ROMANIA
Advisory Services Agreement on
Developing A Unitary Human Resources Management System
within the Public Administration
Deliverable 1.2 Review of relevant international
experience with HRM function
May 2019
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This report has been delivered under the Advisory Services Agreement on Developing a Unitary
Human Resources Management System Within the Public Administration signed between the
General Secretariat of the Government and the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development on January 31, 2018. This report represents Deliverable 1.2, part of Output 1 under
the above-mentioned agreement.
Disclaimer
This report is a product of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / the World
Bank. The findings, interpretation, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect
the views of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The
World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work.
This report does not necessarily represent the position of the European Union or the Romanian
Government.
Copyright Statement
The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting portions of this work
without permission may be a violation of applicable laws.
For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with the
complete information to either: (i) General Secretariat of the Government (Piaţa Victoriei nr. 1,
Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania) or (ii) the World Bank Group Romania (Vasile Lascăr Street, No 31, Et
6, Sector 2, Bucharest, Romania)
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Report on the Romanian Delegation Study Visit to
Belgium, France and the European Commission
October 14-24, 2018
Table of Contents
1. Overview................................................................................................................................................ 4
2. Scope ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
3. Key takeaways on HRM functions from the European Commission (EC), the Belgian Federal Civil Service
(BE) and France (FR) ............................................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Recruitment ........................................................................................................................................ 5
3.2 Competency framework...................................................................................................................... 7
3.3 Performance management (PA) .......................................................................................................... 9
3.4 Career management ......................................................................................................................... 13
3.5 Training and development ................................................................................................................ 14
3.6 HRMIS............................................................................................................................................... 15
3.7 Change management process ........................................................................................................... 17
Annex 1: Case study on HRM in France ....................................................................................................... 19
Annex 2: Case study on HRM in the European Commission ........................................................................ 33
Annex 3: Case study on HRM in the Belgian Federal Civil Service ................................................................ 39
Annex 4: List of delegates for the study visit to France, Belgium and the European Commission, October
2018..................................................................................................................................................... 46
Annex 5: Program of Romanian Delegation Unitary Human Resource Management ................................... 47
Annex 6: Implementation plan for the competency framework in the Belgian Federal Civil Service ............ 53
Annex 7: Generic competency profiles by level and grade in the Belgian Federal Civil Service ..................... 54
Annex 8: Example of a generic competency profile in the Belgian Federal Civil Service ............................... 55
Annex 9: Competencies for high-level civil servants in the French civil service ............................................ 56
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1. Overview
1. Under the Human Resource Management (HRM) Reimbursable Advisory Services (RAS)
Agreement on Developing a Unitary Human Resources Management System within the
Romanian Public Administration (henceforth HRM RAS) between the General Secretariat of the
Romanian Government (GSG) and IBRD, the World Bank Romania Country Office organized a
study visit to France, Belgium and the European Commission for a delegation of 23 management
and technical staff from the General Secretariat of the Government of Romania (GSG), the
Ministry of Labour and Social Justice (MoLSJ), the National Agency for Civil Servants (NACS) and
from the National Institute of Administration (INA). The full list of participants and the full
programme of the visit can be found in Annex 4 and Annex 5, respectively.
2. The study visit, which took place between October 14th-24th, 2018 is the first of three similar
activities provided under the HRM RAS Agreement as part of a review of international
experience in HRM practices in the public administration across 6 EU countries, selected by the
beneficiary. The objective of the study visit is to provide RO Government key stakeholders
involved in the reform of the HRM system in the RO public administration with a practical
understanding of the various HRM approaches and tools (and their specific advantages and
disadvantages) used or in use by the countries in question to improve the quality of their
respective public administrations.
3. For this first set of study visits (to Belgium, France and the European Commission), the World
Bank Romania Country Office HRM RAS team also conducted a complementary desk research of
HRM systems in each of the aforementioned countries’ public administration (found herein in
Annexes 1, 2 and 3). The preliminary findings were presented by the World Bank HRM RAS team
to the delegation during a preparatory meeting, hosted by the GSG, on October 12th, 2018.
2. Scope
4. First, the report presents the main takeaways from the discussions held with the host
institutions during the study visit. The said institutions were the École Nationale
d'Administration (ENA) in France, the Federal Public Service Policy and Support (BOSA) and the
Training Institute of the Federal Administration (TIFA) in Belgium and, also in Belgium, the
European Commission. Meetings focused on the IT dimension of HRM were held on the margins
of the main discussions with EPSO, in Belgium, and with the Ministry of Justice and the
Interministerial Center for IT in HR (CISIRH) in France.
5. In addition to these, the delegation benefited from academic lectures and debates on public
administration reforms and strategic HRM practices in the public sector at the Public
Governance Institute of the University of Leuven, in Belgium. The delegation was also presented
with the opportunity to exchange views with the Permanent Representation of Romania to the
EU in Belgium on the topic of the upcoming Romanian EU Presidency.
6. Second, the report incorporates the conclusions of a brainstorming exercise undertaken by the
delegates shortly after returning from the study visits, focused on contextualizing some of the
findings to the Romanian public administration. The delegates had been grouped during the
preparatory meeting into teams, each designated to focus on a specific dimension of HRM
during the study visit. The World Bank team provided the teams at the outset with guiding
questions to frame their queries and inform the workshop discussion.
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3. Key takeaways on HRM functions in the European Commission (EC), the Belgian
Federal Civil Service (BE) and France (FR)
7. The sections below present the main insights on specific HRM functions in the public
administration, gathered during discussions with the host institutions throughout the study visit.
The respective HRM functions are recruitment, competency framework, career management (in
particular for high level civil servants) and learning and development. Cutting across all these
functions are the IT tools, developed according to specific needs and implemented with varying
degrees of success, as well as the instruments used to communicate and implement change
management processes.
3.1 Recruitment
8. In FR, ministries and local institutions organize the recruitment competitions, under a
methodology and guidelines developed by the central HRM agency (DGAFP).
9. The EC and BE recruit staff into their respective civil service through central units, specialized
only in recruitment processes. These units (EPSO in the EC and SELOR in BE) function as shared-
service centres for the civil service and conduct standardized examinations for different types
of competitions, depending on the position requirements.
10. The EPSO in the EC is responsible for the entire recruitment for civil servants, irrespective of
grade. This process can last up to 12 months from the recruitment call. For contractual staff, the
EPSO organizes only the initial assessment.
11. The SELOR in BE pre-selects candidates for the civil service, based on types of testing decided
with the recruiting institutions. The selection proceeds via standard procedures for both civil
servants and contractual staff. The institutions, however, are responsible for the final selection
by interviewing the shortlist of candidates. SELOR finalizes the process on average within 90
days from opening the call for applications. Senior civil servants or mandate holders undergo a
more extensive recruitment procedure, with stricter conditions. Candidates for these positions
are tested in Assessment Centers, where a jury observes their behaviour during simulated
critical situations (role plays). The candidate appointed in a management position receives a
mandate of 6 years, which can then be extended.
12. SELOR is more than a recruiting agency, and independently fulfils several functions related to
skills’ assessment and certification, using both ready-made and tailor-made solutions. First, it
covers the recruitment function for the federal government. On its dedicated website, one can
find all necessary information when applying for a federal job, including the job openings,
description, salary and benefits, selection procedure, steps, contact data, sample PC tests and
advice. SELOR mandatorily screens future guard or security agents. Second, SELOR evaluates
competencies of existing employees and is responsible for assessing internal candidates for
promotion and mobility schemes. Third, SELOR screens internal and external personnel to be
certified as HR professionals, a mandatory condition to participate in recruitment processes as
part of the jury.
13. The EC and BE use standardized computer-based testing (CBT) for the initial pre-selection of
candidates. To implement CBT, the EC outsourced the process to a private contractor
(Prometric), which is responsible for the logistical requirements (providing facilities, security,
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IT&C equipment, etc.). BE has set up the physical testing facilities in-house. Both EC and BE work
in synergies with private contractors and recruiting institutions to develop the content of each
specific test. CBT measures abilities such as abstract reasoning, situational judgment, digital
reasoning, planning, technical understanding, as well as personality. The interview is based on
STAR method and behavioural questions, around the idea that behaviour observed in the recent
past is most likely to predict future behaviour.
14. FR has maintained written examinations for the-preselection phase. In the case of recruitment
into the ENA, candidates go through 5 written tests, organized in multiple testing centres
throughout the country. Subsequent interviews are held only at the ENA headquarters, in Paris.
The content of the testing is decided by the members of the selection jury, selected by the ENA
from among private sector HR experts, civil servants and academics.
15. The EC and BE train and certify members of the selection panels to assess the competencies of
applicants. In the EC, a selection board assesses the required competencies of an applicant
through 5 batteries of tests, held in an assessment centre. In the case of open competitions for
a single institution, selection boards consist of a president and civil servants from said
institution, appointed by the institution’s management, alongside staff representatives in equal
number, proposed by the institution’s Staff Committee. Members of the selection board must
be of at least the same function group and grade as those of the post to be filled. Moreover,
selection board members are trained and certified by EPSO in assessing competencies. EPSO
also organizes mock assessments for selection boards to familiarize members with the
assessment process.
16. In BE, the SELOR has largely externalized the evaluation of competencies to private contractors
(See figure 1). These contractors must undergo a 6-month training course in assessment
techniques at the SELOR Academy before being certified as HR consultants by SELOR, allowing
them to take part in the assessment of civil service applicants. The interviews organized by
SELOR are centered on the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) method and behavioural
questions. An audit unit within SELOR conducts a quality control of a random sample of
assessments to consistently verify that the assessors uphold the required standards. Moreover,
SELOR organizes monthly conferences where all HR consultants are debriefed on the latest
procedural guidelines and have the opportunity to exchange inspirational practices. This
certification can be withdrawn if the contractors fail to maintain high quality recruitment
standards.
17. FR predominantly relies on experts from different backgrounds to assess the applicant’s fit with
the job. In the particular case of ENA, there are separate recruitment tracks for recent university
graduates, for internal candidates from the public administration and for private sector
candidates. Distinct juries are set up for each recruitment track. A president is appointed at the
proposal of the DGAFP, from outside the ENA, to oversee all the juries and approve the content
of the tests. Jury members are selected from among private sector experts, civil servants and
academics.
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Post Study Visit Reflection:
The experience of BE and EC showcases the logistical demands of organizing a large-scale
national competition for recruitment into the civil service, as envisioned by the Strategy for Civil
Service Development 2016-2020 (SCSD) and the proposed Administrative Code1. During the post
study visit workshop, the NACS highlighted the lack of appropriate facilities in Romania as a
salient issue for the upcoming national recruitment competition.
Moreover, the emphasis placed by BE and EC on training the evaluators in competency
assessment and interpersonal skills was highlighted during the post-study workshop as a key
success factor in recruiting the right people for the right job. Participants noted that the weak
capacity of selection committees to assess the competencies of applicants is a major barrier
towards an effective recruitment into the Romanian public administration. As such, specific
training courses and on-going coaching programmes for selection committees should be
implemented as a priority to address this capacity gap.
Figure 1: Staffing of SELOR
Source: BOSA presentation during RO delegation study visit to Belgium, 18/10/2018
3.2 Competency framework
18. BE and EC introduced competency frameworks through reforms started under pressure to
improve the quality of services in the public administration. The EPSO in the EC was under
pressure from EU institutions to improve the quality of recruitment and reduce its duration. By
1
Declared unconstitutional on procedural grounds by the Constitutional Court of Romania in November 2018
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2010, the EPSO introduced a competency framework of 8 core competencies2 against which
applicants for permanent civil service positions would be assessed. The competencies were
decided through a reflection process initiated in 2008 by the EU institutions. The new
competency framework led to a higher satisfaction among EU institutions concerning the quality
of recruits, as evidenced by an internal survey3. Furthermore, focusing on assessing
competencies reduced the recruitment time from 2 years, prior to 2010, to 1 year.
19. In BE, the competency framework was introduced as part of the Copernicus reform in the early
2000s, aimed at streamlining the public administration and improving service delivery to the
citizen. A pillar of the reform was the development of a new vision of HRM, based on strategic
competency management. The strategic HR decisions were decentralized to the ministries and,
in particular, to line managers, while the back-office processes pertaining to HRM were
centralized into a shared-service platform (BOSA) covering the entire federal civil service. The
competencies themselves were elaborated over a 2-year period (2008-2010) jointly with
external consultants and through consultations which included all the ministries. Before being
rolled out across the civil service, a provisional competency framework was piloted for 6 months
in one of the ministries (Ministry of Labour) and monitored continuously by an internal working
group. The lessons learnt were:
a) A strong legal basis is necessary to promote general acceptance of competencies in HRM
functions among different institutions;
b) Any efforts for reform must be promoted and sustained by influential sponsors, both
political and from the public administration itself, to ensure continuity across political cycles;
c) There is considerable difficulty in striking the right balance between a common language and
harmonised processes, on one side, and the specificities of each institution, on the other.
