Civil Service Policy Meritocratic and Human Quality driven Public Sector Management

Civil Service Policy

Meritocratic and Human Quality driven Public Sector Management

Respublica Literaria CXV, MMXVI RL Volume IX No CCXXIV

Costantinos Berhutesfa Costantinos, PhD

Professor of Public Policy, School of Graduate Studies,

College of Business & Economics, AAU

Abstract

       A disciplined, healthy, nourished and motivated labour force is required to produce and distribute the goods and services needed for sustained human development. Leadership teams that are committed and willing with positive attitude to facilitate the process of opening up greater opportunities for every citizen are needed. The sector would require a proactive and innovative managerial and entrepreneurial team with capacities and will power. The crux of the challenge therefore, is creating, retaining and putting to productive use peoples with such qualities throughout the economy. It is about having the ability and willingness to identify, sequence and execute human-centred development priorities and programmes.

        The Ethiopian Civil Service was founded in 1961 when the Central Personnel Agency (CPA) was established modelled after the American Civil Service. The first radical measure to build the capacity of the civil service was initiated with the implementation at the Public Sector Capacity Building Programme (PSCAP) that has begun in earnest in 2005. Towards this end, the hypothesis of this study focused on the development of a neutral civil service, which participates in the political process. In spite of PSCAP’ efforts, there are numerous  impediments to develop a meritorious civil service The directional pointers for change point to the legitimacy of the civil service reform process underway in Ethiopia that will depend in important ways on it being perceived as reasonably honest, transparent and accountable in the execution of the state’s responsibility. Political leadership of the civil service requires intimate knowledge of public policy analysis, formulation and management and development of strategic plans and implementing them.

     The recommendations to develop an independent civil service augur on Systematic & independent review of capacities and utility of civil service institutions, Results Oriented Performance Appraisal System (ROPAS), and the Rights-Based Approach to developing the civil service institutions. Furthermore, the state needs to develop Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) augured on integration and mainstreaming and developing a Code of practice for the Communities of Practice (CoP), stopping the brain drain from  the nation and the civil service, and leadership capacity building. An important issue is the remuneration, post adjustment and career incentives of civil servants. An independent study launched into merit-based HRD Strategic Planning and founding Independent human quality development think tanks.

Key words: meritocracy, civil service, PSCAP, RBA, CoP, ROPAS, KMS, remuneration, career

See paper here or  https://www.academia.edu/28447951/Civil_Service_Policy_Meritocratic_and_Human_Quality_driven_Public_Sector_Management_-CXV_MMXVI_RL_Volume_IX_No_CCXXIV