.
Formation of an effective, optimal and transparent quasi-public sector: reduce state economic participation through privatisation, optimise classification and organisational frameworks, ensure efficient state property management, introduce corporate governance standards, strengthen board responsibilities and align quasi-public sector relations with OECD standards.
Further improvement of local government: grant local bodies necessary powers for self-development, ensure accountability with public control, delineate state and local powers and develop local self-government mechanisms within a new conceptual document.
Creating favourable conditions for business development: conduct an inventory of regulatory requirements, reduce control functions, shift to “smart regulation”, introduce “one for two” deregulation, prioritise quality in public procurement and streamline procedures to enhance the business environment.
These eight reform priorities are implemented through an Action Plan that translates these thematic areas into thirty-five measurable, actionable project objectives with timelines and key performance indicators (KPIs). Notable achievements and progress of the Concept 2030 so far can be viewed as of 2022 below (Table 1.1) including significant progress in digitalising public services and enhancing avenues for citizen-state interactions.
Note: Data collected from reporting period 2022, expected to be updated in 2025
The Action Plan was developed by the Ministry of National Economy (MNE) as per its mandate and included consultations with key government stakeholders. The MNE is tasked with monitoring the implementation of the plan in connection with line ministries and agencies, particularly the Agency for Civil Service Affairs. To support the implementation, annual reporting plans are prepared by the MNE based on data collection from the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry and reporting from the agencies in charge of the eight key areas and activities of the plan. As of December 2024, a new report on the implementation of the Concept for the Development of Public Administration is under consideration by the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms (ASPIRE), with an expert opinion being prepared. At the midpoint of its implementation timeline, the Concept 2030 is also expected to be updated to strengthen its focus on shifting reform priorities and key objectives not yet achieved.
Kazakhstan has developed a sophisticated institutional framework to guide PAR implementation, supported by high-level political commitment at the centre of government
The 2014 OECD Review of the Central Administration recommended that Kazakhstan clarify responsibilities for public administration and civil reform by adopting a whole-of-government approach. This included strengthening the links between the Ministry of National Economy and the Agency for Civil Service Affairs, consolidating functions and developing capacities (OECD, 2014[3]).
Kazakhstan’s institutional framework for public administration reform is sophisticated and has benefitted from high-level political commitment to enhancing the autonomy, accountability and capacities of central and line ministries. Recent institutional reforms have aimed to reduce the direct role of the Executive Office, transferring sectoral responsibilities to central and line ministries and local akims (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2023[39]). The development of the Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030 and its allocation to the MNE have also facilitated a more whole-of-government approach to public administration and management.
The Executive Office of the President remains pivotal in shaping public administration reform priorities as the principal co-ordinator of the country’s strategic vision and development programme (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2024[36]). Each line ministry is tasked with implementing PAR priorities relevant to its sector (see Chapter 2). Nonetheless, a network of key state bodies has been assigned mandates related to the development, co-ordination and oversight of the Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030, encompassing a whole-of-government approach to PAR:
The Government Apparatus: As the institutional successor to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Government Apparatus co-ordinates activities among central and local executive bodies including on PAR and aims to enhance government operations and interactions with citizens and businesses (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2023[82]). The Apparatus has integrated new functions under the “Listening State” principle of public administration, establishing departments for handling citizen appeals and creating citizen reception centres, thereby supporting the Concept 2030’s objectives to form a client-oriented and open state apparatus.
The Ministry of National Economy (MNE): The MNE proposes optimal distributions of state functions and formulates state policy on PAR within its Department for the Development of Public Administration. It co-ordinates across state bodies to enhance the effectiveness of state agencies, proposes measures to improve the Assessment System for government agencies, refines the remuneration system for civil servants and ensures effectiveness governance through streamlined public administration mechanisms (Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2024[83]). The MNE co-ordinates the implementation of the Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030 and conducts annual monitoring of the Action Plan to ensure alignment with national development goals.
