Approaches to the Comprehensive Assessment of Civil Servants' Personal and Professional Qualities in the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

Head of the Belarusian state has repeatedly pointed out objectives on improving efficiency of the state apparatus, promoting prestige of civil service and making requirements to civil servants more rigorous. President’s stand is that the state apparatus, including both central and local governments, should be staffed with committed and ingenuous people able to perform well under pressure. Thus, it is equally important both to develop a holistic code of conduct for civil servants and create a tool for carrying out comprehensive assessment of their performance. In Belarus requirements to personal and professional skills of civil servants are laid down in the legislative framework. It encompasses regulations of different legal effect that can be divided into two types – general and focused. General regulations target a whole spectrum of civil servants’ responsibilities, including proper execution of their duties, meeting quality requirements to delivering public services upon request of citizens or legal bodies, anti-corruption behavior, etc. Focused regulations, on the other hand, set forth a list of civil servants’ personal and professional skills, and define criteria to their assessment, as well as determine performance efficiency indicators for certain state bodies. For example, effective and proper use of allocated budget resources, reliable public procurement, absence of outstanding debts at subordinate institutions etc. serve as general indicators of public bodies’ efficiency. In assessing personal merits of civil servants, their performance as incumbents at certain civil service posts is considered alongside their personal and professional skills. The laws stipulate the following key personal and professional skill-sets of civil servants and executive officials in particular: professional competences, moral qualities, intellectual abilities, leadership skills, psycho-physiological personality traits, and communicative and cultural intelligence. Together with the mentioned requirements, a great focus in Belarus is drawn to inculcating anti-corruption attitudes in civil servants’ behavior. As was pointed out by President Lukashenko: “Belarus should become a role-model in how one can and should fight against corruption. We have been waging a continuous and systemic campaign against this evil”. Anti-corruption commissions, established by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, have taken effort on encouraging intolerance to corrupt practices and building anti-corruption capacities of public administrators and officials whose work is fraught with risks of corruption. In the modern environment ICT knowledge and skills also play an important role in assessing personal and professional skills. With regard to this, it is recommended to introduce ICT proficiency as a qualifying requirement for executive posts in public office. In this perspective, it is recommended to expand the list of requirements to professional and personal skills of civil servants and decision-makers, as well as develop a comprehensive assessment system in line with the specific scope of their activities and implement an annual assessment mechanism which would open avenues for engaging citizens, businesses and civil society in the procedure.