In 2019 I completed a master's degree in economics in London. Shortly before I graduated, representatives of the British government visited the university to present their Fast Stream program for civil service accessIt was an attractive career path for young economists interested in public policy: a highly competitive, yet streamlined and competency-based entry process, with digital tests, joining the following year, an entry salary, and rotations between ministries while training to perform leadership and public management tasks.
Trying to find a similar option in Spain, the State Commercial and Economic Technician Corps (TCEE) seemed the closest. But the process was very different. It consisted of five exercises—theoretical, oral, and language—that required mastering hundreds of topics and reciting them from memory before a panel. Preparation could take four or five years, with a very low probability of securing a position. Years without income and with high preparation costs—often at academies. The opportunity cost was clear: in the same time, one could accumulate paid professional experience, live abroad, or pursue a doctorate. It will surprise no one that I decided not to even attempt the TCEE competitive examination.
Our system for recruiting public sector employees tends to select very specific profiles: people with excellent memorization skills, especially of laws and regulations, and from families with sufficient resources to support them for five years. To correct this rigidity, the Spanish government has announced a reform for senior civil service positions that will replace traditional competitive examinations with a two-year public master's degree and a final exam. The aim is to make the system more equitable and competency-based, in accordance with the OECD recommendations.
The pity is that, among the various alternatives for opening up the public administration, Spain has opted for the path closest to the French model: a highly regulated access system based on formal courses and qualifications, instead of exploring the more flexible approach of Anglo-Saxon and Nordic countries. Other culturally similar countries, such as Portugal and Chile, have managed to avoid this regulatory temptation and move towards open models focused on evaluating skills and the candidate's potential, more akin to private sector selection systems.
We must acknowledge the efforts of Sánchez's government to expand opportunities with scholarship programs that reduce economic barriers, but the opportunity shouldn't be missed to go further: to build a talent acquisition system for the public sector that seeks diverse profiles and values people's real abilities. After all, the best administration isn't the one that demands the most tests, but the one that knows how to find the best people for the most important jobs: managing a country.
