Administration Reform

Many German communities tackled the administration reform, following the New Control Model on the basis of the recommendations of the Common Office for Administration Simplification. Since 1997 the city of Rostock has developed some fundamental aspects.

1. Personnel development. By decision of the city council of October 1998, the administration was charged with the compilation of a personnel development concept. The main components are:
   
   (a) Regular Assistant-Executive Talk. It will deliver individual agreements on objectives, working conditions and the co-operation between employees and executives.
   
   (b) The Training Concept. It fixes the training needs for every single employee in order to do best.
   
   (c) The Flexible Working Hours Regulation. It will replace the existing flexitime system (with almost 40 exceptional arrangements) optimising the office hours for citizens and allowing a more flexible working time organisation for employees,
   
   (d) The implementation of Gender Mainstreaming and the Women's Development Plan is an important principle of the administration reform.
   
   
2. Definition and description of products. The product definition was developed regardless existing organisational structures and budgetary restrictions. The Product Plan, the central document, will become the general guideline for planning, budgeting, organisation, personnel management, report systems and controlling.
3. Introduction of cost and result accounting. Based on a decision of the City Council of January 2001, this system will be introduced gradually until 2007. For the administration management and the political boards it is an effective control instrument of the economic performance.
   
4. Introduction of Sector Budgeting. In July 2002 the city council decided to introduce sector budgeting as from the fiscal year 2003. It gives as many financial resources as possible to individual sectors of the administration. Each sector will receive its own budget for use. Remaining resources do not flow back into the city budget. The sector is allowed to keep part of them at its disposal for the next year.
5. Project, District Office 2000". Certain public tasks were decentralised by passing them to urban District Offices. They also assume all tasks of the Registration Offices. Now the citizens have the possibility to settle at once all their personal affairs at each of seven locations in Rostock.