External socio-economic and demographic factors are influencing Poland’s public governance capacity. Since joining the European Union (EU), Poland has registered significant economic growth, in part aided by EU programme investments. While the country has weathered the recent economic crisis well, its GDP growth rates are now slowing, its unemployment rates rising, significant regional disparities persist, the population is ageing rapidly and its fiscal environment will become significantly tighter over time. The purpose of this Review is to advise the government of Poland on how to improve its governance capacity to achieve long-term strategic quality-of-life and competitiveness outcomes for its citizens and businesses and how to deliver services more effectively and efficiently to these citizens and businesses in the context of the challenges the country is facing.

Governance reform is not an end in itself; it is a means to achieve public policy results for citizens and businesses efficiently and effectively. Good governance is about building a better national and regional environment in which people can live, learn and work, in which entrepreneurs can innovate and commercialise the results of their creativity, and in which businesses can invest to create wealth and jobs. Good governance is about enhancing trust in government, its institutions, the quality of its services and decisions, because they are perceived to be made in the general, public interest.

Poland has weathered the economic crisis well relative to its European neighbours. It has also taken important steps toward enhancing strategic-state capacity. However, faced with the prospect of slower growth, a tighter fiscal space, persistent regional disparities and an ageing population, the window for the government of Poland to complete its governance reforms is closing relatively quickly. This chapter provides an overview of Poland’s economic, demographic, policy and fiscal challenges and opportunities. It highlights the need for the government of Poland to improve its governance capacity to enhance the country’s competitiveness and sustain growth while addressing emerging challenges.

This chapter examines the role of the Centre of Government (COG) to implement and steer strategy and assesses the role of budgeting and human resources management as tools in this regard. This chapter examines the strength and agility of Poland’s Centre of Government institutions to lead the implementation of the government’s national vision across the central government and with its sub-national and non-governmental partners. The chapter highlights the success the government has had in setting strategy, underscoring the need for it to move to implement it and monitor its implementation on an ongoing basis.

This chapter assesses the extent to which Poland’s central government could improve its decision-making practices and make use of sound evidence in choosing policy options. It assesses how the government currently uses impact and risk assessment in developing and applying regulation to address a policy issue. The chapter provides an illustrative example of Poland’s e-government implementation and provides recommendations that could help nurture more reliable, effective and efficient service provision and service delivery through e-government strategies that focus on maximizing value-for-money and outcomes-based needs of end-users.

This chapter highlights the importance of effective and efficient multi-level governance to enhance development policy outcomes for citizens and businesses. This chapter first highlights the role of local and regional government in advancing national strategic objectives and the key role played by the Ministry of Regional Development as the key Centre of Government co-ordinating institution that manages multi-level governance in Poland. The chapter then examines the need for enhanced vertical and horizontal coordination at the EU, national and sub-national levels; the main challenges that Poland is facing with respect to disparities in fiscal, policy and administrative capacity; and how effective multi-level governance arrangements can help Poland address these challenges. Finally, the chapter focuses on the initiatives taken by the government such as the National Regional Development Strategy 2010-2020, which are in the early stages of implementation, and offers advice on how to proceed in this regard based on practices in this area that have worked in other countries in the OECD.

This chapter examines the issue of trust in government and citizen and business buy-in to national strategy implementation. This chapter first presents Polish data that shows low trust in government and explains the challenges the government faces in this regard. The chapter then highlights the need to enhance consultation capability to improve trust and mobilise citizens and businesses effectively in policy and service design and delivery. Poland’s strategy to engage citizens in meaningful consultations has been set, but it has yet to be fully implemented.

This chapter summarises the analysis provided in the Review, and offers advice to the government of Poland on sequencing, staging and communications issues that can affect the successful implementation of its governance reform agenda over time.