Reform of public employment

The objective of the public employment reform, which forms part of a broader reform of the public administration, is to enhance the administrative capacity at central and local levels in terms of human capital (selection, competences, careers and evaluation). This reform, accompanied by the recruitment of experts, the simplification of administrative procedures and investments in the digitalization of public services, aims at improving the effectiveness of the public administration and ultimately provide better services to citizens and companies. The Italian authorities have adopted the relevant primary legislation and are in the process of adopting secondary legislation and implementing acts, due by the end of June 2023, to make the reform fully operational.

One of the features of this reform concerns the recruitment of civil servants, which will move from a purely knowledge-based system to a system primarily based on horizontal skills and work ethic and mindset. The reform is already bearing fruit as we can already see new recruitment procedures considering relevant competences, including at managerial level. This will contribute to better skilled personnel and improve the attractiveness of a career in the public sector.

A concrete example is represented by the most recent editions of competition procedures for public managers launched by the National School of Administration, where the recruitment procedure considers horizontal and soft skills, crucial to deliver effective results. The eight edition of the competition was inaugurated with a ceremony with the presence of the President of the Italian Republic and representatives of the Italian government.

More information available at the following links:

• Press release of the Ministry for Public Administration
• Website of the Italian School of National Administration