Unofficial translation
In order to implement Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan № 922 “On the Strategic Plan for the Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2020” as of February 1, 2010, I hereby RESOLVE:
1. To approve the appended Concept of the new model of civil service of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
2. Control over implementation of this Decree shall be entrusted to the Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
3. This Decree shall take effect on the day of its signing.
| President of | |
| the Republic of Kazakhstan | N. Nazarbayev |
| APPROVED by Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan № 119 as of July 21, 2011 |
Section 1. Vision of the development of the civil service system of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Section 2. Basic principles of and general approaches to the development of the civil service system of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Section 3. Concept implementation tools
Section 1. Vision of the development of the civil service system of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Introduction
Professional development of the civil service system, based on the principles of meritocracy, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and social accountability, is an essential factor in promoting competitiveness of the public administration system and providing high-quality public services to the citizens.
This Concept analyzes the current situation in the civil service system, identifies guidelines for the formation of the new model of civil service of the Republic of Kazakhstan and key mechanisms for its implementation.
This Concept will become a framework for the development of legislative and other regulatory legal acts aimed at shaping the new model and further professional development of the civil service of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
1.1. Current situation analysis
The development of the civil service system of the Republic of Kazakhstan is tightly linked with changes in the role of the state during the years of independence, formation of the political system, economy, public relations, and improvement of the public administration system.
To achieve the goals and priorities of the independent Republic of Kazakhstan, it was necessary to create an effective system of selection and promotion of personnel, to ensure professionalism and transparency of activities of the state apparatus.
Legislative Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan № 2730 “On the Civil Service” as of December 26, 1995 set in motion the institutionalization of the modern civil service system of independent Kazakhstan, it helped keep the core personnel of the public administration system and laid the foundation for the development of civil service as an important state institution.
The Decree’s adoption made it possible to regulate civil service relations by establishing the civil service principles, the hierarchy of public positions, to define the legal status of and establish social guarantees for civil servants, to introduce anti-corruption restrictions.
The next milestone in the civil service development was the “Kazakhstan – 2030” Strategy, which, in 1997, identified the formation of a professional government as the long-term priority of state development.
The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Civil Service” (hereinafter referred to as the Law), adopted in 1999, outlined a new approach, meeting current needs, to the formation of a professional and effective system of civil service and a unified personnel policy.
Currently, the Law and relevant regulatory legal acts developed for its implementation regulate the issues of admission to, career in and termination of civil service.
There is an authorized body for civil service affairs and its territorial units.
The issues of admission to civil service
The constitutional right of citizens to equal access to civil service is exercised through the introduction of mandatory competitive selection, the mechanism of which is enshrined in the Law and other regulatory legal acts.
The aim of introducing competitive selection for civil service positions is to find out whether a candidate meets the approved qualification requirements for a public administration position.
Thus, in accordance with the Law, competitive selection for admission to a public administration position includes the testing by the authorized body for civil service affairs of knowledge of the current civil service legislation, and also candidates’ interviewing by a state body’s competition commission.
The civil service personnel reserve is being formed. However, the current competitive selection practice is a reason for citizens’ distrust in the fairness of competitive procedures for admission to the civil service.
In this regard, it is necessary to improve the process of competitive selection for civil service and increase its transparency.
The issues of civil servants’ training
Currently, the civil service system has a training infrastructure consisting of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, regional centers for retraining and advanced training of civil servants and other educational institutions.
Every year, on average, one third of civil servants take retraining and advanced training courses, which results in one hundred percent of civil servants’ training over a three-year period.
At the same time, it is now necessary to update the training quality management system and introduce innovative teaching methods in training programs for civil servants.
The civil servants training system shall be aimed at developing useful professional knowledge and skills meeting the goals and objectives of a state body.
In addition, it is necessary to ensure effective coordination of civil servants’ training.
The issues of assessment of administrative civil servants
According to the civil service legislation, administrative civil servants, after three years in office, shall be assessed in order to determine the level of their professional training, legal culture and ability to work with citizens.
The assessment procedure includes the presentation of an efficiency report on a civil servant by his/her immediate supervisor, which indicates professional, personal qualities and results of the official activity of the assessed civil servant.
At the same time, it is now necessary to improve the assessment procedure by its focusing on the evaluation of the quality and final results of civil servants’ activities and ensuring the interconnection of assessment results and career advancement.
The issues of civil servants’ motivation
Currently, there is a unified system of remuneration for employees of state bodies maintained from the state budget and the budget estimate (budget) of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
This is a coefficient-based system making allowance for the length of service and the category of the occupied public administration position.