Moreover, the competencies must be based on a solid methodology, but at the same time
must be made easy to understand and use.
d) A successful shift to competencies requires significant investment in a change management
strategy. This is based on ample communication and preparatory activities beforehand with
the institutions to explain how competencies will be used in HRM functions. In the case of
BE, BOSA elaborated an implementation roadmap with clear milestones to explain to staff
what to expect and when to expect it (see Annex 6). This was part of a focused
communication strategy, through which the achievements of the pilot programme were
popularized among the different institutions to build support for the competency
framework.
20. BE and FR have developed codified registries of standardized job functions, which are linked to
dictionaries of competencies. In BE, the model of competencies is based on 5 generic groups of
behavioural competencies and a separate group of technical competencies (further divided into
job-specific competencies and transferable or support competencies). Each generic group of
behavioural competencies is composed of specific competencies, ranked from low to high,
depending on complexity. The specific competencies are linked to the three groups of job
2
Analysis and problem solving, communication, delivering quality and results, learning and development, prioritizing
and organizing, resilience and working with others (and leadership for AD career bracket)
3
As presented by the EPSO acting director to the RO delegation during study visit to the European Commission,
October 2018
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functions (technical, management, project leaders), based on hierarchical grades within each
function: higher grades are linked with more complex competencies. There are 5 core
competencies (teamwork, service orientation, reliability, commitment to self-development and
focus on results) which are applicable to all grades and functions (see Annex 7). An
accompanying dictionary of competencies, developed with external consultants (Hudson),
defines the observable behavioural indicators through which each specific competency can be
demonstrated. To improve ease of use, all this information is centralized in generic competency
profiles for each grade within each group of functions (see Annex 8). These generic competency
profiles have been designed to be flexible enough to be adapted by institutions to their
particular needs, but rigid enough to ensure that the adjusted competencies do not move the
competency profile along the pay scale. As such, recruiting institutions may add other
competencies specific to the particular grade of the post, as required by the specific job function.
21. In FR, a dictionary of competencies was elaborated by the DGAFP to define the competencies
required for civil service positions. Competencies and job requirements are linked together by a
registry of jobs for the state civil service (Répertoire interministériel des métiers de l’État -RIME).
The RIME clusters all jobs in the state civil service into 26 functional areas, further divided into
261 generic job profiles. Each job profile is linked to specific competencies, grouped by the
dictionary of competencies into 21 relational skills ( savoir-être), 102 conceptual know-how
competencies (savoir-faire) and 40 contextual knowledge categories (domaines de
connaissances). For high-level civil servants, a set of 10 competencies, grouped under situational
awareness, action orientation and interpersonal skills has been defined by a specialized unit
within the General Secretariat of the Government (Mission Cadres Dirigeants) (see Annex 9).
Post Study Visit Reflection:
During the debriefing workshop, the delegates noted that in all three cases, implementing the
competency framework required first an intensive consultation phase with line ministries,
followed by a sustained commitment to implement it over a period of several years.
Moreover, the process was only begun once all the jobs in the respective civil services had
been classified and standardized into generic job descriptions. For instance, in BE, BOSA
designed the generic competency profiles after having examined a sample of a hundred job
descriptions to identify the common competencies required for similar jobs. As such, the
delegates agreed that introducing competencies into the Romanian public administration
would be a long process, which would need to be developed incrementally, with clear
milestones established.
3.3 Performance management (PA)
22. BE and EC use PA as a tool to assess and improve fit with the job, rather than as a punitive
instrument. In the EC, newly recruited officials undergo a 9-month probationary period, at the
end of which their performance and fit with the job is assessed, based on a self-assessment and
dialogue with direct manager. If they continue as permanent officials, they undergo similar
appraisals annually, which assess their performance against 3 criteria: efficiency, abilities and
conduct. Managers are also assessed against their management skills through 360-degree
evaluations. If the officials are found to be consistently underperforming, they are put under a
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support plan for the next 5 years. The support plan is meant to redress the performance of the
official by establishing clear milestones towards reaching the expected objectives and providing
the necessary support (e.g. coaching) to achieve them. If the official continues to underperform
consistently, he progressively incurs penalties until, finally, he is dismissed in the 5th year (see
figure 2). The rationale underpinning the 5-year probation period is that underperformance was
found to be usually temporary, but amenable to be improved, whereas directly dismissing the
official and recruiting and training a replacement would incur higher costs.
23. In BE, civil servants are assessed by their managers on their performance and use of
competencies to achieve their individual objectives and to contribute to their team’s objectives.
If civil servants are found to be underperforming, the manager can grade them as “insufficient”,
but only with the countersignature of the institutio n’s top manager. A grade of “insufficient”
reduces the timeframe for the next appraisal cycle to 6 months, to ensure a closer monitoring
of the civil servant’s performance. In any evaluation cycle, civil servants and their managers can
discuss ideas to address the problems which are interfering with performance. Civil servants are
dismissed if they receive 2 evaluations of “insufficient” within 3 years, while contractual staff
are dismissed automatically following a single grade of “insufficient”. High-level civil servants
have fixed-term mandates of 6 years, after which they have to reapply for the position to prove
that their competencies are still applicable to the job.
Figure 2: Consequences of an unsatisfactory appraisal report for EU civil servants
• Blockage of advancement in step
1st • Support plan
• Blockage of advancement in step
2nd • Support plan
• Downgrading + Blockage of advancement in step
3rd • Support plan
• Blockage of advancement in step
• Support plan
4th
• Dismissal
5th
Source: EPSO presentation to RO delegation during study visit to Belgium, 16/10/2018
24. BE and EC emphasize continuous dialogue as the basis for performance management. In the EC,
at the beginning of the yearly appraisal cycle, civil servants discuss and agree on their new
individual objectives with their respective managers. The civil servants subsequently conduct
their self-assessment of their performance from the year under evaluation. On the basis of the
self-assessment, the civil servants have a 2nd dialogue with their managers, at the end of which
a qualitative appraisal report is issued. Managers may request additional feedback on the
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performance of the evaluated civil servant from supervisors or colleagues. Civil servants can
access the report in their online personal account and accept it, add comments to it or refuse it.
In the latter case, the civil servant has a discussion with the manager’s superior to review the
document.
25. In BE, performance management is centered around “development circles”, which require 4
discussions between civil servants and their immediate managers throughout the year. Through
the development circle, managers set the individual objectives of civil servants during a one-to-
one discussion. The managers subsequently input the individual objectives into the “Crescendo”
e-platform for performance appraisal, where only the evaluated staff, the managers and HR
departments can view them. Through the other 3 discussions, managers can adjust the job
description of civil servants, evaluate their performance and can discuss ways to improve
performance and develop competencies.
26. BE and EC assess performance qualitatively against clearly defined standards. The EC assesses
performance of civil servants against efficiency, abilities and conduct. Each criterium is
evaluated through several qualitative appraisal standards (e.g. efficiency is evaluated against
“delivering quality and results”, “analysis and problem -solving” and “prioritising and
organising”). The performance of the jobholder can be assessed as either satisfactory or
unsatisfactory, without considering how the performance compares to that of other peers. The
EC previously had a point-based system to quantify performance, but it was replaced with the
current qualitative approach because the former system was found to generate conflicts among
staff members and managers.
27. In BE, the performance of civil servants is ranked from “insufficient” (lowest) to “exceptional”
(highest) according to 4 criteria: achieving objectives, developing necessary competencies,
client-orientation4 and contribution to team performance (see figure 3). The criteria assess if the
expected results have been delivered, but also how they were delivered. Evaluators are also
assessed on the quality of the appraisals conducted and on compliance with legal procedures
and deadlines.
4
Centering the civil service around the client was one of the two goals of the Copernicus reform, alongside making the
civil service a better employer.
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Figure 3: Performance appraisal criteria in the Belgian Federal Civil Service
Source: BOSA presentation to RO delegation during study visit to Belgium, October 2018
28. BE and EC clearly link outcomes of the performance appraisals with career prospects. In the EC,
civil servants whose performance is assessed as “unsatisfactory” can no longer advance to the
next salary step of their grade in the following year. After 3 performance appraisals of
“unsatisfactory”, civil servants are downgraded to the grade immediately below. Finally, after
being assessed as “unsatisfactory” 5 times in a row, the civil servant is dismissed. In BE, top
performers are rewarded with shorter eligibilities requirements for promotions, while low
performers are restricted from promotion opportunities or dismissed if underperformance
continues (see figure 4). Appraisal outcomes which change the normal course of a civil servant’s
career must be countersigned by the institution’s top management.
29. Performance-related pay was found by both the EC and BE as being ineffective at improving
performance and instead was found to be damaging to team work due to the frictions it
generated between staff. Moreover, as mentioned during discussions at the Leuven Public
Governance Institute, linking rewards to targets inevitably leads to those targets being “gamed”
by the potential beneficiaries. For these reasons, as outlined by the COCOPS 2013 survey 5 among
public managers across the EU, performance-related pay is the least used performance
management instruments in EU public administrations.
5
Coordination for Cohesion in the Public Sector of the Future (COCOPS) (2013), Executive Survey on Public Sector
Reform in Europe (available at http://www.cocops.eu/publications/research-reports)
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Figure 4: Outcomes of performance appraisal in the Belgian Federal Civil Service
Management approval
Direct supervisor
Management approval
Management
approval
Source: BOSA presentation to RO delegation during study visit to Belgium, October 2018
3.4 Career management
30. EC, FR and BE promote and facilitate horizontal and external mobility schemes for civil servants.
All three systems have in place external mobility schemes for civil servants to work temporarily
in the private sector. In practice, however, they are rarely used.
31. In the EC, the seniority-based pay increase of permanent officials progressively reduces after
spending more than 2 years in the same position in order to incentivize them to engage in
mobility schemes or continue their career progression. After 4 years in the same position,
permanent officials are invited for interviews at a career guidance center, to discuss the next
steps of their career. Senior officials are formally required to move between directorates every
10 years. In BE and FR, guidance for mobility and career development is provided to civil servants
by HR specialists placed within the employing institution.
32. BE and FR have implemented instruments to identify and accelerate the career progression of
qualified staff. In FR, a specialized unit within the General Secretariat of the Government (i.e.
Mission Cadres Dirigeants) manages a reserve lists of civil service managers who have been
identified by their line ministries as having potential for top management roles. This platform
provides experienced managers with the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of the civil service,
while also encouraging ministers to appoint qualified individuals as top managers. In BE, civil
servants whose performance is consistently assessed as “exceptional” can advance in grades at
a shorter time than normal. Moreover, civil servants with adequate experience and
competencies, as assessed during promotion examinations, may advance two grades or classes
in one step.
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3.5 Training and development
33. EC, BE and FR have put in place facilities for civil servants to earn higher educational credentials
to advance their career. In the EC, EPSO provides 1-year long part-time certified courses which
can substitute for higher educational credentials for staff looking to progress to a higher post.
The pass rate currently stands at approximately 50% of those enrolled. In BE, civil servants who
do not possess the required educational background to advance to a higher level can enrol in
courses which provide the necessary core knowledge (economics, law, public administration,
etc.). In FR, civil servants are awarded a fixed number of training hours per month, which they
can use to acquire educational credentials from certified external or internal training providers
to advance their career. The costs of the training are borne by the employing institutions.
34. EC, BE and FR emphasize learning by doing and continuous coaching programmes. The EC
promotes a 70-20-10 model for the training and development of staff: 70% learning by doing,
20% learning from colleagues and 10% learning from trainings.
35. Both the EC and BE have developed and maintain communities of practice to share knowledge
and expertise. In BE, the Training Institute of the Federal Administration (TIFA) is responsible for
managing a community of coaches across the civil service. Each coach is an experienced civil
servant who receives specialized certified training from TIFA and must allocate at least 10% of
their time to coaching peers.
36. In FR, in the particular case of ENA, successful applicants undergo a 2-year on-the-job training
of practical skills required in the public administration, delivered by experienced practitioners.
For the top tiers of civil service, the ENA delivers distinct types of practical training, depending
on the needs dictated by seniority. The training modules are delivered by specialized high
ranking civil servants, together with private contractors. For instance, newly appointed top
managers are individually coached in public speaking and media handling, change management
and how to adapt to the new job.
37. In BE, individual training needs are linked with organisational objectives through a 3-tiered
process of training needs assessment. Institutions, through a consultation process between their
departments, elaborate a Global Development Plan (GDP). GDPs reflect the respective
institution’s vision, mission and values, as well as established organisational objectives and
targets. Each department conducts a similar process with its staff to elaborate a Team
Development Plan. Finally, civil servants use the organisational and departmental plans as
reference for their own training needs, which are set during the performance appraisal process.
All three tiers of development plans are based on a gap analysis which should inform how to
reach a desired future situation from the current situation. The TIFA contributes to these efforts
by providing advice on how (if any) different types of training for staff can help bridge the gaps
identified. Such a competency-gap approach, however, has the disadvantage of focusing on
repairing deficiencies, which might not yield long-lasting results for the organisation. As such,
the training paradigm is shifting towards a talent approach, whereby staff develop their existing
strengths to a mastery level, to encourage commitment to the training and its constant use.
