The paper attempts to measure relative efficiency in utilizing public education and R&D expenditures in the new EU member states in comparison to the selected EU (plus Croatia) and OECD countries. As resources allocated to education and R&D sector are significantly limited, a special emphasis should be given to their efficient use regarding the institutional and legal constraints. By applying non-parametric methodology, i.e. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a relative efficiency is defined as the deviation from the efficiency frontier which represents the maximum output/outcome attainable from each input level. An analysis of (output-oriented) efficiency measures shows that among the new EU member states Hungary, Estonia and Slovenia seem to be good benchmark countries in the field of primary, secondary and tertiary education, respectively. On the other hand, Cyprus and again Hungary dominate in the field of R&D sector, even if for different reasons. The empirical results also suggest that, in general, new EU member states show relatively high efficiency in tertiary education, while lag well behind in theR&D efficiency measures.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3926958
The purpose of the paper is to review some previous researches examining ICT efficiency and the impact of ICT on educational output/outcome as well as different conceptual and methodological issues related to performance measurement. Moreover, a definition, measurements and the empirical application of a model measuring the efficiency of ICT use and its impact at national levels will be considered. For this purpose, the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique is presented and then applied to selected EU-27 and OECD countries. The empirical results show that the efficiency of ICT, when taking educational outputs/outcomes into consideration, differs significantly across the great majority of EU and OECD countries. The analysis of the varying levels of (output-oriented) efficiency (under the VRSTE framework) shows that Finland, Norway, Belgium and Korea are the most efficient countriesin terms of their ICT sectors. Finally, the analysis finds evidence that most of the countries under consideration hold great potential for increased efficiency in ICT and for improving their educational outputs and outcomes.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3907758
Public sector management in Slovenia has been following the trends in information technology (IT) outsourcing since the mid-nineties of the last century. Being aware of the complex role of IT in modern public sector organizations and its ubiquitous implications, the paper focuses on in-depth analysis of the critical success factors, benefits and risks within the concept of IT outsourcing, while employing the international studies and primarily the results of own research examining the current situation and identifying the main drivers for IT outsourcing in Slovenian municipalities. The paper additionally analyses the material, procedural and other relevant aspects within the process of IT outsourcing, provides an overview of its potentially positive and negative implications and eventually presents a contextual framework for management of IT outsourcing along with applicable guidelines for effective utilization and implementation of IT outsourcing in the public sector.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3839406