The procedure has been established for giving bonuses, financial aid and approving salary uplifts to employees of state bodies at the expense of the state budget.
Civil servants’ remuneration, although being stable, remains insufficiently competitive in comparison with the private sector wages.
So, according to statistics as of April 1, 2011, the average salary in the civil service system is 69,027 tenge, while, for comparison, the average salary in the construction sector is 101,500 tenge, in the mining industry - 133,309 tenge, in the financial and insurance sector - 148 680 tenge.
In addition, the absence of evaluation of the civil servant’s performance results in in loose interconnection between his/her work contribution and the system of financial, career and moral motivation.
Inefficient work management common for state bodies and the lack of a well-managed system of social protection of civil servants lead to the outflow of professional personnel, including those with a foreign education, into the private sector, as a result of which civil service is perceived as an insufficiently prestigious place for employment.
The reduction of personnel reserve prevents overall professionalization of the personnel of state bodies, especially at the regional level.
The issues of functioning of the institute of an executive secretary
The institute of an executive secretary has been introduced in the civil service system, the major objective of which is to support personnel continuity in the work of state bodies at the times of changing political civil servants.
At the same time, some central state bodies frequently change their senior management staff, which affects the efficiency of state bodies’ performance.
Moreover, because of an executive secretary position being political, in practice, the appointment of new heads of state bodies entails the change of executive secretaries.
The issues of the formation of civil servants’ ethics and image
The civil service legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan is expressly anti-corruption.
For example, it is forbidden to admit to civil service a person who was brought to disciplinary responsibility for a corruption offence, or a person who refused to comply with restrictions connected with the admission to civil service and established by the Law.
There is a statutory norm on taking the oath by civil servants and their compliance with written restrictions related to civil servants’ career.
The current Code of Honor for civil servants of the Republic of Kazakhstan specifies the requirements for the moral character and professional qualities of civil servants.
In the course of inspections, the authorized body for civil service affairs and its territorial units monitor the compliance with the current civil service and anti-corruption legislation.
However, inspection results frequently show state bodies’ violations of the current legislation in terms of admission to and career in civil service.
Based on information on identified violations, the authorized body for civil service affairs and its territorial units make recommendations to the head of a state body to eliminate violations and bring concerned officials to disciplinary responsibility, hear state bodies’ reports at disciplinary councils’ meetings and give further recommendations.
At the same time, it is now necessary to improve the work of disciplinary councils.
The issues of providing public services
It is important to note that the citizens’ attitude towards the state apparatus highly depends on the quality and accessibility of public services.
Current standards for public services’ provision establish the procedure for providing public services, standard and binding indicators of the quality and accessibility of public services, the appeal procedure and contact information, as well as time limits on the provision of public services.
However, one can notice ineffective organizational and information support in the provision of public services, violations of the approved standards for public services’ provision in current activities of state bodies, which results in legal entities’ and individuals’ poor satisfaction with the quality and accessibility of public services.
The low professional level of civil servants, manifestations of bureaucratic red tape and administrative barriers in the provision of public services negatively affect the image of civil service and are the main reason for the population’s and business community’s dissatisfaction with the work of state bodies.
Given the above problematic issues, it is now necessary to ensure further progressive development of the civil service system and its reform in close interconnection with the processes of public administration’s modernization.
Thus, taking into account the provisions of the Strategic Development Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2020, the formation of the new model and the professionalization of the civil service of the Republic of Kazakhstan will be aimed at creating an effective public administration system.
1.2. The goal and objectives of the new model of civil service
The “Kazakhstan - 2030” Strategy outlines priorities for the development of civil service such as “the improvement of the system of personnel recruitment, training and promotion”; “civil service as the service to the nation”; “creation and support of a high reputation of civil service”, which this Concept takes a basis for the formation of the new model of civil service of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The new model of civil service primarily suggests the makeover of the term “civil service”, which should become synonymous with the idea of “service to the nation (society)” and mean commitment to the population as a consumer of public services.
The new model of civil service is focused on recognizing the importance of the human factor and conducting effective personnel work, which is a key factor in its professionalization.
The new model of civil service is aimed at creating effective personnel mechanisms - the effective and transparent procedure for admission to the civil service, the possibility of continuous professional development of civil servants, the relationship of work results and incentive systems.
The new model of civil service will form the corps of senior administrative civil servants - professionals ensuring effective implementation of public policy, and fundamentally improve mechanisms for admission to and career in civil service.