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Post Study Visit Reflection:
The shift towards individual coaching was noted by the delegates during the post study visit
workshop as a critical step towards the development of civil servants. The INA envisaged a
similar approach for the Romanian public administration, whereby it would train and certify civil
servants to be able to provide continuous, individual coaching to peers.
3.6 HRMIS
38. EC, BE and FR have centralized, to varying degrees, HRM functions for the entire civil service into
shared-service centres. In the EC, the EPSO carries out the recruitment process for EU
permanent officials for the EU institutions. It also envisages to centralize the talent management
of civil servants. The EC, through DG IT, houses the IT&C hardware infrastructure for EPSO.
Similarly, payments to EU staff is done through the Pay Master’s Office (PMO), a separate unit
detached from DG HR and specialized in the operational processes pertaining to payroll,
pensions and insurance.
39. In BE, BOSA is the shared-service center for the Belgian Federal Civil Service. A specialized
department within BOSA, DG PersoPoint, provides to line ministries a common e-platform for
specific HRM support functions, called PersoPoint. The platform reduces HRM administrative
costs for institutions by leveraging economies of scale, standardizing processes and information
and pooling expertise in technology and HRM operations. It also offers advice to civil service
staff on legal issues pertaining to HR procedures. PersoPoint centralizes civils service personnel
data and cross-checks it through its payroll function. (see figure 5). For both BE and EC, digitizing
and centralizing HR support functions has freed up more time for line managers to focus on
strategic HRM and on service delivery.
40. In FR, the CISIRH (Interministerial Center for HR IT Services) was established as a shared-service
center to provide support for HRM functions across the central administration. The CISIRH
developed an e-platform for HRM functions (RenoiRH), through which line ministries can enrol
voluntarily and outsource to it their HR processes, to focus more on strategic HRM. This would
also ensure standardization and reduced transactional costs overall through economies of scale.
It would also provide strong analytical tools to interpret personnel data and forecast trends. The
platform has had limited success in attracting ministries and has so far focused on digitizing
paper-based processes (e.g. opening a call for recruitment).
15
Figure 5: PersoPoint services
Source: BOSA presentation to RO delegation during study visit to Belgium, October 2018
41. EC, BE and FR have built partnerships with private contractors to develop, implement and
maintain the HRMIS systems. Across all three cases, aging IT&C infrastructure and the increasing
difficulty of maintaining it are salient issues.
42. In EC, EPSO uses the logistics and facilities of an external service provider (Prometric) to conduct
the CBT phase of the recruitment. This was necessary given the high number of applicants
(approximately 25,000 per competitions) and the geographical extent of the recruitment, since
it is a cross-EU initiative. For the IT architecture of the recruitment, DG IT developed some
modules in-house, while more complex tasks have been outsourced to private contractors. Data
between the two is exchanged via web services.
43. In BE, BOSA used commercially available technology (Oracle) to develop its HRM IT
infrastructure. It maintains a close relationship with the contractor to ensure that the already
aging IT&C infrastructure continues to receive maintenance support. BOSA also uses external
consultants (PwC) to help line ministries adapt their business processes to the new HRMIS
framework. Moreover, BOSA developed a close collaboration with the private sector (especially
France Telekom) to gather best practices from their past experience in developing an internal
HRMIS system.
44. In FR, the CISIRH employs approximately 130 staff in-house, complemented by support services
from multiple private IT contractors (most notably HRAccess for RenoiRH). Private IT contractors
also provide specialized technical training (e.g. for RedHat Linux training) to the staff. The IT
architecture is based on commercially available technologies: Oracle for database, PHP
Symphony for the web application, SAP Business Object for reporting, Service-Now for incident
16
management. The CISIRH is looking to bring back in-house expertise for the development of the
IT tools in order to build know-how and keep better control over the processes. Despite CISIRH
functionalities, line ministries in FR use internal HRMIS platforms. The Ministry of Justice HRMIS
system, “Harmonie” (based on SAP, currently version 7.60 with SAP HANA – in-memory
database planned for next year) serves around 76,000 people and covers the full range of HRM
functionalities, including payroll (but not electronic signature on documents). The platform is
linked with the CISIRH system, based on a unique position number. The servers were purchased
by the Ministry of Justice (so not cloud concept), based on SAP recommendations for each of
the environments (DEV, QA, PRE-PROD and PROD).
45. BE and FR (and EC initially) face difficulties in getting the HRMIS solutions adopted by central
institutions. In BE, line ministries have been asked in 2016 to integrate their HR business
processes into the PersoPoint platform by 2019. To achieve this, ministries have begun digitizing
personnel records to upload into the central database. Each ministry is assisted in the
onboarding process by a “change management” team, composed of PersoPoint technical
specialists (who assist with the transfer of data) and external consultants (PwC). The latter
employ a 3-pronged approach to prepare the ministry for the transition: 1) conduct a business
process mapping; 2) do a gap analysis on what skills and organisational changes are needed for
staff and ministry to adapt to the HRMIS functionalities; 3) design a transition and
communication plan jointly with PersoPoint experts to explain timelines and milestones. Based
on the consultant’s input, PersoPoint together with the respective ministry design a change plan
to implement the recommendations in its organisational structure and process flows.
46. In FR, only a few central administration institutions took up the HRMIS tools provided by CISIRH.
Most line ministries have in place internal legacy systems, which are difficult to integrate with
the new platforms.
Post Study Visit Reflection:
During the post-study visit workshop, delegates noted that the current trend across EU public
administrations is to centralize HR processes and support functions within a single shared-
service platform. The delegates also highlighted the problem of obsolete IT&C architecture as a
major challenge to be considered when moving forward with the HRMIS system for the
Romanian public administration, particularly due to its scope of covering both central and local
administration.
3.7 Change management process
47. In EC and BE, reforming the civil service was a long-term (and still ongoing) processes which was
underpinned by a change management strategy promoted through a structured
communications strategy. Interlocutors in both countries highlighted the critical support
received from an external change facilitator to jointly plan, implement and sustain the reform
within their respective institutions.
48. The experience of the EC and BE highlighted that shifting to a strategic HRM system requires a
focused change & communication strategy for several reasons: (i) to advocate and build
consensus among stakeholders over a common vision for a reformed HRM; (ii) to raise
awareness and improve understanding about new initiatives and their long-term benefits for
17
employees, organization and civil society; (iii) to re-brand and build confidence in the
government as an effective service provider.
49. In the case of BE, the federal government initiated in the early 2000s a reform of the federal civil
service, dubbed “Copernicus”, under the lead of an influential Minister for Administrative
Reform and with strong cross-party political support.6
The reform was a “big-bang” moment, built on 4 structural pillars around the v ision of
transforming the federal civil service into a “better employer & better service -provider to the
citizen”. The reform implemented
1. New organizational structures;
2. New vision on HRM;
3. New management culture;
4. New ways of working.
50. With Copernicus, BE introduced a policy of having the best person in the best job, by creating a
common language, coherence between processes, integrating competencies into a clear
framework and enhancing the quality of recruitment. To improve staff engagement with their
job, new ways of working were implemented, including flexible working arrangements, new
open office space for all, paperless processes and a better life-work balance. Strategic HRM
responsibilities were decentralized to line managers, who would be receiving support from the
newly created BOSA. To achieve a change of culture, BE vacated all senior civil servant functions
and changed them from being open-ended contracts to renewable 6-year mandates. These
mandates offered more autonomy to achieve results and were evaluated against explicit targets
and performance indicators set by political leaders. External candidates were encouraged to
apply for the vacancies and assessments were conducted by private evaluators. The salaries of
the senior civil servants were market-rated and weighted according to the function they
covered.
51. The Copernicus reform was designed through an all-inclusive consultation process. A working
group, acting as a champion of change, was set up with representatives of all federal agencies,
together with political sponsors. Before centralizing all HR support functions and payroll
management, BOSA elaborated an implementation roadmap with clear milestones to explain to
staff what changes to expect and when to expect it. A manager for change and communication
(MCC) was appointed in BOSA to coordinate, monitor and implement all change and
communication management activities of the transition across the federal civil service, with the
help of a selected working committee and local MCCs. Based on the global strategy, managers
and local leaders of change and communication developed more detailed plans, as per the
specificities of each institution.
6
Thijs, N. (2004), Modernising the Belgian Federal Public Administration: Points of attentions and lessons from an
ambitious and large scale “Copernican” reform programme, as seen in the European Commission (2017), The Quality
of Public Administration “Toolbox”
18
Annex 1: Human Resources Management in France
Case Study for the International HRM Review
“Developing A Unitary Human Resources Management System Within the Public Administration”
General overview
By end-2015, the civil service in France employed 5.45 million workers, making up roughly 20% of
the national workforce (both remunerated and non-remunerated)7. These employees are split
among the 3 branches of the civil service:
1) State civil service, comprised of 44% of all civil service employees, i.e. 2.4 million 8. This
branch includes ministerial departments, administrative public bodies (établissements
publics administratifs or EPA) and local public middle and high schools. Teaching personnel
and military personnel are included in this branch.
2) Local civil service, which employed 34.7%, or 1.89 million, of civil service employees. They
work in the local administrative apparatus (at the level of municipalities, counties or
départements and regions), as well as in local administrative public bodies.9
3) Hospital civil service, which makes up the rest of 21.3% of employees, totaling 1.16 million,
who work in public hospitals or socio-medical public institutions, such as retirements
homes.10
Employment categories
Aside from military personnel and other specific categories, the civil service is composed of:
a) Permanent civil servants, the so-called “fonctionnaires”. By the end of 2015, they
numbered 3.85 million out of the total 5.45 million employees in the French civil service
(70.7%).
- Civil servants hold a life-long tenure (titulaires) and their employment is regulated by
group-specific legal statutes;
- In 2015 women accounted for 62% of all civil servants and held the majority of senior
management positions within the civil service (64.1%), while men held the most top
management positions (59.6%).11
b) Contractual staff. By end 2015, they numbered approx. 940,000 (or 17.2%) across the 3
branches of the civil service.
- Contractual staff are legally considered by the General Statute of Civil Servants to be an
exception in the civil service, whereas permanent civil service status is the rule. Despite
this, more than 1 in 5 of civil service employees were contractual staff by end 2015.
7
DGAFP (2017) Rapport annuel sur l’état de la fonction publique
8
See above
9
See above
10
See above
11
See above
19
- Contractual staff are employed under public law 12, either on an open-ended contract
(contrat à durée indéterminée- CDI) or on a fixed-term contract (contrat à durée
déterminée- CDD), depending on the position requirements.
- To increase job security in the civil service recent legislation 13 has put contractual staff
on equal footing with permanent civil servants with regards to rights and obligations.
Moreover, contractual staff on fixed-term contracts who have been working for more
than 6 years (or more than 3, in the case of those aged over 55) 14, in the same ministry
or public body are automatically switched to open-ended contract.
Civil servants are divided into groups named “corps” which cover one or more occupational areas
or technical skills15. They are differentiated according to rules pertaining to their respective
recruitment processes, to the structure of the career progression system applicable in the corps and
to the nature of their duties. In an effort to reduce fragmentation in the civil service, the number of
corps within the civil service has steadily reduced, from more than 1,500 in 2000 to 301 in 2017.16
Each corps is governed by a specific legal statute, which establishes the hierarchical organization of
its specific corps and the rules for promotion within it. As such, a given corps is structured by its
specific statute in a hierarchy of grades (usually 2 or 3) and each grade is subdivided into levels
(échelons). The level sets the main remuneration for civil servants. Civil servants progress through
levels by accumulating seniority within a given grade (every 2-3 years in general).17
Corps within the French civil service are hierarchically clustered into 3 categories:
- Category A for positions responsible for policy-making, management and supervisory tasks.
Employees in this cluster account for 34.8% of the total civil service and comprise the
majority of employees in the state civil service (55.7%). Teaching personnel are also included
here, who account for 85% of the total category A employees in the state civil service. To be
eligible for category A positions, a minimum of an undergraduate degree is required.18
o Within category A, a distinct, yet not legally formalized sub-category referred to as
A+ is used to differentiate the highest-ranking civil servants within the 3 branches of
the civil service. They are selected through a competitive recruitment and are
validated by the Prime Minister and the line Minister. The A+ category also includes
those appointed directly by government decree (discretionary appointments) such
as secretary generals, prefects and ambassadors, who are responsible for
12
Contractual staff can be employed also under private law within the larger public administration, for positions in
state-owned industrial and commercial public bodies (service public industriel et commercial- SPIC), as well as in local
agencies of the Social Security Fund. See http://www.vie-publique.fr/decouverte-
institutions/institutions/administration/acteurs/quelles-sont-differentes-categories-agents-administration.html
13
Loi n° 2016-483 du 20 avril 2016 relative à la déontologie et aux droits et obligations des fonctionnaires
14
See https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F13852
15
Audier, Bacache, Courtioux, Gautie (2012) The effects of pay reforms and procurement strategies on wage and
employment inequalities in France’s public sector
16
DGAFP (2018) DGAFP Presentation at EUPAN
17
DGAFP (2018) DGAFP Presentation at EUPAN
18
DGAFP (2017) Rapport annuel sur l’état de la fonction publique
20
implementing the government’s policies. Their fit with the job is validated by the
Constitutional Council19.
