Role of human resources in revitalizing the State

Abstract

Many developed and developing countries are currently facing critical 'brain drain' in the public sector, including considerable erosion of managerial, administrative and technical capacity. More attractive remuneration in the private and non-governmental sectors; loss of pride in the concept of public service; increased politicization and decline in standards of professionalism; and gradual decay of national governance systems, have all contributed to the lowering of prestige of employment in the public sector. Traditionally, talented young people have opted to join the public service because of opportunities for challenging work, prestige and career advancement potential. Today, this is often not the case in many countries.

Evidence suggests that essential to restoring pride in the public service is the introduction of meritocratic recruitment and promotion of public servants. Countries where political appointments run deep in the civil service, combined with low remuneration of officials and weak institutional checks and balances, have generally achieved much lower rates of economic growth and social development. The findings of major research initiatives have concluded that meritocratic recruitment and long-term career rewards seem to be the most important factors in explaining the bureaucratic performance of countries. Developing nations and transition economies would therefore do well to opt for the establishment of a merit-based career system as one of the key instruments to professionalize the civil service.

While many countries have responded to globalization pressures and opportunities in recent years by undertaking significant policy and organizational reform, the underlying indispensable element of improving the quality of human resources in the public sector, including leadership abilities, appears not to have received the same attention. Policy and organizational reform, combined with leadership commitment are essential prerequisites for the development of a strategy to strengthen the capacity of the human capital with the aim of improving public administration. However, without leadership, policy and organizational reform will not work, and capacity development of human resources will not enhance public administration.

It is generally accepted that institutional effectiveness in the public sector in terms of the quality of organization, rules and norms is heavily underpinned and sustained by the quality of leadership and the capacity and motivation of the human capital. Capacity development of leaders and staff should therefore be at the centre of efforts to reform the public sector. As a result, human resources management (HRM) should not only be a support function involved in the planning and management of personnel processes and procedures, but also have the mandate to design and implement strategic HRM approaches that will better equip the organization to realize its goals. This will require that the status of human resources managers be enhanced in corporate structures and decision-making processes in the public sector.