House of Representatives Discusses the National Administration Reform Plan
The House of Representatives organized, on Friday, March 22, 2022, a colloquium on the theme: “Administration Reform Plan: Cross-interpreting.”
Organized by the Thematic Working Group in charge of Evaluating the 2018-2021 National Administration Reform Plan, the colloquium provided an opportunity for administrative officers and academics, as well as researchers and experts, to exchange ideas and approaches that could enrich the debate on administrative reform, which is central to the series of reforms undertaken by the Kingdom in recent years.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairperson of the Group, Mr. Hafid Ouachak, stressed that the issue of administrative reform has always been a priority concern of the House of Representatives because of its conviction that it is one of the ways to construct 21st-century Morocco. He also stressed the need for a modern administration to keep pace with the significant transformations the Kingdom of Morocco is undergoing.
In this regard, Mr. Ouachak recalled the message address on February 27, 2018, by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the participants in the National Forum on Senior Civil Service, in which the Sovereign had emphasized that "the imperative efficient management of resources and the necessary response to the requirements of comprehensive development put the issue of the efficiency of the public administration and State institutions in sharp focus," with a review of the working methods of administrative structures and a redesign of the management modalities of public resources, to optimize the use of the available means.
The Chairperson of the Group added that the colloquium was also an opportunity to draw practical conclusions that will help to establish the means to advance the Moroccan administration as a strategic choice and a fundamental pillar to ensure the efficiency of public policies and lay the foundations for the new development model.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Mr. Ahmed Laamoumri, noted that the Administration Reform Plan constitutes a priority, given the digital changes taking place in the world and the COVID-19 impacts. According to him, the goal is to advance public administration and civil service through restructuring and reinforcing their capacities.
Besides, Mr. Laamoumri stated that the Plan includes the main guidelines for structural changes on organizational, management, and ethical levels, noting that the objective of the Plan is, on the one hand, to achieve administrative efficiency for the benefit of citizens and, on the other hand, to achieve effective integration of the citizen through active participation in the management of local affairs.
On the same theme, the member of the Committee on the Right to Access Information (CDAI), Lahcen Laassibi, declared that this right constitutes an essential opening to the operation of administrative reform in Morocco. In the same respect, he added that this right, stipulated by the 2011 constitution, is a giant step towards bringing the citizen closer to the administration.
Mr. Laassibi also pointed out that the New Development Model highlighted the intrinsic linkages between the right to access information, accountability, and regular evaluation of the public service. In the same vein, he underlined that regular evaluation and accountability could not be achieved without the right to access information, being a safeguard of transparency and integrity.
The Secretary-General of “Le Médiateur,” Mohamed Lididi, highlighted the role of the Institution in consolidating the culture of public service in Morocco, noting that it is an alternative for settling disputes outside the traditional framework. He also pointed out that the mechanisms employed by the Institution include research, investigation, and standing committees for coordination and follow-up with administrations.
For their part, the Head of Coordination and the Head of Human Resources, Budget, Information Systems and General Affairs in the Ministry of Industry, Hafid Choukri and Hassan Messaoudi highlighted the achievements of the Ministry in the framework of the National Administration Reform Plan, noting that the Ministry has mobilized all its resources for the implementation of this reform aimed at developing its performance and promoting its relationship with citizens.