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Papers by Remigijus Civinskas

Research paper thumbnail of BEYOND THE FRONT-LINE: THE COPING STRATEGIES AND DISCRETION OF LITHUANIAN STREET-LEVEL BUREAUCRACY DURING COVID-19

Corvinus Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 2021

This article presents the results of a project funded by the Research Council of Lithuania: 'Publ... more This article presents the results of a project funded by the Research Council of Lithuania: 'Public policy solutions and their improvement to overcome the COVID-19 crisis in Lithuanian municipalities: solution tools and service delivery.' The research methodology is based on street-level bureaucracy theory and ongoing qualitative research in the form of interviews with social workers and doctors. Interviews were conducted in the Lithuanian municipalities which became the first COVID-19 hotspots in March-April 2020. The aim is to identify the response and coping strategies of street-level bureaucracy. The findings of current research suggest that the workload of street-level bureaucrats increased, the situation changed very rapidly, and there was a constant need to adopt rules and even recommendations issued by the ministry. Fear of COVID-19 infection, a lack of accurate information, uncertainty, and the possibility of allowing staff with children to leave the workplace led to staff shortages. This in turn motivated the administration and the remaining employees to look for suitable coping strategies.

Research paper thumbnail of The Application of Customer Service Standards and Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Discretion in Lithuanian State Agencies

Baltic Journal of Law & Politics

The main purpose of this article is to explore how standardization of the public service provisio... more The main purpose of this article is to explore how standardization of the public service provision and introduction of customer service standards affect the de facto discretion of civil servants. The study uses a qualitative case study approach. Two main research methods were used to gather data – semi-structured interview and document analysis. Analysis of the empirical data revealed that written standards only partially affect the de facto discretion of civil servants. The customer interaction standards define only a few civil servants’ actions, and do not cover all aspects of the communication between civil servants and customers. Application of written standards is flexible especially in non-typical situations. Customer service standards do not restrict the actions of civil servants when they focus on customer problems, which is especially important when dealing with socially vulnerable customers. This study explores the use of customer service standards as a public management t...

Research paper thumbnail of Reform of the Senior Civil Service System in Lithuania: Opinions and Attitudes of Senior Servants (draft paper)

During the last decade, senior civil service (henceforth, SCS) systems have been reformed in many... more During the last decade, senior civil service (henceforth, SCS) systems have been reformed in many countries, while in the East and Central Europe countries they have been established anew. These changes have affected not only the elements of executive corps system and its governance but also have formed new identities (official, personal, or social) and relationship with politicians. The ideas of SCS establishment have reached Lithuania as well. Primary ideas of 2011 about the distinction of senior executives in the system and their managerial empowerment changed later on and developed into the idea of establishing a separate SCS corps. In 2013-2014, an active development of SCS reform in Lithuania was taking place. It should be noted that often ambitious ideas about the reform are accompanied not only by public discussions and criticism but also experience a political and administrative resistance. Partly, this is a tendency preconditioned by a natural aim for continuity and preservation of the status quo of institutional interests in the state institutions' framework 1 . On the other hand, some ideological-political, executive resistance, and contextual factors were involved in establishing the SCS and for further reforms, which would often become an insurmountable obstacle. 2 It is important to analyse the incentives and obstacles of this reform development in analyzing the establishment of Lithuanian SCS by two aspects: effectiveness of the reform development (to what extent primary ideas are implemented) and the attitude of executives towards the system being established. The attitudes of top executives, as a part of possible SCS actors, can influence the agenda of the Government related to the system establishment. A conceptual basis for the research is the analysis of factors of public sector, first, related to the distinction of political-administrative causality factors/powers and the analysis of their effect reform initiation and development. 3 These factors are complemented by the analysis of contextual factors of the reforms. This allows combining political-administrative and socioeconomic and society influences on reforms into a unity. This approach allows analyzing the 1 Bourgault J., Van Dorpe K., "Managerial reforms, Public Service Bargains and top civil servant identity",

Research paper thumbnail of Citizen Surveys for Local Governments in Lithuania: Assessing the State of Public Service Development

