GOVERNANCE AND PROBLEM ANALYSIS CENTER

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Key Methodology

The actual practice of public administration in Russia shows that very often initially set goals so not coincide with those realized in practice. Numerous simultaneously existing goals usually are not perfectly coordinated and therefore interfere with each other. After an in-depth analysis of the factors complicating algorithmization of administration decision-making we have developed our own method for preparing administrative solutions.

Our methodological scheme relies on:

- Precise setting of goals and problems;

- Combining methods of humanities and exact sciences;

- Permanent verification of results.

The main pronciples of the methodology are: step-by-step analysis and precision of formulations.

An optimal material realization of such an analysis is provided by the so-called tree of administrative problems:

Having set a clear goal one needs to identify the problem(s).

A problem is an obstacle on the path to reaching the goal.

One needs to make sure that

- Every problem is maximally self-sufficient, not overlapping with other problems.

- The problem space is filled.

The practice of problem analysis suggests that in the case of categorical approach to problem identification usually there are 3-5 problems that show up. If there are fewer identified problems it indicates a gap in the problem space, if there are more, it means that the problems overlap and should be combined.

Administrative problems are integrated, multi-factor problems, and it is hard to operate with such a global, opaque matter. To simplify the process of decision-making one can decompose the problems into sub-problems. The sub-problems, in their turn, are decomposed at the next stages.

Thus the tree of administrative problems is gradually formed.

The next stage is the identification of the indivisible (atomized) problem. An atomized problem is distinguished by the existence of a concrete corresponding administrative solution.

In practice there is a large number of indivisible problems. What is important that all of them, due to the methodology, are subordinated to the initially set value goals. It is possible at every stage to return to the start and make sure that it is the initial problem that is being solved, and that the mechanism for its solution is working correctly.

When the appropriate solution is found for every indivisible problem, we move on to the next stage: solution bundling. At this stage many particular, individual solutions can be combined into one. Then the form and contents of public-administration documents start to take shape. The last step is to draw up the action program – to set dates and deadlines, appoint performers, establish measures of control and responsibility.

An important part of the described algorithm is feedback. As a feedback we consider, first of all, an a priori verification of the found solutions, i.e. testing their efficiency, their correspondence with initial goals, their realizability, the consequences of their realization.

And second feedback consists in constant check-up at the realization stage, i.e. comparison of the current and planned outcomes. If they do not coincide the project should be adjusted and completed.