Civic Engagement

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: What is Holding Back Effective Policymaking in Armenia? Structural Barriers Cultural Barriers Recommendations To Support the Effective Implementation of the Public Administration Reforms Strategy Toward Improving Policymaking More Broadly 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.