The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry (MDDIAI): Managing a broad inter-sectoral portfolio that includes innovation, e-government development, digital assets, project management and public service delivery, the MDDIAI oversees the digital transformation of the public administration. It co-ordinates the re-engineering of public service delivery and monitors and evaluates the quality of public services using key performance indicators (Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2024[84]). The MDDIAI oversees a Single Monitoring System to track and assess the advancement of the Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030’s Action Plan, channelling sectoral progress reports on the implementation of the Concept 2030 through the digital platform.
The Agency for Civil Service Affairs (CSA): The CSA oversees activities related to the civil service, co-ordinating human resources management (HRM) and ensuring compliance with quality standards for public services (Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs, 2024[85]). It collaborates closely with the MNE in refining the remuneration system for civil servants, conducts comprehensive analyses of personnel capacity within the public administration and provides expert opinions to the MNE. The CSA is currently overseeing the recent Concept for the Development of the Civil Service from 2024-2029, published in July 2024 (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2024[28]).
1.3.2. Kazakhstan’s agenda for public administration reform can benefit from key areas of improvement at the midpoint of the Concept 2030 to ensure robust achievement of national priorities
At the midpoint of the Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030, Kazakhstan has made significant progress in modernising its model of public governance and system of public administration. The country has established a sophisticated institutional framework, demonstrating strong political commitment to advancing public administration reform. Nonetheless, the full achievement of national priorities will require both a deeper pursuit and strategic expansion of key reform areas. As Kazakhstan’s agenda for PAR advances, it will be crucial to refine the pillars of the Concept 2030 by placing a stronger emphasis on topics such as participatory governance, innovation and alignment with parallel national strategies, including civil service modernisation and the green transition.
Ensuring the success of these reforms in Kazakhstan can be supported by enabling factors such as fostering inclusive decision-making through deepened participatory mechanisms, institutionalising co-ordination mechanisms across government entities and streamlining monitoring and evaluation systems to more effectively steer the implementation of the Concept 2030’s objectives.
Kazakhstan can refine the pillars of the Concept 2030 to more substantively address key areas of reform and align with national priorities
The Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030 provides a structured framework for improving Kazakhstan’s public administration system (see Table 1.1), with implementation overseen by the MNE. To further enhance this framework, Kazakhstan can integrate new themes of strategic importance into the pillars of the Concept 2030, such as innovation, citizen participation and a human-centred approach to public service delivery, simultaneously aligning their reform agenda to national objectives and adopting the latest global trends in PAR.
Kazakhstan can integrate innovation as a core pillar, leveraging technology to improve service delivery, optimise government operations and foster citizen engagement. Incorporating artificial intelligence and other digital tools, in line with the OECD Recommendation on Human-centred Public Administrative Services, can help to create a more adaptive and data-driven governance system (OECD, 2024[54]). Sustainability in the public administration could also be integrated as a central pillar of the Concept 2030, integrating initiatives to green the public administration in alignment with Kazakhstan’s Strategy on Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2060. This pillar would accelerate public institutions’ efforts to adopt ecologically sound operations, including sustainable mobility solutions and energy-efficient procurement practices.
A dedicated pillar on citizen participation mechanisms, aligning with the national principle of the “Listening State”, would serve as another crucial addition to the updated Concept 2030. Institutionalising systemic consultation mechanisms including citizen panels, online surveys and e-petitions can help ensure meaningful public involvement in decision-making. Establishing indicators, such as measuring citizens’ perceptions of government responsiveness, aligned with UNSDG 16.7.2 on Ensuring Inclusive and Responsive Decision-making for Sustainable Development, can help track progress in this dimension and enhance trust between the government and the citizenry (UNDP, 2022[86]). This can be complemented by adopting a human-centred approach to public service delivery by embedding life-event approaches, improving accessibility and efficiency. Kazakhstan could introduce a digital barometer for public services, drawing on the example of France’s model, to monitor satisfaction levels and service improvements (see Box 1.4).
To measure the impact of these reforms, the revised Concept 2030 should incorporate expanded governance performance indicators. Beyond traditional benchmarks such as the WGIs, new outcome-based metrics should include indicators on poverty reduction, quality of social services (OECD, 2023[87]), anti-corruption efforts and public trust in government. This should be embedded within a comprehensive evaluation framework to provide a detailed assessment of reform progress and its societal impact.
