Administrative Reform Studies

Due to the conviction of officials at all levels of the importance of continuing the efforts to reform and develop the public administrative system, to improve its potential, and to make it more effective, the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) continues its efforts to achieve this goal in the various government agencies. The IPA undertakes such efforts by virtue of having, as one of its major units, the General Secretariat of the Higher Committee for Administrative Reform (HCAR). The IPA is supported in this by the Higher Committee itself, which is chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The Committee’s task is to take all the necessary steps and measures that guarantee administrative system reform, acting under the authorization accorded to it by the Cabinet of Ministers to act on the cabinet’s behalf in matters stipulated in the second paragraph of article 24 of the Cabinet Statute. That paragraph concerns the creation and organization of public offices.
Through the General Secretariat, the Preparatory Administrative Committee (PAC) of the HCAR, chaired by the IPA General Director, helps the HCAR in its tasks. The PAC studies all the items referred to the HCAR and makes recommendations about them, and it also makes suggestions to the HCAR on administrative development.
Currently, the administrative reform system is carrying out a comprehensive national project of organizational restructuring of all government agencies and revising the public employee statute. This project was initiated by Royal Decree 7/B/6629 of 7.5.1420 A.H., which creates a cabinet committee headed by His Royal Highness the Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation, and Inspector General. A number of ministers concerned with the restructuring and revision process were named members of the committee. A subcommittee, chaired by His Excellency the Minister of Civil Service, was formed to carry out specific tasks, such as studying items relevant to the activities of the cabinet committee and submitting recommendations concerning them. These are referred, through the committee secretariat, to the cabinet committee to make the proper decisions. Another preparatory committee, also chaired by the IPA General Director, reviews and studies all items related to the administrative organization of government agencies, and prepares reports on them, which are submitted to the cabinet subcommittee. This work is carried out through a technical team at the cabinet committee secretariat, IPA.
The actual implementation of the project of restructuring the government administrative system started on Rajab 1, 1421H. Below is a list of the major steps achieved in the year 1421/1422 H.
A. A number of reports and studies submitted to the cabinet committee, the cabinet subcommittee, and the preparatory committee were studied and discussed, and specific recommendations were made on each of them. These include the reports on:

1. Water administrative organization

2. Study of civil aviation

3. Official translation

4. Administrative organization of surveying

5. Food and medication control

6. Study of the retirement and social security sector

7. Study of the social affairs sector

8. Study of the labor force sector
    

B. Each of the committees in charge the restructuring of government agencies held a series of meetings to discuss a number of subjects related to the project. These meetings were as follows:

1. The cabinet committee: two meetings

2. The cabinet subcommittee: three meetings

3. The preparatory committee: seven meetings