Performance of Authorities in Administrative Procedures: Lessons from Statistical Data

This article deals with performance of administrative units as one of the key goals of contemporary public administration reform. Administrative units conduct administrative procedures as their core activity, thus ensuring the protection of the public interest and of individual parties’ rights. The purpose of this article is to determine the efficiency of administrative units in terms of resources and sectoral areas by using selected indicators from administrative statistics, such as the number of applications submitted and decisions issued, the timeframe of decision-making, the share and success of complaints filed, and the like. The administrative statistics used in this article incorporate 58 general administrative units in Slovenia in the period 2004–2015 and provide a case study that may also be relevant for the Eastern European region. Several social research methods are used: a literature review and a normative analysis as a framework for statistical research, as well as the axiological-deontological method to evaluate the situation and suggest improvements. The analysis of time series and correlations of selected indicators from administrative statistics reveal mixed trends over time, including a negative correlation between the number of officials and efficiency. In general, the question is whether the system currently in use to measure efficiency generates the most reliable outcomes. Therefore, the authors call for a redefinition of monitoring and of the indicators of administrative statistics in the European Union in order to enhance good public governance principles, particularly in developing democracies