The administrative reform in Syria…Why and how?

Dr. Diala HAJ AREF

Corruption is not a special phenomenon or a local catastrophe. It is a worldwide phenomenon and has been present all the time. Corruption is a violation of public interest on behalf of private interest. Being largely spread, this phenomenon does not concern only the misbehavior of certain employees, who are supposed to bear the consequences alone. It is a nationwide problem because it threatens and impedes economic development.

how to tackle the problem, to limit its negative aspects?

According to international organizations, the solution must be an economic one. Others hesitate among the political and the administrative aspects of solution.

The administrative reform is indispensable because it represents a framework for the economic development and an introduction to the social one. Such reform has become an essential requirement and a real need because of the following:

· Wide-spreading administrative corruption and the entanglement of its circles and mechanisms.

· The deficiency of public services and the shortage of resources supplied by the government given its huge bulk of expenses and increasing role. This asserts the necessity of administrative development as an instrument to rationalize expenses, improve the performance and finally reinforce equity and law sovereignty.

· The telecommunication and information revolution has removed borders and frontiers impeding knowledge and information exchange. This revolution increased the desire of modernization and implementing modern systems and methodologies.

· International and regional organizations (offering loans and aids) require radical administrative reforms to improve the ability of administrative system to comprehend how to use funds and improve its solvency.

These factors demonstrate the gap between actual performance and expectations. This confirms the urgency of carrying out the administrative reform. But this needs a specific strategy based on practical and ideological background. Refering to the myriad of administrative deficiencies, Dr. AREF inquired about the feasibility of a practical methodology. She supposes that on the one hand Syria has to scrutinize its traditions, culture, features etc. On the other hand, Syria must make the benchmarking with other administrative reform experiences. This will enable the country to identify the factors leading to implementing the required comprehensive, flexible, integrated, and efficient strategy. These factors are:

· Adoption of an administrative reform ideology based on internal development inside the Syrian society.

· Administrative reform is not merely a technical operation, it must be assimilated as a global reform, which may be influenced by social entities and have an impact on the society.

· The persistence of administrative reform efforts because it is not a temporary process or a transitional reaction to deficiencies.

· Human resources development is a priority in administrative reform

· Synchronization and equilibrium between issuing laws and the availability of technical support.

· Activation of administrative reform in Syrian political bodies.

· Raising public awareness by publishing results without exaggeration.

· Scheduling the reform plan, and publishing periodical statements about achieved or postponed steps.

· Administrative and reform plans should not be limited to management and administration experts, but all competencies should be mobilized in order to have a comprehensive and integral administrative reform.

· Mobilizing public opinion to support the administrative reform. This necessitates motivations through the reform of wages and salaries.