New Zealand

The Australian New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) is unique for its intergovernmental approach to public sector learning. ANZSOG was established in 2002 through the collaboration of major Australian and New Zealand universities and the Governments of the Australian Commonwealth, States and Territories and of New Zealand. Its focus is on educating public-sector leaders, building new public policy research and management capability, and encouraging public-sector innovation. To promote “learning across jurisdictions”, all students come from the public sector of the participating governments. An interactive learning model creates the opportunity for public-sector managers to compare various approaches being tried by other jurisdictions.

Colombia

The Department of National Planning has developed an index of institutional capacity in municipalities, which allows a measurement of the performance of municipalities along four dimensions: effectiveness, efficiency, compliance with legal requirements, and management. Indexes are published on a yearly basis, contributing to enhance accountability with citizens. The index ranges from 81 points (out of 100) in Bogota to less than 31 points in the department of Vichada and in the Orinoquía Region, bordering Venezuela (with a national average at 63.4 points). Not surprisingly, the lowest scores (below 55 points) are found in the 10 departments where poverty is the highest and in post-conflict areas.

Estonia  

Estonia has carried out several studies examining local governance capacity since 2008.  These studies incorporated indices to measure institutional capacity, financial capacity and capacity to provide public services at the local government level.

European Union

The EU has strengthened its focus on administrative capacity for the use of funds for 2014-20. EU countries are required to set performance criteria, clearly define responsibility, separate managing and auditing functions, and ensure stability and qualifications of staff. Almost EUR 4.3 billion will be allocated to building additional institutional capacity for public authorities, and increasing the efficiency of public administration and services (an increase of 72% compared to 2007-13).

Slovak Republic

In 2012, Slovakia launched the ESO (Efficient, Reliable and Open) reform programme. The reform programme aims to improve the efficiency, transparency, accessibility, and reliability of the public administration.  Reforms introduced in 2012 and 2013 included streamlining the deconcentrated state government administration by consolidating numerous specialized offices into 72 district offices. The ESO Programme includes reforms intended to strengthen human resources management as well as analytical capacities of seven analytical centres attached to economic and social ministries. Public administration capacity building is also the target of a single Operational Programme for the 2014-20 programming period.  

United States

The U.S. White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) is a cross-sector federal government initiative to strengthen the capacity of distressed cities to achieve economic development goals. Launched in 6 pilot cities in 2011, it gathers 19 federal agencies and offers four mechanisms to assist local governments: 1/ Community Solutions Teams composed of employees from federal agencies placed in cities to work directly with city staff; 2/ a competitive fellowship program for mid-career professionals to serve multi-year terms in city government, 3/ a competitive grant program to develop a high-quality economic development plans; and 4/ the SC2 National Resource Network, one-stop access to national experts and federal resources for cities, towns and regions.  The SC2 concept was developed through engagement with mayors, members of Congress, foundations, non-profits and other community partners who are committed to addressing the challenges of local governments. SC2 and its partners are working together to coordinate federal programs and investments to spark economic growth in distressed areas and create stronger cooperation between community organizations, local leadership, and the federal government. By the Spring of 2014, SC2 was working in over 20 communities and regions across the United States.