Our solutions

Our bespoke solutions for individual requirements in government, politics and business go beyond general questions. Our experts work closely with you to understand your specific challenges and develop innovative solutions. Feel free contact us to find out more about our services and how we can help you.

Here you will find project-based solutions for the needs of:

Public administration
Policy
Research
(International) Organisations
Associations
Industry and economy

Our solutions for individual questions

Porträtfoto von Prof. Dr. Jan Ziekow vor gelbem Hintergrund

© FÖV

Director

– Prof. Dr. Jan Ziekow

Email: jan.ziekow@foev-speyer.de

Phone: +49 6232 654-385

Solutions for public administration and the public sector

The NIPAG has many years of expertise and experience in advising public administration and the civil service. As a joint research institution of the Federal Government and the States, we support public administration and the public sector in mastering the complex transformation processes of our time using tailor-made strategies. Our scientific advice is constantly focused on the transfer into administrative practice.

Projects

Evaluation of the 'Citizens dialogue on the electricity grid - Project phase from 2020' service contract ('Initiative Bürgerdialog Stromnetz - Projektphase ab 2020')

The 'Citizens dialogue on the electricity grid' (BDS) is an initiative that has been funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Bundeswirtschaftsministerium - BMWi) since 2015. As a neutral actor in the expansion of the electricity grid, the initiative aims to facilitate an open and transparent exchange between all stakeholders. In order to achieve this goal, the initiative provides basic data at the beginning of the electricity grid expansion process and explains how the general public can become involved. The first funding period ended in December 2019. The National Institute for Public Administration Germany conducted an evaluation of the first funding period, which ran from December 2015 to December 2019. In addition, the BMWi commissioned the National Institute for Public Administration Germany to evaluate the second funding phase, which will start in 2020. This evaluation used a range of social research techniques to assess the initiative as a whole and the specific measures implemented.

2020-03-01 10:23:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 01/03/2020 - 28/02/2024 | Funding: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Electricity pylons in a field under a blue sky

© Unsplash / Johannes Plenio

Projects

Research and implementation project on digital qualifications in the public sector (Qualifica Digitalis)

The project aimed to address the question of which specific skills and qualifications will be increasingly in demand in the context of digitalisation, and to identify the key factors that will contribute to the success of Qualification 4.0 for the public sector. Based on the results of scientific analyses of the changes in skills requirements and the development of qualifications, the project developed strategies and recommendations for the design of initial and continuing vocational education and training and for improving the transfer of digital skills.

2020-03-15 11:09:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 15/03/2020 - 30/09/2022 | Funding: Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Senator for Finance | Cooperation partners: Institute for Information Management Bremen GmbH, Fraunhofer FOKUS Institute (Berlin).

© Freie Hansestadt Bremen

Projects

Open data - A user-specific application and requirement analysis

The concept of open data is gaining significant traction in German politics and administration. In the coming years, the provision of publicly funded administrative data is to be expanded and access to the data is to be simplified. The publication of administrative data plays an important role in the context of open government efforts to foster greater trust between the political, administrative, civil society and business sectors. A number of open data platforms are already in operation in Germany. However, there is currently limited insight into the extent to which existing offerings align with the needs of the respective user groups. Against this background, the primary objective of the research project initiated by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) was to identify potential for improvement in order to facilitate the continued development of open data offerings in Germany in line with demand. In the initial phase of the project, the national metadata portal for open administrative data in Germany (GovData.de) was selected as the focus of the empirical research. The objective was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the needs and experiences of users of open administrative data in Germany.

2019-09-01 11:25:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 01/09/2019 - 15/06/2022

Successful businesswoman holding a laptop and analyzing data on a large digital screen with graphs and charts.

© iStock.com / gorodenkoff

Projects

Investigation into the prevalence of violence against public sector workers and possible courses of action

The National Institute for Public Administration Germany was commissioned by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community to investigate the prevalence of violence against public sector employees. The aim of the project was to create a factual basis for the development of sustainable and differentiated strategies for dealing with violence against public sector employees, as there are currently no comprehensive figures on assaults on public servants and no systematic overview of practical experience with approaches to curbing violence. The project was conducted by the National Institute for Public Administration Germany in close cooperation with the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) and the German Civil Service Federation (dbb).

2020-11-01 10:53:00 Civil Service Duration: 1/11/2020 - 30/9/2022 | Funding: Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI)

A woman with a raised hand and a defensive gesture sits at her desk.

