AN OVERVIEW OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

1. Reviewing people’s performance is one of the management activities through

which the performance of the whole organisation is managed. Monitoring the
performance of an organisation is a vital process since it is only through the
realization of at least an adequate performance that the organisation will
achieve its objectives and continue to survive and develop. In fact, monitoring
is part of a larger process that gathers information about performance. By
implication, it should be assumed that an analysis of the information carries
with it recommendations for specific actions that are designed to correct or
improve situations where necessary.

2. Ultimately, the level and quality of an organisation’s performance is

determined by the levels and standards that are achieved by its employees.
The argument that external pressures have a strong influence on an
organisation’s performance is a rational one, but the delivery of a good
performance by employees must enhance the organisation’s chance of
survival even under the most dire conditions. Putting it negatively, poor
performance by the employees could cause major problems for the enterprise
regardless of the external conditions. It is therefore crucial to have the means
to assess employees’ performance formally and to have a system of follow-up
designed to solve any problems that might be inhibiting good performance.

3. Performance appraisal

4. There are several approaches to appraising employees’ performance, but the

most frequent one – and it is the one employed in the Romanian civil service -
involves a manager in carrying out an annual appraisal of his or her staff. In
this well-used system the manager completes an appraisal form and the
employee (usually) completes a shorter note about duties, objectives and
responsibilities. An interview then takes place at which the manager and the
employee reach agreement over the extent to which the employee has
reached the standards of the job and achieved any objectives set at the
previous review, or since. Any problems that might have arisen since the
previous review are also discussed, the reasons ascertained and decisions
made about solutions.

5. All of this has a past focus. While this is important, it is also essential for the
manager to emphasise what is to happen in the future. The identification of
problems, for example, gives the manager the opportunity to discuss
solutions which, of course, can only be applied in the future. It might be that
coaching or counselling are the solutions to the employee’s problems, but it
might also involve further training. Whatever type of solution is discussed,
agreement should be reached about the employee’s future job objectives and
future standards of performance in the job.

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6. Some time before the interview, the employee is normally given a self-
preparation form. At this stage he or she will have been informed about the
time and place of the interview. The structure of the form gives the employee
a measured way of considering his or her performance over the past year.
The form also provides the employee with implicit guidance about how he
should be thinking in relation to the appraisal.

7. From his or her monitoring of day to day performance, the manager should
have a good idea of how each employee is performing. He or she will have
handled any grievances that have arisen. The manager should also be aware
of any difficulties that have arisen for reasons beyond the employee’s control.
This includes an personality difficulties that have arisen within the group in
which the employee works.

8. Managing performance can be formal or informal. The informal approach is

characterised by more or less continuous monitoring and feedback. The main
problem with it is that it does not allow the perspective of time. Things, by
definition, are dealt with ad hoc. The judgements reached can be very
subjective – always a bad thing.

9. Here, we are concerned with formal appraisal, normally carried out annually,
as part of a specially designed system that includes coaching, counselling
and training as possible follow up action. It is worth emphasizing that the
system should be flexible and capable of being adapted to changed
circumstances, and the system itself should be subject to monitoring.
Performance appraisal is often criticized for being one of the things that looks
good on paper, but seldom works effectively in practice. However, it is failure
to monitor the system and to adapt it to changed circumstances that causes
performance appraisal to fall into disrepute within an organisation.

10. The objectives of appraisal

11. The purpose of appraisal is to raise the likelihood that an organisation will
achieve its strategic goals and specific objectives through its staff performing
well and within the set policies and systems. In addition to this organisation
wide objective performance appraisal also has more specific objectives.

• Assessing past performance and the extent to which objectives have been
met.
• Identifying training needs and planning to meet them.
• Setting and agreeing future standards and objectives.
• Providing increased motivation to the employee.

12. Performance appraisal is entirely about how the employee has performed in
his or her job and nowhere else. Performance appraisal is not about how the

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 employee has conducted himself or herself outside of the job. Nor is it about
how well they have organised social functions. For many jobs, and certainly
for non-management jobs, it is not about the personality of the individual. The
organisation should have different procedures in place to deal with these
matters. The assessment criteria on the performance appraisal form should
therefore be related directly to job performance and to the particular job
specification. Managers should base their markings on an objective
assessment of how the various criteria have been fulfilled during the appraisal
period

The objectives of performance

appraisal

Objective Related action and decisions

Assessing past performance The appraisal form contains

assessment scales on which a level of
past performance is recorded. The
marking reflects the degree to which
the individual has met the required
standards and achieved objectives set
at the previous review.

Identifying the training needs of the
individual
It might be that shortfalls that are found
in the individual’s performance indicate
a need for training (to fill in gaps in
knowledge or skills) or counselling (to
motivate the individual toward an
improved effort). At the interview the
employee and the manager should
work out a training and counselling
programme.

13. The appraisal interview

14. The appraisal interview is dealt with extensively in a later section of this
guide. The material here is a brief and general overview.

15. If the appraisal interview is to be successful particular attention should be

paid to the venue. It should beheld at a place and at a time when both parties
can be certain that they will not be disturbed. Telephones should be switched
off or be diverted. The room should be quiet and comfortable, and should be
reserved well in advance.

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16. The manager should attribute importance to the occasion and should be seen
to do so. To the employee the interview will be an important event in the
annual calendar. Employees talk to one another about it. They ensure that
they complete their part of the documentation in advance and the manager
should have plenty of time to read it and to analyse it beforehand. Often
employees will make special efforts with their appearance and presentation at
the interview. They can be totally disillusioned if, at the interview, the
manager simply seems hell-bent on getting the forms completed and either
talks over them or does not listen carefully.

17. Appraisal interviews have considerable potential for maintaining and

enhancing good human relations and managers should regard them as
important events. They should be properly planned. All the relevant
documentation should be to hand and should have been properly studied.
Background information should have been entered on the form before the
interviews starts, thus heading off the need for notes to be taken. At the end
of the interview the employee should leave the room with the following.

• A well founded belief that the manager is aware of his or her total job situation
and that there was mutual understanding of the importance of the appraisal
interview.
• Clear knowledge of exactly what lies ahead in terms of the standards of job
performance expected and the objectives to be achieved. The standards and
the objectives should have been mutually agreed. They should be a stretch
for the employee, but they should be achievable. The objectives should have
specific performance standards attached to them.
• An understanding that specific arrangements will be made to fill in any gaps in
knowledge or skills that were identified.
• A general feeling that the perceptions, decisions and action were fair and
reasonable.
• Motivation to perform well in the future.

18. The above represents a set of ideal attainments. But they do provide an
assessor with a set of goals to aim for, even if the employee is difficult.

19. The degree to which an appraisal interview is successful and its outcome
depends upon several factors.

• The personality and skill of the manager.

• The personality of the employee and his or her conduct during the interview.
• The situation of the interview.
• The nature of the content that has to be discussed.

20. Managers often experience difficulty when faced with the prospect of telling
somebody that their performance is below standard. Many question their right

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 to be judge and jury, making decisions that can have a serious effect on the
job future of other people. One answer to this is to adopt a different approach.
Instead of sitting back and acting as a judge, pointing out weaknesses and
deficiencies, the manager takes up the role of coach and counselor. He
approaches the problem as a change agent, a person who is willing to help
employees and to show them how to improve performance. In this way, the
appraised employee becomes and active agent and not simply a passive
object. The interview can then be seen as a part of an ongoing, progressive
movement in which the manager and the employee are working together
towards improvement. It is a process that might involve the manager in
coaching or recommending further training for the employee and it might also
involve the manager in using counselling techniques. There are three main
approaches to this kind of counselling.

• The tell and sell method. Here the manager seeks first to let the employee
know how he is doing, then to gain the employee’s acceptance of the
evaluation and, finally, to get him or her to follow the plan outlined for
improvement. The problem with this method is that considerable and unusual
skill is required to get people to accept criticism and to change in the required
manner. There occasions when it is necessary to tell people unpleasant facts,
but it might not be possible to provide the motivation required for change,
unless resort is made to threats (almost invariably a bad tactic) or
inducements.

• The tell and listen method. The evaluation is given to the employee, who is
then allowed to respond to it. Instead of the interviewer dominating the
discussion, he or she sits back and becomes anon-directive counselor in the
second part of the discussion. The employee is encouraged to think things
out for himself or herself and to decide on what needs to be done. The
assumption is that he or she is more likely to change in these circumstances
than if he or she had simply been told what to do. A further advantage of this
approach is that the interviewer will profit more from the interview by receiving
feedback from the employee on how the job might be improved regarding
supervision, work methods and job assignments. But the method requires
considerable skill on the part of the interviewer in listening, reflecting feelings
and summarizing opinions.

• The problem solving approach. Here the interviewer abandons the role of
judge and becomes a helper. The appraisal is not communicated directly to
the employee. Instead, a discussion takes place of the work problems of the
employee, who is encouraged to think through his or her solutions to them,
including changes needed to behaviour to achieve improvement. This
approach motivates original thinking because it stimulates curiosity. It also
provides the intrinsic motivation that can be derived from work itself and the
process of tackling work problems. Job satisfaction can be improved by
recognizing or enlarging the job (though this is not an exclusive characteristic

5
 of this process). The superior’s ability to provide advice and guidance is
increased, as is his or her ability to provide help in the form that it is needed.
This approach also needs skill, but it is probably the most fruitful method and
it is one that can be clearly linked to results oriented review techniques.

21. Following appraisal interviews, managers should ensure that all the agreed
action to provide training and/or counseling are followed up. It has been
known for this crucial activity to be missed. Managers conduct very good
interviews, but then fail to follow through. Appraisal without effective follow-up
is almost a complete waste of time. The information gathered at an appraisal
interview should be entered on the relevant forms and copied to the
appraiser’s supervisor and to the personnel department for action.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Thursday, May 27, 2004

6
 GENERAL PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROCEDURES

1. Introduction

2. An omnibus statement of the law currently applicable to performance

appraisal forms an appendix to this section of the guide.

3. Law 188/89, article 58 determines that appraisal is (usually) to be performed

annually and that it is to result in an overall performance assessment that is to
be graded as one of, ‘excellent’, ‘very good’, ‘good’, ’satisfactory’ or
‘unsatisfactory’. A second inclusion links appraisal to promotion both for pay
purposes and generally and also provides for dismissal in the case of
unsatisfactory ratings. The article makes provision for the setting up of an
assessment commission to deal with the performance appraisal of high
ranking civil servants and concludes by giving regulatory powers for setting a
detailed methodology for the conduct of performance appraisal generally.

4. The regulatory power has been exercised in the Government Decision

1209/2003, ‘Regarding the Organisation and Development of the Civil
Servant’s Career’. This lengthy decision covers recruitment and selection and
some other matters as well as performance appraisal in general terms and as
it is applied to high ranking civil servants, at one extreme, and to debutant
civil servants, at the other. This section of the guide deals specifically with
appraisal for civil servants generally and for high ranking civil servants. A later
section deals with the arrangements for probationary civil servants.

5. Ministry of Public Administration Order Number 8, 15th January 2002,

provides information about the performance criteria to be used within
performance appraisal reports. It deals separately with operational
(execution) civil servant and leading civil servants, though the performance
criteria to be applied to the latter also include the performance criteria to be
applied to the former.

6. The preamble section to the guide has given general information about the
principles of performance appraisal. That is not repeated here. The general
approach of this section is to consider the general character of performance
appraisal as it is set out in article 58 of Law 188/99 and then to consider in
detail, broadly in the order in which they appear, the detailed provisions of the
Government Decision.

7. The terminology used in this section of the guide is as follows.

• The civil servant means the civil servant subject to performance appraisal.

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 • The evaluator means the person making the performance appraisal.
• The second signatory means the person senior to the evaluator who
counter-signs the appraisal report.

8. The character of article 50 of Law 188/99

9. The substantive law provides that appraisal is to be done on an annual basis.

In some circumstance this is not practicable. The civil servant might only
spend part of the year in post or the evaluator might change after only part of
the year in post. These circumstances are met by specific provisions within
the Government Decision and it follows that, in some circumstances,
appraisal reports will be for shorter periods than for one year.

10. The function of the appraisal report is narrowly defined by article 58. It lists
only four functions of the appraisal.

• Promotion to higher pay ranks.

• Promotion on the pay scale
• Promotion to a higher public position.
• Dismissal from a public position.

11. This list of functions is too narrow. For instance, it excludes the basic purpose
of performance appraisal which it to enable the organisation to reach a view
on how well its employee’s are functioning in relation to the strategic and
other objectives that it has set. Nor does it cover issues such as uncovering
needs for further training or education: that does, however, form part of the
Government Decision and is dealt with later. It should be taken as an implicit
function of performance appraisal that it is concerned in major part with the
assessment of competence in relation to duties and, thence, that it is
concerned in aggregate with how well the employee’s of the public authority
or institution are meeting the organisation’s strategic and other objectives. As
will be seen from what follows, the appraisal is directly concerned, in
significant part, with how well the civil servant has performed in relation to
work objectives set for him or her in the previous performance appraisal
report, or set out in an addendum to it.

12. Dismissal can be a consequence of unsatisfactory performance in terms of

the final grade given in a performance appraisal report. The extension to
article 58 of Law 188/99 is in article 90(4)(d). That provision reads as follows.

• The head of the public authority or institution shall dispose the release
from the public function by an administrative act that shall be
communicated to the civil servant no later than five days after the
issuance for reasons not imputable to the civil servant in the following
cases…………(d) for professional incompetence where he or she gets the

8
 qualification ‘unsatisfactory’ in the assessment of the individual
professional performance.

13. There is a logical gap in the law to the extent that neither in Law 188/99 or in
the Government Decision is it stated that mitigating circumstances have to be
taken into account before a decision is made to give a rating of unsatisfactory.
However, within the evaluation form (dealt with later) there is space to allow
the evaluator to comment upon ‘objective difficulties encountered [by the civil
servant] during the evaluation period’. Mitigating factors should be expressed
in that section. It would also be open to the second signatory to comment
upon or extend these mitigating factors in his or her comments on the report.
This carries a clear, practical point. The appraisal report is to be done
objectively. That is to say, it is to measure objectively the standards obtained
in relation to the objectives set and in relation to the aspects of individual
performance (see later) that are relevant. Only in the sections already noted
are mitigating circumstances to be brought to attention. The extent to which
any such mitigating factors are to be taken into account by the head of the
public authority or institution in determining the administrative action of
dismissal is a separate matter outside the scope of this guide, but general
principles of natural justice would presumably apply.

14. Arrangement for promotion either in pay or in other terms are to be

determined on the basis of the final grade given in the appraisal report. The
administrative procedures governing these arrangements are outside the
provisions of this guide.

15. The Government Decision – Annex 3 Methodology for the evaluation of

the professional performance of civil servants

16. General applicability

17. Article 1(1) of the Government Decision establishes that performance

appraisal is to be applied to every civil servant, without exceptions. The only
derogation to this provision occurs in article 3(4) where it is provided that the
civil servant must have worked for at least 6 months in a public position in
order to be evaluated. Separate provisions (see below) also provide for ‘out of
normal course’ appraisals where there is a disruption in the service of the
evaluator.

18. The job description

19. Article 1(2) refers to the job description with the implicit meaning that the job
description (together with specified work objectives) forms a basic reference
point for the evaluation process. A job description model form is included as
the first of the forms provided as a sub-annex to this section of the
Government Decision.

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20. The job description should have been established on appointment of the civil
servant to the post, though it might since have been updated. The job
description requires the approval of the head of the public authority or
institution. It contains the following.

• The name of the job.

• The level of the job – the public position according to category.

• Identification of the public position – name, class, professional degree.

• The main purpose of the job – the necessity for the job and the
contribution to the public authority or institution.

• Requirements for holding the job – specialised training, advanced training,

computer user/programming, foreign languages (with level of knowledge),
abilities, qualities and aptitudes. managerial competence, specific
requirements (frequent traveling, delegations, secondment).

• Responsibilities – established on the basis of Law 188/99 regarding the

status of civil servants. The degree of complexity and difficulty is to grow
gradually with every class and rank within the same category.

• Competence limits – the decision making freedom of the post-holder.

• Delegation of responsibilities.

