Are Formal Civil Service Examinations the Most Meritocratic Way to Recruit Civil Servants? Not in All Countries

Abstract

Recruitment to the civil service is, in order to prevent patronage, often centralized and based on performance in competitive examinations. This approach, albeit slow and occasionally cumbersome, is generally assumed to be the most meritocratic method of recruitment. However, while some applicants may have skills suited for a specific position, they may not perform best in a general examination. As long as the system is not abused, a more flexible recruitment process based on, for example, interviews and CV screening, may be more meritocratic. It is therefore necessary to weigh the risk of abuse against the potential gains from more flexibility. Formal civil service examinations are hypothesized in this article to be the most meritocratic way to recruit civil servants only in countries where the risk for patronage is high. Analysis of a dataset describing the structures and characteristics of bureaucracies worldwide lends support to the hypothesis.

Lietuvos valstybės tarnybos reforma 2004–2018 m. – Europeizacijos aspektas

“…Taip atrankos sistema išsiplėtė ir įtvirtino tradicinės bei unifikuotos valstybės tarnybos bruožus, nes pirmajame -centralizuotos atrankos etape pagal naują tvarką tikrinamas pretendentų pasirengimas apskritai užimti valstybės tarnautojo pareigas, o ne tik tinkamumas konkrečiai pareigybei; antrajame etape atrenkami pretendentai ir konkurso laimėtojai į konkrečią pareigybę (Pivoras, 2014). Valstybės tarnybos sistemos pertvarką tiriantys mokslininkai pripažįsta, kad hibridinė atrankos sistema užtikrina didesnį skaidrumą ir mažesnes favoritizmo apraiškas (Sundell, 2014). Vis dėlto kalbant apie XVII LR Vyriausybės pozicijas, reikia paminėti, kad aiškinamajame rašte "Dėl LR Valstybės tarnybos įstatymo Nr.…”

What Causes Patronage Reform? It Depends on the Type of Civil Service Reform

“…1 For other patronage conceptualizations, see Bearfield (2009). 2 New Public Management reforms -such as decentralized personnel functions -in patronage states with, characteristically, weak rule of law typically do not curb patronage due to high risks of abuse (Sundell 2014). The review thus focuses on 'Weberian' reforms.…”

When the Victor Cannot Claim the Spoils: Institutional Incentives for Professionalizing Patronage States

“…As a result, vacancies may be advertised publicly at 48 As respondent careers may comprise several respondent types, figure Moreover, the process and criteria to select the most competent candidate are left unspecified -so long as technical criteria are prioritized. Professional bureaucracies vary in whether they emphasize academic credentials, skills or experience, among others, to assess competence; and they vary in their reliance on written exams, interviews or other tests in assessments (Sundell, 2014). Consequently, "meritocratic recruitment can be achieved through a variety of means."…”

“…Unsurprisingly then, statistical studies find that more flexible, NPM-inspired recruitment schemes do not contain patronage where risks of abuse are high (Sundell, 2014). In the words of Gaebler, "you have to invent government before you can reinvent it."…”