The Government is bringing order to the Catalan civil service with new competitive examinations and annual evaluations

BarcelonaThe legal framework governing the working conditions of civil servants in Catalonia is over 25 years old, and the Catalan government believes it is time to update it. The executive council will approve the draft public employment law next Tuesday. Its aim is to redefine access to the public sector, encourage young people to pursue careers in public administration to address generational change, and reform career advancement opportunities within the civil service. The law, which will subsequently enter parliamentary proceedings, affects nearly 400,000 workers: employees of the Catalan government, the 947 municipalities in Catalonia, and the seven Catalan public universities. According to the Presidency department, the legislation has been developed with "maximum consensus" and falls within the framework of... major administrative reform project that the Catalan executive has underway.

What are the main changes in the law? One of them is the redesign of the competitive examinations. The Catalan government wants to move towards less rote memorization-based exams, followed by a selection course where candidates will test their skills in situations similar to those they will encounter in the job they are applying for. The Civil Service believes that the days when memorizing pages and pages of laws was useful are over. Now, they maintain, all the necessary information is readily available. clicknot to mention the use of artificial intelligence in the day-to-day running of the administration.

Added to this is the fact that Catalonia is not a country with a tradition of opposition – a tendency that also hinders, for example, the number of Catalan lawyers who want to be judges and prosecutorsThe Civil Service will soon launch a campaign aimed at young people to entice them with the benefits of working for the administration, an option they often don't consider after finishing their university studies, the same sources emphasize. The urgency of this is evident when looking at the data: 24% of Generalitat civil servants will retire before 2030, and only 7.3% are under 30 years old. Furthermore, work is underway on a comprehensive platform from which all open selection processes, whether from a local council or the Generalitat, can be consulted. "It is essential to have new tools to work towards the administration of the future, with the aim of harnessing internal talent and recruiting external talent to create a more efficient administration that generates public trust," highlighted the Secretary of Civil Service, Alícia Corral, who is confident that the Parliament will approve it this year.

Professional Progression

With the aim of leveraging (and rewarding) the experience of public employees, the law revises the professional progression system within the administration. Until now, the only way to earn a higher salary was to climb the hierarchical ladder, which incentivized employees to move from one department to another to gain pay raises, regardless of their area of expertise. The government hopes to reverse this situation by introducing four "tiers" that will translate into salary increases: entry-level, established, expert, and benchmark. This will be the so-called "horizontal" career path, as opposed to the "vertical" (hierarchical) one.

However, to benefit from the recognition of these time increments, simply having spent a certain amount of time in a position will not be enough (it is not a seniority bonus); rather, it will be necessary to demonstrate competence and skills that will be specified in the implementing regulations. The new system is also reflected in the new disciplinary regime: the possibility of demotion as punishment for a serious infraction is introduced.

Move administration

Furthermore, the Catalan Government wants to improve the evaluation of performance against objectives among civil servants. Each year, public employees will undergo an evaluation linked to the achievement of results set for each department by their supervisor. What will happen if these results are not met? First, they will lose the associated salary supplement. This is what was historically known as the productivity bonus, which in the Catalan Government has already been paid based on the achievement of objectives, by mutual agreement with the unions. Now, this model will be legally recognized and extended to all public administrations. Second, a negative evaluation will also negatively impact their chances of professional advancement, specifically regarding the recognition of career progression levels. On the other hand, the new regulations offer opportunities for civil servants considering a change of scenery: they facilitate administrative mobility for those whose profile could be useful both in a local administration, for example, and in the Catalan Government. However, to prevent local councils or universities struggling to recruit staff from losing them, access to this option will depend on an agreement. In other words, administrations that sign this agreement with the Generalitat will have the opportunity, but it will not be mandatory. Civil servants wishing to transfer to a different administration will have to pass a series of screening processes: the School of Public Administration of Catalonia will be responsible for proving that they have the skills to do so.