Perspectives Regarding the Improvement of the Professional Training of Employees in Public Institutions

Abstract

In recent years, public institutions have been faced with a new challenge in the field of professional development of employees: adaptation to the pandemic context and the use of distance learning technologies. This chapter aims to analyze the ways of conducting learning activities in public institutions in the last three years, to identify future training needs and the availability of integration of new technologies. In order to achieve this purpose, the literature from the past three years was reviewed and a study was conducted targeting five public institutions in Romania. The instrument used was the questionnaire, which included qualitative elements to allow the classification of the statistical results. Despite the pandemic context, the analyzed public institutions carried out training activities for employees, but with a classic approach in terms of organization and the topics of the training. The analysis targeted public institutions in Romania; being carried out from the perspective of the specific legal framework, the results may not be multiplied or applied to other administrative systems. The study provides evidence of the degree of change in public organizations, changes generated by a pandemic crisis. Furthermore, it classifies these changes in a recognized theoretical model.

1. Introduction

The mission of public institutions is to carry out activities of general interest, that is, public services. This goal cannot be achieved without competent, well-trained people, devoted to the public welfare, who understand the importance of constantly improving their level of professional knowledge. Thus, administrative performance is dependent on the skills and professional training of employees in public institutions.

In this context, states have regulated the institutional and procedural system and the financing mechanisms through which their own employees have access to different forms of professional training. Moreover, in some administrative systems, the improvement of professional training represents an obligation of the employees, which corresponds to the right of the institution to establish plans and programs for professional training and improvement. Sometimes career development is conditioned by the completion of certain forms of training.

In European countries, according to the applicable legislation, institutions are appointed to manage the entire process or certain components thereof: The Civil Service Division in Austria, Federal Academy of Public Administration in Brühl, Germany, The Civil Service Section of The Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic, Directorate General for Qualification of Employees in Public Functions—Portugal, Public Sector Directorate in Slovenia.

The topic of training and improving the professional training of employees in public institutions is a common subject for European administrations. In one form or the other, it exists in every administrative system. However, the last years, marked by the pandemic context and, more recently, the East-European armed conflict, have seen changes in how training activities are organized. Certain Eastern European states, and implicitly their public institutions, are going through a financial crisis that leads to the reduction of expenses, and implicitly of the resources allocated to professional training.

The literature of the last three years has focused on the subject of professional training and improvement of public administration employees from various perspectives, such as:

• Training from the perspective of correlation with sustainable development objectives [1] or sustainability as a learning subject and correlation of the training process with the sustainability criteria [2];

• Digitization of public administration as a reform [3, 4], impact on public systems [5], but also increasing the digital skills of employees [6];

• The impact of the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic on public administration, its components [7], and training processes [8, 9, 10];

• European models of training in public administration [11], the training content [12, 13], or the evolution of training systems [14];

• Training in the online system for public administration, as a combination of two other topics: digitization and the health crisis [6, 15, 16, 17].

2. Methodology

This article aims at examining the improvement of professional training in public administration in the recent years from the perspective of accessibility, organization, and training topics.

The second objective is to identify the existing perspectives regarding the professional training of employees in public institutions, starting from the experience of the past few years.

To achieve the two objectives, a questionnaire (see Appendix) on institutional capacity was applied to the employees of five Romanian public institutions. It included five questions that were answered between October 2022 and April 2023 (see Table 1).

No.	Institution	Number of questionnaires	Number of employees	Percentage of respondents of total employees
1	County Counsel of Hunedoara	35	155	22.5%
2	Municipality of Adjud	31	145	21.5%
3	Municipality of Onești	55	240	22.9%
4	District 1 of Bucharest Municipality	105	424	24.7%
5	City of Odobești	41	165	24.8%

Table 1.

The institutions that responded to the questionnaire.

The first question was aimed at identifying the percentage of respondents who attended long- or short-term courses in the last couple of years. Those who attended such courses were asked to indicate the themes, having available a predefined list (as well as the “others” option).

It was also requested to indicate from a predefined list the preferred training tools in the future.

