Future Job Descriptions Contributing to Effective Public Administration: Lessons Learned from the EU and the Region are Important for Further Development of Human Capacities
10-11 July 2023, Skopje, North Macedonia
During the two-day Workshop in Skopje, senior civil servants dealing with the job descriptions in the relevant Civil Service Agencies/HR Institutions and training academies/schools or departments gained insights into good practices of the job description and analysis. They exchanged experiences on good practices and challenges faced in developing job descriptions, job catalogues, and job evaluations and got insights about the good practices from the EU states (Greece and Bulgaria). The Workshop was also an excellent opportunity to discuss future challenges in HR in the Western Balkans public administrations in developing skills and competencies, especially in preparing and utilising job descriptions.
A blend of expert presentations/lectures and panel discussions empowered civil servants in their further work in developing job descriptions, job analysis methods and job evaluation systems (which are fundamental areas of HRM).
Throughout the rich panel discussion, civil servants debated and shared their experiences on challenges and lessons learned in the region and the relation between job descriptions and recruitment, appraisal, and remuneration.
Prominent EU and regional experts Ms Temmes Maj-Lis Ellen Anneli, the expert from Finland, has a long career in Finnish public administration and civil service development, Ms Vlasta Perla, a regional expert in civil service and human resource management, capacity building and training from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Demosthenes Kouzelis, Head of the HR Department from EKDDA, Greece and Mr Ivan Todorov, Senior Legal Advisor, Administrative, Legal and Financial Service Department from the Institute of Public Administration of Bulgaria elaborated numerous topics vital for the further career development of attendees and showcased experiences from Greece and Bulgaria that can be beneficial for their work.
Although Western Balkans public administrations are at various levels of introducing and developing the concepts discussed during the workshop, their importance and significance are well recognized in strategic documents. There is no one universal model to fit all PA needs, but there is a common understanding of the need to develop job descriptions, catalogues, and evaluations as prerequisites for effective public administration.
Workshop actively contributed to resolving issues indicated in the Study on Professional requirements and competency frameworks in the civil service administrations of the Western Balkans. The Study shows that the level of generalisation in job descriptions is relatively high (in some cases, job descriptions do not exist at the specialist level). Furthermore, job descriptions and categorisations at the central level in Western Balkan administrations are of somewhat limited value for defining professional requirements and competencies. Although all ReSPA members have complemented formal knowledge and basic skills-based needs with behavioural competency frameworks, at least for some categories of civil servants, professional requirements are overly general in all cases except Serbia.
