How Regions Function – An Attempt at Evaluating the Performance of Regional Governments Cover Image

Jak fungují kraje – příspěvek k hodnocení výkonu krajských vlád
How Regions Function – An Attempt at Evaluating the Performance of Regional Governments

Author(s): Tomáš Kostelecký, Věra Patočková, Michal Illner
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: AV ČR - Akademie věd České republiky - Sociologický ústav
Keywords: public administration; regional government; performance evaluation; Czech Republic

Summary/Abstract: The article presents an analysis of the performance of regional governments – the institutions representing the self-governing regions in the Czech Republic. The authors try to answer the question of whether regional governments function similarly or whether they vary in terms of performance, and if they do vary, how structured and how large are these differences. After a review of the position occupied by the regions in the Czech public administration system, and after assessing the ways in which regional government performance can be understood and measured and the accessibility of necessary data, indicators are proposed and used to create an aggregate index of regional government performance. An analysis based on these indicators shows that there are considerable differences between regional governments in terms of the structure and the level of their performance. Based on the performance index it was possible to distinguish regions with above-average, average, and below-average regional government performance. The territorial distribution of these groups and some other factors confirm the validity of these measurements.

  • Issue Year: 43/2007
  • Issue No: 05
  • Page Range: 967-992
  • Page Count: 26
  • Language: Czech