NRP Portugal

• Increase in qualifications and training. A critical factor for the successfulmodernisationofthePublicAdministrationisthatofthequalificationofitsexecutivesandworkers.Theimprovedqualificationsofexecutivesandstaffwillbeconductedbymeansofprospectiveevaluationandthepreparationofskillsdirectoriesandthedevelopmentofmade‐to‐measurecapacitybuildingprogrammes, raising the capacities of executives and management, theimplementationofmobilitypoliciesthroughthedevelopmentofprofessionalretraining programmes, the development of e‐Learning and practicecommunities, the decentralisation of training by means of partnershipsbetween INA and local institutions, and alignment with the NewOpportunitiesInitiative.1.2.2.. SimplificationandImprovementofAttendingCitizensandCompanies• Reduction of charges made to companies. Following the approval in theEuropeanCouncilofMarch2007oftheActionProgrammefortheReductionofAdministrativeBurdensintheEuropeanUnion,in2008theGovernmentapproved the National Pledge to Reduce Administrative Burdens forCompanieswithaviewtoreplicatingtheobjectivedefinedbytheEUinthenational plan. In 2009, the evaluation process of the reduction ofadministrative burdens companies resulting from the application of thealreadyimplementedsimplificationmeasureswillproceed.• LocalauthoritySimplex.In2009,theevaluationofthefirstLocalAuthoritySimplex Programme will take place; the programme was launched in 2008and will be extended to more local authorities with new simplificationmeasuresthatdonotdispensewithcollaborationbetweenmunicipalitiesorbetweenmunicipalitiesandthecentraladministration.• One stop shop and second generation citizen shops. In the scope of themodernisation of public services, investment will continue to be made inraising the quality and proximity of services to their users, namely byincreasingtherangeofpublicservicesavailableintheonestopshopsystem(presentially or online) and through the expansion of Second GenerationCitizenShopprogramme.Oneofthekeyobjectivesofthisprogrammeistorationalisethedistributionmodelofpublicservicesbothgeographicallyandfinancially,withoutlosingproximitytothecitizenandeconomisingintermsofthecostofinstallationandexploitation;therefore,thenewcitizenshopsshould concentrate public services of the central administration and themunicipaladministrationinthesamespace,usingtheirowncounterormultiservice counters. Their appropriate articulation with other distributionchannels is also foreseen, notably the voice channel and internet, thusassuringamorestandardisedattendanceforallcitizens.16