Transformation processes in the Administration: similarities between the cases of the State and the Generalitat

Since the restoration of democracy in Spain, public administration reform has been a constant challenge. Over the years, multiple attempts have been made both in the State Administration (AGE) and in the Autonomous Communities, but with limited results.

In the last two years, two notable reform initiatives have emerged: one in the State Administration and the other in the Generalitat of Catalonia. Both are based on approaches such as economic institutionalism , a movement that studies how institutions determine positive incentives for economic development, and which was awarded the recent Nobel Prize in Economics. The State Administration's transformation strategy will be launched in March 2024 with the publication of the framework document, " Consensus for an Open Administration."

On the other hand, the Generalitat of Catalonia began its reform process on October 8, 2024, with a Government Agreement promoting a strategy for the transformation and improvement of public services. This agreement includes an emergency plan with urgent measures and the creation of a commission of experts (CETRA) to advise on the process. CETRA brings together 68 experts representing public and academic institutions, business organizations, unions, and the third sector, with the aim of establishing improvement proposals with broad support and social consensus.

For its part, Consensus for an Open Government was developed with the participation of more than 400 people, divided into 18 working groups. The document, submitted for public consultation, was designed thanks to these participatory processes and an innovative methodology applied in the INAP Public Innovation Labs and the Hazlab Participation Lab.

Both transformation processes share a pragmatic and realistic approach, moving away from the classic methodology that sought holistic, comprehensive, and maximalist reform. Instead, they focus on concrete, feasible changes that rapidly improve public services and act as catalysts for deeper transformations. The idea is to identify elements of improvement that benefit citizens and pave the way for structural changes. Empirical evidence shows that the ambition to reform everything leads to an inability to implement any changes in practice and to frustration.

The State Administration's transformative strategy and the Generalitat's reform process have their own dynamics and priorities, but they coincide on three main pillars to achieve a structural and sustainable transformation. The first is a high-capacity administration: technological modernization, the adoption of artificial intelligence, big data, and shared data spaces to improve decision-making and personalize public services, while always ensuring cybersecurity and data protection. The second is a comprehensive and proactive management of public employment, with an emphasis on professional public management, talent attraction, inclusion, a competency-based approach, and performance evaluation.

The second common thread focuses on promoting evidence-based public policies and participation, data governance for public services, and rigorous policy evaluation.

The third pillar focuses on accessibility, with policies designed for people, the use of clear and accessible language, the simplification of administrative procedures, the elimination of digital barriers, and attention to vulnerable groups. Good examples of these approaches can be seen in the State in the design of the competency ecosystem, the directory and the repertoire of management positions, and the integrity system of the General State Administration. In the Catalan case, we can cite experimentation with new competency-based rather than rote-based selection systems, and the creation of high-performance teams associated with innovative public projects.

In short, both administrations are adopting a pragmatic approach to their transformation, focused on concrete and feasible improvements that benefit citizens and pave the way for deeper transformations. They propose not only a more efficient and highly capable administration, but also one that is more accessible, inclusive, and committed to democratic values and citizen well-being.

The value of these processes lies in the fact that they have been built on the involvement of many stakeholders and public servants to respond together to the challenges facing the social contract, especially the digital and green challenges. And that reform is no longer a pending issue on the public affairs agenda.

Manuel Pastor is the general director of the National Institute of Public Administration and a member of the Higher Corps of Civil Administrators of the State.

Carles Ramió is president of the Generalitat's CETRA (Spanish Association of Political Science and Administration) and professor of Political Science and Administration at the Pompeu Fabra University.