The public policy and management of civil service is a highly sensitive issue and face many challenges in most countries, especially OECD countries, and the policies must consider the pressures from economic and societal contexts and changes, cultural values, and history. Moreover, in the aftermath of the current financial and economic crisis, governments have to deal with governance environments and management frameworks restraints that affect the result or the perception of success, such as, globalisation of labour markets, the spreading of information technologies, ageing societies, and the advent of knowledge economies.
The civil service and structural reforms are part of a full national public policy strategy, which is much more a responsibility than a requirement.It must address fundamental actions and values regarding political confidence in the government system as a whole, equity and fairness will, and ensuring a focus on efficiency, productivity and effectiveness to restore public finance and sustain national economic growth.
Where to start reforming
My concrete advise consists in a comprehensive modern human resources management in order to manage good governance and people is crucial a strategy that meets two main principles or dimensions of the state, people and their organisations reform plan (which of them are linked):
- In quasi all occidental countries reforms and the current main modernisation practices on them present some considerations, such as the marginality and the partiality of HRM issues in public administration reforms and projects of modernisation. So thePresident of Aztrakhan should try an ambitious and new policy strategy, based on the main principles of good governance: government and public sector relationship, legitimation, participation, rule of law, communication, which means on state and societal holders.
The environment of organisations has changed, but it is not necessary that their internal structure have to change too, especially regarding high performance organisations. In fact, it is more turbulent, but bad reengineering could grasped performance and commitment. Competition has increased, customers have growing demands, and all leads to continuous change in organisations. Traditional tayloristic and bureaucratic organisation does not respond to more complex and flexible organisations. So, should b given more responsibility and job autonomy, based on the idea of more individual worker autonomy and focus on the creation of a committed work force, as an important intermediate variable between personnel policy practices and outcomes.
As is known, a not committed knowledge worker to his work or organization fade away is motivation, talent and competencies, not delivering the best services to the public and not gain their goals. - Consequently, it is important to scrap the lack of investment in people, in order to get workers that are more committed. Try to stimulate self-control of employees (instead of relaying in control by management, being based on truth, being based on an organic organisational structure, integrating in the line, looking for an optimal use of employee capabilities are important HRMp olicies to implement.
On the other hand, dissatisfaction with politics and management has something to do with the leadership-style and the organisational form.Management by commitment should prevails on management by control. Therefore,tenure must be kept, senior management is important to the stability and institutional memory, to motivate staff and promote cultural change. With the senior people on the side of the reform, positive consequences on leadership, morale and healthy effects on performance and effectiveness reforms. The organisation's leadership in people management contributes to individual and organisational achievements.
It has also necessary to increase the attractiveness of public organisations as employers which is to important to service delivery and the(negative) image of working in the public sector.
In this, taking strategic HRM seriously has to be stressed, especially if we want long-term results and short-term political gains.
Challenging times needhuman focus, not austerity measures
There is not no panacea to face the austerity challenges. However, a few evidences and practices are taking too long time to be taken seriously by governments. Countermeasures should be put in place, integrating with measures to cope with the present economic stagnation, to keep morale and a satisfactory level of “public services”, “civil service” and make public sector (as employer) attractive to the “best”. Considering the long-run demographic changes and effects on labour market and economic growth, it is beyond important to invest in real and widely commitment, HRM programs, management by commitment, delegating to a lower levels, above all to the front people. Public service is made of public needs, servants and values, not primal interests and gains.
Therefore, any policy strategy to enhancing the capacity of the civil service in the context of fiscal restraints has to address the nation and people beliefs, values, management style, norms, i.e., culture.
Governments deal with the “people” general need on a daily basis, but on cut back managing side, forgetting the wealth of governance and the “commons”. The focus on and development of “organizational people wealth”, and leadership and management capabilities, and skill levels of the employees (the people), within a public values structure and mechanisms (the organisation),and regarding human resources systems context, that is what should a people management focus on. Furthermore, it is of interest for all to have a delivering responsive public services and prestigious public servers, without whom we would not be able to face all the current and demanding challenges and problems of public life, as human living.
descritores: civil service reform, austerity, reforma administrativa, administração pública,função pública
