Efficient and effective environmental administration in Thuringia: Situation analysis and recommendations with a focus on future requirements

Against the backdrop of an escalating workload for the Thuringian environmental administration, driven by European, federal and state legislation, the Thuringia State Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Nature Conservation (Thüringer Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie und Naturschutz - TMUEN) commissioned a study to develop a situational analysis of the current performance by the Thuringian environmental administration in the fields of environmental, nature and climate protection as well as the energy sector. In addition, the study aimed to provide a critical assessment of the performance by the existing working and implementation structures. The primary aim of the project was to compare the staffing situation in the Thuringian environmental administration with that of other comparable German states. Secondly, an analysis of the current working, organisational and structural situation was undertaken. Thirdly, an evidence-based assessment of the medium-term staffing needs was carried out, taking into account current challenges and future tasks. Recommendations were made on how best to deploy existing staff to improve the performance of the Thuringian environmental administration. Strategies for supporting local authorities with environmental responsibilities and for improving the dissemination of information in the context of local self-government were also identified. As a result, recommendations were formulated to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Thuringian environmental administration.

(Publications are in German.)