Spain: From Administrative Reform to Continuous Improvement

This comprehensive review of public governance in Spain finds that it shares with other OECD countries the need for a whole-of-government approach to reform. This is especially needed given Spain’s high degree of decentralisation and institutional fragmentation throughout the public sector. The experience of OECD countries with administrative reform is that it is successful when it is not perceived as a one-off exercise, but rather as a process of continuous improvement to constantly identify waste, shortcomings, and opportunities to do things better. This is particularly relevant for the public administration to become a positive influence for growth and overcome the effects of the financial crisis Spain has been through.