A leap forward for the Catalan public sector

In football, when a referee's performance has been accurate, it is often said that it "has gone unnoticed." The aspiration of public administrations should be this: that their presence is not noticed, but that their actions adequately develop public policies and allow citizens' lives to proceed without obstacles or injustice. So simple and yet so complex at the same time.

To achieve public administrations that help, not hinder, it is absolutely essential to transform a sector that must pivot on three fundamental pillars: digitalization, staff development, and recognition of those dedicated to it.

The digitalization of public administrations, still incomplete due to a lack of sufficient investment, and the emerging emergence of artificial intelligence should serve to improve routine processes and reduce bureaucratic burdens. This desirable digitalization, if misinterpreted, can become a "do-it-yourself" approach that society perceives more as a threat than an opportunity, and which can further widen the digital divide among significant excluded population groups. This would be the result of understanding digitalization solely as a tool at the service of the administrator and not as a work philosophy that should enable a more agile, transparent, and accessible service that improves communication with citizens and optimizes resources. It is necessary to take advantage of this digital revolution to reduce cumbersome, routine tasks with little added value and promote innovation and process improvement.

This process of digitalization in the public sector is impacting, as expected, the working conditions and nature of public employees' tasks. Often, the corresponding technical training process has not been completed, again due to financial constraints, but also due to systemic inertia. This company should be accompanied by adequate training focused on developing digital and management skills.

The economic crisis, which was never fully reversed, in my opinion, put a strain on public administration staff due to erroneous political decisions, the harmful effects of which still persist. The economic crisis was compounded by the health crisis, which once again tested the limits of the system, but unlike the economic crisis, it highlighted the importance of public services and the dedication of their workers, who had to face the need to quickly adapt to new ways of working and, for the most part, showed great resilience and commitment to public service. This commitment was certainly recognized at the time, but unfortunately forgotten.

Because, ultimately, despite the digitalization of processes and the technological advancement of professional profiles, it is and will be people who will drive the long-awaited transformation of the public sector. In the next decade, a large portion of public sector workers who joined the administration in the 1980s will retire. For example, at the UAB, my university, we expect that nearly 45% of the technical, management, administrative, and services staff will retire in the coming years. This is a great opportunity for renewal that contrasts with the limited social recognition that working in the public sector enjoys, with few exceptions.

It should be the goal of all those with managerial responsibilities in the public sector to make the public service attractive to everyone, especially young people. Access should be based on clear selection criteria based on merit and ability, with appropriate professional development and ongoing training, as well as the promotion of vertical and horizontal career paths that provide a constant incentive for improvement. With fair and competitive salaries.

Just as we want universities to enroll the best students and attract the best research staff, we must want the best professionals to manage public policies and our resources and services effectively and efficiently. It is necessary to create the most favorable conditions to consolidate quality public employment that will make many talented people with a vocation for service more than attractive to the public sector, or, in other words, to work for the common good.