• Relationships

o Internal – hierarchic, functional, control, representation.

o External – with public authorities and institutions, with international

organisations, with private legal persons.

• Drawn up by – head of department where the official works

• Notified to the job holder – name, signature and date.

• Endorsed by – name, executive public office, signature and date.

21. The general basis of appraisal

22. Article 2 of the Government Decision sets the general basis for the appraisal.
The evaluation is to be done by reference to the performance standards
achieved and the degree of fulfillment of the tasks set for the evaluated
period. This article is extended by article 6. There it is made clear that the
appraisal is to cover the extent to which specific goals that were set were

10
achieved and to deal with performance standards for individual aspects of
performance. The provisions of article 6 are dealt with in more detail later.

11
23. The evaluation period

24. Article 3(1) and 3(2) defines the normal evaluation period and indicates the
period available for completion of the evaluation. The process is not defined
and must therefore be interpreted in its ordinary language. Therefore the
period should be taken to mean the completion of all normal action in relation
to an evaluation. Thus, it includes not only the writing of the evaluation report,
but the carrying out of the appraisal interview (see separate section of this
guide) and action by the second signatory. Appeal action should not be
considered a normal part of the appraisal process and therefore the time
prescribed and taken for that action should lie outside of the appraisal period,
to the extent necessary.

• The prescribed period to which the appraisal is to apply is from 1st

December of one year to 30th November of the next year.

• Appraisal action is to be completed between 1st December and 15th

December of the month following the end of the appraisal period.

25. Exceptional evaluation periods

26. Article 3(3) and 3(4) of the Government Decision set out further provisions
regarding appraisal periods.

27. The first extension relates to situations in which the civil servant’s
employment ceases, changes or is suspended during an evaluation period. In
those events, the civil servant is evaluated for the period up to the cessation,
change or suspension. No minimum period is stated for the period of
suspension that is to trigger completion of an appraisal report. Suspension
should therefore be taken to mean situations in which the application of
articles 87,88 and 89 of Law 188/99 are applicable. It should be noted that the
minimum 6 month appraisal period normally applied is specifically excluded
from application where employment ceases changes or is suspended (Article
3(4)). The formal situation is therefore that appraisal procedures are triggered
whenever cessation, change or suspension takes place.

28. The second extension regarding appraisal periods arises when a civil servant
who would normally act as an evaluator ceases, changes or suspends his or
her employment. In that event appraisal action is triggered and should be
taken within 15 days of the cessation, change or suspension. The appraisal is
subject to the normal rules. The grade given in such an interim evaluation is
to be taken into account in the annual evaluation when that is completed.

29. The third alteration to the appraisal period occurs when a civil servant is
promoted to a higher category because of obtaining a higher diploma. In that
case, appraisal action is triggered at the point the promotion is made.

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30. Article 3(4), subject to the exceptions listed in the previous three paragraphs,
places a time floor to appraisal action. It provides that for evaluation to be
carried out on the basis of a fully annual appraisal, the civil servant must have
worked for at least 6 months in a public position. The effect of this paragraph
is that for normal appraisal to take place, the civil servant must have been
continuously in post from 1st June to 30th November in the year to which
appraisal is applied.

31. The evaluator

32. Article 4(1)places a duty upon the evaluator to carry out a performance
appraisal. Paragraph 4(2) then goes on to define who the evaluator should
be. Its effect is as follows.

• The evaluator will normally be the leading civil servant who coordinates
the department in which the civil servant carries out his or her work, or
who coordinates his or her activity. Thus there are two definitions. The first
related to coordination of the department and the second to coordination
of the activity. If separate persons carry out these functions, it is a matter
for administrative decision which should make the appraisal. The law does
not specify any competence for the evaluator apart from position. Nor is
any particular training or experience specified.

• Where the civil servant to be appraised is a leading civil servant, the

evaluator should be the hierarchically superior civil servant in terms of the
organisational structure.

• Where the civil servant to be evaluated works in a department which is not

coordinated by a leading civil servant, or they carry out their activity under
the coordination of a dignitary, the evaluator is to be a high civil servant.

• Where the civil servant is the secretary of a commune, town or territorial-

administrative sub-division of a municipality, the evaluator is to be the
mayor, but subject to a proposal of the local council.

33. Steps in appraisal

34. Article 5 of the Government Decision sets out three main stages for
performance appraisal. These are the following.

• The making of the appraisal report by the evaluator.

• The appraisal interview, which is dealt with in a separate section of this

guide.

• Countersigning of the appraisal report.

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35. Responsibilities of the evaluator

36. Article 6 lists the general responsibilities of the evaluator in relation to the
appraisal report. These responsibilities are made more specific in later
articles, particularly in article 7 regarding goals, article 8 regarding
performance standards and article 9 regarding the final grading of the
performance appraisal.

37. The main responsibilities of the evaluator are as follows.

• The analysis of how individual goals were fulfilled. The goals here are
those listed in the previous appraisal report as these might have been
amended or extended during the course of the evaluation period.
Procedures exist for the revision of goals on a quarterly basis.

• Appraising general performance standards. These are specific

performance standards linked to the job description as it applied during
the appraisal period. In the appendix to this guide there are tables of
evaluation criteria. These tables have been produced on the basis of
generic material regarding the elements of performance standards. The
appendix is preceded by a note setting out how the evaluation criteria
might be used in relation to performance appraisal (and to the preparation
of job descriptions). Broadly, there is a four-column tabulation, each
column relating to a different grade of civil servant, ranked in ascending
order from left to right. The descriptions provided for each of the different
components of work represent what a competent civil servant, within the
specified grade span, should achieve. Thus they accord to the ‘good’ level
of achievement. The evaluation criteria should be used as a general guide
to performance in relation to the aspects of work dealt with. The material is
in three main parts – a general set of performance criteria; a set related to
lawyers working in the civil service; a set related to staff working in
finance. There are, of course, many other types of civil servant that could
be covered. This is, however, a matter for the individual public authorities
and institutions.

• Determining the final grade for the performance appraisal. This is dealt
with further in article 8 – see following.

• Noting in narrative form information concerning the following.

o Any outstanding results achieved by the civil servant during the

appraisal period. ‘Outstanding’ is not a term defined by the
Government Decision, but it can be taken to equate to ‘exceptional’,
that is to say to a rating of 5 on the five-point scale used for
evaluation. It is performance very significantly above the average

14
 level and is really sustained performance without flaw of any kind or
degree.

o Any objective difficulties encountered by the civil servant during the

appraisal period. This term is not defined by the Government
Decision. At a minimum, it should be taken to mean issues that
have had an observable, significant, adverse effect on performance
or on any particular part of it. The reason for the adverse effect
must be precise and it must be specifically attached to the
particular civil servant, though other civil servants too might have
been affected by it.

o Any other observations considered relevant. This is a catch-all

provision. It should normally be used to elucidate, as seems
necessary, point or markings made in other parts of the appraisal
report. Particularly it should be used to point out any unevenness in
performance. For example, while written work as a whole might
have been good, parts of it might have been unsatisfactory, or, per
contra, exceptionally good. Similarly, relations with colleagues
might have been generally satisfactory, but unsatisfactory in
particular respects.

• Sets individual performance goals and deadlines for the next period to be
evaluated. This matter is dealt with in more detail in article 7, which is
covered below.

• Sets training needs for the next evaluation period. No further information is
given about this within the Government Decision. Clearly training can be
of two fundamental kinds. It can be remedial training – directed toward
making good specific deficiencies observed in performance. Alternatively,
or in addition, it can be training to fit the civil servant for the demands of
new goals or new types of work within the overall scope of the job
description. Nor does the Government Decision contain further information
about the type of training to be provided. At one end of the spectrum, it
could be formal courses, seminars or further education. At the other end it
could merely involve desk-training from more experienced colleagues.
Clearly there is too a practical constraint: it will only be appropriate to
enter as training to be provided training that there is reasonable certainty
of providing. Unless this is the case, the inclusion of the material on the
form is irrelevant and it should not be entered. In turn, this might mean
that goals have to be curtailed or re-expressed, or that work planned for
the civil servant might have to be accomplished by others.

38. A model of the report form to be used for the performance appraisal is
included as a sub-appendix to the Government Decision and is reproduced at
the end of this section of the guide.

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39. Performance goals

40. Article 7 of the Government Decision deals with performance goals, in terms
of the goals to be established for the next appraisal period. However,
information about the appraisal of performance related to goals is implicit in
this article. The article, as a whole, can therefore be taken as having focuses
on the forward period – goal setting – and on the completed period – goal
performance appraisal.

41. The first point made by article 7 is that goals that are set must fall within the
ambit of the job description of the civil servant. Goal setting is not a covert
means of extending that job description.

42. The detailed material in article 7 covers these points in order. It should be
noted, however, that article 7 places no limit on the number of goals that can
be set. The model form suggests space for 5 goals, but this is not an
absolute. There might be fewer or, perhaps more rarely, more. The number of
goals, and their expression, is a matter for administrative decision, always
bearing in mind that they are constrained by the job description.

• The individual goal must be specific to activities that involve the

prerogatives of a public power. This is rather technical phraseology. It
should be taken to mean that goals that would involve the civil servant in
activity that is beyond the scope of a normal civil service power has to be
set aside. It would be ultra vires This is, of course, a general restriction on
civil service activity. It should therefore be considered as a provision ‘for
the avoidance of doubt’.

• The goal must be quantifiable; and the provision underlines this by going
on to say that it must have a concrete character. On the strict face of the
article then the goal must have a numerical value attached to it in terms of
its fulfillment. A quantifiable element does not, of course, preclude a
qualitative element to the goal, nor should it. It merely sets a condition.
Thus, for example, casework might explicitly have to be done to a
generally good level. The goal might be expressed as, ‘the completion of
X cases in Y period to a good standard’. Another, less defined example
might be, ‘achieve (defined) secondary legislation in not more than X
iterations by a specified date’. The evaluator should be aware that, by
careful expression of the goal, it is always possible to attach a quantifier,
and this should be done.

• The goal should have deadlines. The deadlines should be, of course,
within or by the end of the forward appraisal period. This might require
some ingenuity in phrasing by the evaluator. It will, perhaps often, be the

16
 case that a goal remains in force from one appraisal period to another. In
this case intermediate deadlines should be set, with consequent
implications for the general phrasing of the goal. A common example will
be casework of different kinds which will remain part of the civil servants
duties from appraisal period to appraisal period. As indicated earlier, the
appropriate goal will be of the general form, ‘casework of Z type involving
not less than X cases in Y period (weekly, monthly, quarterly) of a good
standard’. General considerative work should have intermediate and final
goals attached to it. Project work, by definition, will have deadlines for
intermediate work products set by the project timelines. These should be
incorporated, as appropriate, into the appraisal goals for the individual civil
servant at an appropriate level of aggregation.

• The goal should be realistic, in terms of being capable of being fulfilled

within the deadlines set and with the resources being made available for it.
Neither the specific wording of the Government Decision nor the wording
of the appraisal report form set a requirement that resource expenditure
(staff, capital and revenue) should be attached to goals. But it is obviously
good management practice that they should. Indeed in many
administrations, and it might already be the case in parts of the Romanian
public service, it standard practice for all work to be controlled by task
sheets. These task sheets, which are in some measure the parallel
equivalent of job descriptions for an individual, set out the work to be done
and the resources of different types, including man-days or man-months,
to be expended in achieving it. The task sheets are normally updated at
least annually and often quarterly or six-monthly.

• The goal should be flexible to the extent of being capable of being revised
according to the changing priorities of the public authority or institution.
The Decision does not state specifically at this point that the priorities
must also chime with the job description of the civil servant, but that is
explicit elsewhere. Article 7(3) of the Government Decision sates that
goals can be revised on a quarterly basis. In that event, the evaluator and
the civil servant each sign and date a document setting out the revised
goal(s). That document is then attached to the last appraisal report and
forms part of the input material for the next appraisal report.

43. Stages to reach the final evaluation grade

44. This is dealt with in article 8 and article 9 of the Government Decision. The
basic mechanism is the following.

• Performance in relation to each goal is assessed on a rising scale of from

1 to 5. Formally, no narrative description is attached by the Government
Decision to each mark. However, there is a broad parallel in the
descriptions attached to the final grade of the appraisal. These, in
ascending order, are – ‘unsatisfactory’, ‘satisfactory’, ‘good’, ‘very good’

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and ‘exceptional’. The integer marking should be taken to mean that
wording. But it should be noted that there is no definition of the wording
either in the Government Decision or on the face of the model report form.
The following is therefore administrative guidance. At this point it relates to
the appraisal of work done in relation to particular goals. Later on, it is
generalized.

o Unsatisfactory (mark 1) should be taken to mean clearly below the

standard to be expected from a fully trained civil servant occupying the
particular post. The work should be consistently below standard. If
there are mitigating factors, these can be drawn attention to in the
narrative part of the appraisal form and, as will later be seen, the civil
servant also has the opportunity to enter on to the form mitigating
circumstances in the section for his or her use.

o Satisfactory (mark 2) should be taken to mean the general standard to

be expected from a fully trained civil servant occupying the particular
post. There might well have been some aspects of performance that
were unsatisfactory and some that were rated above mark 2, but the
general standard has been mark 2. The comments box on the form
can be used to detail (and if necessary explain) any variation. It should
be carefully noted that mark 2 should be taken as the average level of
attainment by civil servants. The mark is precisely a satisfactory level
of attainment. If the performance appraisal system is working correctly
it should be the mark obtained by the majority of civil servants.

o Good (mark 3) should be taken to mean the standard distinctly above

the mark 2 satisfactory standard achieved by a fully trained civil
servant occupying the particular post. The work should be consistently
above the mark 2 standard, but some inconsistency of performance (to
a lower standard) might have been observed. In general, though, there
will have been no consistently sustained high points of performance.

o Very good (mark 2) should be taken to mean performance consistently

and significantly above a performance by a fully trained civil servant
occupying the particular post and which would have been marked good
(mark 3). The essence of this mark is consistent high achievement.
There should have been no inconsistencies in performance.

o Exceptional (mark 1) should be taken to mean performance that, taking

account on the training and experience of the civil servant occupying
the particular post, was truly exceptional. It should very considerably
exceed expectations on all parameters. The mark should only be given
rarely and never lightly or without very clear justification. In most
administrations, marks of this order are achieved by no more than 2 or
3% of civil servants and then usually only on parts of an appraisal.

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• When each goal has been marked an arithmetic mean – the total of the
marks awarded divided by the number of goals – is calculated. The terms
of the Government Decision are that marks are only to be awarded for
each fulfilled objective. At face value this would mean that an objective
that hade only been partially fulfilled would receive a mark of zero; the
goal had not been fulfilled. This would be a perverse result. Theoretically,
it could resulting a zero mark for the whole of goal related work. But the
lowest mark available on the scale provided is 1 (unsatisfactory). For
practical purposes, goals that have been unfulfilled to an unsatisfactory
extent should receive a mark of 1. Goals that have been satisfactorily
fulfilled should receive a mark of 2 and so on in accordance with the
marking scheme set out in the preceding paragraphs.

• Each performance standard relevant to the evaluation is to be marked on

a five point scale in similar way to the work directly related to goals. The
performance standard headings can be deduced from a combination of
the content of Ministry of Public Administration Order Number 8 (which is
deal with in the final pert of this section of the guide), the goals and the job
description, supplemented by the material in this guide concerning
evaluation criteria. The wording of the Government Decision is that the
performance standards are to be marked in relation to the work done in
fulfilling individual goals. In fact the two are separate issues: the face of
the Government Decision would directly result in work on goals being
marked twice in different ways. It also carries the unsustainable
implication that goal related work covers the entire spectrum of work done
during the appraisal period. Clearly that is not the case. The job
specification might be much broader than the goals. The performance
standards should be dealt with as free-standing items, though the skills
implicit within them might have been exercised in relation to some or all of
the goal related work. It should be noted that there is no mention in the
Government Decision about attaching weighting to the various items
within the performance standards. This is provided for only in the notes to
the model appraisal report form. These notes set out that:-

o At least one of the performance standards shall be weighted as

‘very important’;

o At least one of the performance standards shall be weighted as

‘important’;

o At least one of the performance standards shall be weighted as

‘less important’.

