1. principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
4th ENP Networking
Seminar
Trust in Government and Public Institutions
to Improve Policy Outcomes in Poland
Mr. Jan Pastwa, Director
National School of Public Administration, Warsaw
OECD, Paris
2-3 December 2013
© OECD

2. principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
Point of departure – deeply rooted lack of
trust:
• in the State (lack of own Polish state for more than 100 years –
including crucial 19th century)
• in the Government (1926-39 – authoritarian, 1944-1989 –
totalitarian)
• in the public structures (individualistic and family-oriented society,
weak NGO’s)
Worsened by lack of confidence:
•
•
in business relations (in time of economic crisis)
between people (political polarization)

3. principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
Trust-building measures in Poland –
“areas”:
• - “Democracy”
• - “Legislative”
• - “Judiciary”
• - “Executive”

4. 1. “Trust in area of democracy”:
Transparent electoral system involving the population.
•
principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
•
Personal transparency of politicians and civil servants
(anti-corruption measures, ethics).
•
Social (tripartite) dialogue on all levels.
•
Real influence of local communities on local self-government
(incl. successful dismissal referendums).
•
Supreme and Regional Audit Chambers’ publicly available
reports and execution powers.
•
Public budget support for political parties, transparent rules
and limits of funding of electoral campaigns, impartial state
body control over political parties’ finances.

5. • Open, broadcasted and registered sessions of Parliament
and every local Council.
principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
2. “Trust in the legislative area”:
• Respect of opposition rights in composition of bodies and
performing their activities.
• State and local budgets in task-oriented format
(performance budget)
+ watchdogs allowed to look in and comment.
• Personal involvement
Councillors.
and
visibility
of
MPs
and

6. • Free and instant access to current and complete
legislation database provided by Parliament.
principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
3. “Trust in the area of the judiciary”:
• Independence and professionalism of judges (recruitment,
appointment and management of judges careers and
disciplinary measures performed by their autonomous
bodies and overseen by independent National Judiciary
Council).
• Open courts’ sessions.
• Court and administrative (tax) rulings available on the
web.
• Enterprises and legal entities registers on the web
(+ no bearer shares !)

7. 4. “Trust in the area of the executive”:
Transparency of governmental activities.
•
principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
•
Communication on all levels and by all available (including by the
latest) means.
•
“Eyes wide open” policy of government (ACTA and “Mothers of 1st
Quarter” cases).
•
Personal involvement and visibility of ministers and top officials.
•
Public consultation in regulatory impact assessment and legislation.
•
System of Strategy Documents publicly formulated, consulted and
reviewed.
•
NGOs formally
implementation.
•
Citizens’, NGOs’, enterprises’ participation in decision-making process:
public policies, local solutions.
involved
in
policy
development,
design
and

8. 4. “Trust in the area of the executive”(2):
Publicly announced and consulted programs and summing-up
reports (e.g. S&ME support).
•
principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
•
Access to public information secured by law and practical
measures – unified Public Information Bulletin on the web.
•
Budget transparency (efforts to make available the meaningful,
readable and digestible data on public funds).
•
Public statistical data instantly and fully available.
•
NGOs entrusted with performing public tasks.
•
Administrative Procedure Code regulations on access and
involvement into process as well as on appeal rights.
•
Public service measures – open and competitive recruitment,
transparent procedures, widely distributed codes of ethics.
•
Constant care of the quality of public services.

9. Results: “Longevity” of governments in
Poland since 1989:
Tadeusz Mazowiecki
12.09.1989 – 12.01.1991
- 16 months
•
principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
•
Jan Krzysztof Bielecki
12.01.1991 – 23.12.1991
- 11 months 11 days
•
Jan Olszewski
23.12.1991 – 5.06.1992
- 5 months 13 days
•
Waldemar Pawlak
5.06.1992 – 11.07.1992
- 1 month 6 days
•
Hanna Suchocka
11.07.1992 – 26.10.1993
- 13 months 15 days
•
Waldemar Pawlak
26.10.1993 – 7.03.1995
- 14 months 12 days
•
Józef Oleksy
7.03.1995 – 7.02.1996
- 11 months
•
Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz
7.02.1996 – 31.10.1997
- 20 months 24 days
•
Jerzy Buzek
31.10.1997 – 26.10.2001
- 47 months 26 days
•
Leszek Miller
26.10.2001 – 2.05.2004
- 30 months 7 days
•
Marek Belka
2.05.2004 – 31.10.2005
- 17 months 29 days
•
Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz
31.10.2005 – 14.07.2006
- 8 months 14 days
•
Jarosław Kaczyński
14.07.2006 – 16.11.2007
- 16 months 2 days
•
Donald Tusk
16.11.2007 – now
- 72 months + …

10. •
principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
Lessons learned:
Feeling of trust by citizens is always rooted in recognition of
their own situation – you can use all very sophisticated
measures, but when economic or security situation worsens –
no matter if your own government is “guilty” – nothing will
work.
•
Build trust not by declarations, but by facts (“Verba volant,
exempla trahunt”, “Trust but check”)
•
It is not enough to install several separated solutions - only
certain “critical mass” of factors and their synergy can initiate
the positive process of increasing trust.
•
Building trust takes time, but you can lose it in a day.

11. principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
Building trust is a never ending story
of the “civic vigilance”.
Needs constant concern,
learning “case by case”
and involvement of all representatives of
government – from top to bottom level.

12. principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
Questions? Comments?

13. principally financed by the EU
A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union,
Thank you for your attention