Civil Service Merit System Essays

Civil Service Merit System Essays Civil Service Merit System Essay Civil Service Merit System Essay At the beginning of the 21st century, civil service requires a qualified staff able to meet social demands and changes. To some extend, effective arrangements for governance within the civil service and between the civil services are fundamental elements of a democratic system of the government. In public administration, there are a range of changes from administrative matters in the way business is conducted in the civil service, to legislative changes that provide greater accountability and openness for the work of the civil service. Today, merit system is one of the main tools which help to ensure effective selection, promoting and appointing of staff. Merit system aims to â€Å"maintain high standards of integrity, conduct, and concern for the public interest† 1. In modern environment, the state merit system regulations, to conform with the standards, bar employees from participating in political activities except to express their views and cast their ballots as citizens. They also are to prohibit disqualification of persons from taking examinations or holding office because of political or religious opinions. State agencies are also required to prepare, adopt, install, and administer classification2 and compensation plans for all positions in the agency, such plans to be based upon investigation 1. Camoes, P. J. , Ruhil, A. What Lies Beneath: The Political Roots of State Merit Systems. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 13 (1), (2003): 27. 2. Merit System Principles. 2007. 04 June 2007 www. nhpa. org/Nine_Merit_Principles. ppt and analysis of the duties and responsibilities of each position. If the state agency wishes, its rules may provide that incumbents of positions at the time of the issuance of the standards may be given preference in the examinations to the extent of a waiver of minimum requirements of education and experience for admission to the examinations, and of retention if they receive a mere passing mark in the examination. The Department of Civil Service develops and proposes the following types of examination under the merit system: â€Å"open-competitive, promotion, transition, and continuous recruitment†. The Federal legislation underlines that vacancies are to be filled whenever practicable by promotion of a qualified permanent employee of the administrative agency upon recommendation by the agency head4. It is stated by the Board that the application of the standards will promote a career service A system of service ratings is to be maintained. Removal of permanent employees may take place only for cause, or for reasons of curtailment of work or lack of funds. In the event of removal permanent employees will have the right of appeal to an impartial body through an established procedure provided for in the merit system. According to standards developed by Career Mobile Office: â€Å"Open-competitive examinations are open to anyone who possesses the minimum qualifications as listed on the examination announcement. Promotion examinations are open to permanently appointed State employees. Transition examinations are open to permanently appointed State employees. Continuous Recruitment examinations may be either open-competitive or promotional† 5. _____________________ 3. â€Å"Employee Services’ 2007. New York State. 04 June 2007 careermobilityoffice. cs. state. ny. us/cmo/merit_system. htm 4. Dresang, Dennis L. Public Personal Management and Public Policy. (Longman. 2001) 193-194. 5. â€Å"Employee Services’ 2007. New York State. 04 June 2007 careermobilityoffice. cs. state. ny. us/cmo/merit_system. htm In many of the states, however, the general charge to set standards has resulted in plans at least for the development of a merit system of selection and in a few instances such systems have been adopted and examinations given. In some cases departments concerned see the need to establish such a system and are willing to begin, but have no money to finance examinations. The degree to which a state merit plan affecting public assistance personnel carries beyond the state staff depends upon a number of factors; the pattern is a different one for each state6. Among the determinants are the extent to which a state civil service law affects counties and cities; and to what extent and in relation to what factors state public assistance departments control local programs. Certain more or less autonomous local public assistance departments may come under a merit plan independently of the state situation if the county or municipality concerned has a local civil service commission which selects personnel in some or in all branches of local government 7. The influence of the local labor union within the relief agency, and of the more powerful parent groups behind it with which it is affiliated, has been a strong new force in advancing the spread of civil service coverage in certain jurisdictions.