• After the various performance standards have been marked an arithmetic

mean is obtained for that sequence of marks in exactly similar manner to
the derivation of the mean for the marks awarded for goal related work.

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 • A final mark fro the evaluation is then obtained as an average of the two
intermediate marks – that awarded for goal related work and that for
performance standards work. It should be noted that it is both theoretically
and practically possible for this average not to be a true average figure.
The calculation assumes that the sums available for goal related work and
for performance standards related work are the same. Clearly that need
not be the case. Goal related work might account for a greater or lesser
proportion of total work. The same is true of performance related work,
and there is too the issue of the ‘importance weighting’ of the performance
standards related work – see above. That finds no reflection in the
marking schema and can only be dealt with in the comments sections of
the report form. The statistical options to correct this unbalancing of the
final average are not available in the Government Decision or in the Law.
For correction they would require either weighted average (best) or modal
calculations based on a ranking of the weighted performance standards
marks and the goal related marks, with the further gloss that the latter
marks would also require to be weighted by an appropriate means.

• Article 9 of the Government Decision simply contains a tabular conversion

of the final grade mark to a verbal description. It is as follows.

o Mark 1.00 to 1.50 – unsatisfactory

o Mark 1.51 to 2.50 – satisfactory

o Mark 2.51 to 3.50 – good

o Mark 3.51 to 4.50 – very good

o Mark 4.50 to 5.00 – exceptional

• The material already set out concerning the interpretation of the verbal
ratings applies equally to the final grade marking.

45. The appraisal interview

46. The appraisal interview is governed by Article 10 of the Government Decision.

Detailed information about the appraisal interview will be found in a separate
section of this guide and it is not repeated here, beyond saying that it open to
the evaluator to amend any of the various markings and comments on the
appraisal report from in the light of information garnered at the appraisal
interview. The civil servant also has the opportunity to comment in writing on
the appraisal report form before it is submitted to the second signatory.

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47. Using the commentary box on the appraisal report form

48. The use of the commentary box by the evaluator is discretionary. There is
nothing either in the law or in the form that requires it to be used. However,
the box is segmented and contains these parts.

• Outstanding results. The evaluator should record in this section

commentary, and justification, for any work that he or she rates as
outstanding. This should be taken for practical purposes as a mandatory
requirement when an aspect of performance, either goal or performance
standard related, has been rated at mark 5.

• Objective difficulties encountered during the evaluated period. This section

should also be treated as mandatory for practical purposes. If the civil
servant has faced objective difficulties during the appraisal period, of
whatever sort, then the evaluating officer should record them as a matter
of equity.

• Other observations. This section should be used on an ‘as required’ basis

to set out anything material to the appraisal that has not been covered in
other parts of the form.

49. Action by the counter-signing officer

50. The first paragraph of Article 11 of the Government Decision requires that the
completed appraisal form is to be forwarded to the countersigning officer as
soon as the appraisal interview has taken place. There are two definitions of
counter-signing officer.

• The counter-signing officer is the hierarchical superior in the structure of

the organisation to the evaluator. In the exceptional case where there is
no such official, the counter-signatory is the civil servant holding the
highest public position appointed by the head or the deputy head of the
public authority or institution.

• Where the appraised civil servant is the secretary of a commune, town or

territorial-administrative sub-division of a municipality, the counter-signing
officer is the prefect.

51. Although it is not stated explicitly in the Government Decision, the counter-
signatory should assume responsibility for ensuring that the performance
appraisal process including the appraisal interview has been dealt with
properly. He or she then has these specific rights and responsibilities.

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 • The right to amend the marks and the comments that have been made if
these are not realistic. It is implicit in this right that the judgements of the
counter-signatory supervene those of the evaluator. The counter-signatory
does not have to justify his or her judgements, save in the sense that an
aggrieved civil servant has the right of appeal either directly to a court, in
the case of a local government secretary, or to the head of the public
authority or institution and thence to a courting the case of other civil
servants.

• The right to resolve on his or her own judgement any difference of opinion
between the evaluator and the civil servant. Such differences of opinion
will have emerged during the appraisal interview and they will have been
documented on the appraisal report form either by the evaluator, or the
civil servant, or by both of them. As in the former case, the judgement that
is applied is one at the discretion of the counter-signer, subject only to the
appeal rights mentioned.

52. The counter-signatory is, of course, required to sign and date the form after
he or she has made any necessary amendments to it and has entered any
commentary that they think appropriate on the form. If it has been altered, the
fully completed form is then made known to the civil servant. No time limit is
set for this apart from the general requirement that the appraisal action shall
(for normal cases) be completed by 15th December.

53. The appeal rights of the civil servant

54. A civil servant has the right of appeal against a performance appraisal about
which he or she is aggrieved. For the secretary of a commune, town or
territorial-administrative sub-division of a municipality the appeal lies directly
to the administrative court. In other cases the appeal of first instance is to the
head of the public authority or institution. He or she must submit the appeal
within 5 days of being informed of the outcome of the appraisal by the
counter-signatory. No particular form of appeal is prescribed, but the practical
assumption is that it will be made in writing. The content of the appeal is a
matter for the individual civil servant and it is open to him or her to obtain
whatever advice from trade union or other sources as he or she wishes. Any
expenses incurred would be a matter for the civil servant.

55. The appeal to the head of the public authority or institution is to be settled
within 15 days of the submission of the appeal and the civil servant is to be
notified of the outcome of the appeal within 5 days of the settlement. No rules
are set regarding the appeal process and it is a matter for administrative
decision by the head of the public authority or institution. No right of an oral
hearing, with or without representation appears in the law.

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56. If the civil servant continues to be aggrieved following consideration of his or
her appeal by the head of the public authority or institution, then he or she
has the right to bring an appeal before the administrative court.

57. The provision of Ministry of Public Administration Order Number 8

58. A copy of Ministry of Public Administration Order Number 8 is included in the

appendix to this guide. The Order sets out in tabular form the performance
criteria on which civil servants are to be appraised in 2002. The Order has not
however been updated or republished. It should therefore be taken as a
general guide to performance criteria to be used in that part of the appraisal
report that deals with performance standards. Two tables are provided. The
first deals with performance criteria for operational (execution) civil servant.
The second deals with leading civil servants. The body text of the order
makes explicit that the criteria to be applied to operational civil servants
should also be applied to leading civil servants. The second tabular part
(dealing directly with leading civil servants) is an extension of the first part, not
a substitution for it.

59. The body text of the Order also contains material relevant to the
measurement of the attainment of objectives (goals). It makes explicit that
four general measures of performance are to be applied to work done in
relation to goals. These are the following.

• Quantity – the volume of work done in measured units related to the

operations or activities carried out directed to goals.

• Quality – which should measure the degree of completeness and

appropriateness of the solutions applied to the goals.

• Cost – which should measure the extent to which the costs of the public
authority or institution were contained in achieving the goal.

• Time – which should measure the time taken to achieve the goal; goals for
which no specific time has been set should also be measured.

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 APPRAISAL PROCEDURES FOR HIGH CIVIL SERVANTS

1. Introduction

2. High ranking civil servants are defined by Article 11 of Law 188/99. They are:

• The secretary general of the government and the deputy secretary general
of the government.
• State councilors.
• The secretary general and deputy secretary general in ministries and
other bodies of the central public administration.
• Prefect.
• Deputy prefect.
• Secretary General to the prefect’s office, secretary general of the county
and of Bucharest municipality.
• Directors general within ministries and other special bodies of the central
public administration.

3. The arrangements governing performance appraisal for those officials are set
out in Article 58 of Law 188/99 where it is first established, in article 58(4),
that a commission is to be appointed to make the appraisal. The commission
is appointed by the Prime Minister following the proposal of the Minister for
Public Administration. More detailed arrangements are then set out in
paragraph 13 onwards of annex 3 of the Government Decision concerning the
organisation and development of the civil servant’s career. This section of the
guide is primarily concerned with the content of that section of the annex.

4. The general approach to performance appraisal for high civil servants is that
the appraisal commission stands part for the evaluator in the normal range of
cases. In other respects, the detail regarding the appraisal assessment, the
arrangements are the same as for civil servants generally, with some
exceptions, for example those related to appeal rights.

5. The appraisal commission

6. The appraisal commission consists of five persons, a chairman and four

members. They are to be persons outstanding in the field of public
administration and they are appointed by the Prime Minister on the basis of a
proposal made by the Minister of Administration and the Interior. No
qualification conditions are set beyond outstanding reputation in relation to
public administration. No exclusions are set. However, the context of the
legislation is such that serving civil servants would be precluded. Retired high
civil servants would appear to be eligible.

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7. No specific rules are set regarding the conduct of business by the
commission. For example, it is not made explicit that the commission should
sit as a body to consider appraisal evaluations or whether they might do so
purely on the basis of written material. The practicable presumption is that, at
least in the stages of finalizing appraisals, they should meet. No formal
arrangements are mandated for secretarial support to the commission. That
would then seem to be a matter for decision between the chairman of the
commission and the relevant minister.

8. The basis of appraisal

9. Article 14 of the Government Decision sets out in its preamble that the
appraisal is to be done on the basis of a report of the activity of the high civil
servant. The Decision goes on to say, in article 14(a), that the report is to
cover the manner and the level of fulfilling the objectives set by the head of
the public authority or institution and, in articles 14(b) and (c), that is extended
to cover the way in which objectives were fulfilled, the performance obtained
from managed structures, and proposals regarding the efficiency of the
managed structures based on the identification of deficiencies and the means
of eliminating them.

10. These arrangements are not transparent. For instance, it is not clear from the
face of the Decision who should provide the report. In practice it seems likely
that the report would be drafted by the high civil servant himself or herself.
But that leaves aside the issue of whether the report should be submitted to
the commission directly or by the head of the public authority or institution.
For the present, all that can be said is that the commission can itself be
expected to establish the nature and provenance of the reports it expects to
receive. In any event, the report will rest, first, upon the job description of the
high civil servant, second, upon the statement of goals contained in the
previous appraisal report, as these might have been amended or extended
during the course of the appraisal period, third, some specific information
about how and the extent to which goals and identified performance
standards have been met.

11. General appraisal methodology

12. Article 15 of the Government Decision provides the methodology for the
completion of the appraisal. Its terms are that each component of the activity
report (above) is marked on a scale from 1 to 5 in similar manner to the
appraisal arrangements for civil servants generally. Both goal attainment and
the achievement on performance standards are to be marked. Arithmetic
means for work in relation to goals and for work in relation to performance
standards are to be obtained. The two are then to be averaged to obtain a
final overall marking for the appraisal and the overall mark is then equated to

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 the narrative marking, ‘unsatisfactory’, ’satisfactory’, ‘good’, ‘very good’ or
‘exceptional’ in exactly similar manner as for civil servants generally.

13. The Government Decision does not specifically refer to the completion of the
narrative boxes on the model report form, but the assumption is that those
should be completed, as in the general case. No reference is made either to
carrying out of an appraisal interview or to arrangements to communicate the
appraisal to the high civil servant. It seems that no performance appraisal
interview is envisaged. However, it is implicit that the high civil servant should
be shown the report and should have the opportunity to enter comments if he
or she wishes to do so. This follows from the fact (see below) that an appeal
right is established for the high civil servant.

14. The appraisal interview

15. No provision is made in the Government Decision regarding the conduct of

appraisal interviews for high civil servants. The assumption is, therefore, that
these are not to be carried out. There is no provision in the Government
Decision for the high civil servant to make representations to the appraisal
commission about the appraisal save that he or she is able to enter
commentary on the appraisal form.

16. Appeals

17. Article 16 of the Government Decision provides that high civil servants who
are dissatisfied with the outcome of the performance appraisal may appeal
directly to the administrative court. No other appeal right is conferred.

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 ARRANGEMENTS REGARDING THE INTERNSHIP PERIOD

1. Introduction

2. The law concerning the internship of civil servants is contained within Law
188/99 (Articles 50 and 51) and in Annex 2 of the Decision Regarding the
Organisation and the Development of the Civil Servant’s Career (Date?). The
latter contains the detailed arrangements for the assessment of the period of
probation.

3. There are some differences of terminology between the different provisions,

but the meaning is clear from the context. Thus, articles 50 and 51 refer to
‘periods of internship’. The decision refers to the ‘debutant civil servant’, that
is to say one who is undergoing a period of internship. It also refers the
‘beginner civil servant’. In this text we standardize on the name ‘debutant civil
servant’ or just ‘debutant’.

4. General arrangements

5. Aside from the debutant there are two main participants in the internship or
probation period. These are the counselor and the evaluator. The role and
function of each is described below. A third person, the individual
hierarchically superior to the evaluator, or the head of the public institution or
authority, as the case might require, acts as a reviewer of the evaluation
report (see later), and may alter the evaluation and/or the recommendations.

6. The debutant

7. The debutant is under the same duty as all civil servants to attend the place
of business punctually and for the due time and to apply himself or herself to
the duties assigned in a professional and responsible manner. In addition, the
debutant must complete a report, in due form, at the end of the internship
(probation) period and hand it to the evaluator (see later). The debutant’s
report covers these main items.

• A statement of office assignments (drawn from the job description of the post)

• Other (work) assignments carried out that have been established by a

superior civil servant or a person holding executive office.

• Specialised courses or other forms of advanced training carried out during the
internship period.

• Duties (if any) carried out outside of the institution.

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• Other (relevant) activities, for example articles, other publications, scientific
papers and the like.

• Description of duties carried out over the internship (probation) period.

• Difficulties encountered during the internship (probation) period.

8. The counselor

9. The first of the other two main people involved is the ‘counselor’ (who is also
referred to in the decision as a ‘guidance counselor’). The guidance counselor
is the person appointed as the day to day mentor of the debutant. The law is
silent about the seniority of the guidance counselor vis a vis the debutant.
Strictly, all that seems necessary is that the counselor is a permanent civil
servant with requisite experience to offer guidance and assistance to the
debutant regarding the carrying out of his or her duties during the internship
period. In practice, the guidance counselor might also be senior in grade. The
guidance counselor completes a report on the debutant’s performance 5 days
before the end of the internship period. It is done using a prescribed form and
is submitted to the head of the department in which the debutant has carried
out his or her activity during the internship. It covers:

• A description of the activity carried out by the debutant during the period of
internship;

• A statement of the skills that the debutant has demonstrated during the period
of internship;

• A statement of the behaviour of the debutant during office hours during the
period of internship;

• Conclusions regarding the performance of the period of internship and

recommendations. The law is silent about the nature of the recommendations,
but they can be deduced from other parts of the decision. They are whether
the debutant should be offered a permanent appointment or whether he or
she should be discharged as failing to meet the required standards.

10. The role of the guidance counselor is particularly important in relation to the
debutant. It is he or she who provides day to day guidance and support. He or
she will have a major influence on the success or otherwise of the internship
period, not least by ensuring that the debutant is introduced to the work in a
phased way and that he or she has a work load that is in keeping with their
developing experience and ability. The Decision therefore contain specific
provisions for the replacement of the guidance counselor if they modify,
suspend or terminate their work relationship or are otherwise unable to
continue as a guidance counselor. They are then replaced by a suitable other
person and must draw up a report on the internship period completed up to

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 that point. Similar action occurs if the guidance counselor is sanctioned for a
disciplinary offence under Article 70(3) of Law 188/99. The replacement
guidance counselor is appointed by the head of the public authority or
institution on the recommendation of the head of the department in which the
debutant works. The new guidance counselor must also be a permanent civil
servant.

11. The evaluator

12. The second main person concerned with the debutant and the period of
internship is the ‘evaluator’. The evaluator is normally the head of the
department in which the debutant civil servant carries out his or her activities.
An exception is provided for the case of public authorities or institutions
whose structure does not feature departments. In that case the evaluator is
the permanent civil servant holding the highest office [in the public authority or
institution] appointed by the head of the public authority or institution. The
evaluator may not be simultaneously a guidance counselor. [Note. Is this to
be taken to mean for that particular debutant. Or is it an omnibus
disqualification?]

13. The evaluator has the following main functions, each of which is dealt with in
more detail in the following paragraphs.

• To receive and consider the report drawn up by the guidance counselor(s).

• To receive and consider the report drawn up by the debutant civil servant.

• To complete the evaluation report on the period of internship.

• To establish an evaluation rating.