Further alignment of the Concept 2030 to Kazakhstan’s new agenda for civil service reform will be essential to streamline resources and avoid duplication of strategic priorities
A key pillar of the Concept 2030 is the modernisation of Kazakhstan’s civil service, which stands to be closely aligned with the recently adopted Concept for the Development of the Civil Service for 2024-2029. The CSA is an instrumental entity in this process, overseeing HRM, refining the remuneration system, and evaluating personnel capacity across the administration. In this context, clear delineation of institutional responsibilities and strategic positioning between the MNE and the CSA is paramount to ensure that HRM reforms are implemented and monitored efficiently and without duplication across government entities.
Enhancing performance within the civil service requires adopting modern management methodologies. The MDDIAI’s implementation of advanced management methodologies, such as the project-network model, can play a crucial role in this effort. This model promotes active participation from businesses and civil society from businesses and civil society through matrix project-oriented structures and agile cross-functional teams. A three-level project management system ensures alignment with government priorities and efficient resource utilisation (Ministry of National Economy, 2022[18]). Building a performance management culture also necessitates the development of capabilities and incentives for civil servants. Training and certification in project management, provided by the Academy of Public Administration, will enhance the skills of civil servants, ensuring that the public administration can meet modern demands.
Recent reforms have also sought to introduce flexible recruitment mechanisms, including legal amendments allowing short-term contract employment. However, standardised wages and selection criteria must be maintained to uphold fairness and merit-based recruitment. Further reforms should focus on creating career growth opportunities linked to performance-based evaluations, ensuring that civil servants remain motivated and committed to delivering high-quality public services. Kazakhstan’s broader public administration reform requires addressing internal performance and management challenges within the civil service. Integrating continuous performance evaluation with training and development and linking performance bonuses to both annual performance and ongoing assessments, can more effectively motivate civil servants. Kazakhstan has addressed past qualification and performance issues through standardised recruitment processes and digitalisation (Baimenov, Uteshev and Suleimenova, 2022[24]). The recent legal amendments allowing the hiring of more contract employees for short-term projects demonstrate adaptability but also highlight the need for standardised wages and selection rules to ensure fair recruitment. These topics will be further explored in Chapter 3 on human resources management (HRM) and Chapter 4 on innovation management in the public administration.
Kazakhstan’s commitment to expanding the “Listening State” can further enable its efforts to drive public administration reform through institutionalised and inclusive citizen participation mechanisms
Strengthening citizen engagement remains central to deepening trust in public institutions and enhancing government effectiveness. As part of this commitment, Kazakhstan has made notable progress in fostering a more open and human-centred administration. Recent reforms, particularly regarding the functions of the Government Apparatus, have focused on integrating citizen feedback into decision-making processes through initiatives under the principle of the “Listening State”. These efforts align with the objectives of the Concept 2030, seeking to create a client-oriented and open state apparatus.
Further institutionalisation of citizen participation is nonetheless essential to ensure a more systematic and meaningful integration of public input into decision-making. Expanding and diversifying existing consultation tools in Kazakhstan, such as citizen panels, online surveys, and e-petitions, can help establish a robust model of participatory governance that actively involves citizens throughout the policy cycle (see Box 1.1 for OECD examples). For example, strengthening the role of Public Councils by ensuring they represent a broad spectrum of stakeholders, coupled with a systematic approach to incorporating their recommendations into decision-making processes, can further enhance the legitimacy of policy decisions. Connecting these mechanisms directly to policy design and implementation, while utilising innovative digital tools, can foster greater transparency, responsiveness, and ultimately, trust in public institutions. An annual evaluation of these participatory mechanisms could be included in forthcoming reports on the implementation of the Concept 2030.
