The strategic planning system in Lithuania has developed in three phases from 1999 to the present. It is centered around strategic plans that ministries prepare which are linked to the annual budget. There is also a hierarchy of strategic documents including long, medium, and short-term plans as well as cross-cutting plans and annual government priorities. Central coordination is provided by the Office of the Government and Ministry of Finance, and monitoring and evaluation systems have been established though evaluation implementation has faced challenges due to capacity. Political support, leadership, coordination, communication, and a pragmatic approach are seen as important factors for the success of the strategic planning system.

1. © OECD
AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
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System of Medium-Term
Planning in Montenegro
Planning system in Lithuania
Egle Rimkute, Lithuania
Podgorica, 30 September 2015

2. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
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Strategic Planning development
• I phase – introduction of SP
 1999 – 2000: institutionalisation of SP across Gov’t
 1999 – 2000: piloting of strategic planning in 5 min
• II phase – consolidation of strategic planning
 2003 – 2008: through Strategic planning committee
• III phase – rethinking efficiency and effectiveness
during crisis
 2009 - 2011: strengthening of government-wide
approach and leadership
 2010: introduction of budget negotiations, evaluation,
functional reviews, capability reviews
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3. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
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Legal framework and
coordination
• Legal and methodological framework:
– Laws on Government and Civil Service, Organic
Budget law
– Annual Budget calendar
– Manuals, methodologies (Strategic Planning,
Program Evaluation, Functional Reviews)
• Central coordination:
– Office of the Government
– Ministry of Finance
– Ministry of Internal Affairs
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4. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU Strategic Planning System
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STRATEGY LT2030
STRATEGIES (national
security)
NDP Development Programmes
Strategic plans (Program
Budgets)
Cross-cutting
plans
Annual plans Activity plans
Government
Priorities
Government
Programme
Long-term
Parliament
Mid-term
Government
Short-term
Government
M&EINTEGRATIONSCOPEHIERARCHY

5. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU Development programmes
• SCOPE: Development programme has to cover at least one
public policy area (areas defined by Gov’t resolution)
• FILTER: Prior request for Government’s permission to
prepare development programme
• TIMEFRAME: Medium-term (7-9 years) planning document
to be approved by the Government
• OWNERSHIP: each programme has a co-ordinator
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6. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Cross-cutting documents
• Two main cross-cutting documents:
 Cross-cutting plan
 Annual Government Priorities
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7. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
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Cross-cutting plans
• TIMEFRAME: Short-term (up to 3 years) planning document to be
approved by the Government
• NECCESSITY: Document for the implementation of cross-cutting goals:
 Government priorities, complex problems
 National Development programme or other programmes
 More than 3 appropriation managers involved in the implementation
• FILTER: prior Government permission
• INTEGRITY and FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE:
 connected with strategic plan and budget (activities and projects
exported and “duplicated” in budget programmes)
 “frozen” funds (in IT budget execution and results monitoring system)
• SCOPE: 11 cross-cutting plans
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8. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
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Examples of Cross-Cutting Plans
• Youth unemployment
• NDP plan “Regional Development”
• NDP plan “Culture”
• NDP plan “Health for All”
• Increase of employment
• EU Presidency
• Safety on the roads
• Information society
• Climate change
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9. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU Annual Government Priorities
Innovation – Solution – Policy Change
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Government sets
priorities and directions
MARCH
Ministries prepare
strategic plans and plan
interventions to
implement Government
priorities
APRIL - MAY
Ministers, PM and
Minister of Finance
discuss during Budget
Negotiations
MAY - JUN
Office of Government
finalises priority
document
OCTOBER
Political debate Strategic sessions
Political debate Strategic sessions
and decision
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10. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU Government Priorities
9
Priority 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Stable financial system ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Economic development (competitiveness, business
conditions, export, high technologies, innovation, state
inspections)
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Energy ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Quality public services (2010-electronic services; 2011 –
standards, 2012 – health and education, 2013/ 2014 –
health, education, science and culture)
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Civil service, transparency and corruption (2010 – CS
and corruption; 2011 – corruption; 2012 – transparency;
2013 - corruption)
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Reforms: county, social sector, health sector,
education sector
✔
Vilnius district development ✔
Strong family ✔ ✔
NATO and EU (presidency) ✔ ✔ ✔
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11. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Example – Government priorities
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Tasks/ projects Deadline Responsible
1. Better business inspection:
- Prepare and introduce questionnaires for
business inspections
- Implement “2 dates” rule to announce new
business requirements
III quarter
II quarter
Ministry of
Economy – co-
ordinator
2. Better business environment:
- Introduce “Consult, do not punish” for first-
year businesses
- Ensure e-establishment for micro-businesses
- Cut VAT registration from 7 to 3 working days
III quarter
III quarter
I quarter
Ministry of Ec.
Ministry of Jus.
Tax Insp.
…
Targets 2011 2012
Business Environment Index (WB Doing Business)
(LT position)
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12. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU Links with budget
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STRATEGY LT2030
STRATEGIES (national
security)
NDP Development Programmes
Strategic plans
(Program Budgets)
Cross-cutting
plans
Annual plans Activity plans
Government
Priorities
Government
Programme
Long-term
Parliament
Mid-term
Government
Short-term
Government
€ €
(Financial proportions) (Indicative financial needs)
M&EINTEGRATIONSCOPEHIERARCHY

13. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Annual policy and budget cycle
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Analysis of situation and
achieved results
Annual reports
Government
annual report
Government
priorities
Strategic plans
Macroeconomic
prognosis
Strategic plans
Budget Negotiations/
Performance agreements
Draft Budget +
Government priorities
and Outcomes
Office of Government
and MF analyse plans
Budget negotiations
PM, MF, minister
Strategic plan
preparation
Budget preparation
January–
March
April–
May
May–
June
July–
August
Strategic plans
approved
Consultation with PM
October–
November

14. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
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Strategic Plans (Program Budgets)
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STRATEGIC CHANGES AND PRIORITIES
MINISTER’S POLITICAL AGENDA
MISSION
PRIORITIES:
-Projects
-Indicators
LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES
EFFICIENCY INITIATIVES
STRATEGIC GOALS AND BUDGET
PROGRAMMES - Impact indicators
MINISTRY STRATEGY
BUDGET PROGRAMME:
- Goals €
Result indicators
- Objectives €
Output indicators
- Activities/ projects €
COALITION AGREEMENT
AMBITIONS
MINISTRY STRATEGY AND
OPERATIONS

15. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Budget negotiations with 14
ministries
Discussion on: Priorities – Results – Appropriations
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Assisted by 14
working groups (OG
and MoF)
Standardized analysis
process (standard
checklist and note)
14 meetings with
ministries
14 position notes
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16. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Centralised monitoring system
• Common requirements (timeframes and
templates) defined in the Government
resolution
• Single annual report containing information on:
 Annual government report
 Cross-cutting plans and development programs
 Budget programs
• Quarterly reports on Government priorities
• Centralised IT tool introduced in 2012
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17. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU Centralised monitoring IT system
• Aim: monitor and analyse achievement of goals and
targets
• Scope: long, mid and short term documents:
 Strategies, programmes, plans and Government
priorities (about 60 planning documents)
• Target: goals though performance indicators and
budget execution as well as actions
• Frequency: quarterly
• Functionality:
 Monitoring by traffic lights
 Analysing performance and budget trends
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18. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU Evaluation
• Mixed system:
 EU evaluations
 In-house evaluations
 Commissioned studies
• In-house evaluations:
 Methodology approved by Government
 Annual evaluation plan approved by Government
 But… very low implementation due to capacity and low
demand (we need information here and now)
• Solutions:
 Linking EU and in-house evaluations
 Looking at the demand side (hot issues)
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19. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
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Conditions for success
• Every administration has its own approaches, but
some things are worth remembering
• Political support
• Leadership/ management sensitisation
• Coordinating staff who are:
 Non-formalistic
 Analytical
 Pragmatic, simple and brave
 Sometimes “irritating” insistent
• Communication and consultation within network
• Puzzle way implementation: build a big picture in
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AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
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Thank you!
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