The draft Recommendation on Public Service Leadership and Capability contains 14 principles under three main pillars: identify a values-driven culture of leadership and policy and services design, invest in management skills and competencies, develop systems fostering responsiveness and the ability to adapt. The draft Recommendation, including contributions from the consultation, will be presented to the Council for adoption.

The Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Central Government Administrations, which is comprised of 16 countries including France (Directorate General for Administration and the Civil Service, DGAFP), is launching a new project relating to work-life balance and digitalisation in central government administrations. Headed up by Italy, the starting point is a comparative study (field study) based on good or interesting policies, practices and national regulations concerning changes to work organisation. 

A reform presented by the federal government is set to allow contract staff to be appointed to management positions in the civil service. Professional organisations are resolutely against this measure as “although compensation systems have been harmonised, only (established) civil servants are legally bound to a sufficient degree of loyalty to ensure the proper performance of these duties”.