Efficiency of Province-Level Public Administration in Poland

Abstract

This article focuses on the efficiency of public administration in Poland in the broad sense. It presents the results of the authors’ own research into the efficiency of province-level Voivodship Offices in Poland from 2008 to 2012. The research made it possible to identify the degree of variation in the efficiency of functioning of these offices and to indicate the underlying causes of the differences. The efficiency of functioning of Voivodship Offices was measured based on a nonparametric approach with use of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. It was found that the investigated offices differ considerably in terms of efficiency of functioning. Based on the identified differences in the efficiency levels, a ranking of the offices was also compiled. The results of the research indicate a clear occurrence of a scale effect in the functioning of Voivodship Offices. This, in practice, means that the number of people and businesses they serve is too small in relation to the resources and inputs used. In the course of the research, the unit costs of selected administrative services were evaluated as well as the relationship between the number of employees and the number of analysed services. Conclusions drawn from the research made it possible to formulate recommendations regarding necessary action to be taken in order to improve the efficiency of functioning of Poland’s Voivodship Offices.

Keywords

• public administration
• efficiency
• dea method