Dear Colleagues,

Although the search for optimal management innovations may seem like a matter of the purely private sphere, this concept is increasingly being inflected with public administration. It is, therefore, necessary to focus on the identification of internal and external factors that limit the possibilities of using modern management methods with an orientation on the use of digital management and business models from an international perspective that can help develop an open administration close to the citizen and provide quality and targeted public services. In addition to strengthening the main principles of open government—transparency, participation, and accountability of the government to its citizens—this concept represents a way to increase people's interest in society. Whether we are talking about the micro-level in the form of the fight against corruption within a public institution and the effort to create an atmosphere of trust instead of fear in the workplace or the importance of involving the public and stakeholders in the macro-level of public policy-making.

This call is issued in the context of clearly growing interest in the conceptual building of innovative public administration, the use of modern management tools, specifically the possibility of using business models and digital management to increase the efficiency and pro-client orientation of public administration and the need to create intuitive tools to ensure the effectiveness of public policies. At the same time, we create space to summarize new knowledge about new management methods brought by a modern technological and digital society. Existing knowledge and experience are limited, opening many different directions for further academic research. Taking this into account, we would like to draw the attention of prospective contributors to the following questions:

1. What factors limit the possibilities of using modern management methods in public administration specifically from the perspective of using business models and digital management to increase public service efficiency and pro-client orientation?
2. What management competencies do leaders lack in order to create and sustain effective government and/or public sector organizations?
3. Good public administration and governance are a key factor in its economic performance and the well-being of its citizens, is it essential for public authorities to be able to adapt to changing circumstances?
4. What are the key factors in improving public administration performance? Is efficient, flexible, and effective governance a prerequisite for good governance and a key driver of growth?
5. What tools and methods are needed to improve structures and processes to ensure that public policies are properly designed based on facts and analyses?
6. Is codification and planning of legislation needed to ensure a proper concept of the legal framework of state governance and better policy-making?
7. Is there a need to oversee the implementation of reforms by setting up a reliable management and monitoring system?

The contributors may focus on the experiences of individual countries, or they may provide broader international perspectives. Comparative papers containing clear analyses of empirical data will be preferred, but interesting case studies leading to a better understanding of some specific phenomena are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Tomáš Peráček
Dr. Andrea Čajková
Guest Editors

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• public administration and governance
• public administration performance
• public policies