➔ Category B includes employees responsible for implementation and reporting. They account
for approx. 20% of all civil service employees. Military personnel account for the largest
share of category B employees in the state civil service (54.6%) by end 2015. To be eligible
for recruitment, a baccalaureate diploma is the minimum required or, in some cases,
specialized training (e.g. for nurses or social security agent)20.
➔ Category C include unskilled or low-skill employees, responsible for service delivery. By end
2015, most local civil service employees fell into category C (75.8%). To be eligible for
recruitment, a high-school diploma or professional/technical certificate is required, although
some openings require no diploma.21
Figure 1: Classification of employees in the French Civil Service
Source: DGAFP (2017) Rapport annuel sur l’état de la fonction publique
Institutional framework
The Directorate General for Administration and Civil Service
(DGAFP) is the main institution responsible for drafting,
coordinating, monitoring, analyzing and communicating all
aspects of HR policy within the French Civil Service.
19
Kuperus and Rode (2016) Top Public Managers in Europe- Management and Employment in Central Public
Administrations
20
See https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F13852
21
DGAFP (2017) Rapport annuel sur l’état de la fonction publique
21
The DGAFP also oversees the National School for Administration (Ecole National d’Administration -
ENA), involved in recruiting and training category A civil servants, and the 5 Regional Institutes of
Administration (Instituts régionaux d'administration- IRA), involved in recruitment and training of
middle ranking civil servants. Moreover, a 2016 law 22 has delegated the DGAFP with all strategic
HRM responsibilities for the State Civil Service.
Since 2017, the DGAFP has been put under the political and administrative authority of the Minster
responsible for Public Accounts, charged with improving the Civil Service.
Figure 2: 2018 Organigram for the French Ministries for economic and financial affairs
Source: https://www.economie.gouv.fr/ministeres
The DGAFP is managed by a Director General, who is assisted in performing his prerogatives by:
- An Advisory Board (Conseil d’Orientation): mandated with offering insight into particular HR
policy proposals drafted by the DGAFP. To this end, the Board experts draw on international
22
Décret n° 2016-1804 du 22 décembre 2016 relatif à la direction générale de l'administration et de la fonction
publique et à la politique de ressources humaines dans la fonction publique
22
good practices from the public and private sectors. The Board comprises 28 members,
appointed by order of the Minister responsible for the Civil Service from both the public and
private sector, based on their experience and expertise in HRM23.
- A Scientific Council (Conseil scientifique): provides an independent scientific scrutiny of the
data used by the DGAFP for its planning and activities. To offer this technical expertise, the
members of the Scientific Council are selected from among public statistics agencies and
experienced researchers from fields connected to labour (sociology, economics,
demographic studies, political science, HR management, public policy)
The DGAFP has a central place in social dialogue by performing the function of secretariat for the
Joint Committee for the Civil Service (Conseil commun de la fonction publique- CCFP). The CCFP
represents the highest forum which must be consulted on all legislative initiatives with an impact
on civil servants and contractual staff across all three of the civil service branches. The CCFP may
also issue opinions on general or specific issues common to at least 2 of the 3 civil service branches
(such as career management, life-long learning policies, anti-discriminatory measures, etc.)24.
The DGAFP also provides the secretariat for the High Council for the State Civil Service (Conseil
supérieur de la fonction publique de l'Etat- CSFPE), which performs a similar role to the CCFP for the
state civil service branch 25. Parallel social dialogue platforms are in place for the local civil service
(Conseil supérieur de la fonction publique territorial- CSFPT) and the hospital civil service (Conseil
supérieur de la fonction publique hospitalière- CSFPH). The CCFP can collaborate with each of the
three platforms on general issues which do not require consultations at the CCFP level.
Joint Committee for the Civil Service (CCFP)
The CCFP is composed of 2 colleges. One is comprised of civil service union representatives from
across the 3 branches (30 delegates). The other college is comprised of representatives of the
central administration and decentralized agencies (6 members, named by the Minister in charge of
the civil service), representatives of the local administration (6 members including the president of
the CSFPT) and representatives of the medical institutions (6 members, including the president of
the French Federation of Hospitals). The members of the 2 colleges are named by ministerial decree
for a period of 4 years and only they have the right to vote.
The ex-officio members of the CCFP, albeit with no voting rights, are the President of the CSFPH, the
DG of DGAFP and representatives from the Conseil d’Etat, the Court of Accounts, the Ministry of
Finance, Ministry of Interior and Ministries of Health and Social Affairs.
The CCFP convenes its plenary at least twice per year for deliberations and voting, under the
presidency of the Minister in charge of the civil service (or his delegate). Issues to be discussed are
submitted either by the respective Minister or at the written request of 2/3 of any of the 2
aforementioned colleges. In this latter case, the CCFP must be convened within 2 months following
23
DGAFP (2017) Rapport annuel sur l’état de la fonction publique
24
Décret n° 2012-148 du 30 janvier 2012 relatif au Conseil commun de la fonction publique
25
Décret n° 2012-225 du 16 février 2012 relatif au Conseil supérieur de la fonction publique de l'Etat
23
the request. The President of the CCFP can put these issues directly to vote in the plenary. The CCFP
can only issue recommendations and opinions once each college votes either favourably or
negatively.
Alternatively, the President of the CCFP can submit the proposed issues to one of 5 specialized
configurations of the CCFP, to either be voted or further assessed. These configurations are
attended by representatives of the same organizations as in the 2 colleges. Officials from state
agencies specialized in their respective domains may support their proceedings.
Each specialized configuration covers a specific thematic, i.e. a) legislative initiatives; b) pay,
pensions and statistical data across the civil service; c) career management; d) working conditions;
e) consequences of institutional restructuring on employees in the civil service. They can issue
opinions on behalf of the CCFP on most areas, save for legislative initiatives.
High Council for the State Civil Service (CSFPE)
All legislative initiatives touching upon the state civil sector must be submitted for consultation to
the CSFPE. It is also the highest appeals body for administrative sanctions for employees in the state
civil service. The Council is presided by the Minister in charge of the civil service and is composed of
40 permanent members (and 80 substitutes), divided equally among representatives from the
public administration and representative proposed by state civil service unions. All members are
appointed by ministerial decree and only permanent members have a right to vote.
The CSFPE convenes its plenary for debates and voting at least once per trimester under the
presidency of the Minister in charge of civil service. The CSFPE can also meet in 4 specialized
configurations to analyse issues in specific domains (legislative initiatives, disciplinary appeals,
professional development in the state civil service and working conditions). Issues to be discussed
are submitted by the Minister in charge of the civil service or at least half of the permanent
members. To assess specific issues, the CSFPE can establish permanent or temporary committees.
Interministerial HR Strategy 2017-2019
The DGAFP has the leading role in drafting an Interministerial HRM Strategy, jointly with the HR
departments from all ministries, every 3 years. Once drafted, the Strategy is tabled for debate at
the CSFPE and, at the proposal of the Minister responsible for the Civil Service, is subsequently
validated by the Prime Minister.26
By law, the Strategy’s main focus is on the simplification and decentralization of the HR processes 27.
In recognition of this, the implementation of the Strategy has been delegated at the individual
ministry level and, in parallel, at the regional level. Accordingly, the Strategy defines as a priority
axis the development and improvement of HRM processes and practices at the local level.28
26
Décret n° 2016-1804 du 22 décembre 2016 relatif à la direction générale de l'administration et de la fonction
publique et à la politique de ressources humaines dans la fonction publique
27
Idem 23
28
DGAFP (2017) Stratégie interministérielle de ressources humaines de l'Etat 2017-2019
24
For each ministry, its political leadership must appoint an HR ministerial lead, who coordinates all
HRM policies and functions within the ministry and its subordinated bodies. The HR lead is required
to transpose the Strategy into a ministerial strategy, based on a memorandum of understanding
(convention d’engagement) signed between the respective ministry’s secretary general and the
DGAFP every 3 years.
At the regional level, the Strategy is adapted and implemented by local authorities by way of an
Interministerial Regional HRM Plan (plan régional interministériel de GPRH) 29. This plan is drafted
and adapted to the local context by regional platforms for interministerial support on HRM (plates-
formes régionales d’appui interministériel à la GRH- PFRH), lodged inside each region’s Prefecture.
By 2016, there were 15 PFRH across France, each having between 5 and 9 agents, under the
authority of the Prefect.30
Steering Committee for the Interministerial HRM Strategy
The Steering Committee was created in 2016 to oversee the implementation of the Strategy and
that ministerial HR policies are unified. The Committee is presided by the DGAFP DG and it brings
together the HR directors from the central administration, representatives from the Ministry of
Finance and the Secretary General overseeing civil service reform.
Recruitment
Recruitment in the French Civil Service “emphasizes competitive examinations and the link between
selection [of candidates] and training in professional schools [for administration]” 31. Each year, the
French Civil Service has an employee turnover of between 1.5% and 3% of the total personnel. 32
The DGAFP sets the general recruitment policy across the civil service and monitors its application.
The specific rules and procedures governing the recruitment process (eligibility, the content of the
examinations, the structure of the evaluation committee, the distribution of posts between the
different types of recruitment paths) are set by the corps-specific statutes. In the state civil service,
the recruitment process is organized by ministries.
Each recruiting institution identifies its recruitment needs and is responsible for organizing the
competition. Ministries use the so-called “shared service centers”, a one-stop-shop which provides
dedicated logistical support to public institutions to organize recruitment competitions at the
national and local level.33
29
Décret n° 2016-1804 du 22 décembre 2016 relatif à la direction générale de l'administration et de la fonction
publique et à la politique de ressources humaines dans la fonction publique
30
DGAFP (2017) Rapport annuel sur l’état de la fonction publique
31
DGAFP (2018) DGAFP presentation at EUPAN
32
DGAFP (2017) Rapport annuel sur l’état de la fonction publique
33
Lithuanian EU Presidency (2014) EUPAN Thematic paper on Public Administration Supervision / Monitoring
25
Since 2016, the DGAFP administers the BIEP (the Interdepartmental Public Employment Fellowship)
that lists all vacancies across the three branches of the French civil service.34
Workforce planning
HR departments within institutions have at their disposal a directory of state occupations
(répertoires des métiers) pertaining to each branch of the civil service, coupled with dictionaries of
relevant competencies (dictionnaires des compétences).35
Such directories are used to classify and distinguish jobs within an institution, while the dictionaries
of competencies contain all the terms used to describe the competencies required for those specific
jobs.
For the state civil service, the Interdepartmental Directory of State Occupations (Le répertoire
interministériel des métiers de l’État- RIME) lists 261 job-frameworks (emplois-référence) and 26
functional areas (domaines fonctionnels) corresponding to strategic, operational or support roles.
Linked to it is the Interministerial Dictionary of the Competencies of the Trades of the State
(Dictionnaire des compétences des métiers de l’État - DICO), which defines 21 relational skills
(savoir-être) 102 conceptual know-how competencies (savoir-faire) and 40 contextual knowledge
categories (domaines de connaissances) for specific types of jobs. 36
Ministries have used the RIME job-frameworks to design mission-specific groups of jobs, called job-
types (emplois-types) which group jobs by eligibility requirements and competencies. At the
operational level, the job description (fiche de poste) provides detailed information about the
specific job which is to be occupied.
Recruitment competitions
DGAFP has been revising since 2007 recruitment competitions so that they “test knowledge, know -
how skills, know-how-to-be skills (soft skills) and motivation”37. In this spirit, the RAEP
(Reconnaissance des acquis de l’expérience professionnelle) instrument fo r assessment was
introduced in 2007 for all examinations (recruitment, promotion, mobility), which allows juries to
evaluate a candidate’s fit-for-the-job based on their professional background and competencies.
Applicants for the civil service from disadvantaged communities can benefit from a scholarship to
attend preparatory sessions for the civil service competitive examinations. In 2017 there were 27
so-called “integrated preparatory classes” (classes préparatoires intégrées - CPI) housed in 25 public
34
OECD (2017) Skills for a High Performing Civil Service
35
DGAFP (2016) Le conseil en mobilité-carrière et l’accompagnement personnalisé des agents dans les services de
l’État
36
DGAFP (2016) Le conseil en mobilité-carrière et l’accompagnement personnalisé des agents dans les services de
l’État
37
DGAFP (2018) DGAFP Presentation at EUPAN
26
educational institutes which trained approx. 600 students and job seekers for the category A and B
competitive examinations.38
The types of examinations have also been diversified to improve accessibility of the civil service and
function. By 2018 there were around 400 sessions per year, divided among the main recruitment
tracks:
1) External competitions: for any candidate from outside the public service who meets the
required academic and eligibility criteria;
2) Internal competitions: professional examinations for mobility and promotion of civil
servants (and in some instances contractual personnel) who have accumulated the required
job seniority
3) “Third path” competition: open only to candidates with professional experience from
outside the public sector. Selection is based on experience, rather than academic
credentials;
4) Qualification-based competition (concours unique): open to highly skilled or specialized
professionals (e.g. researchers) from within and outside the civil service.