• To make recommendations regarding the conclusion [or the repetition] of the

internship.

• To inform the debutant of the evaluation report and the recommendations

made. This must be done within 3 days of the completion of the report.

14. Following completion, the probation report is forwarded to the head of the
department in which the debutant carried out his duties. If there is no such
person it is forwarded to the head of the public authority or institution.

15. Making the evaluation report

16. The report is made in a prescribed form provided in an annex to the Decision.
It covers a number of specific items of activity. Each item is rated on scale
running from 1 (the poorest) to 5 (the highest). An arithmetic mean is then
calculated from all the marks awarded. This final arithmetic mean is then
translated into an overall evaluation rating. An overall evaluation rating of

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 between 1.00 and 3.00 is to be regarded as unsatisfactory. An overall
evaluation rating of between 3.01 and 5.00 is to be regarded as satisfactory.

17. The criteria to be evaluated during the review are as follows.

• Knowledge of the regulations applicable to the work performed during the

internship.

• Knowledge of the general principles governing public administration and the

administrative responsibilities of the public authority or institution.

• The general capacity to fulfill office duties. This should be interpreted to mean
the performance of all the duties on which the debutant has been engaged
during the period of internship.

• Adaptability and versatility in fulfilling office duties.

• Powers of judgement, defined as the ability to distinguish correctly between

various options in fulfilling assignments.

• Communication ability, defined as ease in conveying ideas in writing or in

speech. Fluency in writing – the ability to write clearly and concisely.

• The capacity to work effectively in a team – the capability to fit in, to

contribute and make an effective contribution and, generally, to support the
team in achieving its objectives.

• Conduct during office hours.

• Other matters relevant to a career as a civil servant.

18. Action following the evaluation report

19. The evaluation report, which is shown to the debutant within 3 days of its
completion, will contain an overall evaluation mark and a recommendation
which may be for one of three outcomes.

• A recommendation that the debutant’s appointment is made permanent –

overall evaluation rating 3.01 to 5.00, satisfactory.

• A recommendation that the debutant’s appointment is terminated – overall

evaluation rating 1.00 to 3.00, unsatisfactory.

• A recommendation that the debutant’s period of internship is [extended]

[repeated] [Note: This is provided for by Article 7(2)(d) of the decision.
However it does not find any reflection in Article 9 or in Article 10. Nor does it
appear in Law 188/99. Clarification is therefore needed. It might be

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 reasonable, for example, to extend/repeat internship if the overall evaluation
mark is, say 2.50 to 3.00. For discussion, please.]

20. Appeal rights

21. A debutant civil servant who is dissatisfied with the recommendation made
following disclosure of the evaluation report has the right of appeal within a
further 3 days. The appeal is made to the civil servant hierarchically superior
to the evaluator or, as the case might be, to the head of the public authority or
institution.

22. That person shall consider:

• The report made by the debutant.

• The report made by guidance counselor(s).

• The report made by the evaluator.

23. After than consideration, the hierarchically superior civil servant may, if the
facts and circumstances warrant, it change markings on the report, change
the overall evaluation marking and change the recommendation regarding the
appointment of the debutant to a permanent civil service position or his
dismissal.

24. The debutant is to be shown the evaluation report with any amendments that
have been made within 3 days of the date from which he or she filed his
appeal.

25. If the debutant civil servant remains dissatisfied with the result of the appeal
he or she has the right to bring the matter to the court of administrative
litigation in accordance with the law.

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 THE LAW

Law 188/99

Section 2 – The Internship

Article 50

(1) The internship period shall be aimed at testing the professional skills in
fulfilling the tasks and responsibilities of a public position, practical
education of early civil servants, as well as getting early civil servants
familiar with the specifics of the public administration and its requirements.

(2) The internship period shall be of 12 months for 1st class civil service
agents, 8 months for 2nd class civil servants and 6 months for 3rd class civl
servants.

(3) The time spent by the civil servant for attending or promoting special
public administration training programmes for final appointment to a public
position shall be considered as making up the internship.

Article 51

(1) When the internship period expires, and based upon the results of the
assessments thereafter conducted, early civil servants shall be:

a. appointed permanent civil servants in the class corresponding to

the personal educational background for the public positions
mentioned in Article [13] and shall have the grade of assistants.

b. Dismissed from the public position if their performance is found

unsatisfactory upon assessment.

(2) In the situations provided by paragraph (1)(b) as well as the situations in

which a civil servant does not graduate from the special public
administration training programmes, the internship period shall not be
considered as length of service in a public position.

32
 THE ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE OF THE DEBUTANT CIVIL SERVANT’S
ACTIVITY

Article 1

(1) The assessment of the debutant civil servant’s activity shall be made
within 5 days from the completion of the probation period, usually by the
head of the department in which they carry out their activities, further
called the evaluator.

(2) By way of exception, in the case of public authorities or institutions the

structure of which does not feature departments, the evaluator shall be the
permanent civil servant in the highest office, appointed by the head of the
public authority or institution.

(3) The evaluator appointed under the previous paragraph may not also be a
guidance counselor.

Article 2

(1) The evaluation of a beginner civil servant’s activity refers to assessing the
way in which they have acquired the theoretical knowledge and the
practical skills necessary to fulfill the duties incumbent upon a public office
and to get acquainted with the specific activity of the public office or
institution and to the exigencies of the public administration.

(2) The evaluation of the debutant civil servant’s activity shall be done on the
basis of:

a. The report made by the counselor;

b. The internship report made by the debutant civil servant;

c. The evaluation report made by the evaluator.

Article 3

(1) The report shall be done within 5 days before the finalizing of the
internship period and shall comprise the following elements:

a. the description of the activity carried out by the debutant civil

servant;

b. the skills the debutant civil servant has proved in carrying out his
activities;

33
 c. the behaviour of the debutant civil servant during office hours;

d. conclusions regarding the development of the activity and

recommendations for its finalization.

(2) The report shall be made according to the model presented in point 2 of
this annex and shall be submitted to the head of the department in which
the debutant civil servant carried out his activity.

Article 4

(1) In the case of modifying, suspending or ceasing the guidance counselor

work relation, he or she shall draw up the report for the probation period
elapsed up to that time.

(2) In the case under sub paragraph (1), the head of the public authority of
institution, on the recommendation of the head of the department where
the debutant carries out his activity, shall appoint another permanent civil
servant as a guidance counselor for the unfulfilled probation period.

Article 5

(1) The provisions of Article 4 shall be applied accordingly if the guidance

counselor receives one of the sanctions stipulated under Article 70 (3).
Letters c) to e) inclusive of Law 188/99 on the Status of the Civil Servants,
with subsequent modifications and completions.

Article 6

(1) Upon the completion of the probation period, the debutant civil servant
shall fill out a probation report according to annex number 3 to this
Decision.

(2) The probation report describes the activity carried out by the debutant civil
servant during the probation period by presenting their assignments, the
ways used to fulfill them and difficulties they may have encountered in the
process.

(3) The probation report shall be handed over by the debutant civil servant to
the evaluator.

Article 7

(1) For the evaluation of the debutant civil servant’s activity, the evaluator
shall draw up the evaluation report for the probation period according to
annex 3 to this Decision.

34
 (2) To fill out the evaluation report, the evaluator shall:

a. examine the report drawn up by the guidance counselor and the

probation report filled out by the debutant civil servant;

b. mark the evaluation criteria according to the fulfillment criteria;

c. establish the evaluation rating;

d. make recommendations about the completion or repetition of the

probation period.

Article 8

(1) The criteria for evaluating the debutant civil servant’s activity are the
following:

a. knowledge of the regulations specific to the field of activity;

b. knowledge of the principles governing public administration and

administrative relations within the public authority or institution;

c. capacity to fulfill office duties;

d. adaptability and versatility in fulfilling duties;

e. power of judgment, namely the ability to distinguish correctly

among various options in fulfilling assignments;

f. communication, namely easiness in conveying ideas in writing and

in speech, fluency in writing, ability to write clearly and concisely;

g. capacity to work in a team, namely the capability to fit into a team,

to make a contribution by effective participation, to support the
activity of the team in achieving its objectives;

h. conduct during office hours;

i. other qualities recommending the debutant for a career as a civil

servant.

35
Article 9

(1) The marking of the evaluation criteria and the establishing of the
evaluation rating shall be done as follows.

(2) Evaluation criteria shall be marked on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the
poorest and 5 the highest. The mark expresses the assessment of the
meeting of each criteria in fulfilling office duties:

a. The final mark is obtained as the arithmetic mean of the mark given
for each evaluation criteria;

b. The evaluation rating is obtained by transforming the final mark as

follows – between 1.00 and 3.00, unsatisfactory, between 3.01 and
5.00, satisfactory.

(3) The significance of the evaluation criteria is the following:

a. unsatisfactory – the debutant civil servant did not prove their

theoretical knowledge and practical skills to the level necessary for
a public position;

b. satisfactory – the debutant civil servant proved to master the

theoretical and practical skills necessary for a public position.

Article 10

(1) The evaluator shall put down in the evaluation report of the probation
period:

a. the recommendation as to the appointment of the debutant civil

servant in a permanent public office, provided that the evaluation
rating is satisfactory.

b. The recommendation for discharge on grounds of professional

incompetence under the law, provided that the debutant civil
servant received an unsatisfactory rating.

36
Article 11

(1) The evaluation report of the probation period shall be brought to the
attention of the debutant civil servant within 3 days from the filing.

(2) A debutant civil servant dissatisfied with the result of the evaluation may
appeal within 3 days of knowing the result of the evaluation to the civil
servant hierarchically superior to the evaluator. In the cases stipulated
under Article 1(2) the appeal is to the head of the public institution or
authority.

Article 12

(1) The civil servant hierarchically superior to the evaluator or, as the case
may be, the head of the public authority or institution, shall examine the
evaluation report of the probation period, the report drawn up by the
guidance counselor and the report made by the debutant civil servant.

(2) The evaluation report may be altered according to the decision of the
hierarchically superior civil servant or, as the case may be, the head of the
public authority or institution, provided that they find that the observations
noted down in it are not verified.

(3) The evaluation report of the probation period, altered under paragraph (2),
shall be brought to the knowledge of the debutant civil servant within 3
days of the filing of the appeal.

Article 13

(1) The debutant civil servant who is dissatisfied by the result of the appeal
may take the case to the court of administrative litigation, under the law.

Ramboll Management

Phare Project Wednesday, June 02, 2004

GENERAL NOTES APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS

37
22. The appraisal interview

23. If the appraisal interview is to be successful particular attention should be

paid to the venue. It should beheld at a place and at a time when both parties
can be certain that they will not be disturbed. Telephones should be switched
off or be diverted. The room should be quiet and comfortable, and should be
reserved well in advance.

24. The manager should attribute importance to the occasion and should be seen
to do so. To the employee the interview will be an important event in the
annual calendar. Employees talk to one another about the event. They ensure
that they complete their part of the documentation in advance and the
manager should have plenty of time to read it and to analyse it beforehand.
Often employees will make special efforts with their appearance and
presentation at the interview. They can be totally disillusioned if, at the
interview, the manager simply seems hell-bent on getting the forms
completed and either talks over them or does not listen carefully.

25. Appraisal interviews have considerable potential for maintaining and

enhancing good human relations and managers should regard them as
important events. They should be properly planned. All the relevant
documentation should be to hand and should have been properly studied.
Background information should have been entered on the form before the
interviews starts, thus heading off the need for notes to be taken. At the end
of the interview the employee should leave the room with the following.

• A well founded belief that the manager is aware of his or her total job situation
and that there was mutual understanding of the importance of the appraisal
interview.
• Clear knowledge of exactly what lies ahead in terms of the standards of job
performance expected and the objectives to be achieved. The standards and
the objectives should have been mutually agreed. They should be a stretch
for the employee, but they should be achievable. The objectives should have
specific performance standards attached to them.
• An understanding that specific arrangements will be made to fill in any gaps in
knowledge or skills that were identified.
• A general feeling that the perceptions, decisions and action were fair and
reasonable.
• Motivation to perform well in the future.

26. The above represents a set of ideal attainments. But they do provide an
assessor with a setoff goals to aim for, even if the employee is recalcitrant.

38
27. The degree to which an appraisal interview is successful and its outcome
depends upon several factors.

• The personality and skill of the manager.

• The personality of the employee and his or her conduct during the interview.
• The situation of the interview.
• The nature of the content that has to be discussed.

28. Managers often experience difficulty when faced with the prospect of telling
somebody that their performance is below standard. Many question their right
to be judge and jury, making decisions that can have a serious effect on the
job future of other people. One answer to this is to adopt a different approach.
Instead of sitting back and acting as a judge, pointing out weaknesses and
deficiencies, the manager takes up the role of coach and counselor. He
approaches the problem as a change agent, a person who is willing to help
employees and to show them how to improve performance. In this way, the
appraised employee becomes and active agent and not simply a passive
object. The interview can then be seen as a part of an ongoing, progressive
movement in which the manager and the employee are working together
towards improvement. It is a process that might involve the manager in
coaching or recommending further training for the employee and it might also
involve the manager in using counselling techniques. There are three main
approaches to this kind of counselling.

• The tell and sell method. Here the manager seeks first to let the employee
know how he is doing, then to gain the employee’s acceptance of the
evaluation and, finally, to get him or her to follow the plan outlined for
improvement. The problem with this method is that considerable and unusual
skill is required to get people to accept criticism and to change in the required
manner. There occasions when it is necessary to tell people unpleasant facts,
but it might not be possible to provide the motivation required for change,
unless resort is made to threats (almost invariably a bad tactic) or
inducements.

• The tell and listen method. The evaluation is given to the employee, who is
then allowed to respond to it. Instead of the interviewer dominating the
discussion, he or she sits back and becomes anon-directive counselor in the
second part of the discussion. The employee is encouraged to think things
out for himself or herself and to decide on what needs to be done. The
assumption is that he or she is more likely to change in these circumstances
than if he or she had simply been told what to do. A further advantage of this
approach is that the interviewer will profit more from the interview by receiving
feedback from the employee on how the job might be improved regarding
supervision, work methods and job assignments. But the method requires
considerable skill on the part of the interviewer in listening, reflecting feelings
and summarizing opinions.

39
• The problem solving approach. Here the interviewer abandons the role of
judge and becomes a helper. The appraisal is not communicated directly to
the employee. Instead, a discussion takes place of the work problems of the
employee, who is encouraged to think through his or her solutions to them,
including changes needed to behaviour to achieve improvement. This
approach motivates original thinking because it stimulates curiosity. It also
provides the intrinsic motivation that can be derived from work itself and the
process of tackling work problems. Job satisfaction can be improved by
recognizing or enlarging the job (though this is not an exclusive characteristic
of this process). The superior’s ability to provide advice and guidance is
increased, as is his or her ability to provide help in the form that it is needed.
This approach also needs skill, but it is probably the most fruitful method and
it is one that can be clearly linked to results oriented review techniques.

29. Following appraisal interviews, managers should ensure that all the agreed
action to provide training and/or counseling are followed up. It has been
known for this crucial activity to be missed. Managers conduct very good
interviews, but then fail to follow through. Appraisal without effective follow-up
is almost a complete waste of time. The information gathered at an appraisal
interview should be entered on the relevant forms and copied to the
appraiser’s supervisor and to the personnel department for action. However,
there is an increasing tendency for managers to counsel employees during
appraisal interviews about the management of the employee’s own
development. In this case, the follow ups decided upon during the interview
are converted into an action plan for the individual to implement with the
manager’s guidance.

