Table 3 Case study description...

Table 3

Case study description

Organisation	Brief description	Service delivery	Pre-COVID-19 state of play¹
Ministry of Public Administration (MPA)	MPA is responsible for the systemic regulation of public sector organisations and operations, civil service, salary systems, administrative procedures, and NGOs. Before and during the COVID-19 crisis, the ministry employed 476² people (OPSI, 2020) and oversaw state administration IT management, including the provision of related IT services. After the crisis, the Directorate for Informatics was transferred to the newly established Ministry of Digital Transformation	Internally to other public organisations or public servants (e.g. training, support for the implementation of public sector innovations, etc.) Externally to NGOs	Strong hierarchy and formalisation, clear command-and-control framework, and well-defined roles and tasks Centralisation reform (following the 2008 economic crisis) placed state administration IT management under MPA. Processes largely dependent on physical presence and paper-based documentation Staff shortages and aging workforce, particularly in IT. Collaborative workplace culture focused on information sharing and knowledge exchange despite MPA’s reluctance to experimentation and innovation
Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (FURS)	FURS operates as a body within the Ministry of Finance, comprising the General Financial Office and 16 Financial Offices. During the crisis it employed 3,602 people (OPSI, 2020). It is responsible for collecting taxes, social security contributions, customs duties, excise, etc. As critical infrastructure, FURS played a crucial role during the crisis, continuing its regular operations and implementing “anti-COVID” measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis	Tax related services to various actors (citizens and business)	Highly centralised institution, with Financial Offices across Slovenia largely subordinate to the General Office Centralised decision-making, requiring multiple levels of approval within the hierarchy Ongoing staff shortages and high turnover, predating the crisis Relatively large IT department (around 80 employees) but faced challenges in attracting and retaining IT staff High level of digitalisation, with most services and processes already digitalised Most operations were already paper-free Most staff used desktop computers, relying mainly on email and phone for electronic communication Widespread use of remote access to the system, enabling work from other FURS units (not from home)
Government Communication Office (UKOM)	UKOM is an independent government office responsible for Government’s communication with the public. During the COVID-19 crisis, it employed 42 people (CompanyWall business, 2020a) and was the key body responsible for crisis communication	Internal services for other state bodies, support to the government spokesperson, PR departments at ministries and government offices, and communication support for major state events	Frequent changes in top (political) management, with over 20 directors since 1991 Relatively small, stable staff structure, with an older average age Lack of specialisation at the individual level; staff expected to handle various tasks as needed Regular monthly gatherings for socialising and exchanging work-related best practices Limited experience with telework To ensure up-to-date support, staff were organised in shifts and rotations Many ad hoc processes, requiring flexibility and adaptation to specific situations High level of IT equipment even before the crisis: most employees had cell phones with work numbers, half had laptops with remote access, and ¾ had electronic signatures. UKOM also had one fully equipped and one partially equipped video production studio
Administrative Unit Ljubljana (AULJ)	AULJ is the largest of the 58 administrative units – with 2,141 employees during the acute crisis (CompanyWall business, 2020b). It performs state administration tasks and provides a wide spectrum of public services (owned by line ministries) directly to citizens	Provides a range of services directly to citizens	A classical public organisation with a strict hierarchy and clearly defined roles Silo culture and limited intra-organisational communication Key reform: centralisation of decentralised branches (Bežigrad, Center, Moste-Polje, Šiška, Vič-Rudnik) to a single location in Bežigrad Unlike other administrative units, AULJ operated in two shifts and remained open in the afternoons Staff rotation system in two shifts Absence of an appointment booking system Some departments disproportionally overburdened Services clearly regulated by line ministries Systemic staff shortage since 2008, leading to backlog accumulation High turnover of qualified staff due to poor working conditions No IT sector; IT support was provided by the MPA. Lack of digitalisation of backstage processes and a low number of digitalised public services
Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services (AJPES)	AJPES is a public agency responsible for the Business Register – the central database of all business entities in Slovenia. It comprises 13 organisational units and employed 225 people during the peak of the crisis (Kunšek, 2021). The Central Office in Ljubljana oversees strategic development, administrative work, and general regulation, while service delivery and communication with users are managed by 12 regional branches across Slovenia	Provides services primarily to business entities	Hierarchical organisational structure with clearly defined roles, top-down decision-making, and key processes managed by the Central Office Highly digitalised organisation, with most internal processes and public services digitalised, although most users preferred face-to-face communication Relatively large IT department (20 positions) – though not fully staffed due to low salaries Stable workforce with an average age of 48 years, no significant employee turnover Internal culture characterised by loyalty, collaboration, and solidarity, with an external focus on getting closer to clients, including physically (e.g. no Plexi glass barriers) ISO 9001 standard for quality management achieved Gained valuable crisis management experience in 2014 when the Postojna branch faced power outages due to sleet; other branches successfully took over operations thanks to high digitalisation, enabling staff reorganisation and telework

