This document discusses innovations in human resource management in the public sector. It begins by defining innovations and examining global best practices. It then analyzes the state of affairs in Bangladesh, noting there are many actors involved in public sector human resource management leading to a lack of coordination. Key issues include the politicized and inefficient public service commission process, a lack of clear rules around transfers and promotions, and subjective performance reviews. The document proposes a methodology to address these problems by identifying and defining the issues, finding potential solutions, and effectively implementing changes on the ground.

1. Hasanuzzaman
Policy Associate
Access to Information (A2I) Programme
9th November 2013

2. 
Defining innovations

Global best innovative practices in HR sector

State of affairs in Bangladesh

What next

3. 
E-Governance
◦ Bangladesh: an outlier from the global discourse perspective
 SPS

Innovations
Time,

NOT BPR
Cost,
Visit and ultimately
Methodology and objectives
◦ Inform global best innovations in PHRM
◦ UNDESA’s Public Service Awards
Quality

5. Initiative
Peru
Year of
Award
2011

Workers

retrenchment in the
face of global financial
crisis

Common
knowledge
network, Portugal,
2011
Portugal
2011

Admin. adequate
responsive training
Poland
2009

Disseminating
information and
knowledge in
Portuguese-speaking
countries
Discrepancy between
the institutional and
legal arrangements
and the bureaucratic
practices fell
disappointingly short
of civic and political
expectations when it
came to delivering
adequate public
services
Programma
revalora
Country
Problem
Innovation


Reevaluate Peru offers work and
training opportunities to retrenched
workers and those affected by the
international crisis
Prioritizes youth, women and
people with disabilities
Network helps build and develop
the knowledge society, promoting
the sharing of knowledge,
experiences and best practices
within the public administration.
The National School of Public
Administration has been
instrumental in knowledge sharing
in the Polish Public Administration
for its modernization as well as in
training and popularizing values
and attributes typical of effective,
efficient, etc

6. Initiative
Central
recruiting
systems
Country
Oman
Year of
Award
2011
Problem

Corruption
in civil
service
recruitment
Innovation






Career
coaching eservices
Republic
of Korea
2011

Low

women’s
employment
rate

Ministry of Civil Service (MOCS) established a system in
which mobile phones can be used by job-seekers to apply
for employment within the Civil Service.
Applicants’ qualifications are verified electronically via the
Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and records
from the Ministry of Manpower
Qualified applicants go through a computer based
examination at regional centres nearest their home
Graded by computer-based systems and score given to them
immediately
Top 5 candidates directed to an interview on this same day
Length of the recruitment process reduced from 11
months to less than a month
Gyeonggi Women’s Development Center (GWDC) dedicated
to expanding women’s career capabilities and economic
empowerment
Rather than solely providing education and training, GWDC
opted to include career development consulting and job
placement, so as to provide a comprehensive program
aimed to realize the goals of female employment

7. Initiative
Country
Minimizing
public
service
corruption
Cameroon
Public
employment
management
Australia
Year of
Award
2004
2004
Problem


Administering
and paying
employees,
managing
individual
personnel and
general human
resources, lack
of transparency
and corruption
in public
services
Increase
efficiency,
transparency
and effectiveness
of the public
service
Innovation







Decentralize the management of civil service personnel
and enable civil servants to obtain information related to
their payments, leave, etc.
Simplified the process of dealing with personnel cases,
promoted transparency and minimized the incidence of
corruption among public servants.
New Public Management guiding theory adopted by the
government to reinvent itself
NPM: new ruling paradigm of innovation in west
European public administration
A process-oriented administration gives way to an
output-oriented administration (hence the insistence of
performance indicators, evaluations and performancerelated pay, and quality improvement
The Public Service Act reinforced the devolution of
authority which empowered each agency to manage
directly employment processes and was encouraged to
align its staffing, its performance management systems
and service delivery arrangements
Each agency made accountable for its performance,
through its Minister, to Parliament

8. Initiative
Municipal
government
online portal
Country
Year Award
Spain
2003
Problem

Facilitate and
improve the
relationship
between citizens
and the
municipality by
simplifying the
tools that
citizens use to
obtain
information and
communicate
with public
institutions
Innovation





Focused on three basic services for citizens: the
Alcobendas Card (local council in your pocket), an
expanded website, and an integrated 24-hour
telephone information service
The Card has drawn the most attention
Provides a free-of-charge form of personalized
identification and allows for interaction and the
exchange of information with other cardholders.
Eliminates the need for different local forms of ID
by bringing all services together, cutting waiting
time for citizens down to an average of less than
four minutes
By providing a 24-hour telephone information
hotline, integrating information and services for
citizens, enlarging and decentralizing existing
offices (where possible), and extending office
hours to afternoons, evenings, and Saturdays, the
municipality was able to integrate offices and
services, increase accessibility, enhance the
quality of service, and reduce waiting times

9. 
Many actors and institutions involved in Bangladesh public sector human resource
management
(PHRM),
resulting
in
“overlapping
jurisdictions”
and
“lack
of
coordination” in the civil service management (case of decentralization in Cameroon)
◦ Ministry of Establishment and its Public Service Commission (PSC) are the central authorizes
responsible for recruiting candidates for appointment to the civil service (In recent years, the
public image of PSC has been drastically affected)
◦ The Ministry of Finance (MoF) plays the instrumental role in determining the salary of the civil
servants as well as the size of the civil service: a case where MoE is at loggerheads with the
MoF in determining the size of the public service.
◦ Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs also a key actor
◦ The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also involved in the PHRM process

10. 
Overtly politicized PSC: On an average, it takes more than two years to finish the
examination (less than a month in Oman)

Promotion at the senior level kept outside the purview of PSC

Poor link between training and promotion (Poland is a good case to consider)

ACR very subjective and criticized for not being very scientific

Absence of rules and regulations outlining specific guidelines on transfer and
posting

Transfer and posting not viewed as a tool for achieving efficiency in disposal of
public business

11. 
Problem identification: Identify and examine a problem
through group discussions

Problem definition: Portray a complex problem in simple
terms

Solution identification: Find possible ways of dealing
with the problem

Implementation: Effective on-the-ground

12. Thank you
hasanuzzaman@a2i.pmo.gov.bd