Twenty years of transparency development in the public sector: What has been achieved?

Abstract

Transparency is one of the crucial principles of sound good governance in the public sector. The main objectives of the research in the paper are concentrated around examining the development process of the principle of transparency within the public sector in Macedonia in the last twenty years or the beginning of the reforms until now. The scope of the research is concentrated around analysis of all government actions and the basic officially adopted documents in the field of public administration reforms while closely examining the evolutionary concept of e-governance, e-management and the principle of transparency. Consequently, the methods such as observation and content/critical analysis of the main research papers and governmental documents in the field are key methods that are applied in the research methodology. The research results point to the fact that in recent years there are significant results achieved in the field of e-governance and e-management. The mechanisms for transparency development by using e-government strategies and techniques greatly improved through the years. However, there are still many problems that require immediate actions. The research results impose a number of conclusions that, generally, ask for further strengthening of the overall institutional capacity, more effective and efficient anti-corruption coalitions and measures as well as strengthening the overall capacity of the administrative judiciary in the area of exercising legal administrative practices. There still remains the great challenge for developing sound positive legal solutions that will eliminate any aspect of doubtful thinking and will guarantee greater transparency and increased public confidence. Thus, the research in the paper is of great value for academicians and public administration practitioners as an example of permanent evolutionary efforts for achieving greater public sector transparency during a long transitional period in a country that hopes one day to become EU member.