Purpose: This article examines the development of the legal competences of public officials within the Slovenian public administration who use the Administrative Consultation Platform (ACP) when conducting procedures under the General Administrative Procedure Act (GAPA). The ACP is an open-access legal clinic that serves as a supplementary source for interpreting procedural rules. To this end, a conceptual framework delineating legal competences for public officials was developed to assess how the use of the ACP affects the development of their acquired legal competences for the purposes of conducting administrative procedures. Based on this framework, a structural model was created to enable empirical testing of the impact of public officials’ affinity for the ACP and the frequency of its use on the development of their technical-legal and entrepreneurial-relational competences.Design/methodology/approach: The theoretical component employs normative, doctrinal, and comparative research methods to study legal competence models in the existing literature. The empirical component includes statistical analysis of data collected using a questionnaire measuring the technical-legal and entrepreneurial-relational competences of public officials who use the ACP, combined with an axiological-deontological evaluation of the results. Structural equation modelling was used to verify how affinity for the ACP and the frequency of its use when conducting administrative procedures affect the development of their legal competences.Findings: The empirical study conducted in spring 2025 involved 112 public officials who conducted administrative procedures in administrative bodies and used the ACP between 2023 and 2025. The results indicate that the use of the ACP contributed significantly to the development of public officials’ legal competences, particularly relational competences, such as the ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with parties involved in the administrative procedure, and entrepreneurial competences, especially the ability to uphold core ethical principles (e.g., integrity) and proactively seek solutions that balance the public interest with parties’ rights. However, they developed technical-legal competences— such as legal reasoning for resolving procedural issues, understanding of the GAPA, and data protection regulation—to a lesser, though still not negligible, degree. Academic contribution to the field: The article focuses on relatively under-explored aspects of public officials’ legal competences. The conceptual framework represents an original contribution, complementing existing research on legal competences in a narrower context, while in a broader context it can be categorised as dealing with the subjects of administrative law and public administration. The empirical study advances scientific understanding of the impact of public officials’ affinity for the ACP and the frequency of its use on the development of their legal competences, providing key feedback for ACP stakeholders.Research/practical/social implications: The conceptual framework of legal competences serves as the foundation for further scholarly examination of the legal competences possessed by public officials and functions as a baseline for the systematic upgrading of the ACP to continue fostering the development of public officials’ legal competences while they use it. From a societal perspective, this article contributes to raising awareness of the critical importance of cultivating legal competences and of the effective utilisation of the ACP as an instrument for more participatory and problem-solving-oriented administrative decision-making processes. Originality/significance/value: The article offers an original contribution by (1) establishing a conceptual framework that advances the study of legal competences among public officials who use the ACP when conducting administrative procedures, and (2) demonstrating the pivotal role of the ACP as a repository of accumulated collective knowledge, which aids public officials in developing their legal competences and facilitates the networking of stakeholders engaged in addressing administrative law challenges. The findings provide guidelines for enhancing the effectiveness of public officials and for fulfilling the objectives and principles of Good Governance in modern public administration.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the role of the Ombudsman in upholding the principles of good governance when protecting and promoting the rights of citizens and other individuals within a democratic framework. The research focuses on the work of the Ombudsman in North Macedonia, examining its activities and its authority over public institutions when acting or failing to act.Design/Methodology/Approach: The research methods applied include desk research, an analysis of documents and reports related to the institutional and legal set-up of the Ombudsman’s office in North Macedonia, and content analysis. To understand the complexities of the Ombudsman’s competencies within the Macedonian institutional set-up, a comparative analysis was conducted, covering examples from the EU and other global contexts. To clarify the findings, semi-structured interviews were conducted with relevant officials, including the Ombudsman of North Macedonia and its deputies.Findings: The results of this research indicate that, although the Ombudsman is empowered to protect the human rights and freedoms of individuals or groups when they are violated by state authorities, its efforts to contribute towards the efficient and effective operation of public administration, and to promote the principles of good governance and the right to good administration in North Macedonia, are limited. However, this corresponds with the overall efficiency of the institution and its positionwithin the legal and political system. In general, the institutional response to the Ombudsman’s remarks is weak, as evidenced by missed hearings before the Government, delays in the adoption of its annual reports by Parliament, a lack of public debate, and insufficient implementation of follow-up measures addressing the Ombudsman’s remarks. Furthermore, the Ombudsman institution does not enjoy full independence.Practical Implications: The paper is based on research conducted in 2023/2024 and provides clear and structured recommendations for the improvement of the Ombudsman’s office in North Macedonia, aimed at achieving good governance standards. Due to its practical applicability, the recommendations can serve to improve the work of Ombudsman offices elsewhere in the region and beyond.Originality/Value: This research highlights the role of the Ombudsman in fostering good governance and presents it as a necessary condition for establishing a robust system for the protection of individual rights. Often, the work of the Ombudsman is analysed through its ex officio interventions aimed at protecting rights when violated by state institutions. In this sense, the office intervenes with proposals, suggestions, and recommendations, acting as a guardian of individuals’ rights in relation to public administration. This research presents another perspective on the Ombudsman’s role—often neglected in public discourse—by offering a broader view of its function in upholding democratic standards and good governance principles.

