Public Administration Reform and Digital Transformation (PARDT) is a UNDP Project implemented jointly with the Ministry for development of Information Technologies and Communications (MITC). The project aims at supporting the Government of Uzbekistan in delivering public services with greater accountability, transparency and responsiveness to citizen’s needs and ensure better access to legal information, as well as in raising the IT outsourcing capacity of Uzbekistan to create more job opportunities and increase the quality of life and living standards of the population of Uzbekistan. The project builds on success of previous initiatives by significantly expanding the scope of support within the implementation of key activities of the Action Strategy on Five Priority Areas of Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017-2021, e-Government master-plan for 2013-2020, and the Government decisions to develop IT Outsourcing capacity of Uzbekistan. The goal of the project is going to be achieved through: (1) assistance to support further reforms of public administration, (2) support in improving access to legal information and public services, and (3) strengthening national capacities in the areas of ICT, STEM and e-Government. 

In this regard, the project recruit me on Citizen Engagement in Public Governance to develop policy paper on citizen engagement in government decision-making as part of public administration reform. I was expected perform the following tasks and functions:

• To conduct in depth review on the theoretical concepts of citizen engagement and participation;

• To carry out review of global practices implementing citizen engagement and participation in public governance with focus on the developing and developed countries such as Singapore, Estonia and others.

• To perform empirical exercise on the link between citizen engagement in public governance and quality of life such as life satisfaction, economic growth and sustainable development across countries and draw quantitative policy conclusions;

• Identify key areas where the Citizen engagement and participation in public governance have the significant potential in Uzbekistan;

• Elaborate the policy paper on implementation of citizen engagement and participation in public governance in Uzbekistan in the mid-term perspective. The paper must be submitted in electronic document format (at least 15 standard pages long) and include at least the following sections:

  • Introduction (conceptual framework)

  • Best international practices

  • Analysis of current situation (achievements and challenges)

  • Policies to enhance citizen engagement and participation

  • Recommendations and expected outcomes

• Present and discuss the draft of the policy paper at least at one peer review session;

Test the preliminary findings of the research by participating in and facilitating discussion at the international conference on public administration reform (session on engaging citizens in public administration) planned in April 2018 in Tashkent and incorporate the results of the discussion in the final draft of the policy paper.