40
41
 Probation
Period
6,8,12
Months

Guidance
Debutant’s
Counselor
Report
Report
(Within 5 days)
(Within 5 days)

Evaluator
Report
(5 days)

Report passed
Evaluation to Head of
Decision Department

Terminate
Services

Appeal
Within 3
days

Review Permanent
Evaluation Appointment

Further
Appeal
No time Overall Schematic of Internship
stated
Reports

Administrative
Litigation
Court

42
 Probation
Period
6,8,12
Content
Months
Assignments(Job
Content Guidance Description)
Counselor Debutant’s Other assignments
Duties carried out
Report Report Course and training
Abilities proved
Conduct Outside duties
Conclusions Publications etc
Recommendations General description of
activity
Evaluator’s Report Difficulties met

Regulations Related to Activity

General Public Administration Knowledge
Ability to fulfill office assignments
Adaptability and versatility
Judgement
Communication
Teamwork Procedure for completing
Conduct
probation reports
Marks from 1 – 5
Takes arithmetic mean of total

Overall
Evaluation

3.01 – 5
Satisfactory
1.00 – 3.00
Unsatisfactory

Terminate
Appointment

Appeal

Reconsiders Within 3 days of

evaluation result
Debutant’s own
report. To hierarchical
Guidance superior of
counselor’s evaluator. Or, if
report. need be to head
Evaluation of public
report. authority or
institution

Evaluation
Reviewed
(Notify 3days)

Termination Confirm
Appointment

Appeal to
Administrative
Court

43
 SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ON THE CONDUCT OF
APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS

1. Introduction

2. An appraisal interview takes place between the person making the appraisal
and the appraised civil servant. It has these general functions.

• To make the appraised civil servant aware of the content of the evaluation
report. He or she is informed of the markings and comments, This covers the
mark(s) and comments related to the attainment of objectives; the marks and
comments attached to individual aspects of performance; the mark and the
final grade for the appraisal; other comments entered on the appraisal form
by the appraising officer. At the conclusion of this aspect of the interview, the
appraised officer should be fully aware of the entire content of the appraisal.

• To resolve, by agreement, if possible, any differences of view between the

appraised officer and the officer making the appraisal. Such differences of
view may relate to markings, to comments or to both.

• To enable the appraised officer to enter into the appraisal form any comments
that he or she thinks are relevant.

• To enable the appraised officer and the appraising officer to sign and date the
appraisal form before it is forwarded to the second signatory.

• To agree objectives together with relevant performance measures for the

appraised officer for the forthcoming appraisal period. These objectives and
performance measures will have been entered into the evaluation report by
the evaluator at the time the report is drawn up.

• To define training needs for the appraised officer for the coming appraisal
period.

3. There is currently no body of administrative guidance concerning the conduct

of appraisal interviews between the person making an appraisal of a civil
servant and the appraised civil servant. The information in this note and in the
previous section should therefore be taken as an index to action. Wherever
practicable, the guidance contained in the two notes should be followed in
relation to appraisal interviews.

44
4. The law

5. The law concerning appraisal interviews is contained within annex 3 of the

Decision Regarding The Organisation And Development Of The Civil
Servant’s Career. It reads as follows. The material related to the setting of
objectives has also been included since that is relevant to the appraisal
interview.

Article 5

The evaluation procedure comprises the following three stages.

(1) Making of the evaluation report by the evaluator;

(2) Interview;
(3) Countersigning of the evaluation report.

Article 6 (Part)

With a view to making the evaluation report, the evaluator:

(e) sets the individual goals, the deadlines, as well as the training needs
for the next period to be evaluated.

Article 7

(1) The individual goals are specific targets established for the next period
based on tasks provided in the job description.
(2) The individual goals must:
a. be specific to the activities that involve the prerogatives of a public
power;
b. be quantifiable – have a concrete materialization;
c. have deadlines;
d. be realistic – apt to be fulfilled within the deadlines set and with the
resources earmarked for them;
e. be flexible – apt to be revised in terms of the changing priorities of
the respective public authority or institution.
(3) Individual goals can be revised on a quarterly basis. The changes shall be
recorded in a document signed and dated by the evaluator and the civil
servant to be evaluated. The document shall be annexed to the evaluation
report.

45
 Article 10

The interview, as a stage in the evaluation, represents an exchange of

information, impressions and opinions between the evaluator and the civil
servant, as part of which:

(a) the civil servant is appraised of the notes made by the evaluator in the
evaluation report;
(b) in the case that there are differences of opinion between the evaluator
and the evaluated person regarding the notes made by the evaluator in
the evaluation report, they shall proceed to find a common viewpoint.
The evaluator can alter the evaluation report in terms of what has been
established jointly with the civil servant;
(c) the comments of the evaluated civil servant are noted in the evaluation
report;
(d) the evaluator and the evaluated civil servant sign and date the
evaluation report.

6. The timing of the appraisal interview

7. No specific timetable is set by the law. However, it is sensible that the

interview should take place as soon as is reasonably practicable after the
evaluation report is completed. The main determinant is the notice that should
be given to the appraised officer. He or she needs time to prepared
themselves. They will already have available a note of the objectives set in
the last appraisal report, together with a note of any additional objectives that
have been set during the appraisal year.

8. It is suggested that the appraised officer be given between three and five
working days of notice of the appraisal interview. The notification should be
given in writing – it is a formal event – and should specify the date, time and
place of the interview.

9. Setting up the interview

10. The interview should take place in a private room away from the normal work-
room of the individual, unless that is itself a private room. The interview can
take place in the workroom of the evaluator, provided that is a private room.
Otherwise, a separate room should be booked. Appraisal interviews vary in
their duration, but it would be reasonable to set aside ninety minutes. The
interview might be shorter, in which case no harm is done. Longer interviews
should be avoided. It is probably not possible for either the evaluator or the
evaluated civil servant to sustain the degree of focus required for longer than
ninety minutes.

46
11. Any telephone in the room should be switched off, or diverted, for the duration
of the interview. Mobile phones should not be taken into the interview room
or, if they are, should be switched off. A ‘do not disturb’ notice should be
attached to the door.

12. There are no particular guidelines regarding furniture. Obviously, there should
be chairs. Some interviewers prefer to sit at a table with the evaluated civil
servant. Others do not. It is a matter of individual choice. Those who prefer
face to face interviews argue that they are better because they reduce social
distance.

13. The general nature of the interview

14. An appraisal interview, like any other interview, should be a directed

conversation. The evaluator, with some points of exception dealt with later,
will be the main director.

15. These are the main issues for the interview. Some of them are dealt with in
more detail in the paragraphs that follow.

• Ice-breaking. This is a formal interview. It is of considerable importance to the

civil servant and he or she is likely to be nervous, especially if they suspect
that bad news is going to be conveyed. The evaluator too will experience a
natural degree of anxiety. He or she has the responsibility of steering an
interview which, at least in part, might well be difficult. Time must therefore be
specifically allocated for settling down. Perhaps five minutes or so – and
longer if it seems needed. The time can be used, for example, to discuss the
work on which the civil servant is currently employed – to confirm that they
are still doing the same range and type of duties. It might be appropriate to
make some general social remarks. The objective should be to engage the
civil servant in a conversation, brief and reasonably superficial though it might
be.

• Explain the purpose and structure of the interview. This is a crucial stage. The
interviewer should carefully explain the ground to be covered. He or she
should setout clear stages for the interview. The formalities of objective
setting and establishing training needs should be covered. The fact that
information about individual markings and comments, and the overall rating,
will be given should be explained. The action in case of any disagreement
should be stated. Action regarding the civil servant’s commentary and the
final signing of the report should be made clear. Finally, an indication of total
time should be given. All this should be done at every appraisal interview,
regardless of whether the civil servant has had appraisal interviews before,
even with the same interviewer. The objectives are manifold.

47
 o It establishes the evaluator as the (main) director of the interview.
o It makes clear the pattern of the interview and makes clear that
everything will be covered in its course.
o It sets the events of the interview in the perspective of the whole.
o It makes clear that the civil servant will be a participant and not just a
passive attender.
o It assigns specific responsibilities to the civil servant.
o It sets a time frame for the interview.

• Deal with past objectives, their character, the timelines and the performance
indicators attached to them and, finally but not least, how the work on each
has been assessed and marked. (See following.)

• Deal with individual aspects of performance. State what aspects of

performance have been marked, how they have been assessed, commented
upon and marked. (See following.)

• Deal with the narrative part of the evaluation report. (See following.)

• Discuss and deal with any reservations about the evaluation on the part of the
civil servant. (See following.)

• Set and discuss the objectives, timelines and performance indicators for the
next appraisal period. (See following.)

• Establish training needs to be met in the next appraisal period. (See

following.)

• Review the interview with the civil servant. (See following.)

• Bring interview to a formal conclusion. (See following.)

• Take post-interview action. (See following.)

16. More on the interview as a directed conversation

17. Very few individuals are naturally gifted interviewers. Competence comes with
training, a lot of practice and a lot of introspection. One of the major skills that
has to be acquired, if you are to be truly effective, is that of conducting
interviews as controlled conversations.

18. This means that from the start of an interview you should engage the person
being interviewed as a participant. And you should be at pains throughout the
interview to ensure that this remains the case. The objective is to have the

48
 person being interviewed as a controlled, almost but not quite equal, partner.
Much of the groundwork for doing this takes placed before the interview
begins. You should play out scenarios in your mind about how you will deal
with particular parts of the interview; especially those parts that are likely to
be problematical. You should specifically think about the type of phrasing you
will use, the likely response from the civil servant, and how you will respond to
them. Ideally, you should play these scenarios through three or four moves.
The scenarios will be highly unlikely to play out in practice as you have
imagined, but you will have prepared the groundwork for the scenarios that
will occur.

19. There are also a number of watch points used by experienced interviewers
that you might consider.

• Always use conversational language – expect to engage a response. For

example, ‘What I have done with this objective is………….You might like to
comment’. Not, ‘Your mark for……….is…….’

• Make a specific, rational choice to use open or closed questions. There are
times when either is appropriate, but be sure you know which is which. Open
questions invite a response beyond a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Closed questions
do the opposite. Structure your questions and comments to the content of the
interview at that point and to your intentions.

• Switch the style of the interview at particular points according to what is

necessary. There are times when you will want to be a clear information giver.
At other times, you might want to be a sympathetic listener.

• Vary the pace of the interview. This needs to be done according to level of
engagement of the interviewee and according to their stamina – for example,
are they going into information overload.

• Watch your body language. Too much eye contact can be as bad as too little.
However, do watch that you maintain eye contact at critical points of the
interview, for example when giving bad information. You will otherwise lose
credibility. Watch too your arm movements. Folded arms generally mean
defensiveness and vulnerability – that goes for the interviewee too.
Exaggerated hand, or more particularly arm, movements are generally seen
as threatening.

20. There are a great many books and guides published on interviewing
techniques. Some of them are specifically directed to interviewing within the
context of human relations management. If you are doing a lot of appraisal
interviewing you might find it helpful to read one or more of them.

49
21. Dealing with completed objectives

22. The objectives for the current appraisal period will be contained in the
appraisal report for the past appraisal period. You will also need to have
reviewed a copy of any new or revised objectives that have been set since
the start of the appraisal period. This should have been attached to the last
appraisal report.

23. Arrangements for marking and commenting upon the various objectives that
have been set are contained in other sections of this Guide. Here, concern is
only with the action to be taken at the appraisal interview. You should do the
following for each of the objectives in turn, bearing in mind, of course, what
has already been said about conducting the interview as a directed
conversation.

• Check the wording of the objective. Was it clear and meaningful to the civil
servant? Was it in force throughout or only during part of the appraisal
period?

• Check the timeline for the objective. Was it appropriate? Did any
circumstances intervene (of which you were unaware when you wrote the
evaluation) that made the timeline inappropriate? Were there any (not known
about) extraneous factors that made the timeline inappropriate?

• Check the performance indicator(s). Were they correctly understood? Are

they accurately expressed? Did they apply throughout the evaluation period,
or only for part of it?

• Subject to the previous points (any or all of them) might lead you to want to
amend your marking and/or the comments) convey to the civil servant the
mark you have given and the comments you have made. Take care to do so
in a way that enables the civil servant to comment or to enter any points of
reservation.

• After you have given the information, make a verbal break in the interview
and invite the civil servant to comment, if he or she want to do so. Then move
on to the next objective.

• After you have dealt with all the objectives, make another verbal break in the
interview. Summarise the points you have made. Ask the civil servant if they
want to make any further points on this aspect of the report.

• Note any amendments you want to make to the markings or to the

commentary.

50
24. Individual aspects of performance

25. The evaluation report will have set out within it the individual aspects of
performance on which the civil servant has been appraised. Each item will
have attached to it a weighting of importance of the aspect of performance.
Other parts of this Guide deals with the completion of the evaluation of the
individual aspects of performance. Here, as with the material relating to
objectives, concern is only with the action to be taken during the appraisal
interview.

26. The same comments regarding the conversational character of the interview,
use of questions and so on apply. You should take the following action.

• Consider each of the items of individual performance that have been

evaluated and confirm their relevance. Also, confirm the weightings that have
been attached to the individual items of performance.

• Note any points that should be deleted or brought in or any weightings that
should be changed. Note too any disagreements expressed by the civil
servant.

• Convey to the civil servant the marks you have given and the comments that
you have made. Take care to do so in a way that allows the civil servant to
comment and to make any points of reservation that may have.

• Summarise the points that have been made and give a final opportunity for
comment and reservation.

• Note any amendments that you want to make to the markings or to the
commentary.

27. Dealing with the narrative report

28. The narrative report is quite short. It deals with three matters: an outstanding
results that have been achieved; objective difficulties encountered during the
evaluation period; and, other observations.

29. Opinions vary over whether the narrative report should simply be read out.
The arguments in favour of doing so are that it is accurate and fulfills the need
for openness. The counter-arguments are mainly that, by this time in the
interview, the civil servant will be facing information over-load and simply
might not take it in.

30. The best approach is probably to deal with the narrative report in sections. A
pause should be made at the end of each section to allow the civil servant to
comment if he or she thinks that appropriate. If the final, ‘other observations’

51
 section is at all lengthy, it would be appropriate to break that down into
sections, probably of a sentence at a time, or two at most.

31. After the full narrative report has been disclosed, it will usually be appropriate
to make another verbal break in the interview and to invite any further
comment.

32. As with the other sections of the form, notes should be made by the
interviewer of any points of amplification or amendment that should be made.

33. Disclosing the final evaluation score

34. It would be appropriate at this point to tell the civil servant of the final score of
the evaluation that has been made.

35. However, by this time in the appraisal interview, it might be that the evaluator
wants to make some substantive changes to the markings and the comments
that have been made. These changes, taken as a whole, might, in some
circumstances, be sufficient to cause a change in the final score.

36. The law is silent about when these changes are to be made and there is no
provision for the form to be taken away and revised. The implication is that
the revisions are done during the appraisal interview. We suggest that they
are done at this point.

• Care needs to be taken that any changes made are fully justified. The
interviewer must be careful that the dynamics of the interview are not allowed
to overshadow objective judgement.

• Sufficient time needs to be taken to ensure that written commentary is

accurate.

• Changes made should be read over to the civil servant and any further
comments noted.

• Amendments to the final score of the evaluation should be particularly

carefully considered. If the evaluation has been done properly in the first
place, it should be rare for there to be any substantial change in this mark.

37. Goal setting for the next appraisal period

38. The form provides for up to five goals to be set for the forward period, but
interviewers should not feel constrained by the form. They might set fewer
goals or, exceptionally, set more.

39. The goals should be of two broad types. First, there are goals that emanate
from the content of the appraisal form. These are goals designed to remedy
specific deficiencies or weaknesses that have been identified. Second, are

52
 goals, not specifically aligned to the evaluation, but which a generally relevant
to the work activity of the civil servant in the coming year.

40. The following points should be observed in relation to goal setting.

• Each goal should be specific. It should require unambiguous action.

Examples are,

o Reduce error rate on casework to no more than X%.

o Deal with all correspondence within 7 days of receipt.

o Improve staff management by better communication, better target

setting and monitoring on a daily basis.

o Reduce drafting on secondary legislation to three iterations.

o Reduce caller waiting times to 40 minutes.

• Each goal should have a performance measure attached to it. The

performance measure should be objective, it should represent a stretch target
(it should be achievable, but only by the official extending himself or herself)
and, wherever possible it should be number based. Thus, in the examples
given,

o Error rate to be reduced to Z% by end month1, to Y% by end of month

2 and to X% by end of month 3 and maintained thereafter.

o Backlog to be reduced by 30% each month. 7-day clearance time to be

achieved by month 4.

o Specific communication plan to be in place end month 2. All current

objectives to be reviewed and, if necessary, replaced by end month 3.
Daily monitoring introduced immediately and maintained.

o Revise planning of secondary legislation by end month 1. Frame and

introduce new drafting procedures end month 2. Reduce to 3 iterations
from month 3 and maintain.

o Review caller handling arrangements month 1. Introduce revised

procedures by end month 2. Achieve and maintain reduced waiting
times by end month 2.

