The best practices in the field of human resources management in the ciivl service were discussed during the global online conference

18 June 2020

The heads of the authorized state bodies of the participating countries of the Astana Civil Service Hub call for global cooperation and joint efforts during the pandemic. Today, the global online conference “Human resources management in civil service amid COVID-19: best practices and solutions”, organized by the Hub jointly with the Ministry of Personnel Management of the Republic of Korea and the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs, was held.

The conference was attended by over 250 experts, civil servants and scientists from 12 countries of Europe, Asia and America.

Welcoming speeches were delivered by the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Astana Civil Service Hub Mr. Alikhan Baimenov, the Minister of Personnel management of the Republic of Korea Mr. Seo-chong Hwang, the Chairperson of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs Ms. Anar Zhailganova, and the Head of the OECD Directorate for Public Governance Ms. Tatyana Teplova.

Opening the conference, Mr. Alikhan Baimenov noted that “in addition to traditional functions, HR services should be proactive in creating a productive work environment.” He also emphasized that "public trust in the state is not only a social value, but also an effective administrative capital." According to him, "as governments develop new methods and experience in the new environment, international cooperation and the dissemination of best practices are becoming increasingly important." In this regard, he thanked the partners of the Hub and governments of a number of countries that provided practical cases and materials to the Virtual Alliance of Practitioners to exchange experience in the context of COVID-19.

In his speech, Minister Seo-chong Hwang shared Korea’s experience in fighting the pandemic and drew attention to the importance of preparing the public sector for the post-pandemic period: “In the future, the government needs to provide itself with a system that will allow us to protect the public and support our functions in any type of environment crisis ... A fundamental review of the existing methods of hiring, types of work and methods of staff development, which we still considered normal, is necessary.” However, he believes that “it is difficult to change the paradigm only by the efforts of one country. We need global cooperation and joint efforts. ”

Speaking with a welcoming speech, Ms. Anar Zhailganova said that in Kazakhstan "the COVID-19 pandemic has become a catalyst for the irreversible transformation of the work of the state apparatus." At the same time, “special attention was paid to the uninterrupted functioning of information systems and portals for remote receipt of public services by citizens, and for receiving appeals“. She also noted that "it is planned to analyze in detail the experience gained and provide further accelerated automation of business processes in the field of human resources management of the civil service of Kazakhstan."

Ms. Tatyana Teplova, Head of the OECD Directorate for Public Governance, noted that “now more than ever, we need to coherently and comprehensively overcome the crisis caused by the pandemic, and it is necessary to set short-term and long-term goals. For this, it is important to have an effective civil service that can shape and implement inclusive and sustainable policies. The OECD is committed to continuously strengthening human resources management in the public service.”

During the conference, representatives of authorized bodies for civil service affairs and experts from the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan shared their experience of functioning of the civil service in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in their countries. They talked about the changes that have occurred in the civil service personnel management system, measures aimed at ensuring the continuity and effectiveness of the work of state bodies, and maintaining a high level of motivation for civil servants. The experience of these countries aroused interest among conference participants due to the fact that now the whole world is searching and adapting the most optimal solutions to ensure the effectiveness of the state apparatus.

No less interesting were the speeches of representatives of international organizations. “Returning to work after COVID-19: what’s next for civil servants” was the topic of a speech by Mr. Daniel Gerson, Project Manager of the OECD Directorate for Public Governance. The Chairperson of the Coordinating Council of HR Association of Kazakhstan Ms. Gulmira Raisova and Ernst&Young Senior Manager of Advisory Services Mr. Damir Deminov shared the results of studies conducted by their organizations, which revealed a number of problematic issues in organizing work during the quarantine period. Experts also spoke about measures for effective personnel management in the face of a crisis.

All speakers emphasized the role of the Hub in promoting best practices, sharing experience among participating countries, partners and the expert community.

Presentations of the speakers are available via the following links:

Exeperience of Korea

Experience of Kazakhstan