Thus, based on the provisions of the “Kazakhstan – 2030” Strategy, the three-pronged goal of forming the new model of civil service includes:
1) effective personnel policy and HR management system in the civil service system;
2) high quality of the provision of public services and state bodies’ efficiency;
3) positive image and ethics of conduct of civil servants.
In accordance with the three-pronged goal, the objectives of forming the new model of civil service are as follows:
1) the formation of new and improvement of existing personnel mechanisms in the civil service system;
2) improving the quality and accessibility of public services and focusing civil servants’ activities on the population as a consumer of public services;
3) ensuring the high status and prestige of civil service, the formation of ethical standards of conduct for civil servants.
To ensure consistent high-quality staffing and professionalization of the civil service, its organizational structure and regulatory framework will be updated.
The result of the formation of the new model will be professional civil service oriented at result and high-quality provision of public services, and also meeting urgent needs of the state socio-economic development.
1.3. Implementation period and expected results
The implementation of this Concept is intended for the period from 2011 to 2015 and consists of the stages indicated below.
At the first stage (2011 - 2012), it is planned to implement measures aimed at achieving the target indicators of the Strategic Development Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2020 such as:
1) introduction of a new register of civil service positions based on three corps;
2) improvement of procedures for admission to the civil service and creation of the civil service personnel reserve;
3) formation of a basic educational center for the training of highly qualified civil servants;
4) introduction of updated training programs based on the technologies and principles of a result-oriented public administration system;
5) enhancement of the performance of state bodies’ personnel departments;
6) introduction of a system for evaluating the performance of civil servants;
7) introduction of a new remuneration system for civil servants;
8) implementation of measures aimed at improving the quality of the provision of public services, including the introduction of a quality control system for the provision of public services, the development of a feedback mechanism to assess the quality of public services provided.
At the second stage (2013 - 2015), long-term measures will be taken to professionalize the civil service, such as introduction of a career planning system, introduction of individual plans for professional development and training, expansion of the distance learning system; improvement of the incentive system for civil servants; creation of an automated public service information system; development of a two-level management system of administrative ethics.
At the second stage, it is necessary to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of measures implemented at the first stage for further development of relevant regulatory legal, methodological and organizational proposals and recommendations.
The implementation of this Concept will ensure professional development of the state apparatus able to effectively perform the functions of state and provide high-quality public services to the population.
Section 2. Basic principles of and general approaches to the development of the civil service system of the Republic of Kazakhstan
2.1 The new model of civil service
Two typical models of civil service – the career and position ones - can be distinguished in international practice.
Despite differences in the procedure for admission to and career in the civil service in these models, they have a series of common conditions ensuring the efficiency of the civil service system. The first is division of civil servants into political “appointees” and professional “performers”. The second is recruitment to the civil service on a competitive basis, which allows selecting qualified and competent specialists for the civil service and reducing opportunities for the patronal system of selecting and promoting personnel.
An important feature of a foreign civil service system is the high prestige and status of civil service.
Currently, most countries prefer to build mixed models of civil service with account of peculiarities of a national public administration system.
Many efficient models of civil service (in the Netherlands, Singapore, the USA, Italy) have the institution of senior civil service to divide the process of political decision-making from the process of its implementation, the functions of this institution are to develop managerial attitudes and carry out administrative activities in accordance with general public policy.
The new model of civil service of the Republic of Kazakhstan will remain mixed, including elements of the career and position models of civil service.
At the same time, the new model of civil service, in accordance with the Strategic Plan for the Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2020, will have a clear corps-based axis: political civil servants, administrative “A” corps and executive “B” corps of the administrative civil service.
It is supposed to approve a new register of public positions based on three corps within the new model by 2012.
The corps of political civil servants will include employees who shape public policy, are in charge of an area (sphere) of public administration, determine strategic directions of state development in a relevant area, and also employees whose appointment is politically determinative.
The political public positions will include the following positions: chief executive officers of central state bodies, bodies directly subordinate and accountable to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, their deputies, akims of regions, the capital and cities of republican significance and their deputies, as well as a number of public positions, the list of which will be determined by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In the new model, the structure of administrative civil service will have the administrative “A” corps for implementing the policy formed by political civil servants and linking the strategic decision-making and its implementation.
Only personnel reserve candidates will be appointed to administrative positions of the administrative “A” corps; to effectively use the reserve, a law will provide for the candidate’s mandatory being in the corps “A” personnel reserve.
