Theoretical and methodological approaches to the application of benchmarking in local self-government management in the Slovak Republic
2006
Balážová, E.,Slovenská poľnohospodárska univ. v Nitre (Slovak Republic)
The problems of measuring, comparing and evaluating the effectiveness and quality of providing services for the public at a local level is more and more topical subject. At present, however, there is not a complex system or a set of indicators in Slovakia which could be used to analyse objectively not only the effectivity and quality, but also suitability of using different forms and methods of providing inhabitants with services at a level of the municipal self-government. Foreign experience show the possibility of applying new methods to local self-government management. One of them is measuring performance by the use of benchmarking indicators. Benchmarking aims to improve effectiveness and quality by comparing and analysing processes. It is a method of change management and a way of permanent improving. Its principle is to find and implement the best experience for reaching good performance at a company. As far as the local self-government is concerned, benchmarking makes it possible to analyse and assess its performance of delivering services to inhabitants as well as of providing its activities, and compare the results achieved with other municipalities. It reveals and identifies reserves of municipal self-government in these areas and helps it implement the best experience in order to make its work as effective as possible. As a result, this method not only reduces costs but also innovates the management of public services and thus improves inhabitant satisfaction. The aim of this work is to present theoretical and methodological approaches to the application of benchmarking to the management of local self-government in Slovakia. In particular, it focuses on methods of the practical implementation of benchmarking and on a proposal to define a set of indicators intended for measuring performance of selected public services provided by municipalities.
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