The new model for performance assessment of government bodies and the Openness Index were discussed at the National Analytical Center and Nazarbayev University

On September 9, 2025, a round table was held on the topic "New model for performance assessment of government bodies and the Openness Index" at the National Analytical Center (NAC) with the support of Nazarbayev University.

The round table was attended by experts and researchers from the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the RK, the Institute of Economic Research, Nazarbayev University, and representatives of the Presidential Administration of the RK, Supreme Audit Chamber (SAC), Ministry for Culture and Information of the RK, and other authorized government agencies.

In the welcome speech, Yulia Engel, a member of the SAC, noted: "We are on the verge of transforming the system of performance assessment of government bodies. Assessment should not be for the sake of assessment, but assessment should become a flagship and a guideline for improving the performance of the state apparatus and improving the quality of public services."

Independent expert and PhD student of the NU Graduate School of Public Policy, Sabina Sadiyeva, supported the decision to submit the results of the performance assessment of government bodies for discussion in the Parliament, noting that this is a significant step towards improving the methodology and increasing accountability. She also emphasized the importance of moving from punitive measures to incentive mechanisms that contribute to sustainable improvements in the work of government agencies.

Professor of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the RK, Gulsara Junusbekova, proposed introducing performance assessment of the quasi-government sector and its impact on the regional development.

Saltanat Janenova, Center for Public Administration and Behavioral Policy of the NAC, noted that she supports the publicity of the assessment results: "This will allow scholars, experts, and students to access the results of the performance assessment of government bodies in dynamics over several years for their research."

One of the key priorities of state policy in Kazakhstan is the development of digital and institutional channels of interaction between the government and society. The Openness Index was presented at the round table, which offers a new methodology for assessing government agencies based on five criteria, including executive discipline, quality of review of applications and complaints, organization of meetings with the senior management of state bodies, feedback from the citizens, and open data.

As noted by the Vice Minister for Culture and Information of the RK, Aizada Kurmanova: "The Openness Index was tested in a pilot format in central and local government agencies, and we improved the criteria and indicators of effectiveness."

Saule Gazizova, an expert of the NAC, emphasized the importance of a single voice policy and compliance with the standard of simple communication in the interaction of government agencies with society, noting that this is the key to clear, consistent and trustworthy communications. Bakhytgul Khambar, an expert from the Institute of Economic Research, suggested considering the possibility of assessing government agencies from the perspective of sustainable development.

Summing up the round table, the Chairman of the NAC Board, Rassul Rysmambetov, emphasized the role of the NAC in establishing a dialogue between the scientific and expert community and the state apparatus on timely issues of public administration reforms. This event was an important step in increasing openness in developing new approaches to performance assessment of government agencies in Kazakhstan.