The National Commission for Personnel Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan will ensure the formation of the political personnel reserve and personnel reserve of the administrative “A” corps of the administrative civil service on the basis of proposals from state bodies and akims of regions, the capital, a city of republican significance.
The composition of and regulations on the National Commission for Personnel Policy will be determined by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In the new model of civil service, the register of political public positions will be revised and the number of political public positions will be limited, it will clearly set out the role and degree of responsibility of a person appointed to the position of executive secretary, and develop an open, transparent, merit-based mechanism for his/her appointment.
Given the priorities for the development of civil service, specified by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the position of executive secretary will be assigned to the administrative “A” corps, consequently the powers, rights, duties of executive secretaries will be determined within regulatory legal acts regulating the activities of this corps.
Furthermore, in order to maintain continuity in the work of a state body, executive secretaries will be appointed for a fixed term, whatever the period of office of chief executive officers of state bodies.
The selection to the administrative “A” corps of the administrative civil service will base on regular recruiting from among civil servants assigned to the executive “B” corps, who proved professionally competent and efficient.
The expansion of the existing personnel potential and the openness of the civil service system will also be ensured by the so-called “social elevator” mechanism.
This mechanism will allow professionally trained personnel, who are not civil servants, but occupy senior positions in public and private entities, to participate in the competitive selection for inclusion in the “A” corps personnel reserve.
The criteria for admission to the political personnel reserve and the personnel reserve of the administrative “A” corps will be determined by a separate regulatory legal act on the proposal of the authorized body for civil service affairs.
In particular, it is advisable to take the below mentioned criteria as the basis for making a decision to admit a candidate to the political personnel reserve and the administrative “A” corps personnel reserve of the administrative civil service:
level and scope of education,
work record and experience,
assessment of professional and personal competencies,
adherence to professional ethics,
written recommendation of a political civil servant or administrative employee of the administrative “A” corps with many years of experience in senior positions.
Professional and personal competencies of candidates seeking admission to the administrative “A” corps, which are crucial for efficient performance of functional duties by civil servants holding an administrative position, will be assessed.
The mechanisms of competitive selection for the administrative “A” corps personnel reserve of the administrative civil service will be testing based on professional and personal competencies, and also work-related interviews and exams.
In order to create an effective mechanism ensuring smooth operation of administrative civil servants and interdepartmental continuity when changing the head of a state body holding a political position, the period of office of a civil servant in the “A” corps position will be fixed.
The appointment and dismissal of an employee of the administrative “A” corps will be agreed upon by the authorized body for civil service affairs on the basis of a decision of the National Commission for Personnel Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
To ensure a high level of professional and managerial skills, it is envisaged to rotate civil servants.
Civil servants will be rotated on a regular basis according to the following schemes: inter-level (“center – region”, “region – center”), interregional (“region – region”), intersectoral (“center – center”) ones, which will ensure the inflow of professional personnel both to central state and local executive bodies.
The conditions of and procedure for the rotation of civil servants will be determined upon recommendation of the authorized body for civil service affairs by an act of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
For successful inter-level and interregional rotation of civil service, a social security mechanism will be developed, which will include the fixing of “increments” (regional coefficients) to an official salary and availability of housing stock in the regions for civil servants appointed by rotation.
Currently operating administrative civil servants will be divided into the administrative corps and the executive corps based on a position criterion (in accordance with a position currently held by a civil servant).
The executive “B” corps of the administrative civil service will include civil servants holding executive positions (positions not assigned to “A” corps).
The main task of “B” corps civil servants will be implementation of state policy (executive activity) in accordance with the guidelines of civil servants of administrative “A” corps.
Taking into account good practice of the current category-based register of administrative civil servants, categories will be established for the administrative “A” corps and the executive “B” corps of the administrative civil service.
When forming the “A” and “B” corps in the structure of the administrative civil service, it is envisaged to streamline the current register of positions of administrative civil servants.
The register of public positions, based on three corps, will be approved by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the recommendation of the authorized body for civil service affairs.
2.2. Improving the procedure for admission to the civil service
In international practice, admission to the civil service is competitive, and its basic principle is that of meritocracy, i.e., the acknowledgement of personal merits and achievements.
The general arrangement for competitive selection consists in considering the applicant’s package of competition documents and testing, interviewing, holding oral and written exams to assess professional knowledge and experience, and also personal competencies of the applicant for a vacant position.
It should be noted that admission to the civil service and competitive selection in efficient models of civil service are inextricably linked with the formation of a personnel reserve.
