Improving public administration through project management approach in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Introduction of project management and delivering results approaches in public sector accompany structural changes in public administration. This study is aimed to demonstrate effects brought by project management to the public area of Kazakhstan within the framework of the Third modernization of an economy. In this context, project management is a tool to achieve priority growth rate of the economy of Kazakhstan through the efficient and timely implementation of the project portfolio of the Government of Kazakhstan. Herewith, favorable results can be met only in a condition of proper introduction and implementation processes. In that regard, the focus of the research was set to identify current issues in the process of introduction of project management in the Government of Kazakhstan and develop possible recommendations for public administrators. The study started from the review of current problems in the system of public administration in Kazakhstan and review of primary project management and delivering results’ methodologies. Consequently, we studied the structure of the Government of Kazakhstan with an application of project management tools. Based on the information above and data, we derived three criteria and eleven sub-criteria for a public sector that are influenced by project management approach: system criteria, operations criteria, and human capital criteria. To determine effects on these criteria in public administration system in Kazakhstan, we collected information based on the survey, direct meetings and phone calls, from the public and quasi-public servants, who are directly engaged in the projects of the Government’s portfolio. After the processing of collected information, we estimated effects of the introduction of project management and delivering results on public administration’s processes in Kazakhstan. Final recommendations provided for the further improvement of the current system of public administration.