Civil Service Reform in Post-Communist Countries : The Case of the Russian Federation and the Czech Republic

Transformation of public administration is acknowledged as a crucial element in the transition process in Central and Eastern Europe. Why have the state bureaucracies in Central and Eastern European states been less affected by post-communist transformation when compared to other public institutions and sectors of their economies? Why have declared reforms of civil services failed to reach most of their objectives and sometimes had counter-productive effects? On the basis of comprehensive and comparative analysis of the development of the Russian and Czech state administrations over the last decade and a half the author provides a thorough insight into the causes of the prevailing tendencies and numerous constrains in their development. Key factors that have led to only modest results in the reforms of their civil services are explored. The research leads to important lessons for reformers in all post-communist countries and conclusions on methodologies in comparative research into administrative systems.