Organisation	Brief description	Service delivery	Pre-COVID-19 state of play¹
Ministry of Public Administration (MPA)	MPA is responsible for the systemic regulation of public sector organisations and operations, civil service, salary systems, administrative procedures, and NGOs. Before and during the COVID-19 crisis, the ministry employed 476² people (OPSI, 2020) and oversaw state administration IT management, including the provision of related IT services. After the crisis, the Directorate for Informatics was transferred to the newly established Ministry of Digital Transformation	Internally to other public organisations or public servants (e.g. training, support for the implementation of public sector innovations, etc.) Externally to NGOs	Strong hierarchy and formalisation, clear command-and-control framework, and well-defined roles and tasks Centralisation reform (following the 2008 economic crisis) placed state administration IT management under MPA. Processes largely dependent on physical presence and paper-based documentation Staff shortages and aging workforce, particularly in IT. Collaborative workplace culture focused on information sharing and knowledge exchange despite MPA’s reluctance to experimentation and innovation
Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (FURS)	FURS operates as a body within the Ministry of Finance, comprising the General Financial Office and 16 Financial Offices. During the crisis it employed 3,602 people (OPSI, 2020). It is responsible for collecting taxes, social security contributions, customs duties, excise, etc. As critical infrastructure, FURS played a crucial role during the crisis, continuing its regular operations and implementing “anti-COVID” measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis	Tax related services to various actors (citizens and business)	Highly centralised institution, with Financial Offices across Slovenia largely subordinate to the General Office Centralised decision-making, requiring multiple levels of approval within the hierarchy Ongoing staff shortages and high turnover, predating the crisis Relatively large IT department (around 80 employees) but faced challenges in attracting and retaining IT staff High level of digitalisation, with most services and processes already digitalised Most operations were already paper-free Most staff used desktop computers, relying mainly on email and phone for electronic communication Widespread use of remote access to the system, enabling work from other FURS units (not from home)
Government Communication Office (UKOM)	UKOM is an independent government office responsible for Government’s communication with the public. During the COVID-19 crisis, it employed 42 people (CompanyWall business, 2020a) and was the key body responsible for crisis communication	Internal services for other state bodies, support to the government spokesperson, PR departments at ministries and government offices, and communication support for major state events	Frequent changes in top (political) management, with over 20 directors since 1991 Relatively small, stable staff structure, with an older average age Lack of specialisation at the individual level; staff expected to handle various tasks as needed Regular monthly gatherings for socialising and exchanging work-related best practices Limited experience with telework To ensure up-to-date support, staff were organised in shifts and rotations Many ad hoc processes, requiring flexibility and adaptation to specific situations High level of IT equipment even before the crisis: most employees had cell phones with work numbers, half had laptops with remote access, and ¾ had electronic signatures. UKOM also had one fully equipped and one partially equipped video production studio
Administrative Unit Ljubljana (AULJ)	AULJ is the largest of the 58 administrative units – with 2,141 employees during the acute crisis (CompanyWall business, 2020b). It performs state administration tasks and provides a wide spectrum of public services (owned by line ministries) directly to citizens	Provides a range of services directly to citizens	A classical public organisation with a strict hierarchy and clearly defined roles Silo culture and limited intra-organisational communication Key reform: centralisation of decentralised branches (Bežigrad, Center, Moste-Polje, Šiška, Vič-Rudnik) to a single location in Bežigrad Unlike other administrative units, AULJ operated in two shifts and remained open in the afternoons Staff rotation system in two shifts Absence of an appointment booking system Some departments disproportionally overburdened Services clearly regulated by line ministries Systemic staff shortage since 2008, leading to backlog accumulation High turnover of qualified staff due to poor working conditions No IT sector; IT support was provided by the MPA. Lack of digitalisation of backstage processes and a low number of digitalised public services
Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services (AJPES)	AJPES is a public agency responsible for the Business Register – the central database of all business entities in Slovenia. It comprises 13 organisational units and employed 225 people during the peak of the crisis (Kunšek, 2021). The Central Office in Ljubljana oversees strategic development, administrative work, and general regulation, while service delivery and communication with users are managed by 12 regional branches across Slovenia	Provides services primarily to business entities	Hierarchical organisational structure with clearly defined roles, top-down decision-making, and key processes managed by the Central Office Highly digitalised organisation, with most internal processes and public services digitalised, although most users preferred face-to-face communication Relatively large IT department (20 positions) – though not fully staffed due to low salaries Stable workforce with an average age of 48 years, no significant employee turnover Internal culture characterised by loyalty, collaboration, and solidarity, with an external focus on getting closer to clients, including physically (e.g. no Plexi glass barriers) ISO 9001 standard for quality management achieved Gained valuable crisis management experience in 2014 when the Postojna branch faced power outages due to sleet; other branches successfully took over operations thanks to high digitalisation, enabling staff reorganisation and telework

Note(s): ¹Pre-COVID-19 information was extracted from interviews, specifically through coding the data gathered from the first part of the questionnaire. See below for further details on the interview methodology

²While the number of employees remained stable in the other institutions under study, the number of employees registered within the MPA in 2024 was significantly lower (314) than in 2020. This decrease is due to the transfer of the Informatics Directorate to the newly formed Ministry for Digital Transformation – a structural change unrelated to the COVID-19 crisis

Source(s): Authors’ own work

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