Public service & Administration

The Public Administration, in the broadest sense of the term, is an ever-present feature of people’s lives, through the impact of its decisions and actions, and in economic terms it accounts for over 10% of GDP. In view of its importance, those people working in the Public Administration are a “vital asset” in our society for reinforcing the “spirit of professionalism”, best practices, sacrifice, a job well done, and risk”.

Consideration should be given to the following lines of action:

  1. Fine-tune the political and administrative decision-making system, guaranteeing that it is based on the best data and knowledge available at any given moment on a global level.
  2. Transform the Public Administrations, reinforcing their management and provider capabilities at the expense of their traditional role involving regulations and benefits.
  3. Favour organisational diversity in the public sector by fomenting new hybrid public-private partnerships, as an assurance of flexibility, efficiency and accountability.
  4. Strengthen the autonomy of the different agencies that make up the public sector.
  5. Update the training of public sector workers, prioritising their commitment to the mission and values of public organisations and the development of management competencies.
  6. Introduce a results-based budget for all the public institutions in Metropolitan Bilbao.
  7. Instil a culture of assessment in the different programmes and projects instigated by the Public Administrations, with a view to analysing their impact on improving the population’s standard of living and the creation of public assets.
  8. Drive the population’s involvement in the design and joint provision of public services.
  9. The Public Administrations need to acknowledge that they have to tackle increasingly complex challenges within an environment characterised by uncertainty. This complexity calls for the integration of different visions and experiences, both within the public sector and in partnership with business and civil society. This renders it essential to seek closer cooperation between the various administrative departments, public organisations and government levels.