Abstract

Public councils (PCs) established under public authorities and organizations in a number of Central Asian countries are aimed at involving civil society in decision-making processes carried out by state bodies. The purpose of this article is to examine and уточнить the institutional role of PCs within the system of public administration in the region under consideration. Within the framework of the study, which draws on the theoretical foundations and functional characteristics of similar structures in other countries, an analysis was conducted of empirical data obtained through in-depth interviews with 47 representatives of the general public, including members of PCs in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The interviews were carried out between October 2024 and December 2025. The results indicate that, despite the presence of a number of institutional and procedural constraints related to the limited influence of PCs on decision-making, this institution plays a significant role in the system of public administration. In particular, public councils in Central Asia function as an expert-consultative community that helps to address existing expertise gaps, while also serving as a communication bridge between the state and society. In doing so, they enhance the quality of public policy implementation, which allows PCs to be regarded as a functionally significant institutional element of public administration in the region.