Other recruitment tracks into the civil service require no written examinations:
5) “PACTE” (parcours d’accès aux carrières des fonctions publiques hospitalières, territoriales
et de l’État): Open for recruitment into any C category corps across all three branches of the
civil service (state, local, hospital) for youth and the elderly who possess no academic
credentials or professional experience or qualifications.
6) Direct recruitment: allows French, EU and EEA candidates to be recruited without written
examinations in positions which require no specific professional qualifications (grade 1 of
category C corps). Candidates are selected based on an interview organized by the recruiting
institutions.
Rules for competitive examinations also vary in terms of academic requirements, depending on the
category to which each corps belongs (A, B or C).
Finally, the statutes of each branch of the civil service sets out different recruitment systems. For
the state civil service, candidates who pass the competitive examinations are recruited
automatically into the respective corps 39. Candidates for the local civil service who pass the
competitive examinations are not automatically recruited into the corps but placed onto a nation-
wide roster of eligible candidates (liste d’aptitudes), valid for a maximum of 4 years and
administered by the recruiting institution40.
38
OECD (2017) Skills for a High Performing Civil Service
39
Loi n° 84-16 du 11 janvier 1984 portant dispositions statutaires relatives à la fonction publique de l'Etat.
40
Loi n° 84-53 du 26 janvier 1984 portant dispositions statutaires relatives à la fonction publique territorial, article 44
and article 41
27
Performance management
Since 2012, civil servants and contractual staff within the civil service are required by law 41 to
undergo an annual performance assessment interview (entretien professional) with their
immediate line manager.
The DGAFP has defined since 2012 the specific rules to implement the assessment process and its
potential outcomes on the civil servant’s career42. The relevant legislation also pre-sets the topics
which have to be addressed during the interview.
These pre-defined topics allow the assessment interview to become a personalized HR management
tool, through which managers can link an employee’s e valuation to options for promotion, career
mobility, performance related pay and training needs 43. The output of the performance assessment
interview is the evaluation report, with legal value, drafted and signed by the evaluator.
Based on the evaluation report, the civil servant can:
a) Receive reductions (subject to a positive evaluation) or additions (subject to an
unsatisfactory performance) to the seniority required to move up on the level scale;
b) Benefit from performance-related increases in pay;
c) Be shortlisted for the annual “promotion roster” (tableau d’avancement), through which
civil servants can be promoted to a higher grade by appointment44.
Training
The DGAFP developed, in consultation with all the ministries, the General Framework for Lifelong
Vocational Training for Public Employees (Le schéma Directeur de la formation professionnelle tout
au long de la vie des agents de l’État - henceforth General Strategy). The Strategy defines and
coordinate the common training priorities across all ministries, with an emphasis on expanding
computer literacy training to all public employees.
General Framework for Lifelong Vocational Training for Public Employees
The General Strategy serves as a multiannual instrument for the DGAFP to coordinate vocational
training policies across the civil service. Each ministry is required to develop its own vocational
training strategy in line with the priorities of the General Strategy, with support from the DGAFP.
At the local level, the PFRHs are responsible for proposing annual offers of local interministerial
training activities, in line with the needs they had identified at the local level and with the General
Strategy priorities. This offer is focused on 14 cross-cutting areas, such as management, HRM, public
41
Le décret n° 2010-888 du 28 juillet 2010 relatif aux conditions générales de l’appréciation de la valeur
professionnelle des fonctionnaires de l’État
42
DGAFP (2012) Circulaire relative aux modalités d’application du décret n° 2010-888 du 28 juillet 2010 relatif aux
conditions générales de l’appréciation de la valeur professionnelle des fonctionnaires de l’Etat
43
See https://www.fonction-publique.gouv.fr/evaluation-et-entretien-professionnel
44
Loi n° 84-16 du 11 janvier 1984 portant dispositions statutaires relatives à la fonction publique de l'Etat
28
procurement, communication, training for competitive examinations, sustainable development,
among others.45
Each year the local offer is formalized within a Regional Interministerial Training Plan (plan régional
de formation interministériel- PRIF). Since 2013, the PFRHs communicate, manage and monitor the
offers of local interministerial training activities through an online platform known as SAFIRE
(Système d’information pour l’animation de la formation interministérielle régionale), implemented
by the DGAFP.46
The General Strategy also governs the “personal training account” (compte personnel de formation-
CPF), available to all public employees in the civil service since 2017. 47
Personal training account (CPF)
The CPF helps public employees to obtain academic degrees or professional qualifications or to
prepare for competitive examinations. Each public employee working full-time earns 24 CPF training
hours per year. The maximum CPF training hours an employee can accumulate is 150. As of 2018,
each public employee can check his CPF balance on the moncompteactivite.gouv.fr webpage,
managed by the Deposits and Consignments Fund (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations- CDC).
Civil service employees, when choosing their training plans, have the legal right 48 to request
personalized assistance from a specialized HR counsellor, from within their respective organization.
Such counsellors are specifically trained to offer guidance on career mobility, HR, career
advancement and development which can help the employee structure his/her career path.
Career management
Public employees within the civil service have at their disposal several options of mobility, each with
its own restrictions and rules: secondment, loaning staff, direct assimilation, relocation within the
state civil service, reassignment to a different institution49.
In most cases, the host and the sending institutions must approve the move, the relevant Joint
Administrative Committee (Commission Administrative Paritaire- CAP) must validate it and the
moving employee can be required to give a notice to his organization of a maximum of 3 months.
Public employees in the civil service can choose to move among the same corps or across different
corps. However, the latter option is only possible for corps of the same category (A, B or C) and if
45
DGAFP (2017) Rapport annuel sur l’état de la fonction publique
46
See https://www.fonction-publique.gouv.fr/systeme-dinformation-pour-lanimation-de-la-formation-
interministerielle-regionale
47
Ordonnance n°2017-53 du 19 janvier 2017 portant diverses dispositions relatives au compte personnel d’activité, à
la formation et à la santé et la sécurité au travail dans la fonction publique
48
Loi n°83-634 du 13 juillet 1983 portant droits et obligations des fonctionnaires
49
DGAFP (2016) Le conseil en mobilité-carrière et l’accompagnement personnalisé des agents dans les services de
l’État
29
the corps conduct the same type of functions and responsibilities or have the same recruitment
requirements.50
Public employees also have at their disposals temporary mobility schemes into the private sector,
under fixed-term employment contracts, with the possibility of returning to the civil service at the
term’s end.
Promotions
Within each corps, the rules and procedures for promoting from one lower grade to a higher grade
are defined into the corps’ specific legal statute. Promotion across grades can be done based on a
positive evaluation report. In such instances, the head of the institution includes the employee on
the yearly promotion roster, which is subsequently validated by the relevant CAP 51. Being included
on the promotion roster can sometimes require a professional examination as well.
Employees can also promote to a higher grade by way of an internal competitive examination,
through which successful applicants are automatically promoted, rather than waiting on a
promotion roster.
Institutions are required to set a limit on promotions for each grade of each corps, after having
received the joint approval from the Budget Department (Ministry of Finance and Economics) and
the DGAFP52.
Salary system
As enshrined in law53, a civil servant’s pay depends on his corps and the grade he holds within it.
Additionally, wage progression is linked to seniority within that grade, as reflected by the level. The
level determines the position of the public servant on the unified pay scale i.e. the public sector
wage scale (grille de la function publique) 54. On this scale, each level is represented by a gross wage
index (indice brute), set between 100 and 1027 as of February 2018. In turn, each gross wage index
corresponds to an adjusted index (indice majore), set between 203 and 830, which is used to
calculate each civil servant’s annual gross wage.
Similar rules and procedures apply to contractual staff, except for wage progression. Hiring local
institutions are responsible for setting the pay level of its contractual staff, since they are not
assimilated into corps and, hence, are not linked to the public sector wage scale55.
50
DGAFP (2016) Le conseil en mobilité-carrière et l’accompagnement personnalisé des agents dans les services de
l’État
51
See https://www.fonction-publique.gouv.fr/lavancement-de-grade
52
Idem 51
53
Loi n° 83-634 du 13 juillet 1983 portant droits et obligations des fonctionnaires
54
Audier, Bacache, Courtioux, Gautie (2012) The effects of pay reforms and procurement strategies on wage and
employment inequalities in France’s public sector
55
DGAFP (2016) Guide méthodologique relatif aux dispositions générales applicables aux agents contractuels de l’État
30
The gross wage of civil servants is supplemented by specific allowances and bonuses. Since 2014 56,
most of these (other than family and housing allowances) have been grouped under a new bonus
and allowance mechanism called the RIFSEEP (régime indemnitaire tenant compte des fonctions,
des sujétions, de l'expertise et de l'engagement professionnel), applicable to all three categories of
positions (A, B and C).
Each line ministry is required to integrate all of its respective corps within the RIFSEEP by 2019 57.
The DGAFP is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the RIFSEEP at the interministerial
level and must ensure the coherence of the rules and procedures on bonus and allowance
disbursement set by each ministry.
HRMIS
The 2017-2019 Interministerial HRM Strategy defines digitization as a strategic priority in the
modernization of the civil service58.
The e-tools required to achieve this are provided by the CISIRH (Centre Interministériel de Services
Informatiques relatifs aux Ressources Humaines), set up in 2015 under the joint oversight of the
DGAFP, the DGFIP (Direction générale des Finances publiques - within the Ministry responsible for
finance and economy) and the Budget Department59.
Since 2016, the CISIRH has been developing in close collaboration with line ministries and the DGAFP
a common interministerial e-platform, called RenoiRH60. The platform works for all public
employees as an HRM one-stop-shop which integrates various e-tools specific to each phase of the
HR cycle under the operational and technical management of the CISIRH.
Civil service database
Since 2009, statistical information about the total number of public employees within the civil
service, together with individual job responsibilities, work hours, remunerations and salaries have
been centralized into the SIASP database (Système d’information sur les agents des services
publics). 61
The SIASP is managed by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) in
cooperation with the DGAFP, the DGCL (Direction générale des collectivités locales, within the
Ministry of Interior) and the Drees (Direction de la recherche, des études, de l’évaluation et des
statistiques, within the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs).
56
Décret n° 2014-513 du 20 mai 2014 portant création d'un régime indemnitaire tenant compte des fonctions, des
sujétions, de l'expertise et de l'engagement professionnel dans la fonction publique de l'Etat
57
Arrêté du 27 décembre 2016 pris en application de l'article 7 du décret n° 2014-513 du 20 mai 2014 portant création
du régime indemnitaire tenant compte des fonctions, des sujétions, de l'expertise et de l'engagement professionnel
dans la fonction publique de l'Etat
58
DGAFP (2017) Stratégie interministérielle de ressources humaines de l'Etat 2017-2019
59
CISIRH (2015) Rapport d’activité 2015
60
See https://www.economie.gouv.fr/cisirh/accueil-renoirh
61
DGAFP (2013) Nouveaux compléments méthodologiques suite à l’introduction du système d’information SIASP
(Insee)
31
Through the SIASP, public employees can be filtered by gender, age, geographical location, working
hours, status in the civil service, and socio-professional category (based on the Insee inventory of
professions and socio-professional categories).
Figure 3: Envisaged functionalities of RenoiRH as of 2018
Source: https://www.economie.gouv.fr/cisirh/renoirh
32
Annex 2: Human Resources Management in the European Commission
Case Study for the International HRM Review
“Developing A Unitary Human Resources Management System Within the Public Administration”
General overview
Legal framework:
- Decision 2002/620/EC establishing a European Communities Personnel Selection Office62
- Decision 2002/621/EC on the organisation and operation of the European Communities
Personnel Selection Office63
- Council Regulation No 31 (EEC), 11 (EAEC), laying down the Staff Regulations of Officials and
the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Economic Community and
the European Atomic Energy Community64
Strategic Framework:
- European Governance: A White Paper (2001) 65
- Directorate General Human Resources and Security Strategic Plan – Our vision for 2016-
202066
- Communication to the Commission: Data, Information and Knowledge Management at the
European Commission (2016)67
Recent and ongoing reforms
The below measures aim at the implementation of the 2016-2020 Human Resources and Security
Strategic Plan that addressed shortcomings highlighted by a 2012 report of the Court of Auditors on
EC staff development.68 For further details on the reforms, see the 2016 and 2017 annual activity
reports:69
- Staff reduction: as part of the austerity measures, 5% of EC staff was reduced between 2013-
2018.
- New service delivery model: seen as the EC’s biggest HR transformation in the last 20 years,
it aims to make staff allocation more efficient in the face of staff reductions. More
specifically, it increases the allocation of human resources to Commission priority tasks
through a reduction of human resources allocated to support and coordination jobs.
Following multi-phase piloting in 2016 and 2017, the new model is supposed to be rolled out
in mid-2018.
- Promoting managerial excellence: its major elements are a new mobility framework, 360°
feedback, Senior Management Development Programme.
