Innovative working methods (New Ways of Working) from the private sphere, particularly the tech sector, have begun to make their way into public administrations. How are these new methods – which harness flexibility for innovation and streamline the decision-making chain – received in the public sector, which itself is experiencing profound transformation? How do they affect and alter management?

Although several countries have tested and adapted these practices to local conditions, Belgium has gone the farthest in implementing them countrywide.

The NWoW initiative was introduced by the Federal Public Service (FPS) Policy and Support, which was tasked with assisting every federal government department with the changeover.

In terms of leadership and to help change management methods, the FPS has set up the In Vivo service offer, a recognised centre of excellence for coaching, change management and experiential learning. Over six years, twenty employees were trained and supervised by multidisciplinary outside consultants. They are now designing two categories of "journeys" – individual and organisational – to be offered to all public service managers. The journeys are available in several modules in a bid to provide gradual, customised support.

This new culture is primarily based on the trust placed in each employee and a significant reduction in 'monitoring'. The method makes it possible to provide answers to managers' questions when facing new situations.

At the forefront of innovation, the FPS recently started experimenting with "self-managed teams": seven managers have opted for this alternative way to organise work and shared their first impressions.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Canada has also started to extensively transform management in the federal public service, to bring it into line with its core values of job attractiveness and well-being in the workplace.

The Key Leadership Competency Profile grew out of consultations with employees and was finalised in conjunction with the Workplace 2.0 initiative. It focuses on collaboration, innovation, streamlining, increased performance, flexibility and diversity. It is tool of reference for the recruitment, assessment and promotion of management staff.

Thanks to the Policy on Interchange Canada mobility programme, federal managers can temporarily work in the private sector and become acquainted with managerial innovations.

Other national-level mechanisms with the same goal of detecting and strengthening leadership include three "Innovationsmentoring" programmes in Austria, "Newton" in Estonia and "Leadership Insights" in New Zealand.

As the OECD prepares its first Draft Recommendation of the Council on Public Service Leadership and Capability, these innovative approaches can inspire us to build the public management of tomorrow.

An independent authority tasked with submitting proposals to the government concerning appointments for senior civil servant positions, will soon become a reality. The goal of the project, which is led by the main civil service union (Fedeca), is to depoliticise the senior administration. In practice, the authority will propose three candidates whose profiles and skills correspond to the vacant position and the executive branch must choose one of them.

Thirty years after its entry into force, the government wants to renew the State Sector Act. In terms of HR, the primary goal is to provide greater flexibility in workforce management by encouraging mobility between administrations, which is seldom used. The bylaws will be harmonised, personnel services will be pooled and a dedicated unit for senior managers and executives will be created.

The GEAR (Government Effectiveness Advanced Research) Center is a major project for the US federal administration. To build the skills of two-thirds of its employees, a research centre will be opened – a public-private partnership with major firms and universities. One of its four remits will be to "explore creative ways to develop, reskill and redeploy the public-sector workforce".

Given the genuine problems in recruiting for certain professions and in certain parts of the country, the Public Service Commission has carried out its first "accelerated recruitment" procedure: candidates, pre-selected by an online test, were invited to a jobs fair where they were interviewed. The result: a definitive job offer in two weeks instead of the usual three to six months.

In 2019, two new types of tests will be included in most of the Italian civil service's competitive examinations: an assessment of digital skills and an ability to streamline administrative procedures. With interesting positions to fill, the government wants to attract talented young people (who often leave the country) and help lower the average age of its workforce (52 in 2018).

Knowing that, at a time of digital transformation, optimised job and skills management cannot be achieved without training to help meet the challenge, BPCE has signed a three-year agreement with its social partners that represents a 25% increase over the current budget. The agreement also provides for measures to meet the specific needs of people at the beginning and end of their careers.

The French Local Civil Service Centre (CNFPT) is conducting a study to observe the effects of digital technology at local (organisations and professions) and individual level (daily professional life of local and regional staff). An initial, retrospective phase gave rise to a report that noted a widely-varied state of affairs for staff. The forward-looking phase will be carried out at a time where the expected disappearance of certain professions does not yet seem to be on the agenda.

