Central government departments are contributing to regional regeneration

Despite various steps towards devolution with responsibilities being transferred to local authorities in France, the Greater Paris Region (1) accounts for a significant proportion of public sector jobs and, in particular, central government departments.   

Besides federal systems – such as in Germany or the United States – where this issue is less important de facto, many countries are looking for viable and lasting solutions to even out the distribution of services throughout their regions.

Three of our moderate-sized neighbours have made this a real priority and have recently introduced initiatives to this end:

• In Denmark, the “Bedre Balance” (Better Balance) programme is relocating some ministries and agencies to be as close as possible to citizens and businesses. 20% of positions located in Copenhagen have been transferred to 60 other towns and cities. A number of measures have been negotiated with the unions to encourage buy-in by staff. These include customised assistance with moving-related issues and entitlement to telework at least two days per week.

• In Ireland, relocating jobs to the different counties as requirements change by reducing, in particular, their concentration in the Greater Dublin Area, was one of the flagship measures of the ongoing reforms. The “Civil Service Mobility” scheme has exceeded expectations with more than 2,700 volunteers (20% of targeted staff) having made a formal mobility application.

• Lastly, Portugal – as part of the “Valorização do Interior” (Enhancing Inland Regions) programme – has introduced incentives to encourage civil servants to move to sparsely-populated regions. Officials who apply for vacant positions or opt to telework from centres that are set up in these regions are awarded a bonus and extra days of leave.

On a larger scale, the United Kingdom is planning to move 22,000 civil service roles out of Greater London under its “Places for Growth” Programme. To ensure this initiative’s success, data from a number of ministries and departments (profiles sought, training capacity, available sites) is cross-referenced to set up government hubs and increase efficiency.

Whether due to their appeal or the typology of their residents, regions have varying difficulties in attracting staff. With this in mind, in Italy, almost all recruitment (mainly by competitive examinations) is now conducted at provincial level with priority being given to those in which there are the largest shortfalls.

In Spain, new criteria have been approved to foster geographic mobility within central government. Besides seniority, the work-life balance of the future position, a merit-based appraisal and diplomas and qualifications will now be taken into account. A third of vacant positions will also be reserved for these applicants.

Faced with the restructuring of government assignments, Canada was obliged to carry out a work force adjustment. The civil servants in question – with the assistance of bargaining agents – have priority access to a job exchange programme.

Australia has embarked on a massive shared services programme for procurement, IT and HR. Centres of excellence (hubs) are in the process of being rolled out and there is also a special job exchange. However, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has flagged up the “overly ambitious nature” of the project.

¹ In 2019, the rate of civil servants per 1,000 inhabitants (taux d’administration) in the Greater Paris Region was 30% higher than the national average.