Purpose: New Public Governance (NPG) has gained significant attention in the public management literature, yet its precise nature and legitimacy re­main unclear. This study assesses the status of NPG and examines whether its legitimacy as a concept, theory or paradigm has been established. Design/Methodology/Approach: A two-pronged methodological ap­proach is employed: the first prong comprises a thematic-realist review of legitimacy theory, situated in relation to the literature on NPG theo­ry legitimacy; the second entails a bibliometric analysis, conducted as a semi-systematic literature review, to trace its scientific impact. The study explores whether the term ‘NPG’ indicates potential for practical appli­cation, the direction of its development and its classification within the ‘concept–theory–paradigm’ framework. Findings: The research concludes that NPG is a distinct, contemporary strand with its own characteristics and potential for theoretical develop­ment. However, scientific clarity within the ‘concept-theory-paradigm’ triad has not yet been achieved, necessitating further research. Academic contribution to the field: This study fills a research gap by po­sitioning NPG within public management and assessing its potential for further substantive development. It contributes to discussions on the le­gitimacy and trajectory of NPG as an evolving framework. Originality/Significance/Value: This is the first study to comprehensively assess whether NPG can progress towards becoming a fully established theoretical framework in public management. The findings encourage further scholarly exploration and conceptual development in this field.

Purpose: This study examines consumer perceptions, attitudes, and be­havioural responses to Enterprise Social Responsibility (ESR) within Ko­sovo’s developing market. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on structured quantitative survey data (n = 182), the research analyses how demographic charac­teristics—in particular gender, age, education, and economic status— influence consumers’ understanding and evaluation of ESR practices. Although there is broad conceptual support for socially responsible busi­ness conduct, actual consumer behaviour remains contingent on produc­trelated factors such as quality, price, and availability. Findings: The study identifies a significant attitude-behaviour gap, reveal­ing a disconnect between ethical preferences and market actions. Fur­thermore, consumers display limited trust in selfpromotional ESR cam­paigns, favouring externally validated or regulatorydriven approaches. These findings underscore the critical role of transparency and authentic­ity in enhancing consumer trust and highlight the need for ESR strategies that are both contextsensitive and institutionally anchored. Originality/significance/value: The study offers actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to strengthen corporate social responsibility frameworks and foster more sustainable consumer–enter­prise relationships in transition economies.

Purpose: The objective of this research is to examine whether the European Charter of Local Self-Government is, in practice, an effective instrument for the protection of the autonomy of local government in Poland, as well as well as to define the contribution of the Polish case law and administrative practice to the understanding of the principles of the Charter. The importance of the subject is strengthened by the political context. For many years, Poland was considered a model country safeguarding extensive local autonomy. Recently, however, recentralization trends have emerged in government policies. Design/methodology/approach: The research is based on the qualitative and quantitative empirical research of the case law and administrative practice with elements of doctrinal analysis.Findings: The Charter is present in the case law of the Constitutional Tribunal (22 judgments), administrative courts (166), and public administration bodies supervising local governments (49). The number is high compared to other CoE countries. The administrative courts seem to be more eager to adjudicate in favour of local governments in the cases in which the Charter is referred to.Academic contribution to the field: A specific Polish input to the application of the Charter is the frequent use of the principle of proportionality in the supervision of local governments, which serves the courts as a perfect tool for resolving ‘hard cases’ between the local government and central administration bodies. In several important judgments, Article 11 concerning the judicial protection of local governments was invoked to effectively strike down the law limiting the local governments’ access to court in specific cases.Practical implications: The research may be useful for local government representatives in formulating their litigation strategies, especially in legal disputes with central authorities.Originality/value: This research is the first all-embracing empirical research of the application of the Charter in a country’s legal practice. It shows original ways of the practical use of the Charter not described in the literature so far.

Povzetki v slovenščini.

Povzetki v slovenščini.

Povzetki v slovenščini.

Povzetki v slovenščini.

With the outbreak of Covid-19, a pandemic was declared in March 2020 and countries introduced various measures to overcome it. As a result, employees worked more intensively from home with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), which significantly affected the way of work, the length of the working day, and the time reserved for rest. The purpose of this article is to examine whether, during the pandemic, public employees in the Slovenian public administration worked during nonwork time. This is the first research of this kind in the Slovenian public administration. The research applied the quantitative method and an online questionnaire conducted in February 2021, whereby data from 1676 public administration employees were obtained. The results of the research show that at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, 80% of the respondents performed work during nonwork time. In fact, public employees quite often worked late in the afternoon after working hours and on weekends. Interestingly, about 10% of public employees even worked during annual leave and sick leave. The results of the research contribute to theoretical and practical knowledge about work related activities during nonwork time.