In the new model, the procedure for admission to the civil service will be fundamentally improved through the introduction of a two-stage competitive selection, the distinguishing features of which will be more extensive content of competitive procedures and mandatory enrollment of a candidate for a vacant position in the personnel reserve of the administrative civil service.
Currently, the authorized body for civil service affairs is conducting a pilot project on a two-stage competitive selection to be followed up by relevant regulatory activity.
In the new model of civil service, the authorized body and its territorial administrations will select the personnel reserve of the administrative civil service at the first stage of competitive selection. In other words, a single database of candidates for admission to the civil service will be formed.
The selection to the personnel reserve of the administrative civil service will be based on testing that shows the level of knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the civil service legislation, as well as the level of professional and personal competencies that are significant for civil servants’ efficient performance of their functional duties, regardless of the sectoral specificity of a state body.
To evaluate professional and personal competencies of a civil servant, the term of “profile of the civil servant’s competencies” will become statutory, which will enable its use as an integral part of qualification requirements for candidates for administrative public positions.
The authorized body for civil service affairs will approve a standard profile of competencies for each level of administrative civil service (managerial and executive ones), which will be a basis for the development of sectoral competency profiles.
The new testing program will be differentiated depending on the level of personnel reserve:
1) for initial admission to the civil service, i.e., for enrollment in the personnel reserve to occupy positions of the executive “B” corps;
2) for career advancement of civil servants of the “B” corps and for enrollment in the personnel reserve to occupy positions of the administrative “A” corps.
A candidate, who has successfully passed competitive testing, will be issued a certificate of admission to the personnel reserve entitling him/her to participate in the second stage of competitive selection.
Applicants enrolled in the personnel reserve of the administrative civil service will be able to have an internship in a state body.
At the second stage of competitive selection for appointment to a vacant position, a state body conducts competitive selection only among the persons enrolled in the personnel reserve of the administrative civil service as a result of the first stage testing.
Competitive procedures used at the second stage of competitive selection will be prescribed by the sectoral specificity and areas of activity of a state body.
The authorized body for civil service affairs will determine standard competitive procedures for the use by a state body at the second stage of competitive selection: profile (sectoral) testing, and also an (individual, group) interview, exam, writing an essay.
Each state body, in consultation with the authorized body for civil service affairs, will independently decide on the type of a competitive procedure in accordance with the sectoral focus of its activities, specificity and official duties of a particular vacant public position, for which a competitive selection is held.
The mechanism for appointment to a vacant administrative public position on a transfer basis will be improved for state bodies.
To increase the objectivity and transparency of interviews with candidates for a vacant position held by a state body’s competitive commission, the issues of audio and video monitoring of an interview will be legally regulated, as well as mandatory notification of competitive procedures and the right of socio-political associations, non-governmental organizations and the media to participate in meetings of state bodies’ competitive commissions.
Personal responsibility of the chairman and members of state bodies’ competitive commissions is also envisaged for the quality and objectivity of competitive selection.
Thus, the introduction of a two-stage competitive selection will enable efficient use of the civil service personnel reserve and provide state bodies with professional and competent personnel.
2.3. Further development of civil servants’ training system
In international practice, issues of professional development and training are a priority in the human capital management system of the civil service.
Taking into account the provisions of the Strategic Development Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2020, the status of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan will be significantly strengthened as a basic educational center for the training of highly qualified civil servants.
A most important measure will be thorough modernization of the content of programs for the training, retraining and advanced training of civil servants, including the update of training programs based on modern educational technologies and principles of a result-oriented public administration system.
Programs for the training, retraining and advanced training of civil servants will become more flexible and take into account the best international practice of functioning of the public administration system and the civil service.
Approaches to the processes of training administrative civil servants will be differentiated because of their division into administrative and executive corps.
Civil servants appointed to the “A” corps positions, before getting down to their official duties, will be given an opportunity to have a short training aimed at gaining knowledge in the field of management, strategic planning and making effective managerial decisions.
On the basis of professional and personal competencies, individual plans for professional development and training for a certain calendar period will be drawn up for employees of the administrative “A” corps and employees enrolled in its personnel reserve.
An individual plan will take into account professional needs of civil servants both in terms of the content of training and the choice of an educational institution.
A key role in the professional development of “A” corps employees will be played by the National School of Public Policy meant to train the national managerial elite.
The training of “B” corps civil servants will be based on educational programs aimed at obtaining knowledge and skills for effective implementation of political decisions and strategic programs.
To improve the efficiency of civil servants’ training at the regional level, the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan will coordinate the activities of regional centers for retraining and advanced training, and monitor the quality of the content of educational programs.
