The monthly focus of this 39^th issue is dedicated to regeneration of regions and more particularly the the way in which central governments contribute to better distribute their departments. As usual, we present you the last trends in several countries on this theme and the inspiring ways in which they are implementing them.
Beyond the news, you will get acquainted with the prospective work on the evolution of trades undertaken by Naval Group as well as the analysis of regulatory impacts in the Czech Public Service.

We stay at your disposal for your opinions, remarks or suggestions. Do not hesitate to write to us: 
contact-visionrh@kiosque.bercy.gouv.fr

You changed job, employer and / or email, remember to update your subscription data:
https://kiosque.bercy.gouv.fr/alyas/abo/edit/envisionrh

Have a good reading!

The vision RH editorial team

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.

Faced with huge numbers of staff retiring, the Spanish government has changed course and has decided to set the minimum replacement rate at 110% as from 2022. The rate will even rise to 120% for the health sector and 125% for the police. A new model for managing this rate, which caters for requests from the trade unions and local authorities, will be introduced. 

An information campaign called “travailler pour .be” has been launched by Selor, the main recruiter for the Belgian federal public services. The two themes are working to serve citizens and the benefits of a progressive career. There is a special focus on work-life balance, which has become central to the appeal of jobs and which has been made possible by introducing more flexible working conditions.

There were already eight and the network is growing. In France the Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Centre-Val de Loire, Grand Est and Normandy regions unveiled their laboratories during the Public Innovation Month. Whilst their organisational structure and priority topics do differ, they foster the emergence and testing of projects that address regional issues, always initiated by staff in the field.

Whilst Italy has opted to carry out all pre-selection tests for competitive examination candidates online, it is introducing special arrangements for people suffering from learning difficulties so as to guarantee equal opportunities. These people can choose to take a standard examination for which they will be given more time and they will be provided with resources to compensate for reading, writing and calculation difficulties.

A report on ageing and talent management, prepared by the international organisation, has just been published by the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It examines the scope for greater application of talent management practices in European public administrations against a backdrop of increasingly multigenerational public sector workforces. It presents trends, promising practices and recommendations for the transfer of know-how.

For project management, collaborative and hybrid work, the new organisational methods call for the acquisition of know-how. As the main professional organisation, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) has forged a partnership with the Future Skills Centre (FSC) to offer its members (70% of whom are looking for tangible career help) the chance to access cutting-edge, evidence-based research in order to improve their career paths.

The European institutions are discussing how to address their evolving needs and the realities of today’s labour market. Primary objective: the duration of competitions will be shortened to make them more efficient and more appealing. Recruiting institutions wish to better target candidates with specialist profiles by adopting modern testing methods according to international best practice.

Bridging the divide for access to the British senior civil service for those with technical and scientific profiles is the challenge being taken up by the “Leading for Success” programme that was introduced recently by the Civil Service. Three key training modules have been set up: inclusive leadership, change management and strategic management. A project work module has also been added for individuals on the programme to apply what they have learnt back at work.

A platform that places both the knowledge and practical experience of Austrian public sector employees at the centre of innovative administrative development has now been set up. The “wissensmanagement.gv.at” website caters for all staff and, in particular, those with a close interest in this cross-cutting issue, irrespective of their responsibilities or position in the hierarchy.

The Danish Agency for Public Employment and Skills is capitalising on the many initiatives rolled out during the successive phases of the COVID-19 pandemic by offering a work organisation advisory service. It provides tried and tested resources and methods with the aim – by removing a certain reluctance – of identifying local and lasting solutions which are, first and foremost, tailored to each environment or group.

Although increasing civil servants’ wages was not on the agenda for the next budget, the Swiss Federal Council has decided to grant a one-off 0.5% adjustment for inflation. It believes that this measure sends out a strong signal for the social partnership and is a mark of recognition for staff as the impact of the pandemic is likely to continue to be felt.

Faced with a phenomenon whose progression one can only deplore, the German civil service wants to conduct a survey and assess the action taken by departments. All civil servants (whether victims or witnesses) are being asked to reply to a questionnaire which covers violent acts or attacks within departments or in the line of duty, their consequences and how they were dealt with.

Working on the future of professions has become an essential task for HR departments to allow them to determine a long-term strategy.

Originating from the arsenals founded in the 17^th century, the industrial group, that specialises in naval defence contracting, made this one of the key objectives of the agreement (1) executed in September 2020.

As it builds and maintains highly complicated products that require cutting-edge skills which take a very long time to acquire, and against the backdrop of a large number of retirements, the company undertook a forward-looking and cross-disciplinary review of its trades.

A mapping of jobs and trades was carried out within the legal entities (with trends underscored for each structure). It highlights emerging jobs, ones that are balanced and sensitive/under threat and sets out the three- to five-year objectives.

A five- to ten-year transformation study is conducted every year to pinpoint the qualitative and quantitative effects of technological and/or societal change.

In order to identify the required number of specialists, experts and senior experts, a criticality review of the various areas of technical expertise is drawn up.

Last May, a gold trophy at the “Victoires des Leaders du Capital Humain” (Leaders of Human Capital Awards) capped off these initiatives that foster the transfer of know-how and skills development.

¹ Agreement on forward planning for jobs, skills and careers.

The Czech Republic was the last EU Member State to pass a Civil Service Act which took effect in 2015, ten years after its accession. The main aim of the legislation was to give staff working in government departments legal status and protection.

There was a two-year transition period for enforcement of all the provisions provided for by the new act: recruitment and appointment procedures, overhauling the compensation system and appeal channels.

The government recently decided to conduct an initial ex-post impact assessment as recommended, in particular, by the OECD. To ensure both neutrality and impartiality, the work was entrusted to an independent firm selected following a call for tenders.

.

For the assessment, the firm opted for RIA (1) methodology which advocates a fact-based approach to public action and which should allow the authorities to better monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of regulations.

First of all, the service provider put forward a series of indicators for which data from the Civil Service Information System was used. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with civil servants of all ranks, a panel of researchers and a representative sample of users. Next, a questionnaire survey was carried out across all departments to gather missing data.

Broken down into five main fields (independence, performance, transparency, professionalisation and stability), which match the act’s objectives, the hundred or so compiled elements enabled a comprehensive review to be established and  the positive and negative points after the first few years of implementation to be listed.

This work shows that the act has helped boost transparency and guarantee stable HR management. The results are less clear cut as regards independence and professionnalisation, and even inadequate when it comes to efficiency.

There is a set of recommendations at the end of the report so that this in-depth analysis – that will be conducted every five years – really helps with decision-making. The recommendations are set out on the basis of their level of operational complexity and the urgency of implementation to address the shortcomings brought to light.

¹ Regulatory Impact Analysis.