RESEARCH
LPL EDITIONS
RESEARCH ACADEMY
HAPPENING
RESEARCH
Administrative Law
Permanent Observatory of Public Administration
Responsible Researchers:
Domingos Soares Farinho
Domingos Soares Farinho
LPL Researchers:
João Tiago Silveira, Gonçalo Carrilho, Diogo Calado, Jorge Silva Sampaio, Pedro Delgado Alves, Sandra Lopes Luís, Gonçalo Fabião
João Tiago Silveira, Gonçalo Carrilho, Diogo Calado, Jorge Silva Sampaio, Pedro Delgado Alves, Sandra Lopes Luís, Gonçalo Fabião
External Researchers:
Alexandre Sousa Pinheiro; Carlos Salomão
Alexandre Sousa Pinheiro; Carlos Salomão
Financing:
UIDB/04310/2020
UIDB/04310/2020
Project Status:
Closed
Closed
Summary
The Permanent Observatory of Public Administration (OPAP) aims to make up for the absence, in Portugal, of an independent body, coming from civil society, that can carry out permanent and daily monitoring of the organization, functioning and reform of Portuguese public administration. In fact, the considerations that take place in the public space often demonstrate purely intuitive and speculative reasoning about the true dimension or structure of public administration, to the extent that scientific studies of crossing data and official statistics are rare.
In short, OPAP will function as an interface between researchers from various branches of scientific knowledge – which are not limited to Law, but other auxiliary sciences –, with a view to allowing the collection and analysis of data and information that allow for a deeper and objective knowledge of Portuguese public administration. This monitoring and centralization of information will subsequently allow the preparation of proposals for reform and the implementation of good governance practices, which allow for an improvement in the organization and functioning of public administration and Portuguese Administrative Justice.
Objectives
Among the various objectives of OPAP, the following stand out:
1) Guaranteeing permanent “Monitoring” of the organization and functioning of public administration, with the detection of good practices implemented and persistent inefficiencies;
2) The development of a constant and objective “Assessment”, using diagnostic and direct survey methods for users and beneficiaries of the administrative function and public services;
3) Promoting the “Participation” of the national scientific community in legislative and operational procedures aimed at reforming public administration;
4) Encouraging the “Initiative” of national researchers to present autonomous proposals to improve the regulatory framework and apply solutions to improve the organization and functioning of public administration;
5) Understanding the phenomena of contemporary “Globalization” of administrative structures and their adequacy, namely, through the creation and participation, through OPAP, in “administrative global networks” of researchers and administrative operators and, in particular, of creation of a “Lusophone Administrative Network”;
6) The encouragement of “Mediation” methods between citizens and the public administration, ensured by OPAP itself, with a view to a consensual and extra-jurisdictional resolution of disputes that may arise in the relationship between them.
