The municipal administration and its organizational and operating mechanisms underlie the Local Integrity System. The local administration’s potential to influence the development of a Local Integrity System was assessed using a set of 26 indicators, distributed again with a preponderance of two dimensions, i.e., role and internal governance practices.

The total index score of the municipal administration was 3.81 points on a 5-point scale. Thus, it ranked first in the overall picture of the Local Integrity System in 2015.

Capacity of the local administration

The country average score for this dimension was 3.94. The study established a sustainable practice of well-functioning citizen service centers in all municipalities. The centers provide the full range of information and administrative services to citizens. The internal rules are publicly accessible to most citizens as well. It is standard practice that the citizen service centers stay open longer on certain days, making it easier for citizens to use their services. An increasing share of municipalities have also been introducing the proprio motu principle in the provision of administrative services.

With regard to the adequacy of resources indicator, municipalities face a major challenge in the introduction of e-services and complex administrative services. Only half of all municipalities have taken effective steps to that end. Fully functional electronic delivery of services was observed in the municipalities of Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Plovdiv, Sofia, and Stara Zagora.

The independence in the functioning of the municipal administrations indicator earned a lower average score of 3.58 points. The extent to which internal rules have been introduced for the functioning of all units within the municipal administrations varies across municipalities. A major deficiency ascertained under the independence indicator was the need for a reliably functioning system for reporting of irregularities by employees (whistleblowing) in compliance with the principles of whistleblower protection from bullying and harassment is underestimated.

Role of the Local Administration

The country’s average score for this dimension was 3.69. Publicizing plans for public procurement has become an established standard practice in almost all of the municipalities studied. Most of the municipalities under study scored high on the publicity of decisions on closing procurement procedures sub-indicator as well. The situation was similar as to the public register of signed procurement contracts sub-indicator, with the municipality of Pazardzhik completing the list of negative practice examples.

The basic standard, which still falls outside the scope of good practices in the municipalities under study, is publicity of information on procurement payments. Failure to publicize information on disbursements made pursuant to public procurement contracts seemed to be a common shortcoming. A good practice worth mentioning is the publicity platform for procurement information maintained by the municipality of Gabrovo. High transparency standards in public procurement were observed also in the municipalities of Burgas and Veliko Tarnovo.

Examples of good practice under the promoting accountability and participation sub-indicator were observed in the municipalities of Burgas, Sofia, and Stara Zagora. The Sofia municipality encourages the active submission of citizen proposals and tip-offs about irregularities in the urban environment via its web-based Contact Center. The study found uneven development of services related to local revenue collection. A minority of the municipalities under study provide electronic payment options, giving citizens the opportunity to pay their local taxes and fees online. The same municipalities publicize systematically information on revenue from property taxes, user fees, and charges for city utilities. Publicity in the administration of municipally-owned property was assessed by reviewing how municipalities make use of public registers as a tool to provide reliable information on the use of municipal property. The municipality of Ruse sets an example of leading practice related to publicity in the administration of municipal property.

Governance of the Municipal Administration

The country’s average score for this dimension was 3.79. What the local administration’s contribution to the Local Integrity System lacks most are initiatives to enhance integrity. Strict compliance with ethical standards in the work of municipal employees has not yet become a sustainable practice, even though all municipalities under study have formal codes of ethics in place. The only good model was observed in the municipality of Varna, where the Code of Ethics is complemented by Internal Rules on Reporting Non-Compliance.