- Career management: it includes considering the introduction of a Young Professionals
Programme, revision of the rules for Contract Agents and fostering staff mobility.
62
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32002D0620
63
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32002D0621
64
Latest consolidated version: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/1962/31(1)/
65
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_DOC-01-10_en.htm
66
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/strategic-plan-2016-2020-dg-hr_july2016_en_0.pdf
67
https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/3/2016/EN/C-2016-6626-F1-EN-MAIN.PDF
68
file:///C:/Users/wb532448/Downloads/DOC_1.en.pdf
69
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/file_import/aar-hr-2016_en_0.pdf and
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/file_import/hr_aar_2017_final.pdf
33
- Diversity and inclusion: as per the Communication on Diversity and Inclusion for Commission
Staff (2017)70 and the Diversity Charter, it aims at preventing discrimination, mitigating
unconscious bias
- Health and well-being: as per the Health & Wellbeing fit@work Strategy and Action Plan
(2017-2020), it aims at prevention of psychosocial risks, and encouraging healthier
commuting and work-life balance.
Employment categories
Permanent and contract employees working at the Commission are part of the European civil
service. As of 1 January 2018, the EC had 32,221 employees, in that 21,311 officials, 1074 temporary
staff, 7137 contract staff and 2,699 others (eg. local staff, special advisers). 71 The employment
categories are characterized by the following:
- Permanent officials:
o administrators (AD): policy analysis and implementation, advisory,
translation/interpretation; grades AD 5 to AD 16
o assistants (AST): executive or technical role in administration, finance,
communication, research, or policy development and implementation; grades AST 1
to AST 11
o assistant-secretaries / secretaries / clerks (AST/SC): office management or providing
administrative support; grades AST/SC1 to AST/SC6
- Contract staff (CAST): manual/administrative support-service or providing additional
capacity in specialised fields with insufficient number of officials; initial contract of 6-12
months, but in some EU bodies it can be extended for an indefinite duration
- Temporary staff: highly specialised fields such as scientific research
- Seconded national experts: national or international civil servants working temporarily for
an EU Institution (minimum 6 months, maximum 4 years)
- Others: interim staff (secretaries, maximum 6 months), parliamentary assistants, freelance
linguists, Junior Professionals in Delegation, EU experts (called on from a poll of experts for
specific tasks), maintenance and canteen staff
Institutional framework
DG Human Resources and Security (DG HR)72 is the main advisory, implementing and coordination
body. It delivers HR services for the entire EC covering the whole employment cycle. It oversees
recruitment policy, training and career management, social policies and working conditions for
Commission staff. It is also responsible for keeping buildings and employees safe, making sure that
work continues during crises and dealing with online security. 30% of the DG’s 1,585 staff works on
Talent Management73 in two Directorates: one focusing on managerial excellence, and the other
concentrating on the recruitment, development, performance and career of staff.
70
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-equal-opportunities-diversity-inclusion-2017.pdf
71
For this and further employee data, see the Statistical Bulletin – HR: https://ec.europa.eu/info/about-
european-commission/organisational-structure/commission-staff_en
72
Organisation chart: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/organisation_charts/organisation-chart-dg-
hr_en.pdf
73
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/file_import/hr_aar_2017_final.pdf p. 4
34
The first two stages of recruitment for EC and other EU institutions’ staff are managed by an
independent entity, the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO).
HR policy development and implementation
DG HR proposes legislation to the European Parliament and Council of the European Union, 74 helps
EU countries to implement relevant EU legislation. The DG publishes multi-year strategies and
annual management plans to forecast outputs, activities, resources for the current year, as well as
yearly activity reports.
There seem to be yearly Staff Surveys distributed to all EC staff covering the following issues:
workplace, well-being, current job, professional future, middle management, senior management.
Recruitment
Selection mechanism by employment category:
- Permanent officials: Open competitions are published on the EPSO website. On average,
EPSO receives around 60,000-70,000 applications a year with around 1,500-2,000 candidates
recruited by the EU institutions. The first selection stage is a computer-based test, which
allows testing around 30,000 candidates in multiple locations in the course of 4 weeks
(candidates do not have to test all at the same date/time). The test contains aptitude and
ability psychometric exercises. With over 80,000 questions in its database, EPSO holds one
of the largest item banks of its kind in the world. Applicants passing the computer-based test
are invited to an assessment centre to complete a number of work-related exercises in a
group environment and before at least two assessors. The skills assessed broadly cover EU
core competencies: analysis and problem-solving, communicating, delivering quality and
results, learning and development, prioritising and organising, resilience, working with
others and in the case of graduates, leadership. Applicants, who pass this second stage are
placed on a reserve list from which the institutions draw recruits as and when they need
them. Institutions then organize job-specific interviews. The selection procedure for the
reserve list takes 5-9 months and reserve lists for generalist competitions are usually valid
for 1 year.
- Contract staff: recruited from a pool of applicants following a selection procedure usually
organised by EPSO.
- Temporary staff: run by individual institutions and agencies.
- Seconded national experts: opportunities available through countries’ permanent
representations to the EU.
- Others: for details on the specific types see the EPSO website.75
Competency framework
The EC does not seem to have a competency framework used across all departments both for
recruitment and performance appraisal. However, the EPSO Administrative Procedures 76 list the
74
See list of laws proposed: https://www.eumonitor.eu/9353000/1/j9vvik7m1c3gyxp/vg9ibg1170z9
75
https://epso.europa.eu/how-to-apply_en#tab-0-5
76
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:C2014/060A/01&from=DE p. 3
35
eight EU core competencies that are being tested in the first two selection stages. Training is also
offered to all EU civil servants on these same competences:
- Analysis and Problem Solving: Identify the critical facts in complex issues and develop
creative and practical solutions.
- Communicating: Communicate clearly and precisely both orally and in writing.
- Delivering Quality and Results: Take personal responsibility and initiative for delivering work
to a high standard of quality within set procedures.
- Learning and Development: Develop and improve personal skills and knowledge of the
organisation and its environment.
- Prioritising and Organising: Prioritise the most important tasks, work flexibly and organise
own workload efficiently
- Resilience: Remain effective under a heavy workload, handle organisational frustrations
positively and adapt to a changing work environment
- Working with Others: Work cooperatively with others in teams and across organisational
boundaries and respect differences between people
- Leadership (for administrators only): Manage, develop and motivate people to achieve
results
Performance management
Performance appraisal takes place one a year. It based on the immediate supervisor’s evaluation as
well as on self-evaluation. Its main components are: past results, past behaviour, strengths,
weaknesses, job knowledge, competencies, part progress, overcoming mistakes from last
performance appraisal, future development, future goals/targets, monitoring individual
goals/targets, improvement, recommendations. There is a two-category rating system without a
quota system (forced redistribution). In case the civil servant disagrees with the rating, there is a
two-instance appeal procedure: 1) to the manager to whom the rater reports, 2) if not successful
then court. Performance rating is used to determine promotion prospects, mobility, disciplinary
process and termination of contract. The evaluation is also used for training needs assessment.
However, the EC does not use performance related pay.
Training
The learning and development strategy was adopted in 2016. All EU staff are offered learning
activities by the corporate learning and development units in DG HR, the Directorate-General for
Budget (DG BUDG), the Secretariat-General (SG) and the European School of Administration (EUSA).
These trainings are mainly centered around:
- Core EU skills relevant for all staff (8 skills tested by EPSO in recruitment), specific
professional skills, financial and budgetary management, decision-making and internal
procedures, career management and management training.
- IT skills for end-users and IT specialists to help staff keep up with the ever-changing tools
and applications they need to be familiar with.
- Language skills in all the 28 official languages of the EU in the form of e-learning, blended
learning and classroom learning.
36
To foster induction and cross-DG work, DG HR also organizes: 1) an eight-day EC induction seminar
providing newcomers with extensive information on the Commission’s history, values, working
methods and political priorities; 2) a cross-DG mentoring scheme for newly recruited officials, which
connects them with a mentor from a different DG.
Additionally, individual DGs offer learning events on specific policy areas, tailored learning activities
or organisational development activities.
In 2016 DG HR launched the electronic training management system 'EU Learn' (replacing Syslog),
which brings together all learning formats and resources in one central place. It allows staff to curate
their own personal learning programme and access any resources using digital devices, based on
recommendations from the system based on the individual’s job and profile.
Career Management/ Development
As per the Talent Management Strategy launched in 2016, the Commission increasingly encourages
internal mobility among officials. Each year thousands of officials move to new posts within the
institution, including in different DGs. Internal candidates are often recruited via a selection
procedure after internal publication of a job vacancy. The main measures to promote mobility are
the following: proactive career guidance to support mobility; assistance in shifting staff to priority
areas; events to improve knowledge of the work carried out in other DGs; regular structured
discussions on career development; and job shadowing.
The middle management excellence policy also fosters their mobility. Middle managers should serve
a minimum of two years and a maximum of five years in the same function. They can no longer
serve for more than 10 years in the same DG unless they are 62 years or older.
There are also possibilities for external mobility. A small number of Commission officials are
seconded to Member States’ civil services and to other international organisations. At the same
time the EC is hosting seconded national experts.
Promotions are proposed after the yearly performance appraisal. Each DG proposes certain staff
members for promotion or reclassification based on senior managers’ assessment of the respective
merits of job holders within the same grade on the basis of the relevant criteria (appraisal reports,
language skills and responsibilities). The list of officials proposed is sent to the Commission-level
Joint Promotion Committee and the list of contract staff proposed is sent to the Reclassification
Committee. Upon carrying out a final comparison of merits, the committees submit their
recommendations to the relevant appointing authority.
One of the main criticisms of the EC HR system is that promotion prospects for administrators are
poor. The Commission's own statistics reveal that an average career progression from AD5 to AD14
(director level) takes 35–40 years. This is unattainable for the average entrant who joins at 34 years
old. It is not unusual to find staff in their 40s and 50s performing tasks that new graduates would
carry out in more dynamic organisations. Management experience in the institutions is hard to gain,
and further frustrates the possibilities for EU officials to attain senior management positions. 77
77
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Personnel_Selection_Office
37
Salary policy
The base salary scale by grades and steps is set out in Article 66 of the Staff Regulations. To avoid
difficult annual salary negotiations and lengthy strikes, there is a correction coefficient system for
yearly salary updates. This ensures that EU staff enjoys equal purchasing power regardless of their
place of employment. Since a 2014 reform these updates are automatically made and published by
the Commission in the Official Journal of the European Union (previously it required the adoption
of a Council Regulation) as laid down by Article 64, Article 65 and Annex XI of the Staff Regulations.
In exchange for the automaticity of the update, a two-year freeze was introduced on salaries and
pensions in 2013 and 2014.
While there are no performance bonuses, base salaries are augmented by supplements, such as
allowances for those living outside their own country, those who are the principal earner in their
household, those with children in full-time education, and those who are moving home in order to
take up a position or leaving the service.
There is significant pay inequity among staff undertaking the same work but employed at different
times. One of the reasons is that salaries were considerably reduced for new entrants from 1 May
2004 onwards.
HRMIS
SYSPER2 (Système de gestion du Personnel) is the HRMIS covering all needs concerning the
treatment of information for the Commission’s HRM. It supports traditional personnel
administration, such as recruitment, career management, organisation chart and time
management. Moreover, job descriptions, performance assessments and promotions are also
managed in SYSPER. Even the matching process between staff and job vacancies is facilitated thanks
to a competency management module. All 30,000+ EC staff members is users.
The origin of SYSPER2 dates back to the 2001 White Paper on governance, which fundamentally
reformed the EC’s HR policy. As SYSPER2 was meant to be the enabler for transforming the
Commission's classical personnel administration into a modern HRM, the construction of the system
went hand in hand with a reengineering of the HR policy.78
In 2017 DG HR developed a Staff Matters Portal, an end-user friendly access to HR services, as well
as an HR Data Lab to provide reliable HR data to DGs in an efficient manner. Moreover, in 2018 DG
HR is planning to introduce the IT tool ATLAS for task and activity mapping through a dedicated
module in SYSPER.
78
For more technical details, see: https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/document/sysper2-european-commissions-
human-resource-management-system-sysper2
38
Annex 3: Human Resources Management in the Belgian Federal Civil Service
Case Study for the International HRM Review
“Developing A Unitary Human Resources Management System Within the Public Administration”
General overview
Belgium functions as a federal state, democratic, constitutional monarchy 79. Belgium gained its
independency in 1830. The King is the head of State and has limited responsibilities. The federation
consists of communities, which are language-based (Flemish, German and French- speaking), and
regions which are territory based – the Flemish region, Walloon and Brussels. Error! Reference s
ource not found. illustrates the structure and the levels of power in the Belgian Government.
Figure 1: Overview of the Belgian Governmental Structure
Source: http://www.pfwb.be/en/its_structure
The exact structure of the government and the power levels is represented through three levels.