Research paper thumbnail of Institutional Contexts of the Implementation of Quality Initiatives in the Public Sectors of Finland and Lithuania

Baltic Journal of Law & Politics, 2009

This article reports the results of research of public service quality reform initiatives in Lith... more This article reports the results of research of public service quality reform initiatives in Lithuania and Finland. Research reveals that quality management has been in vogue within the manufacturing sectors of both countries for several decades. The service industries have made heavy investments in this area. There are also major initiatives from the public sector to improve quality. This paper examines and compares the development of reform conceptions and programmes in terms of institutional interest and power positions. It demonstrates that the initiation and progress of reform initiatives were determined by VOLUME 2, NUMBER 2 2009 75 particular unforeseen and accidental circumstances in both countries. On the other hand, it explains why Finnish institutions were ready for a constructive dialogue, and a pilot try-outs option in implementation or reform instruments. Lithuanian institutions, by comparison, are characterized by the creation of new structures and self-seeking interests. Finally, the paper reveals how the instruments of public service quality improvement were implemented in both countries.

Research paper thumbnail of Kontraktu straipsnis Baltic Journal of Law @ Politics 2011 PDF

This article seeks to explain the attitudes of civil servants to the preparation of redesigning t... more This article seeks to explain the attitudes of civil servants to the preparation of redesigning the civil service system. The starting point for this study is the perplexing point that the plans to reform the Lithuanian civil service system, which was designed to enhance the influence and role of top managers, resulted in the civil servants themselves as the plan's most conspicuous opponents. The article provides explanations to this puzzling situation, drawing on contractualization as the radical reform model or public management model. An attempt is made to find some support for performance contracts, as well as the objectives of rotation implementation and the creation of a higher civil service system. The article argues that civil servants may regard contracts and other managerial elements as a way of realizing other objectives in the reform that they value. VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2 2011 157 too little empirical proof is provided and also the conclusions of comparative studies are taken as a basis. In fact, these culturally determined positions limit the analysis of the phenomenon and are more suitable to its genesis rather than the analysis of contemporary reforms.

Research paper thumbnail of BEYOND THE FRONT-LINE: THE COPING STRATEGIES AND DISCRETION OF LITHUANIAN STREET-LEVEL BUREAUCRACY DURING COVID-19

Corvinus Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 2021

This article presents the results of a project funded by the Research Council of Lithuania: 'Publ... more This article presents the results of a project funded by the Research Council of Lithuania: 'Public policy solutions and their improvement to overcome the COVID-19 crisis in Lithuanian municipalities: solution tools and service delivery.' The research methodology is based on street-level bureaucracy theory and ongoing qualitative research in the form of interviews with social workers and doctors. Interviews were conducted in the Lithuanian municipalities which became the first COVID-19 hotspots in March-April 2020. The aim is to identify the response and coping strategies of street-level bureaucracy. The findings of current research suggest that the workload of street-level bureaucrats increased, the situation changed very rapidly, and there was a constant need to adopt rules and even recommendations issued by the ministry. Fear of COVID-19 infection, a lack of accurate information, uncertainty, and the possibility of allowing staff with children to leave the workplace led to staff shortages. This in turn motivated the administration and the remaining employees to look for suitable coping strategies.

Research paper thumbnail of The Application of Customer Service Standards and Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Discretion in Lithuanian State Agencies

Baltic Journal of Law & Politics

The main purpose of this article is to explore how standardization of the public service provisio... more The main purpose of this article is to explore how standardization of the public service provision and introduction of customer service standards affect the de facto discretion of civil servants. The study uses a qualitative case study approach. Two main research methods were used to gather data – semi-structured interview and document analysis. Analysis of the empirical data revealed that written standards only partially affect the de facto discretion of civil servants. The customer interaction standards define only a few civil servants’ actions, and do not cover all aspects of the communication between civil servants and customers. Application of written standards is flexible especially in non-typical situations. Customer service standards do not restrict the actions of civil servants when they focus on customer problems, which is especially important when dealing with socially vulnerable customers. This study explores the use of customer service standards as a public management t...

