ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the international experience in administrative reforms and adds a personal point of view on the approach to be taken in our interdependent world to improve the administration of the state without losing sight of its fundamentals. Treating public administration reform as if it had no political implications is just silly. A main reform feature has been the streamlining of regulations and procedures to ease the burden on business and the citizens. personnel management reforms in OECD countries have focused mainly on giving more responsibilities to managers for improving the performance of their staff. The "Hartz reforms" in Germany came into effect in 2005, and combined together the previous unemployment and welfare benefits. In general, reforms should be advanced as fast as possible when circumstances permit, and as slowly as necessary to permit accountability to catch up, capacity to grow, resistance to be overcome, and public consensus to be built.