Each level has its own parliament, government and administration. At the top, one finds the Federal
State, the Communities and the Regions. These structures are equal from a legal perspective but
have powers and responsibilities for different fields. The next level is occupied by the provinces (10
in total) which are supervised by all higher up government authorities, in the context of the federal,
community and regional powers. Each province has its own provincial administration and civil
servants work in the provincial capital. At the third level we find the communes, being the contact
point between citizen and higher level of the administration. Similar to provinces, the communes
79
The King is the head of state, and the Prime Minister is the head of government, in a multi-party system.
39
are also under the supervision of higher authorities. In general, the provinces are financed and
audited by the Regions.
In Belgium, the regions have constitutional autonomy and have to comply with the Royal Decree
22.12.2000 on the applicability of the general principles of the administrative and remunerative
statutes for national public servants. The human resource management system is coordinated at
the federal level80 and its central body is the Federal Public Service Policy and Support (BOSA).
Legal framework
The legal framework related to the human resources management in the Belgian public
administration is principally based upon:
• Royal Decree of 22 December 2000 on the applicability of the general principles of the
administrative and remunerative statutes for national public servants.
• Special Law of 8 August 1980 – defines the recruitment of statutory public servants
through the services of the federal recruitment office (SELOR).
• General Employment Framework (GEF) – covers all civil servants, who are statutory
employees and form the majority of public employment. Fixed-term contracts are not
included in the GEF. Casual employment falls outside the GEF.
Civil servants benefit of life-long employment guarantees and private law is not applicable to public
sector.
Recent reforms
The Belgian government has conducted major reforms which have resulted into high civil service
reduction in terms of functions and numbers. One of the major reforms linked to the federal
administrative structure is the 2000 “Copernicus” reform 81. The Belgian government’s objective was
to redefine the administrative system in terms of organizational structure as well as in terms of
HRM. The Minister in charge of the civil service mobilized external expertise in the idea that an
external perspective would be perceived as objective and non-reluctant to change. As a result, the
reform introduced performance-oriented instruments which redefined civil servants’ identity and
improved institutional relation between top civil servants and politicians. Below are some concrete
outputs of the Copernicus reform:
• Top-civil servants’ life tenure mandate was modified with renewable fixed-term contracts
and management functions became temporary. Reappointment was subject to the manager
achieving the objectives stipulated in his contract. On the other hand, top managers were
given more autonomy to manage the institutions they were heading.
• The work interaction between the Minister and the top civil servants holding a management
function was based on management plans and it plays a fundamental role for the evaluation
of civil servants.
80
Reform conducted in 2008
81
http://www.afsp.info/archives/congres/congres2009/sectionsthematiques/st45/st45jorisdevisschermontuelle.pdf
40
• What were formerly known as ministries were renamed into Federal Public Services (FPS)82.
The responsibilities remained the same and each FPS has a minister. However, the emphasis
was put on providing services to citizens and has shifted focus on ex post controls.
• More recently in March 2017, the government decided to centralize HRM initiatives and
operations. To strengthen the centralization process, Belgium set up the FPS Policy and
Support. In addition, it has developed three programs that focus on fostering skills, functions
and needs aiming to address a changing workforce in the public administration. These three
programs are In Vivo, Vitruvius and the Vitaphase project. While the first two emphasize
cultural elements of the workplace and development of soft skills, the Vitaphase project
anticipates an aging workforce and focus on helping organizations implement tools and
strategies for optimal talent management83.
Human Resource Management institutional framework
The BOSA is the federal body which assists the government and supports the federal organizations
in various areas such as IT, HR, organizational control and compliance. For other domains such as
budget, accounting and public procurement the BOSA ensured only an oversight role. The BOSA is
overseen by three Ministers, including the Minister for the Budget, the Minister for the Digital
Agenda and the Minister for Civil Service Affairs. The BOSA was established in March 2017 as a result
of the integration of three services: (i) FPS Personnel and Organization (Selor, the OFO, FED+ and
PersoPoint), (ii) the FPS Budget and Management Control, and (iii) Fedict and Empreva 84. Figure 2
presents the organizational structure governing bodies for BOSA.
Figure 2: Organizational Chart for the Federal Public Service Policy and Support
Source: BOSA’s website
82
With the exception of the Ministry of Defense which retained its former name
83
OECD Human Resource Country Profile Belgium, 2011
84
https://www.belgium.be/en/about_belgium/government/federal_authorities/federal_and_planning_public_service
s
41
The BOSA governance is based on a management committee and a client steering committee 85
The management committee is responsible for the organization, management and coordination of
the structure. The client steering committee operates as an advocate body for the client
organizations in terms of advice. As of March 1st, 2017, BOSA consists of 856 staff members (456 F
vs. 400 M; 77.5% permanent (life-long career) vs. 22.5% contractual or other) 86.
Belgium has a centralized HRM system at the federal level which is operationalized by DG
Recruitment and Development. The federal central body implementing the GEF87 is the
Directorate-General Recruitment and Development which operates under the umbrella of the
Federal Public Service Policy and Support (BOSA). The Directorate’s main role is to supervise federal
employees from their selection and recruitment all the way to the end of their career. In addition,
this directorate formulates the HR regulations applicable to the federal public office and performs
the administrative controls. It also acts as center of expertise for management and support of
operational transformations in the federal government.
The DG Recruitment and Development ensures primarily a coordination role offering advice and
support, and in practice, main HRM function are delegated to line ministries . Table 1 illustrates
how the HRM system operates in practice within the Belgian federal public service.
Table 1: Characteristics of the Belgian HRM system
Central HRM body: Federal Public Service Personnel and Organization
Role: Coordination
Location Dedicated structure
Responsibilities • Provide leadership and guidance
• Provide advice on legal framework
• Standardize recruitment and skills profiles
• Define salary levels and benefits
• Provide training
• Promote diversity
Personnel, Budget • Pay systems are managed centrally.
and pay delegation: • Budget allocation and the distribution of posts are managed by
ministries.
Classification, • The duration of posts and dismissal due to restructuring are managed
Recruitment centrally.
and • The post classification system is set centrally, with ministries given
dismissal delegation: latitude in application.
• Career management and other forms of dismissal are managed by
ministries.
Employment • Flexibility of working conditions are set and monitored centrally.
conditions
delegation:
85
https://bosa.belgium.be/en/about-fps-policy-and-support/organisation-chart
86
As presented by BOSA during the Romanian HRM delegation on Oct 18th 2018
87
General Employment Framework
42
•
Performance appraisal, adjustments to working conditions, the code
of conduct and equal opportunity issues are set centrally, with some
latitude for ministries in application.
Source: OECD, HRM country profile for Belgium, 2011
Employment structure in the Belgian Federal Civil Service
The federal civil service employed 70,529 civil servants by end-2015. Women represented 52.3%
of the civil service (compared to an OECD average of 53%) and held 21.1% of senior positions
(compared to an OECD average of 32.4%). By age composition, the percentage of central
government employees aged over 55 years reached 27.6% (compared to an OECD average of
24.9%)88.
Federal functions, job classifications and competency framework
In Belgium, the federal government is engaged in defining and implementing a clear HRM
framework in the public service. Therefore, functions and job classifications have been mapped in
the system and made available to citizens and staff on the BOSA’s website89. The mapping combines
four key dimensions: occupational classifications, function families, functions, and levels.
For the entire federal administration, the government has defined seventeen occupational
classifications, four levels (A, B, C, D) and eighteen function families . The function families are
groups of functions that follow the same workflow. In comparison with a function, a family of
functions has a wider and more general scope. Each of the functions is accompanied by a description
and linked to the function families, these reveal real career opportunities.
Skills - both generic and technical - also play an important role. They describe 'how' to achieve the
expected results of a function. These are compiled and form the Federal Skills and Competency
Model90 which is a key tool for performance and competencies management (Annex 7).
Recruitment and Performance
The federal recruitment system in Belgium is career based and managed by SELOR. It is the
recruiting agency of the Federal Administration and uses specific profiles built on competency-
based recruitment. Being a center of expertise on the HR landscape and the government, SELOR
also formulates recommendations on HR policy. SELOR care values are: (1) transparency, (2)
business excellence, (3) attention to the candidate’s talent, (4) customer -orientation, and (5)
independence. In 2017, SELOR managed 86.337 applicants for 4.914 vacancies, out of which 77.419
candidates were screened by SELOR. 91
88
OECD (2017) Government at a Glance 2017, Belgium Country Fact Sheet
89
http://www.cartographiefederale.be/web/p1.php?z=z&lg=fr
90
https://fedweb.belgium.be/fr/a_propos_de_l_organisation/developpement_et_support/collaborateurs/gestion_des
_competences/
91
As presented by BOSA during the Romanian HRM delegation on Oct 18th 2018
43
Recruitment procedures depend on the position. Statutory employment is used for non-senior
management employees (senior civil servants are employed under fixed-term contracts,
underpinned by objectives defined by the political leadership of their respective institution). There
are different competitive examinations which are differentiated by education level, distribution into
groups by ministries. Some posts can be entered through direct application and interview.
Candidates with disabilities are given preferential right to job interviews and special programs are
available for women.
Annual performance assessments are conducted for almost all employees. The assessments
consist in annual meetings with written feedback from immediate superior and every 2 years,
meetings with respective superior two levels above plus 360 feedback mechanism (for management
positions). Assessments are used as a main instrument for career development. BOSA also provides
specialized training to line managers and/or HR professionals on how to carry out performance
appraisals. Moreover, all institutions in the Federal Civil Service must give a full report to the BOSA
on the performance evaluations conducted. Figure 7 below provides a schematic of the
performance evaluation cycle in the Belgian federal administration.
Figure 3: The performance evaluation cycle in the Belgian Federal Administration
Performance is assessed against the degree of achieving individual objectives, using competencies
and contributions to organizational objectives. The federal government highlights the importance
of clear and fair assessment criteria. A range of criteria is used, including activities undertaken,
outputs, improvements of competencies and interpersonal skills. The appraisal system is supported
by an IT application Crescendo.
Salary policy
The BOSA is responsible for developing a central pay policy for the federal civil service. Civil
servants and contractual based-staff can progress on the salary scale with seniority and positive
44
performance appraisals. Very positive performance appraisals can reduce the timeframe needed to
advance across pay levels. Table 4 provides a summary of the salary ranges for level A positions as
applicable in 2018.
Table 4: Structure of level A salary ranges
Source: BOSA
presentation during
the Romanian HRM
delegation on October
2018
Promotion, Mobility and Training
For all levels, promotions across professional grades are mainly determined by seniority,
qualifications, and performance appraisals. In case of changing job category, staff have to pass a
written examination and, in some cases, they can face additional educational requirements. In
general, there are three different types of promotion:
• Promotion towards a higher salary scale;
• Promotion towards a higher level (D, C, B, A);
• Promotion towards a higher class (within A).
In terms of mobility, the central government promotes increased internal mobility across the civil
service as a tool for professional development. To this end, it has developed a programme92 to
support institutions to implement mobility schemes.
The federal civil service defines and provides regular training programs through the Training
Institute of the Federal Government93. The system offers induction training for all entrants to the
civil service, differentiated by seniority level, including: (i) 10-20 days to University graduates, and
(ii) specialized training programs for specific functions. Civil servants have access to 3-5 training days
per year.