In line with the OECD Recommendation on Human-Centred Public Administrative Services, Kazakhstan can further expand co-design approaches in public service delivery (OECD, 2024[54]), for instance in the implementation of life-event approaches. Extending the life-event approach to a broader range of critical citizen services, alongside conducting regular national surveys on public services and citizen needs, would provide valuable insights into public expectations and needs. This would enable the government to refine service delivery processes and improve policy outcomes based on direct citizen input.
To institutionalise citizen participation more effectively, Kazakhstan could consider establishing a dedicated centre of expertise, as well as a cross-government working group, led by the MNE. This body would focus on identifying best practices for enhancing participatory governance in policymaking and developing guidelines for mechanisms across all ministries and public agencies. Leveraging international best practices, such as the OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes, would ensure that participation is not only more inclusive but also more effective in shaping responsive and accountable governance (OECD, 2022[65]).
Optimising the role and responsibilities of public institutions and strengthening co-ordination mechanisms for PAR are strong enablers for ensuring successful implementation
Improving the implementation of PAR priorities requires strengthening institutional reforms that clearly define the mandates of each government body involved in the reforms. This involves ensuring a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities among the relevant state bodies responsible for whole-of-government PAR through enhanced inter-ministerial co-ordination. Such co-ordination is crucial for aligning sectoral plans with overarching national priorities, enhancing capacity to monitor implementation progress and address any gaps or delays.
Governance settings for co-ordinating PAR in OECD member countries combine political and technical level committees that aim to steer and coordinate activities and workstreams on PAR, for instance with a high level ministerial committee chaired by the Prime Minister or equivalent, such as France’s Interministerial Committee for Public Transformation, and technical working groups that would gather key actors on specific areas or themes of PAR plans (e.g. public service delivery, HRM, digitalisation, etc). Most OECD member countries have developed dedicated inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms to steer and co-ordinate the implementation of their PAR plans. These mechanisms provide critical support in facilitating collaboration and coherence across government agencies involved in PAR initiatives. In the United States, the President’s Management Council serves as the primary whole-of-government advisory body, offering guidance on management issues across agencies and overseeing the execution of PAR reform objectives (Box 1.3). By fostering inter-ministerial dialogue, co-ordination and alignment of efforts, these mechanisms help ensure the execution of PAR agendas, enhancing evidence-based decision-making through knowledge sharing, and improved public sector performance. This also presents a significant opportunity to align the public administration reform agenda with national climate commitments, ensuring that PAR frameworks support both sustainable development and carbon neutrality goals.
In the United States, the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) is led by an inter-departmental President’s Management Council (PMC), providing guidance to the President and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on various management issues across government agencies. Chaired by the OMB Deputy Director for Management, the PMC comprises Deputy Secretaries and Administrators from 24 Federal agencies, alongside the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, the Administrator of the General Services Administration and the White House Cabinet Secretary.
Operating as a central hub for organisational performance and management leadership, the PMC oversees the implementation of whole-of-government reform programmes, providing overall direction for the execution of priorities outlined in the PMA.
The PMA outlines three whole-of-government priorities for the Federal Workforce through a concise list of objectives yet allocates the responsibility for implementation and indicator development to each individual Department. Each priority area has an interagency goal team dedicated to its implementation. Interagency forums, executive management councils and communities of practice offer agencies platforms to collaborate, share best practices and foster continuous learning. Each reform initiative, action plan and indicator list developed across all Departments is catalogued on the website Performance.gov, administered by the U.S. General Services Administration.
Inter-ministerial co-ordination in Kazakhstan has suffered from a lack of alignment between sectoral and national priorities. Line ministries may have varying agendas, leading to misaligned efforts and a lack of cohesion in implementing PAR reforms, despite existing exchanges and communication procedures (OECD, 2024[89]). This disparity necessitates more structured and consistent communication channels to ensure that all ministries work towards a common national vision rather than pursuing divergent interests. While the MNE maintains regular exchanges with line ministries and agencies through official procedures, there is no dedicated committee or working group for PAR to co-ordinate activities and progress across all actors. Establishing such a body could ensure even progress across work streams, coherence in reforms, and alignment with the latest priorities from the Executive Office of the President and the Government. For example, Kazakhstan should consider integrating efforts to involve citizens under “Priority One: Formation of a client-oriented and open government apparatus” with “Priority Four: Transition to proactive public services based on the needs of citizens” to develop a consistent, human-centred approach to public administration.
