Balancing between the career and position-based systems. Some aspects of recent developments in civil service legislation in Hungary

Acta Juridica Hungarica

Volumn 52, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 64-72

  Linder, Viktória ^a  

^a ECOSTAT   (Hungary)

Author keywords

Career and position based systems; Civil service legislation; Modernisation attempts in HR management

Indexed keywords

EID: 79956076544     PISSN: 12162574     EISSN: 15882616     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1556/AJur.52.2011.1.6     Document Type: Article

References (50)

1. Bekke, H. A. G. M. - van der Meer, F. M.: Civil Service Systems in Western Europe. Cheltenham-Northampton, (MA), 2000;
2. Gajduschek, Gy.: Közszolgálat. A magyar kö zigazgatás személyi állománya és személyzeti rendszere az empirikus adatok tükrében (Civil Service. On the Personnel and Personnel System of the Hungarian Public Administration with empirical Data). Budapest, 2008;
3. Weber, M.: Gazdaság és társadalom 1 (Economy and Society I). Budapest, 1987.
4. Lorincz, L.: A személyzeti politika változásá nak szakaszai a magyar közigazgatásban 1945 után (The Changes of Periods in Personnel Policy in the Hungarian Public Administration after 1945). Budapest, 1986;
5. Lorincz, L.: A szocialista zsákmányrendszertol a merit-system küszöbéig (From the Spoil System in Socialism until the Door-step of the Merit-system.). In: Lorincz, L.: A magyar közszolgálat. Közigazgatási szakemberképzé s a XX. században (Hungarian Civil Service. Training of Public Administration Experts in the XXth Century). Budapest, 1995.
6. Lorincz.: A személyzeti politika változásának szakaszai⋯ (The Changes of Periods in Personnel Policy⋯s). op. cit.; Lorincz: A szocialista zsákmányrendszertol⋯ (From the Spoil System in Socialisme⋯). op. cit.
7. Balázs, I.: Rugalmasság a közigazgatásban (Flexibility in Public Administration). In: Fogarasi, J. (ed.): A közigazgatás személyi állománya (The Personnel of Public Administration). Budapest, 1995.
8. After 18 years of this type of categorization, from June 2010 a new law (No LVIII of 2010 on the status of civil servants of central government) has come into force after being passed by the newly elected Parliament. This law draws several distinctions between the civil servants of the organs belonging to the central government and those of municipalities and other state organs. This paper does not analyse this newly published legislation.
9. Linder, V.: Versenyvizsgák a közigazgatásban (Councours in Public Administration). Magyar Közigazgatás, (2006) 12;
10. Lorincz, L.: Kiválasztás a közigazgatásban (Selection in Public Administration). Magyar Közigazgatás, (2000) 6. és (2000) 8;
11. Lorincz, L.: A közigazgatás alapintézményei (Basic Institutions of the Public Administration). Budapest, 2005.
12. Hazafi, Z.: A karrier rendszeru szabályozás múltja, jelene, jövoje a közigazgatásban a köztisztviselok jogállására vonatkozó törvény változásainak tükrében (The Past, Present and Future of the Career-type Regulation in Public Administration, with Special Regards to the Changes of Civil Service Act).). Budapest, 2006.
13. See for example Bouckaert, G.: La réforme de la gestion publique change-t-elle les systèmes administratifs? Revue française d'administration publique, (2003) 105-106;
14. Bouckaert, G.: Moderniser l'État. La route à suivre. Le Commentaire. Revue Internationale des Sciences Administratives, 72(2006) 3;
15. Bouckaert, G.: Changing World, Changing Public Administration: New European Trends. Conference Paper. Budapest, 2009;
16. Gajduschek, Gy.: Egyéni teljesítményé rtékelés a magyar közigazgatásban. Egy funkcionális elemzés (Personal Performance Evaluation System in the Hungarian Public Administration. A Functional Analysis). Vezetéstudomány, 38(2007) 1
17. Gajduschek, Gy.: A köztisztviselo munkájának értékelése: a magyar jogi szabályozás és a gyakorlat elemzése az empirikus adatok tükrében (Evaluation of the Civil Servant's Work: Analysis of Empirical Data in Respect of the Regulation and Praxis in Hungary).). Humánpolitikai Szemle, (2007) 11-12;
