The Permanent Council for the Strategy on Public Administration Reforms today held its first session, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan. The Deputy Premier addressed the meeting with a speech, in which he stated:

“Dear colleagues,

I am glad to welcome you to the first session of the Permanent Council for the Strategy on Public Administration Reforms of the Republic of Armenia. I say this sentence with particular excitement, while at the same time realizing the serious responsibility and even the mission that lies with the board and the team in general.

We can state with confidence the inefficient system and mechanisms in public administration as one of the primary and in-depth reasons behind the velvet revolution of 2018.

It is not by chance that the incumbent authorities and government have always declared that the in-depth reforms in public administration will be the key component of the policy agenda. These reforms will guarantee the success of policies pursued in other areas, be they economic, social, defense or otherwise.

Today, it is more than clear that the public is more attentive towards state policies and the adopted decisions and has a bigger opportunity to be demanding.

Consequently, we are entering an extremely important stage of democratization that will go on to become radicalized as a value system. The past one-and-a-half years were enough to have a comprehensive understanding of the fact that there is no alternative to in-depth modernization of the public administration system.

Today we are heralding the official launch of the development of a comprehensive and substantial strategy, the objective of which is to revalue the public administration system. The main goal is to transform the values, institutions and processes of the public administration system in such a way that citizen-centered public administration is ensured.

One thing is obvious and undeniable: In the modern world, both the content of public relations, the dynamics of processes, and the saturation of information flows require other quality and model institutions.

The overriding goal is to transform the values, institutions, and processes of the state system so as to ensure citizen-centric public administration.

Under the strategy we should be able to formulate a state-of-the-art operating model that is capable and effective:

formulating a development agenda and presenting it to the public,

responding to the signals of an ever-changing environment,

addressing the risks and challenges facing the state,

in the implementation of public policy aimed at ensuring public welfare.

By saying reforms in the public administration system, in essence, we are dealing with several key directions that lay the foundation for building relations between the State and society, including development and implementation of policies, including public finance management; provision of state services; the system of state services; the optimal institutional structure and the rules of accountability and integrity.

Moreover, the Strategy will include five levels:

Development of policies;

Public service and human resources management;

Provision of state services;

Accountability and integrity,

The scope of functions of public administration.

At all levels, digitization and the development of human skills will play a major role. In particular, the possibilities of introducing digital, electronic and intelligent solutions will be considered. The aim is to increase system synergy, operability, transparency, public accountability, automation of business processes with a reasonable amount of scope.

As a result of reforms, public policies will cease to be partial, the state will be accountable not for processes but for concrete results, the institution of individual responsibility for policy outcomes will be introduced, the public perception of public servants will be transformed, the public service will become attractive for both young professionals. has the ambition to pursue a career in government and a self-sufficient specialist in other fields who is ready to invest his knowledge and years of experience in the mining industry.

The functioning of the state system should not rely on the selfless efforts of individuals or devotees as it used to be before, which is no less important, of course, but at established institutions.

From the outset, it is clear that the process of public administration reform, like the very philosophy of any reform, will be based on a positive destructive logic. But as a result of this reform, we need to get the very reforms that are capable of carrying and leading change.

We are going to face many difficult decisions during the development and implementation of the Strategy. In this sense, the political authorities have the willingness and necessary will to reach the milestone that has been initially set, as was promised during the election campaign.

Taking into consideration the importance and volume of this process, wide public participation and a proper awareness-raising campaign will be ensured throughout the processes of development and implementation.

At the same time, unlike the common practice, when such work relies on expert ability, in this case we aim to be the public servant of the core content of the reforms.

I am confident that strong with such representation and composition, the Council will properly spearhead the development of the Strategy. I wish all of us every success in the accomplishment of this important mission.”