Monitoring exercises for PAR are conducted annually by the MNE, but a more impact-focused approach to monitoring and performance management could enhance the effectiveness of implementation
Monitoring and evaluation are critical for fostering performance dialogue on public administration reform, allowing stakeholders to assess progress, identify challenges, and make informed decisions for future improvements. By systematically tracking KPIs, governments can evaluate the success of their PAR strategies and make necessary adjustments to implementation. Setting up a robust performance management platform with key indicators is essential to monitor accurately and timely performance and the attainment of objectives in PAR plans. For instance, France, Latvia and the United States have established performance metrics for PAR that help them continuously monitor the implementation and the success of their PAR efforts (see Box 1.4). Additionally, developing performance dialogue systems enables regular discussions on results, issues and adjustments, helping to resolve problems and ensure the PAR plan stays on track.
The MNE is responsible for monitoring the Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030, based on the Action Plan it has developed and has achieved significant results in several reform areas. The Action Plan outlines key activities, measures and indicators for which ministries and agencies report annually. The MNE compiles these reports to prepare an assessment that is submitted to the Executive Office of the President and published on its website. However, despite having a clear and well-defined process, the MNE lacks a dedicated inter-ministerial performance dialogue platform, relying instead on ad hoc bilateral channels.
Effective monitoring requires the continuous collection, analysis and review of KPIs. Regular data gathering, such as quarterly updates, is crucial for the MNE to identify deviations early and engage in performance discussions with implementing entities. Currently, the MNE lacks a dedicated platform or dashboard for tracking the progress of the Action Plan and relies on data from the MDDIAI and other sources. Introducing performance management tools that provide real-time information could empower the MNE to better influence and adjust implementation progress. Key stakeholders have expressed concerns that corrective actions may be delayed until the annual review, potentially missing opportunities for timely intervention. Developing a dedicated online platform could address this issue.
In Kazakhstan, the framework for monitoring and evaluating PAR focuses primarily on sectoral compliance and the implementation process, rather than on assessing the broader societal impact of reform initiatives. The Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030 outlines parallel monitoring activities led by the MNE and the MDDIAI. The MDDIAI conducts quarterly monitoring for PAR, while the MNE carries out annual monitoring, complemented by independent annual evaluations from ASPIRE. The MNE’s approach to annual monitoring aligns more closely with what many OECD public administrations consider as evaluations. For example, the Ministry of Interior in Czechia conducts an annual evaluation that measures the progress and impact of key activities and actions outlined in its Action Plan. This process involves regular data collection and discussions with involved entities through an interdepartmental working group on PAR, adhering to OECD best practices (OECD, 2023[78]); (Ministry of Interior, 2024[90]). Kazakhstan could benefit from adopting similar practices, which could deepen effectiveness and impact of its monitoring and evaluation efforts.
Systematically tracking key performance indicators allows governments to evaluate the success of their PAR strategies and make necessary adjustments to implementation (see Box 1.4). Despite tracking KPIs, the MNE relies heavily on data collected from the MDDIAI, line ministries and the CSA through routine communications and special data requests. This approach results in a process that lacks continuous data collection and due diligence. Implementing a more consistent, ongoing data collection strategy could facilitate timely adjustments and significantly enhance the effectiveness of Kazakhstan’s monitoring process.