Research paper thumbnail of Reform of the Senior Civil Service System in Lithuania: Opinions and Attitudes of Senior Servants (draft paper)

During the last decade, senior civil service (henceforth, SCS) systems have been reformed in many... more During the last decade, senior civil service (henceforth, SCS) systems have been reformed in many countries, while in the East and Central Europe countries they have been established anew. These changes have affected not only the elements of executive corps system and its governance but also have formed new identities (official, personal, or social) and relationship with politicians. The ideas of SCS establishment have reached Lithuania as well. Primary ideas of 2011 about the distinction of senior executives in the system and their managerial empowerment changed later on and developed into the idea of establishing a separate SCS corps. In 2013-2014, an active development of SCS reform in Lithuania was taking place. It should be noted that often ambitious ideas about the reform are accompanied not only by public discussions and criticism but also experience a political and administrative resistance. Partly, this is a tendency preconditioned by a natural aim for continuity and preservation of the status quo of institutional interests in the state institutions' framework 1 . On the other hand, some ideological-political, executive resistance, and contextual factors were involved in establishing the SCS and for further reforms, which would often become an insurmountable obstacle. 2 It is important to analyse the incentives and obstacles of this reform development in analyzing the establishment of Lithuanian SCS by two aspects: effectiveness of the reform development (to what extent primary ideas are implemented) and the attitude of executives towards the system being established. The attitudes of top executives, as a part of possible SCS actors, can influence the agenda of the Government related to the system establishment. A conceptual basis for the research is the analysis of factors of public sector, first, related to the distinction of political-administrative causality factors/powers and the analysis of their effect reform initiation and development. 3 These factors are complemented by the analysis of contextual factors of the reforms. This allows combining political-administrative and socioeconomic and society influences on reforms into a unity. This approach allows analyzing the 1 Bourgault J., Van Dorpe K., "Managerial reforms, Public Service Bargains and top civil servant identity",

Research paper thumbnail of Citizen Surveys for Local Governments in Lithuania: Assessing the State of Public Service Development

Research paper thumbnail of Institutional Contexts of the Implementation of Quality Initiatives in the Public Sectors of Finland and Lithuania

Baltic Journal of Law & Politics, 2009

This article reports the results of research of public service quality reform initiatives in Lith... more This article reports the results of research of public service quality reform initiatives in Lithuania and Finland. Research reveals that quality management has been in vogue within the manufacturing sectors of both countries for several decades. The service industries have made heavy investments in this area. There are also major initiatives from the public sector to improve quality. This paper examines and compares the development of reform conceptions and programmes in terms of institutional interest and power positions. It demonstrates that the initiation and progress of reform initiatives were determined by VOLUME 2, NUMBER 2 2009 75 particular unforeseen and accidental circumstances in both countries. On the other hand, it explains why Finnish institutions were ready for a constructive dialogue, and a pilot try-outs option in implementation or reform instruments. Lithuanian institutions, by comparison, are characterized by the creation of new structures and self-seeking interests. Finally, the paper reveals how the instruments of public service quality improvement were implemented in both countries.

Research paper thumbnail of Kontraktu straipsnis Baltic Journal of Law @ Politics 2011 PDF

This article seeks to explain the attitudes of civil servants to the preparation of redesigning t... more This article seeks to explain the attitudes of civil servants to the preparation of redesigning the civil service system. The starting point for this study is the perplexing point that the plans to reform the Lithuanian civil service system, which was designed to enhance the influence and role of top managers, resulted in the civil servants themselves as the plan's most conspicuous opponents. The article provides explanations to this puzzling situation, drawing on contractualization as the radical reform model or public management model. An attempt is made to find some support for performance contracts, as well as the objectives of rotation implementation and the creation of a higher civil service system. The article argues that civil servants may regard contracts and other managerial elements as a way of realizing other objectives in the reform that they value. VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2 2011 157 too little empirical proof is provided and also the conclusions of comparative studies are taken as a basis. In fact, these culturally determined positions limit the analysis of the phenomenon and are more suitable to its genesis rather than the analysis of contemporary reforms.