Giedrius Kazakevicius

Counsellor of the Department of Lithuanians
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Focus Area(s)
Centers of Government
Interviewers
Yoni Friedman
Country of Reform
Lithuania
Town/City
Vilnius
Country
Lithuania
Date of Interview
Monday, January 23, 2012
Abstract

In 2009, Giedrius Kazakevicius was asked to lead a reform agenda in Lithuania in his capacity as vice-chancellor of the prime minister. At this time, the government of Lithuania was undergoing a party shift from social democrats to conservatives, and a structural shift from having a chancellery to a prime minister’s office. In this interview, Kazakevicius explains the necessity and obstacles of implementing government-wide reform amidst such a transition. Particular challenges that Kazakevicius describes are the creation of a detailed budget under budget cuts, and the formation of a strategy to approaching reform that prioritizes certain sectors in an efficient and productive way. He discusses the need to set both personal and results-related goals with specific deadlines and ways to measure achievement through active use of baselines and metrics. Kazakevicius emphasizes the general goal of creating a results-oriented culture of government in Lithuania that focuses on strategic planning, as opposed to the previous system that solely concentrated on inputs and implementation. 

Case Study:  Improving the Quality of Decision Making: Fighting Reform Fatigue in Lithuania, 2006-2012

Profile

At the time of this interview, Giedrius Kazakevicius served as vice-chancellor of the prime minister of Lithuania. Upon graduating university, Kazakevicius entered into diplomatic service. Then, from 1998 to 2001, he worked in the foreign affairs division of the prime minister’s office from before returning to the ministry of foreign affairs. He remained in the ministry of foreign affairs until he was appointed as vice-chancellor in 2009 and asked to lead the principal reform agenda. 

Keywords
results oriented culture
Sunset Commission
Commission for the improvement of state administration
strategic planning
Not specified