Several OECD member countries haves established dedicated entities at the centre of government or in line Ministries to steer and monitor the implementation of the public administration reform plan. These units oversee interministerial co-ordination and performance management, and have developed a number of tools, instruments and capacities to support that role, including online dashboards, indicators and action plans. They are also holding regular and active discussions with line ministries on the progress and implementation made on the objectives and indicators. In Czechia, the Department of Strategic Development and Public Administration Co-ordination in the Ministry of Interior is coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the 2030 Client-Oriented Public Administration Strategy using a dedicated working group, action plans and indicators on objectives and detailed measures included in the strategy (OECD, 2023[78]). It is also preparing reports to record and evaluate progress. In Jordan, the Prime Minister’s Public Sector Modernisation Project Management and Implementation Office (PMIO) is tracking the progress in the implementation of the national Public Sector Modernisation Roadmap and is developing an online platform to support those efforts (OECD, 2024[91]). In the United Kingdom, the Civil Service Strategy unit in the Cabinet Office has developed routines, monitoring tools and performance metrics to ensure the implementation of the public administration strategy, A Modern Civil Service.
France
The Barometer of Public Action Results, launched in January 2021, serves a critical role in the Ministry of Transformation and Public Service’s efforts to enhance transparency and accountability in public service delivery. The Barometer provides detailed updates on key government initiatives at national, regional and departmental levels. It presents over 100 indicators, with more than 80 tailored to local contexts, offering insights into the progress of 60 policy priorities across various sectors including the ecological transition, education and security.
Revised in May 2023, the Barometer now tracks advancements against initial benchmarks and targets set for 2027, reflecting a commitment to achieving concrete outcomes aligned with the government’s strategic priorities and ensuring that policies translate into tangible improvements for citizens.
Latvia
Latvia’s Public Administration Modernisation Plan for 2027 utilises robust key performance indicators to guide its implementation. The PAR focuses on achieving smart, efficient and transparent governance across all aspects of public administration, with a strong emphasis on meeting citizen needs and improving the administrative experience. Key objectives of the plan include establishing a centre of government, enhancing human resource development, promoting evidence-informed policymaking, setting up a shared services centre, fostering a modern workplace, encouraging innovation and advancing digitalisation.
The PAR sets specific targets such as increasing trust in government to 50% and achieving a 50% user satisfaction rate with public services by 2027. It intends to elevate executive capacity from the current rating of 7.5 to 8, aiming to improve the effectiveness and responsiveness of government institutions. These goals are supported by a systematic approach to monitoring progress and driving improvement through rigorous performance metrics, ensuring accountability and continual enhancement within Latvia’s public administration framework.
United States
The United States government has standardised performance metrics for 37 services, which are publicly available on the website Performance.gov. These common metrics provide a transparent and standardised framework for assessing the performance of government services, enabling stakeholders to track progress and identify areas for improvement. By promoting accountability and transparency, these standardised metrics contribute to the overall effectiveness of departmental PARs and support the commitment of the President’s Management Agenda to deliver high-quality services to citizens.
Kazakhstan’s commitment to public administration reform is clearly articulated through key strategic initiatives, including Kazakhstan 2050 and the Concept for the Development of Public Administration until 2030. These strategies have established a robust framework aimed at creating a service-oriented, human-centred public administration system. Given that the Concept will be updated in Spring 2025, Kazakhstan could consider the following expansions and enablers to ensure the successful implementation of these reforms:
Update the Concept 2030 to integrate innovation, sustainability and citizen participation as core priorities of public administration reform:
Integrate innovation as a core reform priority, including the adoption of emerging technologies such as AI to improve service delivery and citizen engagement, as outlined in the OECD Recommendation on Human-centred Public Administrative Services.
Develop a full component on citizen participation with objectives on consulting citizens in a systematic manner in a meaningful way and introduce specific mechanisms, activities and indicators, such as people’s belief that the government will listen to, and act on their opinions (SDG indicator 16.7.2), to support the “Listening State” by fostering a stronger citizen-state relationship.
Embed the expansion of life-event approaches and co-design with users in public service delivery as a key objective. Consider creating a barometer of public services as in France that could gather indicators to monitor and display the satisfaction and outcomes of public service delivery and improvements for the administration and for citizens.
Include cross-cutting issues such as greening the public administration, aligning with Kazakhstan’s Strategy on Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2060, to help climate resilience and sustainability become core components of public administration practices, including mobility, facility management and greening public service delivery.
