From network to hierarchy: the evolution of the Estonian senior civil service development system

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the opportunities for and constraints of the establishment of a central coordination instrument in a highly fragmented central government. The article is based on a case study which examines the creation of a development system for Estonian senior civil servants. It describes and explains shifts in the coordination mechanisms within this initiative over the last decade. The study concludes that networks may offer an alternative to hierarchy for the creation of new coordination practices in fragmented administrative systems. However, networks may prove to be insufficient and require further institutionalization and formalization through the inclusion of hierarchical elements once the coordination instrument matures. The study also shows that the funding arrangements may trigger a shift in basic coordination mechanisms. It is therefore suggested that future research should systematically examine funding practices as an integral part of coordination arrangements.

Points for practitioners

This article shows how civil servants can launch a major coordination initiative without the input of the legislator, and build a governmental ‘island of excellence’ with the help of the EU’s structural funds. The establishment of a sound basis for the initiative in the form of a competency model and subsequently an assessment system was crucial in the evolvement of the senior civil service development system in Estonia. Constant learning and the gradual winning of the target group’s trust and support laid the groundwork for institutionalizing a coordination instrument initially designed to operate on a voluntary basis. The article also shows how addressing one coordination problem may raise new issues of accountability, sustainability and coordination.

Keywords

coordination Estonia hierarchy network senior civil service

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