GYLA’s research “The System of Evaluation of Public Servants – EU Member States and Georgia”

On February 11, 2016, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA held a presentation of research “The System of Evaluation of Public Servants – EU Member States and Georgia.”

The aim of the research was to review the systems of evaluation for civil servants that exist in EU-member states and analyze key strands of evaluation for civil servants established by the new law of Georgia on Civil Service, as well as to examine issues to be regulated by the Resolution of the Government of Georgia on Rules and Conditions for Evaluating Professional Civil Servants.

The research provides a detailed overview of the following issues: substance, aims and key principles of evaluation of civil servants; applicable legal frameworks; models of evaluation system; subject of evaluation and evaluator; frequency of evaluation; evaluation process; evaluation types, methods and criteria; evaluation outcomes and their implications for civil servants as well as complaints procedures.

Based on the analysis of applicable legal frameworks in EU-member states, GYLA prepared total of 29 detailed recommendations. Below are some of the highlights:

- we recommend introducing a mixed model of evaluation system, one that will combine elements of traditional evaluation system and goal-specific evaluation;

- different rules and criteria for evaluating managers and civil servants on probation should be introduced;

- length of probationary period should be reduced from one year to six months, while civil servant son probation should be evaluated once, after probationary period expires;

- obligation of evaluating individual/body to sign a target agreement with civil servant should be established; individual goals of a civil servant should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and should have a specific timetable;

- self-evaluation, interview and evaluation by supervisor should be established as methods for evaluating civil servants, while volume, quality and complexity of a task to be completed should be set as evaluation criteria;

- Results of civil servant’s evaluation should be reflected in decisions about promotions, incentives and professional development.

Following the above recommendations will help establish an objective, fair and transparent system of evaluation of civil servants in Georgia.

Implementation of the research was made possible with financial support from „SIGRID RAUSING TRUST”.