The coordination of activities of regional centers for retraining and advanced training is aimed at creating a unified system of accumulation and exchange of knowledge in the field of public administration and civil service and providing good-quality educational services at the regional level.
In order to increase the level of professionalism of personnel at the regional level, civil servants of local executive bodies will be allocated a quota for training at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Thus, the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan will become a single educational, methodological, scientific and personnel center for training civil servants.
The system of training civil servants will provide for systemic measures aimed at making the most of the potential capacity of the Bolashak International Scholarship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Nazarbayev University.
In particular, the training and retraining of civil servants abroad, as well as their professional internships within a relevant quota, will ensure a new quality of their professional development and become an additional mechanism of motivation.
The procedure for training within postgraduate educational programs will be regulated in the system of vocational training of civil servants.
In particular, obligatory retention of a position by civil servants studying for the master’s and doctor’s degree in priority specialties will become a regulatory standard.
There will also be a legal norm providing for the appointment of a civil servant, who has completed a course of study, to a position previously held by him/her, or to another one, which is equivalent in terms of qualification and professional requirements or to a higher-level position, the functional duties of which correspond to newly acquired professional knowledge and skills.
To effectively use the opportunities for retraining and advanced training of civil servants and budgetary funds, the educational and labor processes in state bodies will be regulated.
In order to save budgetary funds and involve a wider audience in training, lead foreign specialists will be invited to take part in advanced training courses.
In the future, it will be envisaged to expand this program and provide distance learning for civil servants in accordance with educational programs developed by foreign experts.
The organization of training of civil servants will be legally regulated in line with sectoral programs with account of the specifics of activities of state bodies and employees’ own professional needs.
The distance learning system for civil servants will become more extensive.
The implementation of proposed measures aimed at improving the system of professional development of civil servants will require amendments and additions to relevant regulatory legal acts.
2.4. Introduction of the system of civil servants’ evaluation and career planning
In international practice, it is common to evaluate final results of civil servants’ work comparing the goals and objectives set, the job description, the work performed and the results achieved.
The evaluation results are a basis for making personnel decisions on rewarding civil servants, their career advancement, their need for additional training.
The new model will improve the system for evaluating civil servants’ performance.
The evaluation of civil servants’ efficiency will focus on the final result and be a basis for giving bonuses and incentives to civil servants, identifying the need for retraining and advanced training, career advancement.
The new model will also improve the mechanism for the assessment of civil servants, which will apply only to those civil servants, whose performance is found to be insufficiently effective according to the evaluation results.
The procedure and conditions for the evaluation and assessment of civil servants will be determined by a relevant regulatory legal act on the recommendation of the authorized body for civil service affairs.
The term of “career planning” will be legally regulated given that the career of a civil servant is an important component of the motivation system that characterizes the advancement to an intended social and official status and ensures the professional and social self-fulfillment of a civil servant in accordance with his/her qualifications and work experience.
Career advancement of civil servants will be based on the results of evaluation of civil servant’s efficiency in his/her position.
The new model of civil service will legally provide for the career planning system and legally regulate criteria for career advancement.
2.5. Improvement of the system of civil servants’ motivation
The motivation for high-quality and effective work is becoming an essential element of labor relations in the civil service, also providing for a favorable working environment for the staff of a state body.
The formation of an effective motivation system in the new model of civil service will be aimed at ensuring competitive edge over the private sector.
The effective system of motivation for civil servants will become a factor creating tangible incentives for high performance, retaining personnel in the civil service, and an additional measure for the prevention of corruption offences.
Labor remuneration plays a key role in the system of civil servants’ motivation; in the new model, the remuneration system will be based on the evaluation of their performance.
The improvement of the system of civil servants’ remuneration will be based on an analysis of the current situation in the labor market.
Labor remuneration will be based both on a position held and the length of civil service, and also on the evaluation of civil servants’ performance.
In the new model of civil service, the remuneration system will take into account the employment training of civil servants, their skills, workload (intensity of work), as well as the level of responsibility for the work performed and the decisions made.
In order to encourage the most competent and efficient employees, a state body is advised to create a separate bonus fund, the distribution of which will be based on the evaluation of civil servants’ performance.
Mechanisms will be envisaged to ensure transparency and publicity in the distribution of the bonus fund within the state body.
Labor remuneration in the new model of civil service will be regulated by a separate regulatory legal act providing for an appropriate financial and economic justification.
In accordance with international practice, an important place will be given to the social and pension provision of civil servants in the system of motivation.
