Abstract
Aim: To illustrate, using the capital city of Warsaw as an example, the function of local government administration in the crisis management system and how local authority personnel are prepared to perform their tasks.
Project and methods: Empirical data was obtained through the conduct of a diagnostic survey. Surveys were carried out among a representative group of 783 local authority employees performing different functions in the city hall structure and selected district offices. Out of these, 11.1% (87 staff) held appointments directly linked to the discharge of responsibility in connection with security. This group of staff was exposed to a detailed analysis of their educational attainment and work experience.
Results: The local authority in Warsaw, as the capital of Poland, performs many important security tasks. Consequently, activities of its employees are institutionalised, mainly within the crisis management system. Among personnel directly involved in security related activities, as many as 24.12% are managers, 63.26% are local authority officers and only 12.64% are employees performing duties at lower grades. This indicates the high degree of importance attributed to security issues in the overall administrative activity. The vast majority of these posts, as much as 83.98%, exist within the structure of Warsaw City Hall and only 16.02% are located in district offices and other administrative units. This reveals the concentration of crisis management responsibility placed in the hands of the City President. Staff employed in security related posts are, in the main, well prepared to discharge their responsibilities. More than 75% of the employees have education and experience in the field of crisis management or related fields.
Conclusions: A critical analysis of formal and legal solutions in existence at local government level was performed during the study with a particular focus on cities and towns with district status. An approach based on the consolidation of activities aligned with security in one organisational structure, such as the Department of Security and Crisis Management with branches in district offices, provides an appropriate solution for large urban agglomerations. Empirical research results indicate that the local authority for the Capital City of Warsaw is well prepared to address matters of security.
Keywords: security, crisis management, local government administration
Type of article: original scientific article