The Kafka project How to reform the public administration and services Dannie Goossens Administrative Simplification Agency Chancellery of the Prime Minister Castilla y Leon Permanent Delegation to the EU BRUSSELS December 9, 2009
The Kafka projectHow to reform the public administration and services
Dannie Goossens Administrative Simplification AgencyChancellery of the Prime Minister
Castilla y Leon Permanent Delegation to the EU
BRUSSELS
December 9, 2009
“A key example of an administrative simplification agency is the Agency for Administrative Simplification in Belgium.”
OECD, 2006
“Belgium has developed the European Union's most innovative communication program for cutting red tape.”
Worldbank, 2007
2Federal Kafka Project in Belgium
Table of contents• Kafka brand name• About ASA –Administrative Simplification Agency • Definitions: administrative simplification
& administrative burdens• A quantitative burden reduction target ?• Results• SWOT-analysis
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Kafka brand name
• 2001: “No to Kafka plan”Government Commissioner for modernization & simplification of social security
• 2003-2004: Kafka contact point –all (6) government levels
• 2005: federal Kafka project
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KAFKASecretary of State for Administrative Simplification (2003-2007)
Minister of Enterprises and Simplification (2008-2011 )
Vincent Van QuickenborneWriter
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KAFKA
report
Citizens BusinessesCivil servants
test
Civil servants
measuring model
Civilservants
index
museum
Citizens
Businesses
Civil servants
Businesses
award
contact point
Citizens
Businesses
Civil servants
Involve stakeholders
Win hearts and minds
Find a strong brandname
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7Federal Kafka Project in Belgium
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About ASA (1/2)
Administrative Simplification Agency (ASA)
• Created by Law 10 February 1998 for the promotion of entrepreneurship
• Competence: businesses, in 2003 extended to citizens
• Means of action:– Right to be informed– Recommend – Stimulate – Coordinate– Report
• Branch of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister
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About ASA (2/2)
• “Light” administrative structure – ASA
• Director general• Deputy Director general• 8 senior advisors• 4 management assistants• + citizen specific unit
– Steering committee • Representatives of businesses and unions• Political level• Civil service level
• Network of simplification agents
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Administrative simplification : a definition
• ≠ E-government• ≠ Business Process Re-engineering
(reorganisation)• ≠ deregulation or regulatory management• ≠ plain language drafting or mere communication
• = Minimization of administrative burdens for citizens and enterprises without interfering with political goals and strategies
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Another definition:Administrative burdens
• “All obligations and administrative formalities • imposed on
– citizens– enterprises (small and large)– nonprofit sector
• concerning regulations about rights, prohibitions or obligations.”
• ≠ streamlining internal procedures of public services or making public services more cost efficient
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Administrative procedures: 4 parameters
Ad
min
istr
ati
ve
bu
rden
s
Number of enterprises or
citizens concerned
Frequency
Time needed to comply with the
obligation
Number of administrative
formalities
Red
uctio
n o
r increase
of
adm
inistrative b
urd
en
s
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Starting up a business
• 1 Canada ...................................1• 1 New Zealand ...........................1• 3 Australia ..................................2• 4 Belgium...................................3• 4 Finland.....................................3• 4 Georgia....................................3• 4 Sweden....................................3• 8 Bulgaria ...................................4• 8 Denmark .................................4• 8 Hungary...................................4• 8 Ireland .....................................4• 8 Kyrgyz Republic.......................4• 8 Senegal ...................................4• 8 Singapore ................................4• 8 Sri Lanka .................................4• 16 Burkina Faso .........................5
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1 New Zealand ....................1.02 Australia ............................2.03 Georgia..............................3.04 Belgium..............................4.04 Singapore ..........................4.06 Canada ..............................5.06 Hungary..............................5.06 Iceland................................5.09 Denmark ............................6.09 Mauritius ............................6.09 Portugal..............................6.09 Qatar .................................6.09 Turkey.................................6.09 United States .....................6.015 Egypt................................7.038 Finland............................14.038 Jordan ............................14.038 Oman .............................14.0
Number of procedures Time required (days)
Source: Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 – World Economic Forum
A quantitative burden reduction target ?
• 1999-2003– 25% reduction target (but no baseline measurement)
• 2003-2007– Strategic projects (instead of abstract reduction target)– Kafka Masterplan – XII Labours– Contact point
• 2008– New projects– Measurements of administrative burden reduction (SCM-model) :
potential & real
• 2009-– Reduction target: 25% by 2012
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Evaluation
• Measurements– Biennial Survey
(macroeconomic level) • 25 % reduction 2002 > 2004• 50 % reduction 2000 > 2008
– Kafka model= Standard Cost Model
Administrative burden in % GDP
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
Year
%
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
Source: Federal Planning Bureau
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Results (2003-2007)
• 25% reduction in 2 years time (business survey) Reduction: 1,7 billion Euros
• Kafka-masterplan:– All 12 strategic projects accomplished– > 200 short term projects
• 2 simplification laws approved by government– abolished about 20 procedures, both for citizens and enterprises
• Growing number of on-line services for citizens and enterprises– Tax-on-web (businesses and citizens)– e-ID card for citizens
• One stop shops for enterprises
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Report success stories
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In progress
• Screening of existing legislation• Screening of new legislation• Less statistical obligations for enterprises • Authentic sources: promotion of existing
and creation of new sources• Implementation of Services Directive
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SWOT analysis: Strenghts
• An institutional body• Political support at highest level (prime minister)• Involvement of stakeholders• In touch with problems in the field• Brand name• Tools• Concrete projects• Contact point – www.kafka.be• Communication of success stories• Pragmatism• Multidisciplinary approach
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SWOT analysis : Weaknesses
• Limited impact on ministries / agencies
• Not in charge of regulatory oversight
• Network of simplification agents
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SWOT analysis : Opportunities
• Administrative simplification is hot– at all political levels
• Use of standardised tools such as Standard Cost Model will permit international benchmarking
• Brand name
• Reshape network of simplifiction agents into a broader community of believers
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SWOT analysis : Threats
• Austerity measures • Absorption into e-government programme• Minister (former secretary of state) personifies Kafka
brand• Corporatism of stakeholders (defending vested interests)• Abstract AB reduction target without concrete projects• Academicism & bureaucracy• Fear of change (fear of legal changes, fear to disturb
balance rights/obligations, …)• Indistinct leadership and cost centre in horizontal
projects• Privacy debate
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Thank you
[email protected]@premier.fed.be
www.simplification.bewww.simplification.bewww.kafka.bewww.kafka.be
Monthly e-Newsletter in French & DutchMonthly e-Newsletter in French & Dutch
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