• Each goal should have a deadline attached to it. This has been done within
the examples given. However, there will be cases, projects are a common
example, where there is a specific final deadline.

53
41. Training needs

42. The form requires an entry, ‘Training programmes to be attended’. This is

unduly restrictive and it should be interpreted to mean all forms of specific
training. Thus, the training to be provided might include seminars and
conferences, where appropriate, as well as actual training courses run by the
public authority or institution or others. It might also include such training as
specified (and, if necessary, supervised) reading, specially selected casework
or other work done under the supervision of a more experienced colleague,
and periods of attachment to other units for the purpose of broadening
experience.

43. It is not explicit on the face of the form that the training needs to be directly
related to deficiencies shown by the evaluation. However, this is the case with
regard to the law. There training is directly tied to evaluation. However, in
practice, the opportunity can be taken to assess the general training needs of
the individual.

44. As a matter of common sense and good practice only training should be
identified that can be realistically provided during the forthcoming evaluation
period. The form does not require that the anticipated cost of the training
should be identified, but that should be implicit in any recommendation that is
made.

45. Review the interview with the civil servant

46. It will be appropriate, at this stage of the interview, to carry out a brief review
of all that has been discussed.

• Amendments made to the commentary or the markings should be rehearsed.

• The civil servant should be given a further opportunity to express comments

or observations.

• If there are remaining points of disagreement, these should be brought into

the open and discussed in a final attempt to reach resolution. Note that it is
not a requirement that the appraisal interview should result in agreement, but
there should be a genuine attempt to reduce disagreements to the minimum.
If disagreements remain, they are a matter for consideration by the second
signatory to the evaluation report, who will have the evaluation report (as it
might be amended) and the report of the appraisal interview available.

54
47. Comments by the evaluated civil servant

48. The civil servant should at this point be invited to comment on the (amended)
report and given sufficient time to do so. The implication of the report form
and the law is that the comments should be entered during the interview.

49. No pressure or influence of any sort should be brought to bear on the civil
servant regarding the content, style or manner of the comments he or she
decides to enter. That is entirely a matter for the civil servant and it will be
considered by the second signatory as part and parcel of his or her action on
the evaluation report.

50. Signature of the evaluating officer

51. The evaluating officer is required to sign and date the (amended) evaluation
report.

52. Concluding the interview

53. It is the job of the interviewing officer to bring the interview to a proper
conclusion. By this point all the relevant matter will have been discussed. It is
not appropriate at this stage to re-visit any part of the interview. In particular,
any points of remaining disagreement should not be re-opened.

54. Any appraisal interview, even one done by an excellent interviewing officer
and involving a high performing civil servant is likely to have been stressful in
some degree. This is the more so, if performance has been poor or criticisms
have had to be conveyed. This should be taken into account.

55. The interviewing officer should invariably end the interview by thanking the
civil servant for his or her attendance. It is not necessary to go beyond this
and certainly the interviewing officer should not at this stage try to provide
justification for any difficulties that have arisen.

56. Finally, the civil servant should be told that the evaluation report will now be
forwarded to the (named) second signatory, together with a note of the
appraisal interview.

57. The appraisal interview report

58. It is standard practice to forward the evaluation report to the second signatory
with a brief factual note of the interview - when it took place and how long it
lasted. It is not a requirement of the law that the interviewer should provide a
note of any remaining points of disagreement between the evaluator and the
civil servant. While this is commonly done, it might be dispensed with. The
civil servant has had the opportunity to enter written comments on the

55
 (amended) report and will have been able to use this opportunity to bring
points to the attention of the second signatory.

Ramboll Management

Phare Project Thursday, June 03, 2004

56
 CASE STUDY

Mr. CORNELIUS NEGRU

Personal details

Date of birth 17th April 1973

Place of birth Cluj, Romania
Place of Residence 12 Avenue Klasser, BUCHAREST
Marital Status Married, one child.

Employment Details

Current employment Executant Civil Servant

Post Finance Auditor
Ministry Ministry of Transport, BUCHAREST
Date of seniority in post 2nd March 1998

Previous experience
Romanian Military Lieutenant
Period March 1995 –February 1998

Education

University Batchelor’s Degree International Studies

Military Academy Commissioning Course 1995

Languages Romanian – fluent written and spoken (native)

Russian - Spoken 5, written 4
English – Spoken 3, written 3
French – spoken 3, written 3.

General Description

Mr. Negru is not one of nature’s civil servants. For preference he would still be a
military officer. He is incisive, focused on results, prickly and ambitious. Nobody
would describe him as a comfortable colleague. Everyone thinks of him as a
committed employee.

His strengths are apparent. He has no nonsense about his approach. He goes
straight to the point and nobody is in any doubt where he stands on issues. This
is both a strength and a weakness in his present job.

57
He can see straight through flummery. He relies for his satisfaction upon being
able to order complex data and he has made himself expert in systems. He is
currently studying, part-time, for an accountancy qualification, the Associateship
of Certified and Chartered Accountants. He has already completed the
intermediate examination – at his first attempt – and is mid-way through the final
course. His expertise in accounts extends not just to the structure and content of
trading and profit and loss accounts and to balance sheets, he is able to move
into accounting ratios and to cash flow and residual balance calculations. As
such, as a technician, he is a highly valued member of the audit team. A unit that
works very much on an annual work cycle.

He has developed considerable expertise in desk-top computing. His main forte

is Microsoft Excel. Not only does he use all the standard features of the
programme, he has developed personal macro commands. These have been
adopted widely by his colleagues and he acts as the (successful) trouble shooter
for such problems as do arise. He is similarly expert in the Word programme
including especially the use of data tables.

His interpretation of accounts is strong. His audit enquiries are soundly based
and clearly expressed, and he follows them through assiduously to a conclusion.
On the other hand, he has more open points on his accounts than any other
official in his unit at the year end.

His deficiencies are most readily apparent when he is asked to move wider than
his own particular expertise. If he has not invented it, then it seems of little
account. Thus, though his knowledge would seem to fit him for it well, he has not
really been able to move into the wider body of action of his unit. Increasingly,
audit is being seen as a value-added service. The work progresses through
approval of accounting practice, to the data on which accounts are based and to
consideration of the output. Emphasis is more and more being placed on
developing a sound working relationship with the account preparers and
providers. Mr. Negru falls down heavily.

His work relationships are not based on appreciation of equality. His ethos is that
he has a job to do. He knows from experience how it is best to be done. That is
the best way of dealing with it. Relationships are only of value to him, if they
enable him to get through his own work faster and better. As such, he stands as
a bastion of past good practice. The present is passing him by and he will find it
difficult to fit in to the more broadly based future.

Many attempts have been made to involve him in wider work. In the last year he
was made counselor of a debutant civil servant, one who had already completed
6 months in post when he was assigned and who seemed on a straight track to
confirmation of his appointment. Mr. Negru terrified him. He brought the full
power of his expertise to bear on the trainee’s accounts, virtually doing them all

58
himself from first principles. The debutant’s morale was quite undermined and his
probationary service has had to be extended – under a different counselor.

As an expert, Mr. Negru was made secretary of the general working party of the
finance and policy departments. Neither was this a success. His expertise
enabled him to dominate meetings and what has emerged is a very one sided set
of conclusions that would strengthen considerably audit practice, while leaving
policy development in a subsidiary and subordinate role. This has led to
organisational difficulties. The Director of Finance wants to disavow the report,
and in doing so would have the support of the Director of Policy. But 6 months
have been spent preparing the report and not all of the conclusions are
worthless.

Mr. Negru is also hampered, in practice, by what he sees as right. He is forceful

in making his point, to a point of fault. His words bullet from his computer with no
space between them for argument or other opinion. And he speaks as he writes.
The delivery is spare and staccato. He would prefer to let figures tell their own
story, and bemoans that there are many for whom this is not possible.

His work output is high. His accounts, which deal mainly with road and rail
transport, are the most complex in the portfolio of the work of his unit. He has
dealt with them for three years. There is little that he does not know about them,
and no place to hide skeletons. He delves with relish into the minutiae. His audit
queries range from the basic data reflected in the accounts, to the handling of
that data in the trading accounts and balance sheets, to the accounting basis of
investment decisions, to the content of the annual report on accounts.

At present, the Ministry is spending a lot of money on external accountants. A

major accounting firm has been brought in on a 3 month contract to examine
work practice. The lead consultant is a young woman partner whose main area
of expertise lies with the airline industry and with financial services provision. She
and Mr. Negru have been at loggerheads from the start. Basically he sees her as
over-rated, over-paid and over-here. His intention, so far successful, is to blind
her with detail. But, over the period, this will not work. The accountants have the
support of the Director of Finance and the Minister and their job is to come up
with a conspectus for the audit department’s activity. That means moving above
the detail and becoming equipped to deal with large issues and personalities.

So where does Mr. Negru stand. He is doing a good, if restricted job. He is in the
mold of the old-style auditor and, because he has dealt with the accounts for a
long time, he has the respect, if not the admiration, of the organisations on which
he focuses. Ideally, the time has come for him to move on to other finance and
figure related work, but he would not be an easy placement. Could statistical
services use him?

59
Work objectives

Mr. Negru has had some very specific work objectives for this appraisal period.

First, he received direct guidance to build bridges with his client organisations
and to move up to the point of being able to deal with the appropriate Finance
Directors. The objective was to restrict audit enquiry to matters of genuine and
important principle and to be able to get direct answers from the responsible
officer. This was to have been done within 3 months. Mr. Negru has made his
own interpretation. He has increased his contact with day to day accounts staff,
by raising more and more detailed audit queries. These have led to him being
able to frame hard questions, most of which remain unanswered and open at the
level of the organisation. They will not be resolved until the accounts for next
year are available and trends can be seen.

Second, he was asked to improve immediately his working relationships with his
colleagues. Opportunities were given for participative working in two directions.
First with the general working party of the finance and policy departments (for
which there were clear terms of reference) and, second, with the firm of
consulting accountants, where again there are clear terms of reference. Neither
has been a success. The first has been left with a major unresolved issue that
lies mainly at Mr. Negru’s door. The second is still developing, but seems likely to
move ahead despite rather than because of Mr. Negru’s interventions.

Third, he was asked to improve his written work over a 6 month period and
sample texts were supplied for him to consider and absorb. He remains exactly
as before. Precise, to the point, blunt and unequivocal. His message comes
across so clearly that it cannot easily ignored. That can be both a plus point and
a negative one.

Fourth, he was asked to speed up his rate of closure of audit points. Sample
ratios of queries to in-year clearances were given for the audit department
generally. The rate of closure to be achieved was 90% within 6 weeks of issue.
Mr. Negru remains the most prolific raiser of audit queries. All of them are
material, to the extent that they can be justified in a perfect world as needing
answers. But in an imperfect world, detailed enquiry tends to get crowded out.
Mr. Negru at the year end still has the most outstanding audit queries by a factor
of three.

60
Requirement

Based on this information, complete an annual appraisal report on Mr. Negru.

• Mark and comment upon the extent to which objectives have been fulfilled
and deduce an overall performance mark for this aspect of his work.

• Mark and comment on individual aspects of his performance as required by

the report form, and deduce an overall mark. Assume priorities for individual
aspects of performance according to the information you have been given.

• Write an overall commentary on performance this year.

• Set a number of objectives for next year and assign performance measures to
them.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Wednesday, June 09, 2004

61
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Transport Approved
General directorate
Financial policy and services
Directorate
Financial services - audit Head of the public
Department authority of
Transport Audit institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Auditor Expert

Level of the job Executant

Identification of the public position

Name Cornelius Negru

Class 1
Professional degree (if any) BA International Studies. Army
Commissioning Course

Main purpose of the job Financial audit of the accounts of transport industry
sectors – road and rail

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training Audit Courses (Civil Service provided)

Advanced training None required.

Computer operation/programming End user computing Microsoft Word

and Excel

Foreign languages None required.

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Facility for figure work and
data analysis. Good drafting skills and oral skills. Ability to analyse,
synthesise financial and other data and written information. Self motivation
and self reliance. Able to participate effectively as a member of the audit
team. Able to set and achieve work objectives. Able to hold personal

62
 responsibility. Problem solving capacity. Persuasive and able to achieve
solutions. Flexible and adaptable. Skilled in use of Excel and Word.

Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)

Travelling to audit sites and limited stay

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

None required.

Responsibilities Financial audit of assigned transport industry accounts –

balance sheets, trading accounts, profit and loss accounts, journals and ancillary
financial records. Application of test ratios. Monitoring of cash flow and capital
and revenue expenditure. Monitoring of accounts certification. Test checks of
vouchers and of bank and credit accounts. Audit of pre-privatisation accounts. In
ministry work related to the application of audit practice and its extension. Liaison
with other ministry audit units and with operational and policy divisions as
required. Participation in training, conferences and seminars as required. Links
with private sector auditor and accountants as required. Use of computing
systems, including management and audit information systems, as required.

Competence limits (decision freedom) Independent auditor within sphere of

activity assigned. Required to submit instances of financial mis-management or
financial fraud to hierarchical superior for binding advice.

Delegation of responsibilities None

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional Within audit unit and with the Financial Services Directorate

Control None beyond scope of responsibilities

Representation Within Ministry as may be required from time to time

External

With public authorities and institutions Ministry of Finance. Ministry of

Trade and Commerce. Ministry of Tourism. Local authorities on matters
relevant to responsibilities. Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning
international transport matter, but normally to be conducted via
International Directorate of Ministry of Transport.

63
 With international organisations With relevant transport organisation,
but acting with the advice of Ministry of Transport International Directorate
and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

With private legal persons Accountancy and legal agents of the entities
subject to audit.

Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by

Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

64
 CASE STUDY

MISS MARIA BACU

Personal details

Date of birth 26th November 1973

Place of birth Timosoara, Romania
Place of residence 14 Frumase Street, BUCHAREST
Marital Status Single

Employment details

Current employment Executant Civil Servant

Post Inspector, Social Insurance
Ministry Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and the
Family, BUCHAREST
Seniority 4th April 1999

Previous experience

Project Assistant Phare/Romania Social Welfare Project

Period 18 months, January 1997 – June 1998
BUCHAREST.

Lawyer Commercial and civil law

Period 3 years January 1994 – December 1997

Education

University Master of Laws, University of Paris

Languages Romanian – fluent written and spoken (native).

French – written 5, spoken 5.
English – written 5. spoken 5.
German – written 4, spoken 4.

General

To do her job well Miss Bacu has to use a wide range of skills. She deals with
entitlement to old age pension. Many of the people she deals with are either
pensioners or people on the verge of becoming pensioners. Often they are in
reduced circumstances. They might not be very educated. All of them are
apprehensive about their financial future.

65
But these are not her only clients. She also has to deal with employers who have
paid the social insurance contributions of the pensioner. She must liaise on a
daily basis with the civil servants who maintain the records of contributions. She
must link with other parts of the Ministry that might have benefits already in
payment. These contacts are sometimes face to face, especially if there are
difficulties to be resolved, but often they are done using a computer on a
dedicated system or via e-mail.

The job is a complex one. There are several schemes of old age pension that
overlap. Information relevant to a claim might be many years old. This
information needs to be brought together and an adjudication made of the rights
of the individual. The process demands a detailed knowledge of social security
statute and case law. Keeping up to date is a considerable problem.

How does Miss Bacu perform? First she is very client oriented. This comes in
large part from her background both as a lawyer and as a person who
administered a large project budget. Second, she has a lot of personal sympathy
for her clients. She was brought up in relatively poor circumstances. She is the
youngest, and most successful, of her family, and her parents were pensioners
by the time she finished university.

Her spoken work is very effective. She communicates with a real knowledge of
her subject matter. She understands the legal principles involved very clearly,
she is currently undertaking the final part of a PhD degree in civil law with
particular reference to the provision of private pensions in old age. Indeed she
has recently been head-hunted, unsuccessfully, by a private company dealing
with occupational pensions. Her reasons for turning this tempting offer down was
that it did not offer the range of work on which she was currently engaged. Nor
would it have offered her the variety of face to face contact she at present enjoys.