© iStock.com / NOLIMITPICTURES

[Translate to English:] Personen vor einem Laptop

© Unsplash / Headway

Read more about our current projects

Solutions for policy

The NIPAG is well versed in researching and advising in the dynamic political environment. Numerous successfully completed projects demonstrate our ability to answer policy questions in a demand-driven manner. Particularly noteworthy is our expertise, unique in Germany, in regulatory impact assessment and evaluation, which we use to analyse and assess the consequences and effects of legislative and regulatory projects and policy measures.

Projects

Consolidation and digitisation of guidance documents, guidance and manuals for the legislative process

The 'Federal Government's electronic legislative process' project comprises part of the effort to consolidate Federal Government services and aims to put the legislative process on new IT footing. The project aims to eliminate existing media breaks and redundancies in the process within and between the Federal Government, the German Bundestag, the German Bundesrat, the Mediation Committee and the Office of the Federal President, and to implement an end-to-end electronic legislative process. The objective is to conduct the legislative process at the federal level completely electronically, without media discontinuity and interoperably between all parties involved, in order to future-proof the legislative process and adapt it to current technological developments. The 'E-legislation' project is comprised of multiple sub-projects and products. The National Institute for Public Administration Germany is responsible for one of the sub-projects and is working on the consolidation and digitalisation of the numerous guidance documents, guidance and manuals available at federal level for the legislative process.

2016-08-01 09:25:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 01/08/2016 - 31/07/2021 | Funding: Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI)

Hand of a human with online cloud document folders.

© iStock.com / Thitima Uthaiburom

Projects

Equality check: Research project on organisational design and institutional anchoring

In 2021, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend - BMFSFJ) published a guidance document on the implementation of a gender-sensitive impact assessment of legislation. The guide offers direction throughout the legislative process as to whether and what gender equality-specific effects are to be expected, as well as how the gender equality impact of a regulation can be enhanced when the Federal Government is engaged in drafting a regulation. The objective of the study was twofold: firstly, to examine the prerequisites for incorporating an assessment requirement in government regulatory projects and secondly, to identify the conditions that must be met for the gender perspective to become a permanent feature of the Federal Government's decision-making process in the future.

2022-07-01 09:21:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 01/07/2022 - 31/08/2023 | Funding: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

Round sign with pictograms for men and women on a wall.

© Unsplash / Tim Mossholder

Projects

Open government potential analysis

This cross-sectoral study, initiated by the Federal Chancellery, addressed the potential for an analysis of open government in the federal administration. The study was conducted in accordance with the implementation of the first obligation of the National Action Plan for Germany's participation in the Open Government Partnership. This involved the identification of areas of research and action for the continued development of open government in Germany.

2019-05-01 09:20:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 01/05/2019 - 30/04/2020

A businesswoman holds a globe with network icons for laptop, smartphone and tablet.

© iStock.com / guvendemir

Politiker, der während einer politischen Kundgebung öffentlich vom Rednerpult aus spricht.

© iStock.com / webphotographeer

Read more about our current projects

Solutions for research

At the NIPAG, interdisciplinary teams work on innovative research questions relating to public administration. Our research is characterised by its thematic and methodological diversity. We work together with renowned research institutions on ideas and solutions, both project-related and long-term.

Projects

Equal living conditions: Tailored measures for the development of structurally weak regions

The coalition agreement for the 19th legislative period of the Federal Government set out a clear objective to create equal living conditions, with a particular focus on improving living standards in regions facing structural challenges. The research project examined the suitability of support measures for the development of structurally weak regions on the basis of six selected labour market regions in East and West Germany. Based on the results, recommendations for action for regional policy were derived. In addition to identifying ways of improving the overall suitability of funding measures, the project also contributed to strengthening equal living conditions in Germany as a whole.

2019-05-01 09:03:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 01/05/2019 - 31/12/2020 | Funding: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) | Cooperation partner: Technical University Berlin - Institute of Urban and Regional Planning, Department of Urban and Regional Economics

Field with vines and wind turbines in the background at sunset in Mölsheim, Germany.

© Unsplash / Karsten Würth

Publications (Mainly in German)

Positive Maßnahmen für mehr Vielfalt in der öffentlichen Verwaltung

Das Gutachten untersucht die rechtliche Zulässigkeit von positiven Maßnahmen zur interkulturellen Öffnung der öffentlichen Verwaltung.

