Double helix of institutional import in public administration reform in Russia

Abstract

The article focuses on the waves of the Russian reforms in the field of public administration in the context of global trends towards modernization in this domain. It highlights that there is heavy dependence of the reform ideology on the main tools of New Public Management (NPM) premised on the ideas of neoliberalism, and outlines the reasons behind this dependence. The main research objective is to identify the NPM elements implemented as part of the Russian strategy for importing institutional components that are effective amid the specific institutional environment. Methodologically, the research relies on neo-institutional theory and evolutionary approach. The empirical basis includes scholarly publications as well as research studies headed by the author in Omsk in 2016–2018. The author uncovers the double helix of institutional import in the Russian system of public administration. The helix implies both adapting effective administration institutions and tools from the private to the public sector in foreign countries and transplanting them into the Russian practice of public administration. The paper provides case studies for the main areas of reform (introduction of the system of multifunctional centers providing state and municipal services, e-government, performance management, social control, etc.) which demonstrate the difficulties in transplanting administration institutions into the practice of the Russian reforms in the field of public administration.

Keywords

• new public management
• institutional import
• managerialism
• economic reforms