She is as effective in her written work as she is at her oral. She boils down
complex issues into a simple hierarchy of choices. It is easy for her superiors to
follow her reasoning and her decisions are not often overturned or superseded.
Nor do her decisions fail to meet the test of appeal tribunals, where she is a
skilled advocate. She is similarly successful at (occasional) hearings of the
administrative court. Her briefs to the advocates concerned are models of clarity
and conciseness.

Her virtues are however tempered. She sets high standards for herself and is
disappointed when others fail to meet them. She can be a waspish critic of some
of her peers. This is especially so when they are late in processing work on
which she depends for her own performance. Sometimes too she is not an easy
subordinate. Her technical skills are such that she could easily occupy a post of
higher responsibility.

66
In the last year she has been acting as a main technical point of reference to a
group of social security consultants from the World Bank. They are undertaking a
multi-faceted project. Their first objective is to up-date the computer system in
the Ministry. That involves business process re-engineering. The initial task is
therefore to review and develop all the administrative and legal systems relevant
to contribution recording and to benefit adjudication. About 120 man-months of
consultant effort is being delivered in course of this year and the next. Miss Bacu
is well qualified to act as a project liaison officer. She understands the content
and approach and she has no difficulty in working with consultants. Importantly,
she understands from experience the financial and work constraints within which
the consultants have to work.

Miss Bacu has a considerable background in the computing system currently

used by the Ministry. She understands both its strengths and its weaknesses. It
is currently main-frame based and maintained by a team of informatics personnel
working both at the headquarters level and at the data processing centres (two)
in the regions. She has now been using the systems for three years and is an
expert user: so much so that she is the natural point from which to seek advice
for those who are new to the work and the organisation. She has built upon this
expertise in dedicated systems by undertaking Ministry sponsored courses this
year in the advanced use of the Word programme and the Excel programme.
She has also picked up the use of Power Point and has made a number of well-
researched and well-delivered presentations to the staff and to the consultants.

She has a blind spot about Ministers and dignitaries. These individuals do not
usually have a lot of technical expertise. They make up for it by the political
perspectives they can offer. But Miss Bacu has little time for that. To get the best
from her, the best placed person is one who can match her expertise. Her briefs
to senior parts of the office can therefore be a bit overwhelming. She is not too
well able to put herself in the position of the person who needs must only have a
grasp of an overview.

Her abilities lead her to be ambitious. She was a successful candidate this year
for a chief of bureau post: she passed the written test and the interview with
commendably high marks, but was just short of being the highest scoring
candidate. She is an original thinker, well able to see the strengths and
weaknesses in cases and arguments, and well able to work her way around what
might to some be uncomfortable precedent.

Currently she carries a high case-load. To her credit she does not hold post in
excess of 7-days old – if it looks like this is going to happen she simply extends
her hours. Her unresolved case-load is simply a function of delays in other parts
of the office, and gives no cause for concern.

Objectives

67
Miss Bacu had the following objectives recorded on her personnel appraisal form
last year

First, she was to establish by the middle of the year extended and adequate
terms of reference for that part of the World Bank Project focusing on her
responsibilities. She was to take an active part in the development of the
Inception Report and ensure that it fully met the needs of this unit. This has been
done, but there is a distinct difference between the technical proposal made by
the consultants and the terms and timing of the work they are now undertaking.
The difference is documented and is to the advantage of the Ministry.

Two, improvements were to be sought immediately in the processing of work

intended for Ministers and dignitaries. More work has been done. From a
technical point of view, it has been of a high standard, but it is still too clearly
emanating from an expert official. Ministers and dignitaries have generally been
pleased with the content, but they have amended the approach to meet their
needs.

Third, improvements were sought immediately in relationships with peers,

especially with those not as technically competent as Miss Bacu. In the event,
Miss Bacu has increased her technical efficiency and made herself more
indispensable to all her colleagues.

Fourth, Miss Bacu was to extend her range of competence to be able to deputise
effectively for absent superior officials. This has been fully accomplished. The
work was in a better state after Miss Bacu’s intervention.

Requirements

Based on this information, complete an annual appraisal report on Miss Bacu.

• Mark and comment upon the extent to which objectives have been fulfilled
and deduce an overall performance mark for this aspect of her work.

• Mark and comment on individual aspects of her performance as required by

the report form, and deduce an overall report mark. Assume priorities for
individual aspects of performance according to the information you have been
given.

• Write an overall commentary on performance this year.

• Set a number of objectives for next year and assign performance measures to
them.

Ramboll Management Thursday, June 10, 2004

68
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity Approved
General directorate
Social security operations
Directorate
Pensions and benefits Head of the public
Department authority of
Pensions institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Inspector – Social Insurance

Level of the job Executant - Expert

Identification of the public position

Name Maria Bacu

Class 1
Professional degree (if any) Master of Laws, Paris.

Main purpose of the job Casework related to the award and payment of claims
for retirements pension and associated benefits and for their maintenance.

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None apart from ministry provided training.

Advanced training None

Computer operation/programming Use of ministry pensions and benefit

systems. Use of Microsoft Word and Excel.

Foreign languages None

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Able to handle heavy and

complex caseload, setting and achieving clearance priorities. Adaptable
and self reliant with clear ability for problem solving. Able to analyse
complex situations presented in writing and orally. Good communicator
both in writing and orally. Able to fit into and work well in small teams.
Good knowledge of ministry specific software and of Word and Excel. Able

69
 to act as guidance counsellor for debutants as assigned. High standard of
probity and ethics.

Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)

Occasional travelling within Bucharest and in Romania. May be seconded
to other offices within normal rules.

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

None required.

Responsibilities Casework in relation to the award of retirement pension and

associated benefits. Liaison with contributions unit and other units that might be
providing overlapping benefits. Written work, letters and minutes, associated with
casework. Provision of briefing and other information and material to ministers
and dignitaries as needed. General administrative, considerative or committee
work relevant to retirement pension and associated benefits. Use of ministry
specific software and of Word and Excel. Guidance counsellor to debutant civil
servant if assigned.

Competence limits (decision freedom) Adjudication authority for benefit and

pension award and renewal.

Delegation of responsibilities Not appropriate.

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional Within team. To contributions and other benefit units. To any

working groups to which she might be assigned.

Control None

Representation Of team and unit as might be prescribed from time to

time.

External

With public authorities and institutions With ministry of Health, other

ministries and local authorities as might be required by casework or other
duties.

With international organisations None envisaged except in relation to

visiting foreign delegations.

70
 With private legal persons With clients and their appointed
representatives.

Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by

Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

71
 CASE STUDY

MISS ALICIA FLORESCU

Personal details

Date of birth 26 September 1966

Date of seniority 1st January 1996
Marital status Single
Home Flat 26 – 138 Blvd Titelescu, BUCHAREST

Employment details

Position held Chief of Office – Health Services

Ministry Ministry of Health
Mental Health Unit

Previous experience

Other jobs 1992- 1995 Executant – Policy Expert

Ministry of Health
Hospital Services

1990 – 1992 Executant – Policy Expert

Ministry of Health
Nursing Services

1985 -1990 Registered Nurse

General Hospital, Cluj

Education

University Bachelor of Science – Nursing

Registered General and Mental Nurse

Languages Romanian – fluent written and spoken (native)

English – written 4, spoken 4

History

Miss Florescu is a well qualified and experienced health professional. She did
well as a practical nurse and the time she left the nursing profession and moved
into administration, she was the nurse in charge of a day psychiatric centre. She

72
made the move because she wanted to be able to contribute in a wider sphere of
influence, but she still maintains voluntary links with hospitals and care centres.

Her greatest is asset in her work is her wealth of clinical and practical
experience. She really does know the health ands hospital field very well. She is
able to act as an equal member of the team with doctors, other nurses, health
professionals such as psychologists and physiotherapists, and architects and
engineers.

She has had a wide range of responsibility this year.

Her unit provides the secretariat for the Mental Health Advisory Committee of the
Ministry. This committee meets monthly and has a wide-ranging agenda. Two
matters merit special consideration.

There has been a series of investigations into hospitals and care centres where
services have fallen into scandal. There has been mistreatment of patients and
deep-seated abuse of responsibilities. Miss Florescu and her unit have been
involved in visits to those institutions of part of a larger team and have had to
come up with strategies for immediate and long term improvement. Miss
Florescu’s job has been to take the administrative lead from the view point of the
Ministry. She has had to draft position papers for the Ministry and liaise with the
Press Office about the preparation of press releases. Most important, she had
had to act as the coordinator for the plans to bring the hospitals and centres back
on track, usually within their current budgets.

She has done the technical part of the job very well. The reports of the
investigations are very comprehensive and clear and firm action plans are
attached to them. The reports have been able to draw together the different
interests of the different health professionals very well. The single problem is that
the recommendations all involve significant increases in expenditure, albeit to
expenditure directly impacting on patient care. Miss Florescu has not taken it
very well that recommendations have had to be rejected because of lack of
funds. Much of her time is now spent lobbying the finance division for increased
allocations. She has also started lobbying the EU unit both in writing and directly
to cause them to pursue funding from their sources. She is an ardent lobbyist,
but were it not for the merit of her cause, she is in danger of fast becoming a pain
in the neck.

The second of her responsibilities relating the Mental Health Advisory Committee
has been the working party on the role of psychologists in the mental health care
system. This is a technical and controversial issue not so much in principle, as in
terms of practice. The universities are turning out psychologists at a quite a fast
rate and, in professional terms, there is now a surfeit of them on the job market.
But they have only general psychological skills. Few of them are genuinely
clinical psychologists – at least in the terms that would be understood in Western

73
Europe. The issue is whether to set up hospital and centre based training
programmes that would enable a significant cadre of clinically trained
psychologists to emerge say over the next 5 – 10 years. The more immediate
issue is what these psychologists would do during the early part of their clinical
training and how they would be assimilated into the body of health care
professionals.

Miss Florescu has been able to contribute strongly to this work. Her paper on the
role of reinforcement in the treatment of behavioural disorder has been taken as
a seminal work on the topic. It draws in large part from her professional
background, but also from her experience of policy and personnel development
in the Ministry. She has become, in effect, the driving force on this topic and her
role is both more important and more widely based than could have been
expected from another official of her standing.

Violence in hospitals, especially in accident and emergency units and in

psychiatric units has been increasing rapidly and in intensity over recent years. It
has now reached epidemic proportions and is a major source of concern. In her
role as secretary to the Mental Health Advisory Committee, Miss Florescu has
begun an administrative initiative to assist. She has drawn together working
group of psychiatric and general nurses, together with emergency physicians and
psychiatrists. Together they are drawing up guidance aimed at dealing with the
problem. The first part of the guidance is about general measures to ensure staff
safety. It also sets out the legal arrangements under which staff carry out their
work and the responsibilities of their employers to ensure safe working conditions
and proper support for their actions. The second part of the guide is an agreed
set of procedures for dealing with and subduing the violent patient. What
interventions can be approved and what restraint and other measures can be
brought to bear. The third part of the guide deals with physical and psychiatric
conditions, including alcohol and drug abuse that might predispose to violence .
This is a significant piece of work and it is already advanced to the stage that the
draft guidance is being considered in various parts of the Ministry and in selected
units.

Miss Florescu has also been able to keep the flow of general work in her unit
steady. Her staff of three have been kept well loaded with work during the year
and have generally been well supervised. Much of the work is concerned with
input to the planning of new services, hospital units and residential services. The
latter involving contacts with other Ministries and with local authorities. If there is
a fault, it is that too much of the work is being done from Ministry desks and not
enough time is being spent in the field. But this has to be balanced with the time
that Miss Florescu herself spends out of the office – approximately 40% of her
time.

74
Work has been taken in due time on the administrative definition of services to be
provided in modern psychiatric units in general hospitals. Three foreign visits, to
France, Germany and Israel, each of four days duration have been undertaken
by a broadly based team from the Ministry and personnel from Miss Florescu’s
unit were involved in setting up the arrangements, taking part in the visits and
writing up action reports. It is worth noting that the action coming from those
visits has been more comprehensive and practical than that coming from visits to
other types of health care facility in Western Europe.

Child psychiatry remains a matter for concern and not a great deal has been
done in the past year. Services for adults have been given priority. This is in part
due to a major programme on the upgrading of childrens’ homes. These are
being developed through a joint programme between the Government of
Romania and the European Union. The health, including mental health, services
provided to them are mainly being organised at a local level. The main concern is
that they are very variable in quality. Next year it will be important for Miss
Florescu and her unit to extend their involvement in this work. The lessening of
the load on the working party on the role of the psychologist and the completion
of the guide on violence should allow room for it.

General administrative work has been tolerably well done. Miss Florescu is a
person who speaks bluntly and to the point and her written work is in the same
character. She is not the person to whom to look for polished administrative
drafts, but she has that skill available to her within her team. To her credit she
allows it rein. Her interventions are on points of substance rather than on points
of presentation. Speeches and briefing generally come from within her team.

Her skills at handling data are quite limited. Part of her work involves assessing
the financial impact of different kinds of proposal. Her approach tends to rather
simplistic. She considers things very much in terms of aggregate costs for
aggregate services and often does not undertake the disggregation of data
necessary to cost the individual items of service provision, some of which might
be better justified on their own terms.

So there have been pluses and minuses to her performance, and she has been
much assisted by an experienced and effective team. Her real strengths flow
from her past experience. At present she is a well fitting cog. Put into another
machine she might not cope so well, and time will inevitably bring challenges to
her flexibility.

75
Requirements

Based on this information, complete an annual appraisal report on Miss Florescu.

• Mark and comment upon the extent to which objectives set have been fulfilled
and deduce an overall performance mark for this aspect of her work.

• Mark and comment on individual aspects of her performance as required by

the report form, and deduce an overall report mark. Assume priorities for
individual aspects of performance according to the information you have been
given.

• Write an overall commentary on performance this year.

• Set a number of objectives for next year and assign performance measures to
them.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Friday, May 07, 2004

76
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Health Approved
General directorate
Health services
Directorate
Hospitals Head of the public
Department authority of
Mental Health Unit institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Chief of Office – Mental Health Services

Level of the job 1

Identification of the public position

Name Alicia Florescu

Class 1
Professional degree (if any) B.Sc. Nursing. Registered General and
Mental Nurse

Main purpose of the job

Secretariat Mental Health Advisory Committee. Secretariat Committee on Role of
Psychologists. Policies to curb violence in hospitals.

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None – public administration knowledge and health

services knowledge

Advanced training None

Computer operation/programming Word and Excel

Foreign languages None

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Adaptable. Able to analyse

and solve problems and implement solutions. Good strategic thinking.
Able to work independently and as a member and leader of a team.
Decision making. Able to delegate correctly. Good written and oral
communication. Basic computer user skills.

77
 Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)
None

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

Manage small team. Show adequate leadership, delegation and control.
Able to appraise staff objectively and act as effective mentor. Able to
organise work, both of herself and her team, according to deadlines set.
Effective at motivation.

Responsibilities Secretary of Standing Mental Health Advisory Committee.

Secretary of Working Group on the Role of Psychologists. Attends meetings.
Provides advice. Takes minutes. Follows up or arranges follow up of action
points. Liaison with chairman and members. General policy work and related
casework in relation to mental health issues. Management and control of team.
Liaison with other parts of Ministry as required. Member of hospitals directorate
management team.

Competence limits (decision freedom) Decision freedom consistent with

secretaryship of mental health advisory committee and sub committees. Decides
when and where to seek advice on her own initiative. Competence to analyse
and progress policy initiatives within limits specified in job objectives.
Competence to progress and dispose of casework on her own initiative. Liaises
with other administrative and professional staff within the ministry, in health
authorities and hospitals according to judgement. Seeks advice on her own
initiative. Able to manage and control assigned team on basis of their job
descriptions and assigned goals. Acts as performance appraisal evaluator for
controlled staff.

Delegation of responsibilities Able to delegate assignments and general work

to her team in accordance with her own judgement, subject to their job
descriptions and the goals set for them.

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

78
 Functional Mental health advisory committee and sub groups.
Administrative and professional staff within the ministry. Staff of health
authorities and hospitals.

Control Assigned team.

Representation Within Ministry of Health and subordinated agencies as

might be required by her superiors.

