Preface to the publication: The process of public administration reform is directly related to the transformation processes that followed the change of the political-economic-social nature of the state. February 1948 marked the history of restored Czechoslovakia with a radical change in political orientation. It began to take shape even before the results of the Second World War, as well as the efforts of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (hereinafter referred to as the Communist Party) to align with the Soviet Union. This process culminated in February 1948, when, based on the results of the elections, the representatives of the Communist Party of the Czech Republic entered the government. Taking advantage of the government crisis, they established a government with a pro-Soviet orientation. This situation was enshrined in the Constitution of May 9, which was adopted by the Legislative Assembly of the Czech Republic as Constitutional Law No. 150/1948 Coll. In Article XII. para. 1 cit.: "The economic system of the Czechoslovak Republic is based on the nationalization of mineral wealth, industry, wholesale and money; on the ownership of land according to the principle...". Relations to the means of production defined in this way could enable the completion of the nationalization process.

The change of the political regime in 1989 therefore had to be started with the opposite process – a change in ownership relations, i.e. privatization of national property, "...which is owned by all the people" - (see Article 8, paragraph 1 of the Constitution of the Czechoslovak Republic No. 100/1960 Coll.), and also the implementation of restitution claims of injured citizens, i.e. return to the original state.

From the point of view of the territorial-administrative organization in Slovakia, the process was mainly oriented towards the abolition of the system of territorial public administration, represented by the system of national committees of local state administration, the reconstruction of territorial division, the creation of legal and economic prerequisites for the emergence of real territorial self-government at the municipal and budgetary level. Extensive changes occurred especially in the field of social work, e.g. the abolition of district offices, a change in the organization of social affairs departments - the creation of social and family work offices, the creation of higher territorial units (hereinafter referred to as VUC) and others. As a result, we often encounter students and experts in practice with insufficient information about its current functioning and scope.

Knowledge of individual organizations, subjects and institutions that carry out social activities is a basic prerequisite for successful procedures oriented to the benefit of the client. This assumption affects mainly students of social work, but also experts who depend on the cooperation of several colleagues working in other social institutions. They need to familiarize themselves with some parts of social policy, legislative regulations and activities that create a prerequisite for effective social assistance and social security.

The topicality of the third revised edition of the publication (especially in Chapters 6 and 7) is also supported by the fact that, despite existing legislation and the organizational structure of social institutions, there are many ambiguities in the implementation of social activities, which are related to unclear competences, insufficient knowledge and skills of individual actors.

The creators of the publication worked for several years in various entities of public administration, from district offices, through municipalities, self-governing regions to the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. The mentioned facts, but especially the adoption of the Act on Social Services and the Act on Cash Contributions for Compensation of Severe Disability, were the main reasons why we decided to deal with this issue (some parts more briefly, others in more detail), despite the fact that we are aware of the constant changes that took place mainly in connection with the transfer of competences from the state to self-government, but also in other areas.

This publication therefore aims to provide a clear introduction to this issue for anyone who wants to orient themselves in social work in public administration (also called public social administration). At the end of each part, there are control questions that will help to better concentrate the basic knowledge of the given issue. We will be happy if the presented publication will also serve experts in practice, but especially students of social work in subjects such as social administration, or social work in public administration, or in the subjects of social work theory and social policy.

About the authors Milan SCHAVEL is a professor of social work, which he lectures at several Slovak universities. He worked for many years at the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. He was a co-creator of projects in the field of supervision and social counseling for social workers. He also works as a social work supervisor and you educate!' in the Association of Supervisors and Social Counselors. He is the author and co-author of many publications such as Social prevention, Social counseling and communication, Social work, Introduction to the study and history of social work and many others.

Michal OLÁH is a docent of social work, he currently works as the head of the Department of Social Work at VŠZaPS St. Alžbety and lectures on social work at several Slovak universities. He worked for several years in various positions in state administration and local government, is a graduate of long-term training in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy and works as a social work supervisor. He is the author and co-author of several publications, e.g. Supervision in social work, Social protection of children, Investigation of drug crime, Social counseling and communication, Introduction to the study and history of social work and many others.

