Uprava

Editor's word

Ermin Kuka — 2025-06-22

Dear academic and professional community, dear readers,

We have the honor and pleasure to present you the new, first in 2025, issue of the journal “Administration“, a scientific journal of administration and administrative law. The journal “Administration“ in continues since 2010, publishing scientific and professional papers and analysis from various domains of government and administrative law. In the issue, wich in front of you, the following papers have been published: EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS A SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINE: FROM INITIAL POSITIONING TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION (Rijad Delić, Emir Mehmedović); ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACT AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE ACT IN THE RESOLUTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS (Merima Tanović, Amra Jašarbegović, Aldin Jelovac); CREATION OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IN LOCAL SELF–GOVERNMENTS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (Admir Vranić); THE ROLE OF ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES IN THE SYISTEM OF DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF MODERN ARMED FORCES, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE ARMED FORCES OF BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA (Rusmir Musa).

Topics represent an important segment in the understanding, knowledge and insights that are of scientific and wider social importance. The thematic units covered by this issue of the journal are a combination of different approaches to public administration and all other aspects that are more or less related to administration.

We thank, once again, our authors, readers, editorial staff, governing bodies of the Faculty of Administration and the University of Sarajevo, representatives of scientific bases in which the journal is indexed and all those who have contributed to the development of the journal in recent years.

On behalf of the Editors of the Journal, the best regards and recommendations for this issue.

Ermin Kuka, PhD

Editor in Chief

Evolution of Public Administration as a Scientific Discipline: From Initial Positioning to Digital Transformation

Rijad Delić — 2025-06-22

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the historical development of public administration as a scientific discipline, tracing the key phases of its evolution – from the theoretical distinction between politics and administration at the end of the 19th century, through the period of affirmation of universal administrative principles, to contemporary trends marked by digitalization and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Through seven developmental stages, the authors analyze the theoretical contributions of key public administration theorists and the institutional changes that have shaped the discipline. Special emphasis is placed on the transformation of paradigms in public administration – from traditional hierarchical models to participatory, digitally oriented, and transparent governance systems. The paper also highlights current trends in the development of public administration, such as the advancement of digital services, application of artificial intelligence, citizen participation, operational transparency, and the professionalization of administrative personnel. In conclusion, the authors stress the need for continuous research, education, and innovation in order for public administration to successfully adapt to the challenges of the 21st century and remain a reliable service to citizens in a democratic society.

Administrative Contract as a Substitute for an Administrative Act in the Resolution of Administrative Matters

Merima Tanović — 2025-06-22

The further reform requirements to complete democratization and debureaucratization of public administration actualize the issue of regulation and application of the institute of administrative contract in administrative procedure legislation and practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Amendments to the legal regulations of general administrative procedure in the countries of the Western Balkans, in addition to the introduction of European procedural standards in administrative decision–making, also provided for the standardization of basic issues of importance for the procedure of concluding administrative contracts and the legal protection of parties. The modernization of the administrative system and administrative procedure as a whole, in accordance with social changes and processes of integration into the European administrative space, imposes further reform interventions in the direction of harmonization with modern administrative practices, which makes the subject of research of this paper focused on comparative law regulations of administrative contracts as an administrative activity preceded by an administrative act, but also as a consensual modality by which an administrative matter is resolved in certain cases. As abandoning the traditional approach according to which the state cannot be a negotiator supports and enhances democratic outcomes and the social character of public administration, this justifies the instrumentalization of the administrative contract as a ADR–alternative dispute resolution mechanism in administrative matters. In the article, the authors will consider the reform perspective for the legal regulation of the institute of the administrative contract, i.e. their de lege ferenda perspective with legal protection in the general administrative procedural legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Creation of Business Environment in Local Self–Governments in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Admir Vranić — 2025-06-22

The main goal of this work is to research the creation of a favorable business environment in local self–governments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It represents one of the main drivers and reasons that enable local communities to grow and develop faster, thus becoming a desirable modern activity that the local community wants to engage in. The process of creating a favorable business environment promises a bright future for the local economy as well as for the environment. Local self–governments in Bosnia and Herzegovina have a large number of solid potentials for creating a favorable business environment that can strongly contribute to their economic development, and thus to the development of cantons, entities and the state, thereby contributing to a better living standard of citizens. In order to create an attractive environment for domestic and foreign investors, it is necessary to develop the entire concept of activities in the area of the local self–government with defined goals, priorities, implementation and strategy.

Previous literature and experiences have shown that the favorable environment in the area of the local community represents a new and rather unexplored area in the world, in Europe and in the region, and therefore also in Bosnia and Herzegovina. So there is a limited number of successful examples, but the number of examples at the local level is increasing year by year, and the practices of certain local self–governments can be successfully applied in other locations as well.

This research paper aims to investigate the process of creating a business environment in the local community, through a quantitative analysis of newly collected data on the degree of development of the business environment and the role of the local administration and the municipal mayor in that process. The survey was conducted at the local level – according to the statistical method, and included employees of local self–governments, business entities and citizens.

One of the main assumptions is that a developed business environment contributes to greater investment and increased employment in local self–governments. In addition, this research provides a detailed overview and theoretical analysis of the creation of a favorable business environment that includes the business sector, local administration and citizens of the local community, as well as the application of good practices from locations that have a developed business environment.

This paper also contributes to a better understanding of the role of local administration in the process of creating a business environment and the analysis of local self–government performance in the area of economic development. In addition, the work contributes to the assessment of the current state of local administration, the activities of local administration in the whole process and the relationship with the business community and the issue of employment.

The research problem is reflected in the fact that modern processes are largely unknown, and although they exist, they are often imperceptible, but they still play an increasingly important role in local administrations. Changes in society with the help of advanced technologies and the constant desire for more employment of citizens have created realistic assumptions for starting the creation of a business environment, addressing municipal mayors and local administration towards strategic decisions and documents, and represent a realistic basis for greater investments and improving the living standards of the population.

The subject of this research is the impact of creating a business environment as part of economic development because it attracts and increases the interest of domestic and foreign investors in investing at the local level, which aims to create new jobs and improve the living standards of citizens of a local community.

Given that this topic is relatively new in the modern science, it is necessary to analyze the key areas in detail. The key questions investigated in this paper are to describe the state of local administration, whether the local self–government has created a business environment or is in the process of doing so, what are the benefits of this process and the application of good practices from other local administrations.

The Role of Administrative Bodies in the Syistem of Democratic Control of Modern Armed Forces, With Emphasis on the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Hercegovina

Eldin Hodžić — 2025-06-22

The foundations of the modern understanding of democratic control of the armed forces have been the subject of many scientific works in the past period. This refers primarily to the accentuation of general assumptions for the establishment of democratic control of the armed forces, the past experiences related to the present limitations in the social segment in question, the perspectives and further direction of development, and the specific role of state administrative bodies during the implementation and establishment of elements of democratic control of the state security system in general. The basis of the complete elaboration in this scientific work is on the general characteristics of the position and functioning of the armed forces in modern democratic systems and the established mechanisms of democratic control of the Armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of the Dayton Peace Agreement, more specifically its Article IV (Constitution of BiH).