OSCE OFFICE-SUPPORTED REPORT ON ARMENIAN CIVIL SERVICE RECRUITMENT ENCOURAGES CIVIL MONITORING

armradio.am
02.11.2007 17:54

Armenia could improve the transparency and effectiveness of its civil
service system by reviewing tests used for applicants, increasing
commission members’ professional capacity, creating a mechanism for
civil monitoring of the process and following other recommendations in
a report released today with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

The report and work leading up to it aims to improve procedures
to minimize corruption risks, and to encourage civil society
participation.

"A transparent and well-functioning civil service system is crucial for
an efficient public administration," said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos,
Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. "We are ready to help both the
authorities and the civil society in implementing the recommendations
of the monitoring."

Observers from five non-governmental organizations – the
Union of Armenian Government Employees, the Regional Centre for
Development/Transparency International, the Young Lawyers’ Association,
the Centre for Precise Information, and the Armenian Helsinki
Committee – monitored 67 hiring processes and 53 attestations during
the period of 16 March – 1 October 2007. A total of 295 participants
of competitions and attestations responded to questionnaires sent as
part of the work to prepare the report.

Manvel Badalyan, Chairman of the Civil Service Council of Armenia,
welcomed the initiative and stressed the importance of civil society
oversight.

"This monitoring helped to identify the existing shortcomings and
suggest practical solutions," he said.

Following the presentation of the initial report, the NGO Union of
Armenian Government Employees and the Armenian Civil Service Council
signed a co-operation agreement that reconfirmed the Council’s
commitment to implement the monitoring recommendations.

The project was implemented by the Union of Armenian Government
Employees in co-operation with the Armenian Civil Service Council with
support from the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Eurasia Foundation.