An effective public administration system is essential to foster better policymaking, promote economic development, and ensure that citizens’ needs are met and their well-being addressed—thus strengthening a country’s resilience. In today’s environment, a well-functioning public administration is critical for Armenia’s future.
With this in mind, APRI Armenia conducted a pilot project on public administration reforms to establish a more comprehensive program over the longer term. The report examined the implementation of Armenia’s ongoing public administration reforms, based on the 2022 Public Administration Reforms Strategy, and the policymaking culture and processes at the ministerial level, identifying the main challenges and obstacles that hinder effective policy design and implementation.
The research was conducted between October 2024 and February 2025, and included desktop research and more than 35 interviews with policymakers, donor agencies, embassies, foreign think tanks specializing in this topic and civil society representatives.
Key Findings
Challenges Associated with Implementing the Public Administration Reform Strategy:
- Limited capacity of civil servants to help deliver the Strategy
- Unclear leadership and oversight due to the lack of specific body assigned to oversee the Strategy
- Resistance to change rooted in an institutional conservative culture that hinders the effective implementation of the reforms
What is Holding Back Effective Policymaking in Armenia?
Structural Barriers
- Poor alignment of strategic-level policies: There is a lack of coordination between national and sectoral strategies and government programs
- Limited data-based policy analysis in ministries
- Inadequate training when existing programs are often poorly aligned with public officials’ tasks and needs
Cultural Barriers
- Input-oriented policymaking culture, whereby civil servants tend to focus on administrative processes and inputs rather than outcomes
- Low civil servant engagement and trust
- Weak participatory culture between public officials and civil society organization representatives
Recommendations
To Support the Effective Implementation of the Public Administration Reforms Strategy
- Establish a formal Council for Public Administration Reforms
- Create a dedicated implementation unit within the Prime Minister’s Office
- Strengthen civil society participation, building on models such as the WeBER network in the Western Balkans
Toward Improving Policymaking More Broadly
- To Improve Strategic Planning: The “Rules of Procedure of Government Strategic Management” guideline should be formally adopted and consistently enforced
- To Strengthen Civil Servants’ Analytical Skills: Middle-level civil servants should be provided with more opportunities to enhance their capacity for evidence-based policymaking. A dedicated training module should be developed to instruct civil servants in the effective and secure use of generative AI tools for research and data analysis. Finally, greater emphasis should be placed on building capacity for regulatory impact assessments (RIA) within ministries
- To Reinforce Training as a Foundational Resource: The e-learning portal for civil servants should offer courses led by leading local and foreign public administration and governance experts
- To Nudge Policymaking Toward a Results-Oriented Culture: Based on the draft “Rules of Procedure of Government Strategic Management,” tailored guidelines and capacity-building programs should be implemented within ministries
- To Strengthen Civil Servants’ Engagement: Senior and middle managers should actively recognize and acknowledge the contributions of lower-level civil servants
- To Enhance Participatory Culture: A dedicated training module should be in place for middle-and senior-level policymakers. The newly established Department for Participatory and Open Governance within the Prime Minister’s Office could lead awareness-raising initiatives to improve mutual understanding between civil servants, civil society organizations, and donor agencies. Ministries should institutionalize predrafting consultation phases for major policy initiatives
Barriers Holding Back Effective Policymaking and Proposed Solutions.
Cite this report: Babayan, Hovsep. "Better Policy: Reforms to Armenia's Public Administration." May 2025. Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia (APRI Armenia). https://doi.org/10.71308/GAVUL7497.