18. Gajduschek: Közszolgálat⋯ (Civil Service). op. cit.;
19. Haque, M. S.: Moderniser l'État. La Route à Suivre. Sa Contribution et sa Critique. Revue Internationale des Sciences Administratives, 72(2006) 3;
20. Kettl, D. F.: Moderniser l'État. Revue Internationale des Sciences Administratives, 72(2006) 3;
21. Linder, V.: A magyar közszolgálati humá neroforrás-gazdálkodás nemzetközi ö sszehasonlításban (The Human Resource Management in the Hungarian Civil Service in International Context). Budapest, 2009;
22. Lorincz, L.: A kormányzás modernizációja (The Modernization of the Government). Magyar Közigazgatás, (2006) 11;
23. Lorincz, L.: Közigazgatási reformok: mítoszok és realitás (Reforms in Public Administration. Mythes and Reality). Közigazgatási Szemle, (2007) 2;
24. Premfors, R.: Modernising government. The way forward. International Review of Administrative Science, 72(2006) 3;
25. Talbot, C: Modernising Government: The Way Forward-A Comment. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 72(2006) 3;
26. OECD: Modernising Government: The Way Forward. Paris, 2005;
27. OECD: Performance-related Pay Policies for Government Employees. Paris, 2005.
28. Bouckaert: Moderniser l'État... op. cit.;
29. Haque: Moderniser l'État... op. cit.;
30. Kettle: Moderniser l'État. op. cit.;
31. OECD: Modernising Government⋯ op. cit.;
32. Premfors: op. cit.;
33. Talbot: op. cit.;
34. OECD: Modernising Government⋯ op. cit.;
35. OECD: Performance-related Pay Policies⋯ op. cit.
36. Following the collocation of the different stages of convergence in the field of public administration modernisation by Christopher Pollitt, these solutions in Hungary incorporate the socalled decisional convergence-when a decision is adopted on the introduction of a measure which fits into a modernisation trend. The phases specified by Pollitt in series are discursive convergence, decisional convergence, practice convergence and results convergence. Pollitt, Ch.: Clarifying Convergence. Striking Similarities and Durable Differences in Public Management Reform. Public Management Review, 3(2001) 4, 471-492;
37. Pollitt, Ch.: Convergence: The useful myth? Public Administration, 79(2001) 4, 933-947.
38. Up to 100 thousands civil servants then.
39. The process of the performance appraisal have taken place at the end of the year.
40. This rate is quite higher then the average in international praxis.
41. After decades of existence the Institute was dissolved in 2006.
42. In spite of the absence of satisfactory budgetary tools, the rate of the performance related pay has been modified in the code later up to-20% - +30%.
43. In fact, civil servants awarded by bonuses are few in numbers, but the amounts awarded for the few are quite high (although, in consequence of budgetary restrictions, they have been cut back).
44. Horton, S. - Hondeghem, A. - Farnham, D.: Competency Management in the Public Sector: European Variations on a Theme. Amsterdam, 2002.
45. Based on data collected during our research named The staff of public administration in the framework of the European Union's Regional Operative Programme 3.1.1 carried out in the Hungarian Institute of Public Administration (leader of the research team: György Gajduschek).
46. While other measures taken at the same time-for example the facilitation of the dismissal of civil servants, or the restraining of the severance pay for them, among others-have broken up the career-like system.
47. After the parliamentary elections in 2010, this newly elaborated recruitment and selection system has been suspended in most of its elements. At the moment (summer 2010) the so-called councours (competitive entering exam) can be passed voluntary, and the competition process is not generally obligatory any more.
48. Linder, V.: A közigazgatás személyi állománya (The Personnel of the Public Administration). In: Kilényi, G. (ed.): A közigazgatási jog nagy kézikönyve (The Big Handbook of Public Administration). Budapest, 2008.
49. In fact the thematic has been less comprehensive for them.
50. See Horton - Hondeghem - Farnham: Competency Management in the Public Sector⋯ op. cit.