Seven administrations and local authorities of various sizes throughout Germany are taking part in the FührDIV pilot project (Leadership and Team Development in a Digitised Administration). It is organised around four themes: digital management skills, the shift towards virtual (remote) management, collaborative and project-based work, and employee self-accountability.

Given the growth of social media, the Australian government is urging its staff to comply with a set of rules based on public service values (impartiality, neutrality, reserve). The policy, which each member of staff must sign, singles out any use of private accounts that could undermine the integrity of the public service.

The Belgian Federal Administration is mainstreaming an alternative to on-site work and teleworking for its employees: 17 satellite offices throughout the country in which spaces can be reserved. The system allows people who cannot work from home to have remote access to work. By reducing commuting, it also helps to reduce traffic congestion in the capital.

Although the legal retirement age in Sweden is still 61, every effort is being made to encourage older people to continue working. Aware that well-being in the workplace is the key element of this individual decision, the Public Employment Service has developed a range of services (interactive workshops, a dedicated team) adapted to the needs of those concerned, in order to prevent and limit any risk of maladjustment or even attrition.

Job burnout is still a taboo topic, and is poorly taken into account in the working world. This is the key finding of a study conducted by the European agency Eurofound. Only two out of 28 countries (Italy and Latvia) recognise it as an occupational disease. By analysing the causes and determining factors of the phenomenon of exhaustion, the authors highlight the growing importance of psychosocial factors.

Several companies have implemented the Order concerning teleworking, which took effect on 24 September 2017, and which amends the Labour Code. It allows for occasional teleworking, a possibility that was not previously defined by law.

This innovation legalises so-called "informal" telework, which is estimated to involve between 16% and 20% of employees.

At La Poste, a trade union agreement was signed in July 2018, aimed at making teleworking more flexible and broadening access to it.

A maximum of 25 days per year of "floating" telework will be allowed. The days or half-days will be determined with the employee's supervisor, allowing for a minimum notice period. Permission may also be granted in emergency situations (e. g. transport strikes, high pollution levels). The application procedures have been simplified (email exchange) and processing times shortened. HR representatives provide support for both managers and teleworkers.

In 2017, Airbus signed a similar agreement, allowing up to 15 days of occasional teleworking a year.

65% of French people are in favour of teleworking and companies see it as a means to ensure a work-life balance, to promote sustainable development and to appeal to future employees.

As part of the transformation of the British civil service, HR management is becoming more professional. In France, this is one of the primary targets of government modernisation, led by the Directorate General for Administration and the Civil Service (DGAFP).

In the UK, efforts began with the creation of a distinct profession (HR Profession), in which the 3,500 employees tasked with HR duties in ministerial departments and government agencies work.

HR Profession is more than just a professional network, however. It is now a cross-departmental structure with an institutional existence that provides staff with specific training and support in their career path.

John Manzoni, who heads up the Civil Service, supervised this project, which was rolled out at the very highest levels, because of the "strategic, vital aspect of these functions within the British public administration".

A functional grid consisting of nine groups of professions and four function levels was drawn up, and describes and classifies each type of position. It now forms the basis of the system.

In order to flesh out the HR profession further, the designers then modelled the various possibilities for HR staff to advance (At what pace is promotion possible? When is it possible to change groups? What skills and experience are required?). An online module entitled HR Career Pathways provides detailed answers to any questions staff might have.

The Civil Service has signed a memorandum of understanding with the CIPD, the professional HR body that has 145,000 members in the UK and in many Commonwealth countries. With this agreement, the British government has committed itself to the highest standards of HR professionalisation.

As part of this, a series of new tools has been rolled out (exchange of best practices, qualifying training, individual certification courses, strengthening career development).

Fast Stream, the Civil Service's executive recruitment programme, has also created an HR option for candidates who wish to enter this field directly.