RESEARCH ON GOVERNMENT STANDARDS
The Sange Research Center actively participates in the process of improving public administration and enhancing the quality of public services in Kazakhstan. Our history in this field began in the early 2000s, when we became a reliable partner for government bodies and international organizations in analyzing and optimizing key aspects of the public administration system, to shape an effective and transparent civil service.
Our first steps included research such as:
- "Improvement of the Public Administration System and Civil Service", Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs, 2005.
This work laid down fundamental principles for modernizing management processes, providing a basis for future reforms and increased efficiency.
- "Analysis of the Openness and Efficiency of Government Bodies". Eurasia Foundation, 2003.
A deep analysis was conducted, which identified bottlenecks in the transparency and operation of government bodies, providing valuable data for decision-making aimed at increasing citizen trust.
Since 2006, the Sange Center has focused significant efforts on assisting in the development of public service standards, which has become one of the cornerstones of improving their quality and accessibility for the population.
Within this work, the following projects were implemented:
- "Administrative Barriers in the Provision of Public Services to the Population", Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs, 2006.
This study revealed significant problems in the provision of public services. Only 35% of public service recipients were fully satisfied with the service provided, while 42% of clients were only partially satisfied, and 18% were not satisfied at all. Government employees themselves rated the work of their departments as effective in only 59% of cases. This indicated that, despite the introduction of new approaches, the Kazakh civil service still faced shortcomings, primarily in its weak orientation towards the needs of the population, the lack of connection between budget and real results, and a focus on workload rather than the efficiency and quality of services provided. This analysis became a fundamental basis for further transformations, clearly indicating that an effective civil service needs to shift its focus from internal processes to the needs of the population.
- "Assistance in the Development of Public Service Provision Standards", Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs, European Union, DAI Europe Ltd., 2006-2007.
In this research, the Sange Center actively participated in the creation of the standards themselves. We worked to ensure that these standards were not only theoretically sound but also practically applicable, taking into account the real needs of the population and the capabilities of government bodies.
A survey was conducted among recipients of healthcare, tax authorities, and land registration services in four regions: South Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Almaty, and Astana, as well as service providers. Seminars were organized to discuss the obtained results and developed standards.
Our expertise helped integrate best international practices into the Kazakh system, ensuring clear criteria for quality, deadlines, and procedures. This was a direct contribution to the formation of unified standards and principles, ensuring equal access and transparency for all service recipients.
- "Study of Administrative Barriers as a Basis for the Implementation of Standards and Results-Oriented Planning", Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs, 2007-2008.
This project was a logical continuation of previous works. The research focused on how the elimination of administrative barriers can be integrated into a results-oriented planning system. This allowed government bodies not only to perform their functions but also to achieve concrete, measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.
As part of the study, 160 people were surveyed for each government body (34 government bodies), and 360 people in each region (from those who sought services in the last 1.5 years). The total sample size for the study across the republic was 5760 respondents.
These projects laid the groundwork for further work to increase the efficiency and client-orientation of the Kazakh public service system, preparing the ground for comprehensive monitoring conducted in subsequent years
EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS AND EXPANSION OF THE REGISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICES
Sange research includes not only the development of standards and overcoming administrative barriers but also a systemic evaluation of the activities of government bodies, as well as the expansion and optimization of the register of public services in key social sectors.
As part of these efforts, the following projects were implemented:
- "Evaluation of Strategic Indicators of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population", Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, 2010.
- "Evaluation of Strategic Indicators of the Agency for Protection of Competition of the Republic of Kazakhstan", Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, 2010.
- "Expansion of the Register of Public Services in Education and Healthcare", Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2008.
The work on evaluating the strategic indicators of ministries and departments, as well as on systematizing and expanding the list of services, was aimed at creating a more effective, transparent, and client-oriented state. These projects provided an in-depth analysis of achievements and challenges, identified gaps, and proposed mechanisms for improving planning, resource utilization, and increasing service accessibility in such vital sectors as labor and social protection, education and healthcare, and competition protection.