2022-05-23 12:07:00 Further Publications Gutachten

FÖV-Pfeil als Ersatz für ein Coverbild

Projects

The Transformation of the public sector in Europe

The aim of the project is to produce a handbook on civil service law in Europe. This will be achieved by conducting a rigorous legal analysis and integrating findings from empirical sciences, in particular public administration, political science and sociology. This analysis will be carried out in collaboration with the scientific community from different EU countries. The handbook will be structured in such a way that the first part will examine the impact and significance of the changes on selected national European public sector laws, while the second part will assess the effectiveness and impact of the changes on public sector law in Europe. The first part will consist of country-specific reports, which will form the core, while also covering EU public sector law. The second part will focus on the establishment of common European standards for specific areas of public sector law, based on comparative analyses. Finally, the third part will draw conclusions by examining the transformation and Europeanisation of the civil service, in particular in terms of changes in the relationship between state and society, a revised conceptualisation of public administration and increased integration into the European multi-level system. It will also identify future challenges and propose practical recommendations.

2022-04-06 08:53:00 Civil Service Duration: 06/04/2022 to 31/07/2025 | Funding: Fritz Thyssen Foundation

Flags of various European countries waving in the wind

© Unsplash / Antoine Schibler

[Translate to English:] Eine hellerleuchtete, moderne Bibliothek mit weißen Regalen.

© Unsplash / Ryunosuke Kikuno

Read more about our current projects

Solutions for (international) organisations

The NIPAG advises organisations in Germany and worldwide on administrative issues. Our clients include churches, foundations and political institutions in other countries that wish to benefit from our expertise in the field of administrative research. Our consultancy services are tailored to individual requirements.

Projects

Reforms to strengthen the Peruvian civil service

Since 2002, Peru has been engaged in a process of democratic transition, which includes comprehensive reforms aimed at modernising the structure of the state and public administration. In this context, the National Institute for Public Administration (NIPAG) has been working with Peru's National Civil Service Authority (SERVIR), which is spearheading the reform initiatives. The initial objective of the collaboration was to develop research-based concepts for reflecting on, designing and implementing the public administration reform process. In addition to German experience, lessons learned from the reform processes in Georgia and Croatia were incorporated and analysed comparatively. The project served to establish a long-term cooperation between NIPAG and SERVIR and was financed by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). After the end of the project, the successful cooperation between SERVIR, ENAP and NIPAG will be continued.

2020-01-01 11:17:00 Civil Service Duration: 01/01/2020 - 31/12/2021 | Funding: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

The flag of Peru flies against a blue sky.

© iStock.com / ntzolov

Projects

Development of a tool for prospective and accompanying legislative impact assessment

In the Protestant Church in the Rhineland (EKiR), the Synod is responsible for enacting legislation and overseeing the church budget. In recent years, the Synod has initiated a number of reform projects that have resulted in significant changes to the existing framework. In its reforms, it is of paramount importance to the EKiR that the implementation of the planned regulations and measures does not place an undue burden on the congregations. For this reason, the Regional Church Office, which is responsible for the development and elaboration of regulatory projects within the EKiR, needs a tool with which the consequences of regulatory projects can be systematically recorded and assessed. This should make it easier to identify potential implementation problems at an early stage so that they can be taken into account in the legislative process. In order to meet this need, the EKiR has commissioned the National Institute for Public Administration Germany to develop a bespoke tool for prospective and accompanying legislative impact assessments that is specifically tailored to ecclesiastical legislation.

2015-02-05 12:05:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 5/02/2015 - 31/03/2017 | Funding: Protestant Church in the Rhineland (EKiR)

© EKiR / Hans-Jürgen Bauer

Projects

Advice on ex-ante evaluation for the parliaments of Costa Rica and Honduras

DEval - German Institute for Development Evaluation commissioned the National Institute for Public Administration Germany to advise the parliaments of Costa Rica and Honduras on the development of guidance to ex-ante evaluation. This advice was provided as part of project FOCEVAL, which aims to strengthen evaluation capacities in Latin American countries and increase the use of evaluation in policy-making.

2017-08-24 11:06:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 24/08/2017 - 31/05/2018 | Funding: DEval - German Institute for Development Evaluation

Ausschnitt Globus Zentralamerika

© iStock.com / Juanmonino

Flaggen der Europäischen Union wehen im Wind.