Consider integrating new indicators that could support assessing progress on achieving the “Listening State” and on public sector effectiveness by expanding outcome-oriented indicators beyond the World Bank’s Governance Effectiveness Indicators, incorporating national and international metrics such as poverty and inequality, quality and citizen satisfaction with public services, social service indicators (see the OECD Serving Citizen Scorecards (OECD, 2023[87])), anti-corruption (such as Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index) and trust in government.
Ensure the Concept 2030 aligns with the Concept on the Development of the Civil Service for 2024-2029 to support civil service reform:
Create a strategic relationship between the two Concepts to maintain cohesion and prevent duplication of reform agendas implemented by the MNE and the CSA. This can be done, for example, by integrating the key priorities from the Concept of the Civil Service into the revised version of the Concept 2030.
Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation by integrating training into career development and performance evaluation, linking bonuses and promotions to assessments and skills development. Adopt modern management methodologies to help align objectives with performance metrics, enhancing the civil service’s flexibility and responsiveness to reform challenges (see Chapter 3).
Strengthen the “Listening State” principle by expanding citizen engagement tools, enhancing Public Councils and institutionalising participatory policymaking:
Broaden the scope of citizen engagement tools and link these mechanisms to policy design and implementation. For instance, by implementing in a systematic manner citizen panels, online consultation platforms and national surveys on topics and indicators of public value and by strengthening Public Councils, ensuring they represent a diverse range of stakeholders and civil society, and that their advice and outcomes are reported, published and used to inform new policies and measures. Consider also leveraging innovative tools such as the e-petition format to deepen civic engagement across the policy cycle and support a more transparent, responsive and accountable public administration, increasing trust in the state’s ability to serve its citizens. Integrate an annual evaluation of these mechanisms into the report on the implementation of the Concept 2030.
Align with the OECD Recommendation on Human-centred Public Administrative Services by further developing co-design approaches to public services, expanding the use of life event approaches to additional critical public services, and using national surveys of citizens on public services and life events.
Consider further institutionalising citizen participation by creating a centre of expertise and a working group led by the MNE with the task of identifying ways to increase the engagement of citizens in policy making and to develop guidelines to design citizen participation mechanisms that can be used by all ministries and public agencies, leveraging the OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes.
Improve inter-ministerial co-ordination through the establishment of a high-level council, structured meetings and technical working groups focusing on public administration reform:
Establish a central co-ordination council or body, chaired by the Minister of National Economy or the Prime Minister, to oversee PAR reforms. The MNE could serve as the Secretariat, drawing on the example of France’s CITP. This body would be responsible for organising regular, structured meetings among key state bodies, such as the MNE, ASPIRE and MDDIAI, to share and discuss progress on the implementation of the Concept 2030, steer overall reform efforts, support decision-making, and conduct continuous progress reviews to address challenges and adjust strategies.
Establish regular performance dialogues between the MNE, line ministries and other agencies to improve co-ordination, better align reform efforts with national strategic goals, and ultimately enhance the execution of PAR initiatives.
Create a technical working group focused on updating and implementing the Concept 2030, involving directors or deputy directors, to further strengthen co-ordination (e.g. Czechia).
Establish a centralised monitoring system to track implementation progress across the administration, streamline evaluations and enhance performance management:
Consider establishing a single, centralised monitoring and evaluation system for the Concept 2030, integrating the work of the MNE, MDDIAI and other agencies. This framework should combine detailed, indicator-driven assessments with broader impact evaluations to provide a comprehensive view of reform progress on a regular basis, allowing the MNE to suggest and discuss corrective actions with line ministries and agencies. Include formal mechanisms for reconciling discrepancies between different evaluations and ensure consistent, year-round data collection.
Consolidate separate annual and quarterly evaluations into a streamlined process to reduce duplication while maintaining the Single Monitoring System under the MDDIAI for frequent data collection and analysis to track KPIs outlined in the Action Plan. A centralised M&E system would improve the accuracy, timeliness and overall effectiveness of reform progress assessments, promote consistency across ministries, and enable cohesive reform implementation and adjustment strategies.
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