The Renewing Administration through Democratic Anchorage Reforms (RADAR) project is set against a backdrop of increasing pressure on public administrations to adapt and respond to complex new challenges. In recent years, public sector reform and innovation have become essential to deliver effective policies and high-quality public services. However, the perceived or actual lack of public administration reform can undermine the legitimacy of governments, as they may fail to meet the needs of citizens or mismanage public finances, making public administrations appear fragile and vulnerable.Public administration reforms are often a source of contestation due to their technocratic nature, which raises concerns about their democratic legitimacy. Long-term low levels of trust and dissatisfaction with public institutions, coupled with political polarization, can undermine governments' capacity to implement necessary structural reforms. The content and implementation of these reforms may conflict with fundamental democratic values such as equal treatment, the rule of law, and minority protection, further challenging their legitimacy.
The RADAR project aims to address these challenges by providing public administrations, particularly in central government, with tools to construct legitimacy for public administration reforms. The project is structured around four main objectives:
1. Understanding the Relationship Between Public Administration Reforms and Democratic Legitimacy:
This objective focuses on improving the understanding of how public administration reforms affect democratic legitimacy. It involves a systematic review of literature, statistical analysis of large-scale data, and the creation of an innovation barometer to map trends in public sector innovation.
2. Determining the Effectiveness of Democratic Governance Efforts:
This objective aims to identify when and how efforts to improve democratic governance are effective. It includes studies on citizen participation, representative bureaucracy, and experimental governance, using methods such as case analysis, survey experiments, and focus groups.
3. Supporting Public Administrations with Evidence-Based Recommendations:
This objective involves translating research findings into practical tools and recommendations for public administrations. It includes the development of policy briefs, practical tools like a participation manual, and guidelines for HR departments.
4. Incorporating Democratic Anchorage into Public Administration Training:
This objective aims to ensure the long-term impact of the project by integrating principles of democratic anchorage into public administration education and training. It involves the development of teaching materials, modules for academic and executive education, and a serious game for training civil servants.
The project's impact is expected to be significant, contributing to more evidence-based policy discussions, improved public administration practices, and enhanced democratic governance. It aims to reach a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, civil servants, educators, and the academic community.
RADAR involves a consortium of ten participants from various European countries, including universities, research institutes, and public administration schools, with Radboud University as Coordinating Institution.
