Reasons for launching the Study

The reason for launching this Study is meeting the needs of the labour market for personnel in public administration bodies, the regional and local government and judicial authorities, for legal persons in public authorities, as well as in economic entities in the Republic of Croatia, especially in the areas of the Primorsko-goranska, Istarska and the Ličko-senjska Counties, and parts of the Zadarska and Karlovačka Counties. In line with the global trends and principles relating to the special status, but also to the necessary knowledge, skills and competences of civil and public employees in general, continuing professional education of employees in public administration has proven to be a requirement, since a modern, rational, effective and efficient public administration is a necessary prerequisite for the functioning of each national, regional or local community. Public administration faces many complex activities of public interest on a daily basis, which must be performed in accordance with the law and in a quality manner so that the standard of living of its inhabitants in the area of ​​its activity were as high as possible, and the availability of public services to these individuals as simple as possible. In order to be able to respond to the relatively complex and changing social demands, public administration, i.e. its employed officials, should be well familiarized with the general needs of the citizens and entrepreneurs, and capable of taking timely measures that will contribute to the economic prosperity, but also to the use of social and other rights of the citizens while also meeting the social needs of the community. Thereby, with the aim of protecting the rights and legal interests of individuals but also the general interest of the community, public administration is in its work connected to the principle of legality, pursuant to which it applies in its functioning a number of national legislations governing very divergent administrative areas. The number of legal regulations governing the conduct of public administration has been significantly increased with the implementation of international legal sources, and particularly the part regarding the European Union Acquis into the domestic legal system. Unlawful conduct of the administration leads to significant anomalies in the society, which is reflected in the violation of the subjective rights of individuals, but also causes considerable damage to the community in which it operates. Therefore a lawful, proper, efficient and economical performance of implemented tasks at all government levels is a prerogative of development of any modern and democratic country. A particular reason for starting this Study is reflected in the intention of individual Ministries and offices of the Croatian Government for Professional Bachelors of Public Administration to be employed in workplaces that are currently occupied by persons with a secondary education degree, and with the goal of increasing the quality, but also the improvement of public efficiency and public administration. At the same time, global trends and principles relating to the status of public employees, especially those in the European Union, require continuing professional education of all employees in public administration. Therefore, the initiation of this Study in this area seems greatly needed.

The study programme of this Study corresponds to the general and specific needs for knowledge, skills and competences of employees in public administration, local and regional self-governments and legal entities with public authorities or who those who perform public service, thereby preparing them for a variety of tasks, which they should be able to respond to in the operational environment. In the study programme, special emphasis is placed on Public law, especially Constitutional law, Administrative law and Financial law. Attention is also given to other administrative and legal knowledge required for work in the public sector, as well as to certain economic, sociological and political science issues. The study programme is based on modern scientific and expert knowledge and skills. In order to create appropriate literature needed for attending this Study, with the use of modern scientific and professional domestic and foreign reading materials, lecturers regularly publish new papers based on their own scientific and professional research.