An important part of the system of civil servants’ motivation will be non-monetary incentive methods, for example, acknowledgement of personal professional merits of a civil servant by securing the institution of mentoring, which is aimed at sharing positive experience and professional knowledge, ensuring continuity in the work of state bodies and quick adaptation of new employees.
Mentoring will be considered as a most important career step. Civil servants - mentors will provide expert and advisory support to the activities of young specialists in a state body, which includes participation in the evaluation of their performance and conducting their assessment.
Mindful of the fact that moral stimulation is the most developed type of motivation based on a person’s need for public recognition, it is necessary to more effectively use such promotion methods as awarding the title of the best employee and the best structural unit, awarding certificates of merit, diplomas, additional training in sectoral courses, professional (specialized) seminars and trainings.
In addition, it is necessary to create a corporate spirit in the new model of civil service aimed at internal motivation and a sense of personal contribution to the state body’s activities.
An individual approach will be applied in the motivation system as part of a holistic personnel policy of a state body.
In order to ensure the effective functioning of the system of civil servants’ motivation, the use of non-monetary methods shall both be regulated by the civil service legislation and generally linked with labor legislation regulating the public sector.
2.6. Improvement of the civil service HR management
The new model will develop an integrated civil service HR management system, it will also provide methodological interaction of state bodies’ personnel departments and the authorized body for civil service affairs.
The authorized body for civil service affairs will systematically draw up regulatory and methodological documents of the new model of civil service with account of current trends in the public administration system.
In order to implement the new personnel policy and shape an effective system for managing civil service personnel, the state bodies’ personnel departments will operate on the basis of standard regulations setting out the structure, number, functions and tasks of the personnel department in a state body, and also relevant methodological recommendations.
Appointments of heads of state bodies’ personnel departments or officials entrusted with personnel departments’ duties will be coordinated with the authorized body for civil service affairs.
One of activity areas of state bodies’ personnel departments will also be provision of compliance with the labor regime established by the labor legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Widespread use of capabilities of the “electronic government” in the operation of state bodies’ personnel departments will be aimed at enhancing the efficiency of personnel decision-making, at the same time, the use of electronic document management system and the intranet portal of state bodies will make both internal and external procedures of state bodies as simple and efficient as possible.
As the best international practice (Great Britain, the USA, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.) shows, effective implementation of personnel policy in the civil service, also with regard to the corps of senior administrative civil servants, is based on a holistic system of civil service HR management and its automation.
The e-kyzmet system will allow state bodies’ personnel departments to manage personnel in accordance with best international practices, enhance the performance of state bodies’ personnel departments and reduce the time and labor costs of obtaining and updating information.
The e-kyzmet system will avail of full personnel information on civil servants at the central and regional levels online: personal data, organizational information (personnel records), information about professional and personal competencies, education, qualifications, length of service, professional experience, evaluation and assessment results; real-time monitoring of rotation, real-time consideration of training, the timing and topics of courses, information about incentives and administrative and disciplinary sanctions, data from law enforcement and judicial authorities on corruption offences of civil servants.
2.7. Improvement of ethical standards in civil service
Administrative ethics is considered a most important method to combat corruption in international practice. In a series of countries, special laws regulate civil service ethics and aim to improve the moral environment of the public administration system.
Standards for the ethical conduct of civil servants are contained in special regulatory legal acts collectively known as “codes of conduct for civil servants”.
Standards for civil servants’ conduct enshrined in regulatory legal acts are intended to outline main directions in the conduct of civil servants in the discharge of their duties.
These standards contribute to the formation of a certain pattern of behavior of a civil servant, which is consistent with the values and principles of civil service and public expectations.
Based on the positive experience of foreign countries, a two-tier system of administrative ethics management will be developed in the new model of civil service.
At the first level, it is necessary to develop a regulatory legal act setting out general standards for the conduct of civil servants.
At the second level, more detailed rules and norms of behavior are developed for civil servants of each state body.
Departmental rules of conduct for civil servants describe in detail ethical problems that an employee of a particular state body may encounter in the process of fulfilling their duties, and provide detailed rules for conduct in such situations.
The formation of a system of administrative ethics management will require legal fixing of the term of “ethics of civil service” and the basic principles for the ethical behavior of civil servants.
The civil service system will also improve the legal framework for conflicts of interest.
A mechanism will also be developed to strengthen the responsibility of chief executive officers of state bodies, including their resignation, in case of corruption offences conducted by senior officials in these bodies.