Štefánia DEREVJANIKOVÁ graduated in public administration at P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, which she lectures externally at the University of Health and Social Work of St. Elizabeth in Prešov. She works as a department head. SPODASK at the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, Department of Social Affairs and Family in Košice.

JUDr. Karol ZEMAN, PhD. is a doctor of law and works as a professional assistant at the Faculty of Health and Social Work of the University of Trnava in Trnava, where he lectures on legal subjects. After his studies in Prague, he worked for a long time in the state administration in management positions and from 1993 at the District Labor Office in Trnava, as director of ObÚP and then as head of the education center. He is the co-author of the publication Social Law Protection of Children and Youth, and is currently preparing the publication Introduction to Legal Disciplines for Social Workers.

  1. Social work 1.1 Basic principles of social work 1.2 Historical context of social work in Slovakia 1.3 Subject and content of social work 1.4 Social policy and social work in a mutual relationship 1.4.1 Definition and meaning of social policy

  2. Historical development of territorial administrative organization in the territory of Slovakia 2.1 The oldest administrative units in Slovakia 2.2 Josephine reform of public administration 2.3 Bach's absolutism 2.4 Organization of public administration in Slovakia after Austria-Hungary settlement 2.5 The period of the Czechoslovak Republic 2.6 The period of the Slovak state 2.7 Changes in the territorial organization of Slovakia in the period after World War II until 1990 2.8 Public administration in Slovakia after 1990

  3. Conceptual definition of public administration 3.1 Concept of public administration 3.1.1 The term "report" 3.1.2 The concept of "state administration" 3.1.3 The term "public authority" 3.2 Public administration 3.3 Public administration and private administration 3.4 Organizational principles of public administration

  4. Organization of public administration 4.1 State administration 4.1.1 Structure of state administration in Slovakia 4.1.1.1 Government of the Slovak Republic 4.1.1.2 Ministries and other central authorities state administration 4.1.1.3 Local state administration 4.1.1.4 State administration bodies with general By jurisdiction 4.1.1.5 State administration bodies with specialized scope 4.2 Self-government 4.2.1 Municipality 4.2.2 Self-governing region – higher territorial unit 4.3 Public institutions

  5. Reform of public administration 5.1 General principles of public administration 5.2 Brief overview of public administration reform 5.2.1 Tax reform 5.2.2 Pension reform 5.2.3 Health care reform 5.2.4 Fiscal public administration reform Decentralization 5.3 Transformation of the social sphere 5.3.1 Social insurance 5.3.2 State social support 5.3.3 Social assistance 5.4 The most important measures in social policy effective after January 1, 2006 5.4.1 Social insurance 5.4.2 Citizens with severe disabilities 5.4.3 Citizens in material need 5.4.4 Support for families 5.4.5 Labor market and employment policy

  6. Public administration bodies in the social field 6.1 Social assistance at the level of state administration 6.1.1 Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the SR 6.1.1.1 Status and competence of the Ministry of work, social affairs and the family of the Slovak Republic 6.1.2 Headquarters of work, social affairs and family 6.1.3 Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family 6.2 Social work at the local government level 6.2.1 Interest self-government 6.3 Public institutions in the social system 6.3.1 Social insurance company 6.3.1.1 History 6.3.1.2 Organizational structure of the social insurance company

  7. Performance of social competences by public administration 7.1 Fulfillment of social tasks by public administration 7.1.1 Deciding on social insurance benefits 7.1.2 Decision-making on state social benefits 7.1.3 Decision-making about social services 7.2 Provision of social assistance by non-state entities

© Authors: prof. PaedDr. Milan Schavel, PhD. doc. PhDr. Michal Oláh, PhD. PhDr. Štefania Derevjanikova JUDr. Karol Zeman, PhD., h. doc. Reviewers: doc. JUDr. Ján Roháč, CSc. JUDr. Jozef Kudla, PhD. Mgr. Beata Horvathová

Language editing: Mgr. Andrea Martonová, Bc. Eva Kunovjaneková Technical editing: doc. PhDr. Michal Oláh, PhD. Photo on the cover: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of the Slovak Republic Publisher: Vysoká škola zdravotníctva a sociálnej práce sv. Alžbety Year of publication: 2009 Print: BEKI design, s.r.o. ISBN: 80-8082-065-1 EAN: 9788080820657