The last open question targeted the training planning tools needed at the level of their institution.

The questionnaire included elements aimed at identifying the target group: gender, level of education, seniority in administration, level of the position (management/operating staff), and the type of institution in which the respondents carry out their activity.

The data were collected with the help of a platform designed for creating questionnaires. The platform centralized the data and generated the graphs.

From the point of view of the theoretical model used, Dunphy and Stace proposed a model [18, 19], which underlined the fact that organizations should vary their change strategies according to the environmental changes in order to achieve an “optimal match.” Depending on the environment, both the managers and the agents of change should vary their change strategies. The model proposed focuses on the environmental factors, as well as on the management forces, which play a crucial role in any process of change.

Thus, according to the mode proposed, change can be classified into four different types: finetuning, modular transformation, incremental adjustment, and corporate transformation. Both authors considered that change should not occur only on incremental basis but it can also occur on radical or discontinuous basis. They equally emphasized that transformational change could be both consultative and coercive in nature.

3. The legislative and institutional framework for the improvement of the professional training of Romanian public administration personnel

Law no. 53/2003 on the Labor Code [20] establishes the employer’s obligation to ensure regular access of employees to professional training. In accordance with the provisions of art. 191 of Law no. 53/2003 as subsequently amended and supplemented, “the professional training of contractual personnel is carried out based on the annual plan for professional training developed by the employer, in consultation with the trade union or, as the case may be, the representatives of the employees.” Individualized professional training is established, according to art. 192 of Law no. 53/2003, by the employer together with the employee in question, considering the criteria considered in the annual plan for professional training and the conditions under which the activity is carried out at the workplace.

Regarding civil servants, Emergency Ordinance no. 57/2019 [21] on the Administrative Code as subsequently amended and supplemented specifies in para. (1), art. 458 and art. 459 that “public servants have the right and obligation to continuously improve their skills and professional training.” This right of civil servants corresponds to the obligation of the state and local communities to create the legal and institutional framework and to ensure the resources necessary for its implementation, as also noted in art. 459 of the Administrative Code, which refers to the obligation of public authorities and institutions to annually prepare the professional development plan for civil servants. The obligation of civil servants to improve their professional training arises from the fact that they exercise privileges of public power, and their actions are subject to general interest. In this context, the civil servant must follow forms of training organized at the initiative or in the interest of the public institution. Also, according to the Administrative Code, public authorities and institutions have the obligation to communicate to the National Agency of Civil Servants the data requested concerning the training and improvement of civil servants.

According to art. 16 et seq. of G.D. 1066/2008 [22], “in order to ensure compliance with the right and fulfillment of the obligation of continuous improvement of skills and professional training, every year, when assessing the individual professional performances, the areas in which the assessed civil servant requires additional professional training in the following period are identified in the assessment report.” Moreover, the identified professional training needs are supplemented, if necessary, with the professional training needs resulting from legislative changes in the civil servant’s areas of expertise, as well as from any relevant changes in the job description.

According to art. 5 [22], professional training is carried out in the following manners:

• “Training programs organized and carried out by professional training providers, completed with a certificate of attendance or, as the case may be, a graduation diploma;

• Training programs organized and carried out or, as the case may be, approved by employers within public authorities and institutions;

• Training programs organized and carried out within the implementation of projects with external funding;

• Other forms of professional training provided by the applicable law.”

According to Order no. 762/2015 of the President of the National Agency of Civil Servants [23], for establishing the priority areas in which professional training programs for the public administration are organized, the following priority areas are provided:

1. Management of public and public utility services;

2. Public policies and strategic planning;

3. The internal/managerial control system in public entities;

4. Human resources management;

5. Financial-budgetary and assets management;

6. Fundamental human rights and freedoms;

7. The right to public integrity and anti-corruption policies;

8. European Union legislation;

9. Communication, public relations, decision-making transparency, information—public/classified/personal data;

10. Civil procedure and contentious administrative matters.

The Romanian institutional system for the improvement of the professional training of employees from public institutions includes the National Institute of Administration, the National Agency of Public Servants, and the National Authority for Qualifications. Each public institution appoints a person in charge of professional training, allocates financial resources via the annual budget, and develops an annual professional training plan. Usually, the improvement of professional training is achieved through courses of 2–5 days, held outside the institution.

