NEW DATA ON RECRUITMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR - THREE BILLS IN PARLIAMENT - Filenews 18/4 by Eleftheria Paizanou
The data in public sector recruitment is changing. With a package of bills submitted to the last session of the Plenary Session of the Parliament (on Thursday), the process of filling admission (first appointment) positions in the public service is differentiated, so that they are done in a more rational and effective way.
These are three bills, which are received as a "dowry" by the new Parliament that will emerge in the parliamentary elections of May 24. The legislation combines a series of regulations and changes, which are expected to contribute to making recruitment more effective and efficient.
- The first bill amends the law on the Evaluation of Candidates for Appointment to the Public Service. Among other things, it is regulated that the general written examinations for filling positions for admission to the public service will be held after the announcement of the vacancies and not before, so that the whole process and the expression of interest of the candidates are targeted and more aligned with the staffing needs of the services.
- Also, the examined topics will be related to the needs and particularities of the positions to be filled, so that citizens know if there are vacancies for which they hold the required qualifications and decide whether to sit the exams, for which preparation and payment of a fee are required.
- In addition, it is regulated that vacancies for admission to the public service will be published in the first two months of each year, instead of during the first four months, as is currently the case, for the purpose of speeding up the process of filling admission positions to the public service.
- The bill also deletes the provisions for the submission each year to the Parliament, for approval, of the lists of positions for which the conduct of a general written examination or a special written examination by the Advisory Committees is provided.
It is also regulated that the positions, for the filling of which the conduct of a special written examination by the relevant Advisory Committee is justified, for documented reasons related to particularities and difficulties in filling them, will be determined by a Decree of the Council of Ministers, which will be issued within December of the year preceding the announcement of the vacancies. - At the same time, the Special Committee, which is currently responsible for conducting the general written examination, is abolished, and it is determined that the decision on the type of examination and the responsibility for conducting it will lie with the EDY.
The role of the EDY
Subsequently, the EDY, after compiling a list of candidates for each filling process, which includes the successful candidates in the written examination who possess the required qualifications from the Service Plan, will invite candidates who claim more than one position to declare a order of preference for all the positions they claim. In case they are appointed to a position that is their first choice, they will be deleted from the other lists of candidates to claim another position.
In the event that candidates are appointed to their second choice or to any lower, in order of preference, option, they will continue to be included in the list of candidates for a position declared in a higher order of preference than the one to which they were appointed.
Increase in scoring
At the same time, the scoring points of the evaluation criterion by the relevant Head of Department are increased, from 0-5 to 0-15, during the oral examination before the EDY, taking into account that he is in a unique position to know and assess in practice the needs of each vacant position, as well as the qualities required so that the candidate can meet the requirements of the position. The EDY can award candidates, during the oral examination, up to 20 points.
- The second bill amends the Public Service Law, in order to regulate that the competent authorities will submit their proposals to the National Public Service for filling positions no later than two months from the day the positions have been created or vacant, instead of within four months, as is currently the case.