© iStock.com / Dutchy

Read more about our current projects

Solutions for associations

The work of associations is closely linked to public administration. This gives rise to research questions and consultancy needs that we address through comprehensive and integrated research. This allows new perspectives on current issues to be gleaned for associations on a scientific basis.

Projects

Concept for the development of a legislative impact assessment tool to measure miscellaneous costs in enterprises

The quantitative impact assessment of federal legislation is primarily concerned with the documentation of compliance costs, which must be explicitly stated in the draft regulations proposed by the Federal Government for the Cabinet Draft. In accordance with Article 2 of the Act on the establishment of a national regulatory watchdog (Gesetz zur Einsetzung eines Nationalen Normenkontrollrates - NKRG), it represents 'the total measurable time and costs incurred by the public, the economy and the public administration as a result of complying with a federal legal provision'. The precise specifications of the compliance burden are delineated in the 'Guidance for determining and presenting the compliance burden in the Federal Government's regulatory projects'. However, some costs are not included, which can represent a significant economic burden for the enterprises concerned. Therefore, the non-profit 'Foundation for Family Businesses' commissioned the National Institute for Public Administration German to identify costs that are not or insufficiently considered in the current practice of estimating compliance costs.

2017-04-15 11:01:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 15/04/2017 - 30/11/2018 | Funding: Foundation for Family Businesses

Measuring instrument with money on a number printout, in the foreground is a pocket calculator

© Pixabay / Steve Buissinne

© Unsplash / Elissa Garcia

Read more about our current projects

Solutions for industry and economy

Industry and economy are significantly affected by the administrative practices pursued by the public administration. This close interaction creates a need for solutions for which we develop methodologically sophisticated and practical proposals. With our extensive knowledge of internal administrative processes, we can also assist with alternative approaches to possible over-regulation.

Projects

Ex-post evaluation of the pros and cons of environmental legislation

On 15 January 2015, the German government enacted the so-called 'bureaucracy brake'. The aim is to mitigate the long-term impact on the economy. It is of the utmost importance that the government's regulatory proposals do not lead to an increase in compliance costs. Consequently, any additional burdens must be offset by comparable reductions in regulatory requirements. This puts considerable pressure on the justification of environmental policy proposals, which are often accused of imposing costs on business that are disproportionate to their social and economic benefits. The objective of this research project, carried out in collaboration with the ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research and the Institute for Applied Ecology (Öko-Institut e.V.), is to determine the actual relationship between the costs incurred by businesses as a result of selected environmental regulations and the overall social benefits. This will make it easier to demonstrate the added value of these environmental regulations in the context of an ex-post evaluation.

2018-02-02 09:02:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 02/02/2018 - 30/06/2023 | Funding: Federal Environment Agency (UBA) | Cooperation partners: Institute for Applied Ecology (Öko-Institut e.V.), ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research

Scales made of connected blue dots in low poly style.

© iStock.com / antoniokhr

Projects

Concept for the development of a legislative impact assessment tool to measure miscellaneous costs in enterprises

The quantitative impact assessment of federal legislation is primarily concerned with the documentation of compliance costs, which must be explicitly stated in the draft regulations proposed by the Federal Government for the Cabinet Draft. In accordance with Article 2 of the Act on the establishment of a national regulatory watchdog (Gesetz zur Einsetzung eines Nationalen Normenkontrollrates - NKRG), it represents 'the total measurable time and costs incurred by the public, the economy and the public administration as a result of complying with a federal legal provision'. The precise specifications of the compliance burden are delineated in the 'Guidance for determining and presenting the compliance burden in the Federal Government's regulatory projects'. However, some costs are not included, which can represent a significant economic burden for the enterprises concerned. Therefore, the non-profit 'Foundation for Family Businesses' commissioned the National Institute for Public Administration German to identify costs that are not or insufficiently considered in the current practice of estimating compliance costs.

2017-04-15 11:01:00 Transformation of Public Administration Duration: 15/04/2017 - 30/11/2018 | Funding: Foundation for Family Businesses

Measuring instrument with money on a number printout, in the foreground is a pocket calculator

© Pixabay / Steve Buissinne

Graues Fahrzeug, das in der Fabrik mit Robotermaschinen repariert wird.

© Unsplash / Lenny Kuhne

Read more about our current projects