4. Improving professional training in Romanian public institutions

The first question attempted to identify the percentage of respondents who attended long- or short-term courses in the past three years, that is, 2020, 2021, and 2022, a period marked by the restrictions imposed by the Sars-Cov2 pandemic (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Percentage of participation in training activities in the last 3 years.

Despite travel restrictions (see Figure 1), significant percentages of employees participated in training activities (56.5% in District 1, Bucharest and 51.06% in Adjud), which lead to the conclusion that online courses were accessed and there is availability for such a format. On the other hand, the locality with the lowest budget also had the lowest participation rate (13.5% Odobesti).

Those who participated in various forms of training/improvement programs indicated the topics of these courses (question no. 2, see Appendix) (see Figure 2).

Figure 2.

The topics of the courses attended.

In the municipality of Adjud (see Figure 2), it can be observed, on the one hand, that the topics of the courses mainly focused on decision-making transparency and the management of the public function, and on the other hand, that the employees did not attend, in the recent years, courses in areas with a major impact on the organization and operation of the institution. Furthermore, the courses aimed at the principles, concepts, and basic elements of public administration were attended by a very small number of employees. It is noted that no courses were attended in the field of strategic planning, local public policies, and the internal managerial control system. This aspect reverberates on the availability of human resources with skills in the field of strategic planning and local development. Another vulnerability is that no courses on the use of new technologies have been organized, which is detrimental to innovation processes.

In the county of Hunedoara (Figure 2), courses that have a general nature (communication, basics of public administration, etc.) have, overall, a higher ranking than the specific ones. The courses for which respondents did not indicate any answer are strategic management, performance management, use of new technologies, quality management, town planning, decision-making transparency, and organization and archiving.

In the last three years, the employees of the Odobești city hall (Figure 2), have not attended any training course in areas with a major impact on the organization and operation of the institution, nor did the employees focus on courses aimed at the principles, concepts, and basic elements of public administration, for their professional training.

In the case of the municipality of Onești and District 1 (Figure 2), it can be noted that courses of a general nature (communication, basics of public administration, etc.) have, overall, a higher ranking than the specific ones. Furthermore, there are certain courses for which the respondents did not indicate an answer, namely: use of new technologies.

The third topic of analysis concerned the training tools preferred by respondents for future training activities (Figure 3).

Figure 3.

Preferred training methods in the future.

With regard to the training tools preferred by respondents (see Figure 3), the respondents’ preference toward classic training methods (practical applications, case studies, presentations, or teamwork) can be observed, while nonformal training methods, more modern, and complex, such as group discussions and brainstorming, are not among the respondents’ first preferences.

It is found that “role-playing” represents a method that, from the perspective of the analyses, is particularly effective in transmitting certain skills, being one of the most active learning methods; however, it is not found among the respondents’ preferences (the fewest mentions).

Furthermore, although there was the option of an open answer, learning channels such as informal coaching, mentorship, regular rotation, project assignments/tasks, and 360-degree feedback considered by specialty studies as highly efficient, were not mentioned by the respondents, from where we can infer that the respondents do not have information, and/or have not benefited from training courses through modern teaching-learning methods.

Regarding the fields of training needed in the future (see Figure 4), the answers demonstrate, interestingly, a preference toward the strategic field, at the expense of the operational field. Among the training topics indicated by the respondents are: leadership, strategic planning, integrity management in public administration, risk management, CAF (self-assessment framework for the operation of public institutions), strategic management—balanced scorecard, development of operational and system procedures, decision-making transparency and confidentiality, development and implementation of public policies, decision-making practices in public administration, communication/moderation of debates, planning and carrying out activities, and business analysis in the public sector.

Figure 4.

Training topics needed in the future.