92
“Talent on the move”, see https://fedweb.belgium.be/fr/actualites/2018/talent-move-vous-avez-envie-de-booster-
votre-carri%C3%A8re-foncez
93
https://www.ofoifa.belgium.be/nl
45
Annex 4: List of delegates for the study visit to France, Belgium and
the European Commission, October 2018
No Name Institution Function
Director, Department of Policy and
1 Dragos Alexandru Negoita General Secretariat of the Government
Programmes Coordination
2 Mihaela Ionita General Secretariat of the Government Head of department
Dana-Mihaela
3 General Secretariat of the Government Head of department, Procurement
Leonachescu
4 Serban Cerkez General Secretariat of the Government Project Manager
5 Daniel Capota General Secretariat of the Government Adviser, HR department
6 Madalin Ciprian Pavel General Secretariat of the Government Adviser, HR department
7 Alexandru Suciu General Secretariat of the Government Adviser, Monitoring and Evaluation
8 Vasile-Felix Cozma National Agency for Civil Servants President, State Secretary
General Director, Regulation and
9 Xenia-Cosette Lupulescu National Agency for Civil Servants coordination of policies and
strategies
10 Lavinia-Claudia Niculescu National Agency for Civil Servants Director
11 Roxana Boloiu National Agency for Civil Servants Expert
12 Maria Cristina Pantiru National Agency for Civil Servants Public Manager
13 Veronica Cristea National Agency for Civil Servants HRM Expert
14 Dan-Stefan Maria National Agency for Civil Servants Head of department, IT
15 Andra-Luiza Calin Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Director, Department of Pay
Head of department, Management
16 Adrian Tanase Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
of EU funded projects
17 Ioana Popescu Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Adviser, Department of wage policy
18 Paul Marius Nicolaescu Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Adviser, Department of wage policy
19 Aurelia Tesileanu Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Adviser, HR department
Adviser, Department of
20 Diana Andronescu Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Management of EU funds
21 Carmen Elena Carstea Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Legal adviser, Legal department
22 Pavel Nastase National Institute of Administration President
23 Mihai Catalin Constantin National Institute of Administration Expert, Projects and Research Unit
24 Dimitrie Vasile Mihes World Bank Governance Analyst
25 Elena Gabriela Ardelean World Bank Governance Analyst
26 Magdalena Popescu World Bank Communications Assistant
27 Adrian Ganea World Bank IT Expert
28 Vladimir Susoi World Bank IT Expert
46
Annex 5: Program of Romanian Delegation Unitary HRM
Study Visit to Brussels, Belgium & Paris, France
- 14 Oct – 24 Oct 2018 -
Brussels, Belgium October 14 – 20, 2018
Sunday, October 14th
Travel day
Flight from Bucharest, Romania to Brussels, Belgium (different flights)
Hotels in Brussels :
Hotel Gresham Belson, Avenue des Anciens Combattants 1, 1140 Evere
(9+2 pers 1 night ANFP, SGG)
Hotel Saint Nicolas, Rue du Marché aux Poulets 32 (INA)
Hotel Europa, Rue Berckmans 102, 1060 (MMJ)
English translators in Brussels: Aurora Bartha, Madalina Rudareanu (WB)
Monday, October 15th
Program at the Public Governance Institute, University of Leuven, in the morning
Address: Faculty Club, Groot Begijnhof 14 3000 Leuven
Delivery Language: EN – Simultaneous translation provided
08.00 Meet in front of Hotel Gresham Belson
Address: Avenue des Anciens Combattants 1
Transfer by bus to University of Leuven
9.00 Welcome note
drs. Andrei Moraru
9.15-10.15 Public management reforms in a comparative perspective with reference
to Romania
prof. dr. Geert Bouckaert
10.15-11.15 Public administration reform in Europa: The view from the top
prof. dr. Steven Van de Walle
11.15-11.30 Coffee break
11.30-12.00 HRM responsabilities in the public sector: The role of line managers
dr. Sophie Op de Beeck
12.00-12.45 Strategic and sustainable HRM in the public sector in Belgium
prof. dr. Annie Hondeghem, Coordinator of the Public Governance Institute
12.45 Lunch (invitation by the WB)
Faculty Club, Groot Begijnhof 14 3000 Leuven
14.30 Transfer back to Brussels by bus
1st stop Hotel Gresham Belson/ 2nd stop Centre Brussels
47
Tuesday, October 16th
Program with the European Commission, location Visitors’ Centre
Address: Rue de la Loi 170, 1040 – Brussels, Charlemagne building, ROOM Char 2
Delivery Language: EN – Simultaneous translation provided
9.20 Arrival at Charlemagne – Security Checks
Welcome from the Visitors’ Centre
9.50 Human Resources and the European Union - Mr. Enrico Maria Armani (HR), Adviser
Talent Management Strategy
Directorate – General for Human Resources and Security
10.50 Break
11.20 EPSO competitions (ICL CAST and Traineeships) - Mr. Gilles Guillard, Acting EPSO
Director
European Communities Personnel Selection Office
12.40 -14.15 Lunch offered by the EC
Kafenio Rest. - 3 min Walk, 250m to Address: Rue Stevin 134, 1000
14.20 Back to Charlemagne building – Security Checks
14.30 The importance of a unitary HR management reform for the Romanian public
administration
Challenges in modernizing HR management in the public sector and examples of
member states’ practices, reforms, challenges in this area
Mrs. Cendrine De Buggenoms, Head of Unit Romania and Bulgaria
Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
&
Mina SHOYLEKOVA (SRSS)
Policy officer for public administration, Structural Reform Support Service
15.30 Break
15.45 FINANCIAL ENTITLEMENTS GRANTED UNDER THE EU STAFF RULES
Ms Veronica Gaffey, Director-General
Office for the Administration and Payment of Individual Entitlements
17.00 End of visit in the EC
Wednesday, October 17th
Program at the Romanian Representation to the EU in the morning
Address: Avenue de Cortenbergh 107, 1000 Brussels
Delivery Language: RO
9.00 Welcome by the Permanent Representative/
Deputy Permanent Representative
9.30 - 11.0 Discussion on the work with and within the Council and the HR policies in the EU
Institutions
12.30 Lunch offered by the WB
Dal Padrino Restaurant - 8 min Walk
Address: Rue Archimède 50, 1000 Bruxelles
End of the day
15.30 Discussion on HRM IT systems with the IT adviser to the Director, Antonio FRIZ
(IT Team only) – Translator needs to join
Address: EPSO - Avenue de Cortenbergh 25, 1000 Bruxelles, ROOM 7/24
48
Thursday, October 18th
Program day 1 at the Belgian Federal Public Service Policy and Support – the “Belgian model of HRM in
the public administration” (BOSA)
Address: Boulevard Simon Bolivar 30, 1000 Brussels, Federal Public Service Policy & Support,
WTC3Building
Delivery Language: EN – Simultaneous translation provided
9.00 Room Bistro, 1st floor
Welcome
9.15 Room Bistro, 1st floor + Selor rooms
Recruitment & selection within the federal public service (‘SELOR’)
Ms. Kathleen Vermeire, Senior Recruitment expert, Client Relations Manager
Including assessment centers, certification, Competency Framework Assessment Bank,
recruiting (top) managers, and a visit to the test rooms and infrastructure. + Q&A
11.00 Coffee break offered by BOSA
Room Bistro, 1st floor
11.15 Room 2A13 Tahiti (2nd floor)
Belgium and its federal administration
Mr Peter Vandenbruaene, Head of Int’L Relations, Learning Solution Manager
Introduction and context. Brief overview of the Belgian federal administration, including
its structure and functioning, recent public service reforms, the origin and development
of HRM within the administration and the role of the Federal Public Service Policy and
Support in relation to HRM
+ Q&A
12.00 Room 2A13 Tahiti (2nd floor)
Performance evaluation (‘appraisal’) & Career system within the federal
Administration including CRESCENDO as an IT tool + Q&A
Mr Philippe Vermeulen, Strategic Adviser
Mr Peter Vandenbruaene
13.00 Lunch Break offered by BOSA
Room Bistro, 1st Floor
14.00 Room 2A13 Tahiti (2nd floor)
Capacity Building within the federal administration : Human Resources Development
including Training, Learning & Development + Q&A
Mr Peter Vandenbruaene
15.30 Coffee break
Room 2A13 Tahiti
15.45 Room 2A13 Tahiti (2nd floor)
Motivating Civil Servants - Including Talent Management, the New Way of Working and
Work Policy rules & legislation.
Mr Peter Vandenbruaene
16.45-17.00 Closing remarks
End of the day
Friday, October 19th
Program day 2 at the Belgian Federal Public Service Policy and Support – the “Belgian model of HRM in
the public administration” (BOSA)
49
Address: Boulevard Simon Bolivar 30, 1000 Brussels, Federal Public Service Policy & Support,
WTC3Building
Delivery Language: EN – Simultaneous translation provided
9.00 Room 2A13 Tahiti (2nd floor)
“Persopoint” as a centralized HR IT tool. + Q&A
Ms Eline De Witte, HR business partner
Mr Bart Gabriels, Program manager
10.45 Coffee break
Room 2A13 Tahiti
11.00 Room 2A13 Tahiti (2nd floor)
The Competency Framework – development
Ms Sabine Jennes, Team manager Career center
• The rationale to implement a competency framework
• Governance structures and infrastructure
• Scopes and levels of the competency framework
• How competencies (core, occupational, professional, & technical) are aligned
• Tools and criteria for competency assessment (recruitment, placement, career development,
reward)
• The Competency framework and Career progression (vertical and horizontal)
+ Q&A
12.30 Lunch break
Bistro 1st Floor
13.30 Room 2A13 Tahiti (2nd floor)
Ms Sabine Jennes
The Competency Framework – implementation & strategies
• Monitoring & Evaluation
• Incentives, recognitions and Benefit packages
• Communication and change management
• Use of ICT in ensuring competency framework management
• Success stories and areas of major shifts resulting from the competency framework’s
implementation
• Major challenges faced and strategies undertaken
15.30 Coffee Break offered by BOSA
Room 2A13 Tahiti
15.45-16.30 Room 2A13 Tahiti (2nd floor)
Closing remarks & discussion on the topics treated during the visit.
Mr Peter Vandenbruaene
&
Mr Philippe Vermeulen
16.45 End of the day
Saturday 20th – Sunday 21st October
Travel week-end to Paris and rest
The group will travel by plane and train (Thalys) at different times.
French translators in Paris: Ligia Mihaiescu, Dora Cochaux Voicila (WB)
Paris, France October 22 – 24, 2018
50
Monday, October 22nd
Program day 1 at Ecole National de l ’Administration in Paris (ENA)
Address: 2 Avenue de l’Observatoire 75006 Paris
Meeting on SIRH with Ministry of Justice at 15h00. Team will meet with M. Christian Garnier,
Project Director Harmonie-Paye
Address: 4 rue du Sucre 93300 Aubervilliers, Translation needs to join
Delivery language: FR – Simultaneous translation provided
9.00 Café d’accueil et visite de l’ENA
9.30 Présentation de la fonction publique en France et de la Direction générale de
l’administration et de la fonction publique (DGAFP)
• Cadre législatif et grands principes d’organisation de la fonction publique en
France;
• Missions de la DGAFP dans la coordination de la fonction publique en France.
Mme Mathilde DOMENACH-SENECAT,
M. Simon LOREAL, Responsables de projet, Bureau de la Prospective et de l'expertise
européenne et internationale, DGAFP
11.00 Break
11.30 Focus sur la haute fonction publique – la politique de gestion de l’encadrement
supérieur dans la fonction publique de l’État
M. Simon LOREAL, Responsable de projet, Bureau de la Prospective et de l'expertise
européenne et internationale, DGAFP
12.30 Lunch break offered by WB
14.00 Missions et périmètre d’action d’une Direction des ressources humaines
ministérielle
• Les missions d’une direction des ressources humaines dans un ministère en
France
• La gestion de l’encadrement supérieur au sein d’un ministère
Mme Catherine GAUDY, Chargée de mission auprès du Secrétaire général de
l’Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques, ancienne Directrice
générale des ressources humaines (2012-2017) du Ministère de l’éducation
nationale, ministère de l’enseignement supérieur, de la recherche et de l’innovation
15.30 Coffee break
16.00 Présentation de l’ENA et des formations spécifiques destinées aux hauts
fonctionnaires
• Scolarité et formation initiale des élèves
• Séminaires des directeurs d’administration centrale et des sous-directeurs, Cycle
interministériel de management de l’Etat
Mme Isabelle COMBARNOUS, Directrice adjointe des relations internationales,
M. Jean-Christophe LEFORESTIER, Conseiller pédagogique, Direction de la
formation, ENA
17.30 End of the first day
51
Tuesday, October 23rd
Program day 2 at Ecole National de l ’Administration in Paris (ENA)
Address: 2 Avenue de l’Observatoire 75006 Paris
Delivery language: FR – Simultaneous translation provided
9.30 L’organisation du recrutement des hauts fonctionnaires en formation initiale à
l’ENA
• Les épreuves de recrutement - épreuves écrites et orales, entretiens avec le jury
• La préparation des jurys, la définition du contenu des programmes.
M. Philippe FAUCON, Adjoint à la Cheffe du service du recrutement et des
évaluations, ENA
10.30 Coffee break
11.00 La gestion des cadres dirigeants de l’Etat
• Détection et accompagnement des hauts potentiels, nominations, référentiel de
compétences.
Mme Anne de Castelnau (nom de l’intervenant à confirmer), conseillère cadres
dirigeants, Mission Cadres Dirigeants, Secrétariat général du Gouvernement
12.20 End of our visit at ENA
12.30 Lunch offered by WB
BOUILLON RACINE Restaurant
Walk 10 min walk to 3 RUE RACINE, 75006 PARIS
End of the day
17.30 (IT Team only) Meeting at CISIRH with the Director, Gregoire Parmentier
– Translator needs to join
Address: 41/43, Bd Vincent Auriol, 75013 Paris, Director’s office
Wednesday, October 24th
Travel Day
Flight from Paris, France to Bucharest, Romania
52
Annex 6: Implementation plan for the competency framework
in the Belgian Federal Civil Service
Source: BOSA presentation during the RO delegation study visit to Belgium, 19/10/20
53
Annex 7: Generic competency profiles by level and grade in the Belgian Federal Civil Service
Source: BOSA presentation during the RO delegation study visit to Belgium, 19/10/2018
54
Annex 8: Example of a generic competency profile in the Belgian Federal Civil Service
Source: BOSA presentation during the RO delegation study visit to Belgium, 19/10/201
55
Annex 9: Competencies for high-level civil servants in the French civil service
Source: MCD presentation during the RO delegation study visit to Belgium, October 2018
56
Competența face diferența!
Proiect selectat în cadrul Programului Operațional Capacitate Administrativă cofinanțat de Uniunea Europeană, din Fondul Soci al European
Competence makes a difference!
Project selected under the Administrative Capacity Operational Program, co-financed by European Union from the European Social Fund
57