Contents Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................11 Edwin Rekosh The Vicious Circle: Weak State Institutions, Unremedied Abuse, and Distrust Introduction .........................................................................................................................15 1. The Context .......................................................................................15 2. Administrative Abuses Defined ...........................................................15 3. Beyond Benefits .................................................................................17 4. Remedies to Administrative Abuse .....................................................18 4.1 Internal Remedies ......................................................................19 4.2 External Remedies ......................................................................19 4.3 Preventive Remedies ...................................................................20 5. Study Findings on Public Perceptions .................................................20 6. Study Recommendations on Improving Remedies ..............................21 7. Conclusion .........................................................................................22 Notes ........................................................................................................23 Bibliography .............................................................................................24 Araksya Margaryan Administrative Remedies for Abuses in Local Government: Armenia ..................................25 1. Introduction .......................................................................................27 1.1 General Objectives .....................................................................27 1.2 Methodology .............................................................................28 1.3 Administrative–Territorial Background of Armenia ....................28 2. Public Perceptions and Participation ...................................................30 2.1 Public Perception of Local Governance ......................................30 2.1.1 Public Participation in Decision-Making .........................31 2.1.2 Voter Turnout ..................................................................35 2.2 Client Satisfaction with Public Services ......................................35 2.2.1 Service Delivery and Level of Satisfaction ........................35 2.3 Administrative Control of Local Governmental Bodies ..............39 2.3.1 Transparency and Access to Information ..........................39 2.3.2 Openness and Transparency: Local Budgets, Fees, and Financing .........................................................41 5 3. Remedies and Abuses .........................................................................42 3.1 Administrative Remedies for Specific Administrative Abuses ......42 3.2 Creating a Framework Against Abuse .........................................43 3.3 Equal Access to Justice ...............................................................43 3.4 Transparency, Openness, and Fairness: Good Governance and the Exercise of Authority ........................46 3.4.1 Media and Other Sources of Information ........................46 3.4.2 Openness and Fairness .....................................................46 3.4.3 Continuity and Change in the Composition of a Local Representative Body ........................................47 3.4.4 Accountability as a Remedy .............................................47 3.5 Correlations among Data Categories and Conclusions ...............48 3.5.1 Administrative Performance, Service Delivery, and Citizen Participation .................................................48 4. Options and Recommendations .........................................................49 4.1 Public Policy Considerations ......................................................49 4.2 Recommendations .....................................................................50 4.3 Conclusions ...............................................................................51 Notes ........................................................................................................52 Bibliography .............................................................................................52 Appendix 1 ...............................................................................................54 Stanka Delcheva Administrative Remedies for Abuses in Local Government: Bulgaria ...................................57 Legal Texts and Acronyms ........................................................................59 1. Introduction .......................................................................................59 1.1 General Objectives ....................................................................59 1.2 Historical Background of State and Local Administrations ........60 1.3 Methodology and Analytical Framework ....................................62 2. Governance and Public Perceptions ....................................................65 2.1 Data on “Public Trust” ...............................................................66 2.1.1 Public Trust in Institutions ..............................................66 2.1.2 Level of Electoral Participation in Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Elections ...................................68 2.2 “Client Satisfaction” with Administrative and Public Services Provided by Local Authorities ....................................................69 2.2.1 Service Delivery: Organization of Administrative Service ............................69 2.2.2 Service Delivery: Access to Administrative Services .........70 2.2.3 Quality of Performance: Evaluation of Quality of Service Delivery ........................70 2.2.4 Quality of Performance: Usefulness and Sufficiency of Information Provided on Service Delivery ..................75 6 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM INITIATIVE 2.3 Administrative Control by the State over Local Government Work ...........................................................76 2.3.1 Internal Mechanisms for Hierarchical Control and Accountability ...........................................................76 2.3.2 Internal Rules, Instructions, and Guidelines for Work .....77 2.3.3 Staff Training in Municipal Administrations ....................78 2.3.4 Performance Appraisal of Municipal Administration Employees .......................................................................79 2.3.5 Liability in Case of Abuse of Official Position ..................80 2.3.6 Conduct and Ethical Codes: Best Practices for Task Performance and the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest ....81 2.3.7 Administrative and Financial Control in Local Government Work ...........................................................81 2.3.8 Order of Appeal of Administrative Acts: Refusal to Deliver a Service or Poor Service .....................82 2.3.9 Financial Control of Local Government Work by External Mechanisms ..................................................83 2.4 Judicial Control .........................................................................84 2.4.1 Bodies and Procedures .....................................................84 2.4.2 Access to Court Appeal Procedures: Fees and Financing ..........................................................85 2.5 Citizen Control ..........................................................................86 2.5.1 Transparency in the Performance of Local Administrations’ Activities ...............................................86 2.5.1.1 Access to Public Information .............................86 2.5.1.2 Publicity of Reports on the Work of Local Authorities and of Municipal Council Meetings ..87 2.5.1.3 Mechanisms for Feedback from Citizens ...........87 2.5.1.4 Service Delivery: Projects and Programs ............87 2.5.1.5 Ombudsman .....................................................89 2.5.2 Civil Participation in Direct Democracy ..........................90 2.5.2.1 Civil Participation in Local Governance through Direct Democracy ................................90 2.5.2.2 Consulting Citizens Regarding Changes to Service Delivery Procedures ...............................90 2.5.2.3 Participation of Local NGOs in Consultations among Stakeholders ....................92 3. Policy Options and Recommendations ...............................................92 3.1 Options .....................................................................................92 3.2 Recommendations .....................................................................94 4. Conclusion .........................................................................................98 Notes ........................................................................................................98 Bibliography ...........................................................................................101 Appendix ................................................................................................102 7 Tamara Sulukhia Administrative Remedies for Abuses in Local Government: Georgia .................................103 1. Introduction .....................................................................................105 1.1 The State of Local Power in Georgia .........................................105 1.2 Accountability and Transparency at the Local Level ..................107 1.2.1 Transparency