The last open question (see Appendix) considered the training planning tools needed at the institutional level. It was found that no institution has developed the common/usual set of documents to guide the conduct of activities. Thus, the following documents are missing:

• Procedure for professional training or an integrative human resources policy, only a professional training plan being in place;

• Annual analysis of training needs, but especially its correlation with budget resources (although the training plan is drafted, the needs identified and included most often are not supported by budget allocations within the institution).

Regarding the preparation of the professional development plan for civil servants, the entity must refer to the Order of the President of the National Agency of Civil Servants no. 233/21.03.2022 [24] for the approval of the content and instructions for the preparation of the professional development plan for civil servants, as well as the manner of communicating the data requested by the National Agency of Civil Servants regarding the professional development of civil servants.

5. Conclusions

Although during the period under review, the travel restrictions generated by the pandemic context were in place, and an important percentage of employees of the targeted public institutions attended professional training development activities, reaching up to 56.5% (see Figure 1) of the total number of employees, which shows compliance with the legal framework in Romania on the obligation to improve the level of knowledge for civil servants.

However, in three of the examined institutions, the percentages are below 50% (see Figure 1). The training percentage is very low, considering on the one hand the legal training obligations, and on the other hand, the lifelong learning policies, promoted at the level of the European Union and, last but not least, the free training opportunities initiated by certain institutions, such as the National Institute of Administration and the National Agency of Public Servants, in certain projects carried out at the institutional level.

Topics of the courses attended have a general nature, with no major impact on the organization and operation of the public institutions. At the level of the five institutions, no courses on the use of new technologies were organized, which is detrimental to innovation processes, and no courses were attended in the field of strategic planning, local public policies, and the internal managerial control system. This aspect has further consequences on the availability of human resources with skills in the field of strategic planning and local development.

Among the training topics indicated by the respondents for the future are: leadership, strategic planning, integrity management in public administration, risk management, CAF (Self-Assessment framework for the operation of public institutions), strategic management—balanced scorecard, development of operational and system procedures, decision-making transparency and confidentiality, development and implementation of public policies, decision-making practices in public administration, communication/moderation of debates, planning and carrying out activities, and business analysis in the public sector.

Public institutions must plan their professional training activities and develop internal procedures and multi-annual training plans based on analyses of training needs.

Information technology must represent an institutional priority both from the perspective of the need to use new technologies and innovation, and also from the perspective of moving training activities into the online environment. This is also justified by the fact that, by reference to Dumphy’s and Stace’s model, the changes within public institutions generated by the Sars-Cov 2 pandemic are of transformational type, in crises, rapid changes being needed to ensure the survival and continuity of the organization. A big part of these changes refers to introducing new technologies and working manners, interaction both within and outside the public organizations.

Conflict of interest

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

Appendix

Questionnaire

1. Have you attended long or short-term training programs in the last 3 years?

YES [ ] NO [ ].

2. If yes, what topic did the attended training program have:

The basics of public administration	Yes
Strategic management
Public service management
Communication
Performance management
Use of new technologies
Quality management
Public procurement
Management of material resources
Management of documents
Town planning
Social assistance
Project management
Financial/budget management
Decisional transparency
Organization and archiving
Other

3. What training methods/tools do you prefer in the future?

Presentations, interactive presentations;	Yes
Teamwork, in small groups and individually;
Role play;
Practical applications;
Case study;
Simulation/practical scenarios;
Individual and group projects;
Facilitated group discussion;
Brainstorming;
Other (please specify)

4. Please select the training topics that you consider useful for the future:

	To a very small extent	To a small extent	To a large extent	To a very large extent	I do not know/I do not answer
Leadership
Strategic planning
Integrity management in public administration
Risk management
CAF (Self-Assessment Framework for the Operation of Public Institutions)
Strategic management—balanced scorecard
Development of operational and system procedures
Decision-making transparency and confidentiality
Development and implementation of public policies
Decision-making practices in public administration
Communication/moderation of debates
Planning and carrying out activities
Business analysis in the public sector

5. What are the existing training planning tools at the level of your institution?

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