In the new model of civil service, it is advisable to combine the fundamental principles and provisions of civil service in a single document, which will apply to all types of civil service, in particular in the code of civil service, which provides for the basic rights and obligations of civil servants, the restrictions and social and legal guarantees applicable to them.
In the future, the norms of this code will be extended to civil servants and persons paid for from the state budget, as well as to persons working in organizations partially owned by the state.
The effectiveness of disciplinary councils of the authorized body for civil service affairs will be increased.
It should also be noted that the facts of admission to the civil service of persons previously held criminally responsible negatively affect the trust of citizens in the state apparatus as a whole.
In this regard, it is advisable to legislatively restrict possible admission of such persons to civil service.
These measures will strengthen ethical and anti-corruption requirements for civil servants and increase public confidence in the state apparatus.
2.8. Improvement of the quality of public services
The priority indicator of civil servants’ efficiency in the new model of civil service will be the quality of the provision of public services, in other words, the civil service will focus on the population as a consumer of public services.
In accordance with new approaches to state planning and budgeting, the activities of state bodies shall focus on the provision of public services related to the functions and powers of state bodies.
To increase the efficiency of state bodies’ performance, it is necessary to take regulatory, methodological and organizational measures aimed at improving the quality of labor organization and management in state bodies, decision-making processes and procedures based on the principles of transparency and responsibility of specific officials.
In this regard, the need for the use of information technologies is increasing, which is aimed at optimizing and automating the functions of a state body in providing services to the public and business, reducing administrative barriers and establishing direct contact of a state body with the population and business.
The increase in the number of electronic public services provided through the e-government is also a key tool to improve the quality of public services, for this reason, socially significant public services of state bodies will become electronic.
It is expected that control over compliance with approved standards and regulations for the provision of public services will be an effective measure.
Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan № 954 “On the System of the Annual Performance Evaluation of the Central State and Local Executive Bodies of Regions, a City of Republican Significance, the Capital” as of March 19, 2010 empowers the authorized body for civil service affairs to evaluate the provision of public services.
To improve the quality of public services and manage the process of their provision, it is necessary to introduce effective external control, which will require the introduction of appropriate amendments to the legislation and the appointment of an authorized state body.
The legislation must provide for the liability of persons for poor provision of public services, and also for the violation of standards and regulations of public services.
In addition, there will be a regular feedback with the public to evaluate the quality of public services provided, also by conducting a questionnaire when receiving a public service and sociological surveys aimed at discovering the degree of satisfaction of individuals and legal entities with the quality and accessibility of public services.
2.9. Creation of a positive image of civil service
The new model of civil service shall prioritize the creation of a positive image of civil service, including timely informing and responses to citizens’ appeals, and creation of a favorable opinion on the activities of state bodies based on the results achieved.
Consequently, main directions in the creation of a positive image of civil service are the improvement of the quality of public services and establishment of public relations.
Main principles of state bodies’ work shall be orientation towards citizens, professionalism, efficiency, openness and accessibility.
The dialogue between the civil service and the public, including socio-political associations, non-governmental organizations, the media, is assumed to include state bodies’ systematic informing citizens of their activities, as well as developing contacts with the population and making mutually acceptable decisions on their basis.
In this work, it is necessary to fully use the potential of the print and electronic media, which are able to provide effective interactive communication between state bodies and the public, to bring the needs and opinions of social groups to the attention of state bodies at every level.
Each state body shall employ such mechanisms for its activity in this area as: placement of information materials in the media; monitoring the information space and public opinion for best managerial decision-making; civil servants’ direct contacts with the public (receptions of citizens concerning personal issues, formal and informal meetings with the population, various kinds of enlarged meetings involving various public groups, presentations of various social and other projects); interactive communication with representatives of various categories of citizens, etc.
In general, the creation of a positive image of civil service will be a key component of the reform, factoring in state bodies’ readiness for fruitful cooperation with society.
Section 3. Concept implementation tools
It is envisaged to implement the objectives and indicators set out in Decrees of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan № 858 “On the Concept of the Legal Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan from 2010 to 2020” as of August 24, 2009 and № 922 “On the Strategic Plan for the Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2020” as of February 1, 2010, and also in the provisions of this Concept, through the improvement of legislative and sub-legislative regulatory legal acts regulating the area of civil service.
The provisions of this Concept will be implemented through the improvement of legislative and other regulatory legal acts on civil service issues.
The terms introduced by this Concept will be fixed at the legislative level, and the authorized body for civil service affairs will be provided with new functions based on the provisions of this Concept.
