Methodology

In close cooperation with the European Commission, SIGMA monitors public administration reform through a set of standard indicators based on the Principles of Public Administration. The Assessment Methodology captures both the preconditions for a good public administration (good laws, policies, structures, and procedures) and how an administration performs in practice, including implementing reforms and subsequent outcomes. Find out more by exploring the framework below.

What are the Principles of Public Administration?

The Principles of Public Administration set out what good public governance entails in practice and outline the main requirements to be followed by administrations during the European Union integration process. Good public governance is key for achieving economic growth, competitiveness, and better quality of life.

Which administrations and years are covered?

Given the geostrategic importance of the Western Balkans to the European Union, and the ongoing accession negotiations, SIGMA (Support for Improvement in Governance and Management) conducts regular monitoring of the state of play in public administrations of EU candidate countries and potential candidates. In 2017, SIGMA established a baseline in all areas of public administration. In 2019, monitoring was conducted against selected Principles. The full scope was covered again in the 2021 reports, which compared performance against the 2017 baseline and regional averages. By analysing the long-term perspective, it is possible to identify significant changes. In the course of 2023 and 2024, the Principles and the corresponding assessment methodology were updated. As a result, a new baseline for the Western Balkan administrations was established in 2024.

What data is used and how is it validated?

The main quantitative and qualitative methods applied in the framework are:

  • Desk reviews of legislation, regulations, reports
  • Interviews
  • Review of cases and samples of government documentation
  • Observation of practice and on-site verification
  • Analysis of administrative data from public registries and national statistics
  • SIGMA Survey of Citizens on public administration
  • SIGMA Survey of Businesses on public administration
  • SIGMA Survey of Public Servants on the functioning of the public administration
  • SIGMA Survey of Contracting Authorities on the public procurement system
  • SIGMA Business Survey on the public procurement system

More than 10,000 documents for analysis are received in total during the regional exercise. Hundreds of government officials are provided direct access to SIGMA’s detailed working sheets for calculation of numerical sub-indicator values and with the justifications for the fulfilment of each of the criteria, in addition to fact-checking the draft monitoring reports.

How frequently is the data updated?

Data for the Western Balkans region, Moldova, and Ukraine is systematically updated every 3-4 years. SIGMA is moving towards annual data releases for a selection of criteria.