Issue № 87. August 2021

Comparison of Local Government Bodies Competence in the Republic of Belarus with Indicators for Assessing Their Effectiveness

PhD, Head of Grodno Regional Center for Socio-Economic Research, Research Economic Institute of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk, Republic of Belarus.
E-mail: daniluk@niei.by

The system of assessing the effectiveness of local government bodies work in the Republic of Belarus is focused on increasing the scale of economic activity. However, in today’s rapidly changing society living conditions the local authorities’ assessment system should be an effective management tool to ensure sustainable territorial development. The purpose of the study is to compare the competences of the regional executive committees with the performance indicators of their functioning. The initial data were legislative acts that enshrine the competence of the regional executive committees and key performance indicators of their work. General research methods are analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization and description. The main methods were classification and systematization at the stage of selecting the competences of regional executive committees for comparative analysis. The tabular method and the method of expert assessments became the main ones for comparing the competences with the indicators. A rating scale was used in points to determine the degree of correlation. Then these points were summed up in a separate table by the sphere of public administration. The results of the comparison indicate many problems in assessing the activities effectiveness of regional executive committees. Most of regional executive committees’ competences are focused on implementing tasks in the social and cultural sphere, while performance indicators are aimed at assessing the powers in the socio-economic sphere. As a result, more than half of the powers of regional executive committees can be assessed only indirectly. To adequately assess the performance of regional executive committees, the system of indicators must meet the following basic requirements: it should be focused on the comprehensive assessment of public administration and also include a survey of public opinion on the activities of local authorities. The diagnostic tool built on such principles will ensure timely identification of problems in the development and management of regions and thereby provide a solid basis for making the necessary management decisions. This will contribute to the sustainable development of the territories and increase the level of their population well-being.

Keywords

Public administration, local government body, regional executive committee, powers, performance assessment indicators, comparative analysis.

DOI: 10.24412/2070-1381-2021-87-19-30