External

With public authorities and institutions As required by the general

duties of her post.

With international organisations As required by the general duties of

her post. Some international travel is expected.

With private legal persons As required by the general duties of her post.

Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by

Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

79
 CASE STUDY

MISS CARMINA ALBA

Personal Details

Date of Birth 14th January 1979

Place of Birth Ploestii, Romania
Place of Residence 3 Boulevard Prague, BUCHAREST
Marital status Single

Employment details

Current Employment Executant Civil Servant

Post Expert in Public Relations
Ministry Ministry of Agriculture, BUCHAREST
Date of seniority in post 3rd January 2000

Qualifications

University Batchelor’s Degree (Honours) Media Studies (1999)

Diploma Information processing for the media (2001)
Computing Microsoft Word, Excel, Visio and Project

Languages Romanian – fluent spoken and written (native)

English – spoken 5 written 3
French - spoken 3, written 3

General Description

Miss Alba is an assured young lady.

She has no difficulty in expressing a point of view, though she is better face to
face than when using writing. Her speech is brief and to the point and she
marshals facts and arguments well. She has no hesitation in pursuing her points
with senior and junior officials alike, and she is also good with the State
Secretary with whom she deals on a weekly basis.

The same is not true in her face to face dealings with agricultural interests and
with trade unions. Here she expects them to have the same viewpoint and
background knowledge as she does herself, and her superior has sometimes
had to step in to save the day. It is not that her message was wrong. Its delivery
was just not well focused.

Her written work is usually good. It is short and to the point. Sometimes readers
are left to fill in gaps in arguments for themselves. But she sets material out well,

80
making good use of typography and lay-out and includes schematics when that is
justified. She is less good at drafting speeches. Whereas her press releases are
very clear, her draft speeches tend to be long winded and padded-out . There is
often more text than substance.

She is popular in the office, mainly because she is a hard worker and keen to
take on more. No deadlines have been missed in her work (with a couple of
exceptions) and she usually maintains a clear desk. Her enthusiasm is
appreciated by her superiors, but sometimes they think she goes too far too
quickly and, if she is not careful, she can, as has happened, go beyond her strict
terms of reference.

Most of her work is done via a computer and she has a very good practical
knowledge of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. The latter enables her to
produce graphs and diagrams, which she incorporates well into her written
documents. Her analysis of graphs and diagrams is less certain. She can
describe their content well enough, but she is not comfortable with the underlying
numbers. This deficiency in number work extends to other parts of her job and
her skills at basic arithmetic, including means and modes and percentages, could
stand improvement. This is important for that part of her job that deals with the
differences year on year in various sectors of agricultural production.

During the year a debutant civil servant was assigned to her unit and she acted
as his counselor. This task was done very well and the new employee has
passed through his six month probation period with more than satisfactory marks.

She has also over the past 12 months been acting as a member of a small task
group. It has five members all, except one, above Miss Alba’s level of rank and
experience. The exception was a new executant from a policy group. The
working group was to consider general improvements in the flow of information in
cereal markets. It involved twice weekly meetings for 3 months, three two-day
visits to different localities and the production of a report with recommendations.
Miss Alba did all of this work very well. She acted as the main coordinator and
secretary of the group. The report produced was logically and accurately
expressed. The conclusions were clear and it has won support for
implementation. That will be one of Miss Alba’s tasks for next year.

There have been a few comments in course of the year about Miss Alba’s work.
She has been praised for her command of EU matters, especially the
complicated Common Agricultural Policy. She has used this as a lens through
which to focus her general work and is now looked on as the public relations’
department’s working level expert on these matters. She has made two trips to
Brussels, both of them accompanying senior officials and Ministers. The
organisation involved was significant and all the timetables and activity were met.
She has a letter of praise from the Minister for this work. Her standard of English
was well up to the task.

81
So, we have a civil servant doing well in key areas, but there is always room for
improvement.

She has been an assiduous attender at training seminars run by consultants to

the Ministry whose main field of expertise is in agricultural policy and strategy,
and in industry finance and privatization. She has been able to lever attendance
at these seminars, through active participation, to the point at which she is seen
as a key link person between the consultancy team and the Ministry; a role that
has been helped by her wide range of contacts in the Ministry through her press
work. Her work with the consultants has exposed her to a range of opportunities
for wining and dining, but she has not succumbed. She is seen by them as
straight die on whom they can rely for information and contacts, but her work with
them is strictly inside the Ministry. Her foresight in this approach can be
commended.

Objectives for the year

Miss Alba had four objectives set for her in her appraisal report last year.

First, she was to improve daily dealings with the press and other media on
agricultural interests. The success factor was to be the number of daily and
weekly press contacts; the number of positive press reports on the Ministry’s
work, especially on cereal production; and, a reduction in the time elapsing
between a press enquiry and relevant information being provided to the
journalist.

All this has been done, though not, of course, by Miss Alba working alone – it has
been a team effort. The Ministry now has a positive flow of media interest in
cereal farming. There is a well established network of press contacts in the
Ministry coordinated by Miss Alba – she is very well connected with all the prime
movers in the Ministry. Succinct and accurate information has been provided on
time – her use of e-mail and the development of a new web-page, largely on her
initiative, have been strong contributors.

Second, she was to improve the development of data based information and
tabulations. This work was to take one year. There has been some achievements
in this regard, but there is more to be done. She has developed contacts with the
Ministry’s statisticians, but has not moved beyond the packaging of the data that
they have been able to provide. As a result, the main source of statistical
information available to the press is aggregate data in annual and periodic
reports. Miss Alba is scheduled to undertake a course on the analysis and
presentation of statistical data, in 2005; that might give her the tools to better on
this aspect of her work.

Third, she was to improve her relationships at a horizontal level within the
Ministry. This was to be evidenced by a much more team based approach and by

82
Miss Alba assuming a lead role among her peers. This has been a success. Her
hard work has been much appreciated by her colleagues and has placed her in a
lead position on important aspects of the work. Her collaboration with consultants
has also been fruitful – they look to her as one of their main day to day links with
the larger body of the Ministry. Next year this might be formalised and she will be
given a formal role within the project management structure – probably as an
assistant project liaison officer. That will expose her not just to the management
of the project work, but to the management of its timescales and finances.

Third, she was to be an effective counselor to the new debutant civil servant.
Here, there has been considerable success. The debutant was introduced in
stages to a wide range of work. Targets were set for him that could be fulfilled,
but only with effort and with the assistance of team work. Work programmes
were developed that used his emerging experience well and he is now a fully
effective member of the press office team.

Requirement

Based on this information, complete an annual appraisal report on Miss Alba.

• Mark and comment on the extent to which objectives have been fulfilled and
deduce an overall performance mark for this aspect of her work;

• Mark and comment on individual aspects of her performance as required by

the report form, and deduce an overall mark;

• Write an overall commentary on her performance this year;

• Make recommendations for further training, if necessary;

• Set a number of objectives for next year and assign performance measures to
them.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Wednesday, June 09, 2004

83
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Agriculture Approved
General directorate
Common Services
Directorate
Communications Head of the public
Department authority of
Press Office institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Expert Public Relations

Level of the job Executant (Specialist)

Identification of the public position

Name Carmina Alba

Class 1
Professional degree (if any) BA (Honours) Media Studies. Diploma
Information Processing for the Media. End user certificate – Microsoft
Word, Excel, Visio and Project.

Main purpose of the job Provision of externally focused communication

services. Provides information related to crop production to the media. Prepares
and circulates digests of information internally and externally. Drafts articles,
speeches and general briefing material. Participates in ad hoc working groups.

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None required.

Advanced training None required.

Computer operation/programming End user computing – Microsoft. E-

mail and web usage.

Foreign languages None required.

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Analysis, synthesis and

drafting. Work to close deadlines. Adaptable. Responsible. Problem
solving and solution implementation. Marked facility with language -

84
 written and oral. High level of communication skill. Able to work
independently and as a team member. Good PC-based computer skills.

Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)

Frequent travelling within Romania. Some foreign travel may be required.

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

No general management requirement. May be assigned as counsellor to
debutant civil servant.

Responsibilities Act as member of public relations team. Undertake general

communication related work. Deal with information enquiries. Participate as team
member. Work in working groups as assigned. Prepare information briefing. Draft
media articles as required. Provide briefing and draft speech writing for officials
and Ministers as required. Interpret figures and carry out basic arithmetical data
analysis relevant to general work of the post.

Competence limits (decision freedom) To work on own initiative within general

limit of responsibilities. Work addressed to more senior levels to be transmitted
via hierarchical superior unless authorised otherwise. Work intended for
publication to be approved by superior.

Delegation of responsibilities Not appropriate.

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional Within Press Office and Communications Directorate

Control By Chief of Press Office. No control of subordinates.

Representation Within Ministry as required by duties of the post.

External

With public authorities and institutions As required by the work and

duties assigned from time to time.

With international organisations As may be assigned from time to time.

With private legal persons With agricultural industry and associated

organisations as required by duties that may be assigned.

85
Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by
Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

86
 CASE STUDY

MR. BOGDAN DIMITRIU

Personal details

Date of birth 12th April 1954

Date of seniority 1st January1999
Marital Status Married
Home 14 Odessa Street, BUCHAREST

Employment details

Position held Chief of Office

Ministry of Finance
Contracts Unit

Previous experience 1996 – 1999 Chief of Office

Ministry of Labour
Employment Services

1990 – 1996 Executant/Expert

Ministry of Finance
Public Sector Finance

1980 – 1990 Cluj Local Authority

Head of Financial Services

Education

University Batchelor of Arts (Honours) Economics

Master of Arts Public Administration

Languages Romanian – fluent written and spoken (native)

English – written 4, spoken 4.
French – written 3,spoken 4.

History

Mr. Dimitriu is not happy in his present post and has been seeking a change for
the past eighteen months. Most of the work is casework in relation to
administering the contracts for foreign contractors carrying out contracts in
Romania. The contracts vary in length from a few months to a number of years.
They are mainly contracts let by the European Union or by the World Bank, but
quite a number are contracts directly with the Romanian Government.

87
Mr. Dimitriu’s unit of 12 staff are mainly accountants and most of them are in their
late twenties or early thirties. All but three of them are women. He is very much a
hands on manager. He allows his staff very little leeway and there have been
complaints to other managers that he interferes too much. His performance
appraisals are rigorous and the majority of his staff have been rated in the good
category. Three have been rated as only ‘satisfactory’, probably justifiably, and
three have been placed in the ‘very good’ category. Staff turnover is significant –
about three people have left during each year of Mr. Dimitriu’s tenure and
experience levels are generally quite low. It is mainly the more experienced staff
who have left.

There are various phases to the work of Mr. Dimitriu’s unit.

First, they get involved in the development of terms of reference for projects. This
work has to be done speedily and accurately. Speed in necessary to ensure that
terms of reference are ready for issue according to financial timetables set by the
donor organisations. Accuracy is essential because the terms of reference
govern the whole content of the eventual contracts. Much discussion and
negotiation is necessary with beneficiary ministries on the one hand and
representatives of the donor organisations on the other. Mr. Dimitriu does this
work in a satisfactory manner. He takes the lead in the major parts of the
negotiations, supported by members of his staff. He has a good feel for the intent
of programmes and is able to relate one to another well. He works comfortably in
English and, to a lesser extent, in French. He drafts well. There is seldom any
ambiguity and he has the experience to formulate the reference terms precisely.

The second part of the work relates to the tendering procedure and to the letting
of contracts through a contracts panel. Mr. Dimitriu knows the procedures very
well indeed and he is punctilious in ensuring that they are followed to the letter.
He also ensures that they are followed exactly by his staff. His direct concern is
with the financial proposals that are made, but these link closely to the technical
proposals. Mr. Dimitriu is a shrewd judge of what is being presented and very
good at spotting areas in which proposals are soft or misleading. He carries out
careful analyses, using his staff well, and comes to contract panels very well
prepared. His performance at the actual panel can be sometimes problematic.
He tends to dominate discussions and will pursue even small points to the bitter
end. As a result he is sometimes seen as a bete noir by those who have
tendered, and he can exasperate his colleagues.

The third main part of the work is monitoring contracts over their lifespan.
Ensuring that expenditures are properly vouchered before disbursements are
made, ensuring that the payment schedule is in accordance with estimates and
dealing with requests for amendments or extensions to contracts. This is largely
the bread and butter work of the unit, but it has to be done carefully and correctly.
The latter part of the work, especially, can be quite sensitive, the more so if the
amendments requested are not trivial. It often involves dealing with senior staff in

88
the beneficiary ministries and, of course, the contractors are heavily involved,
again usually at a senior level. Much of the work is done by Mr. Dimitriu’s staff,
but they frequently ask him for guidance and support. Overall, the work is done
very well. A number of audits of this aspect of the work have been carried out
and they have all been satisfactory. Very few enquiries were raised and those
that were received speedy and satisfactory answers. The main problem in this
area of work is that Mr. Dimitriu needs to learn to trust to the judgement of his
staff rather more. As already said, he is very hands on. He gets very involved in
matters of detail. As a result, he sometimes loses sight of the larger picture.

Mr. Dimitriu’s relationships with his peers are not particularly congenial. He tends
to stick to his own affairs and does not involve himself in the wider affairs of the
Ministry unless he has to. He is an infrequent contributor to management
meetings and avoids them if he can.

Because of the high profile of some of the contracts with which he deals he has
quite frequent contacts with State Secretaries and sometimes Ministers. They
see him as a very able technician, but as rather clinical and as something of a
cold fish.

Over the past year he has been involved in a number of conferences promoted
by donor agencies. He has acquitted himself well. His contributions have been
sound and very expert, and he is a good public speaker. He is less good at
smaller events, seminars, round table discussions and the like, where he tends to
dominate and to overwhelm.

Mr. Dimitriu’s unit is completely computerised and uses Microsoft Word and
Microsoft Excel. Mr. Dimitriu is adept in both programmes and particularly in
Excel. If there is a criticism to be made it is that he does too much himself – even
to the extent of processing data received by members of his staff.

During the year Mr. Dimitriu had the following objectives.

• To deal satisfactorily and timeously with the development of project terms of

reference. All work received to be cleared within 6 weeks. This has been
done to a high standard, but more could have been accomplished by Mr.
Dimitriu’s staff.
• To improve the content and manner of his involvement in contract panels and
to reduce his involvement in panels to 40% of those arranged, by the year
end.. There have been no complaints, but Mr. Dimitriu continues to give
points of substance and points of detail too equal a weight. His staff have
been virtually excluded from contract panels. Mr. Dimitriu reserves all but a
handful of small contracts to himself.
• To improve delegation of work to his staff. Delegation of case related work to
be achieved to 80% level within 3 months. There has been no real

89
 improvement here. His staff are kept very busy, but it is mainly on support
work. Another three staff have left this year which is worrying.
• To improve relationships with donor organisations and with contractors
immediately and to maintain these standards. The first has been achieved
satisfactorily. Mr. Dimitriu has shown himself to be more open to suggestion
and more flexible. As regards contractors, he still presents himself very much
as the guardian of the public purse. The contractors find him very procedure
bound and a bit nit picking. On the other hand they admire him for his probity
and ethics.

Requirement

Based on this information, complete an annual appraisal report on Mr. Dimitriu.

• Mark and comment upon the extent to which objectives have been fulfilled
and deduce an overall performance mark for this aspect of his work.

• Mark and comment on individual aspects of his performance as required by

the report form, and deduce an overall mark. Assume priorities for individual
aspects of performance according to the information you have been given.

• Write an overall commentary on performance this year.

• Set a number of objectives for next year and assign performance measures to
them.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Wednesday, June 09, 2004

90
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Finance Approved
General directorate
Financial Services
Directorate
Contracting and Supplies Head of the public
Department authority of
Contracts Unit institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Contracts approval and monitoring

Level of the job Chief of Office

Identification of the public position

Name Bogdan Dimitriu

Class 1`
Professional degree (if any) BA (Honours) Economics, MA Public
Administration

Main purpose of the job Letting and administration of service and other
contracts for foreign contractors to the Romanian public service.

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None. General knowledge of contracts work

Advanced training None

Computer operation/programming Micro computer Word and Excel

Foreign languages None required, but English and French useful.

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Adaptability. Ability to

assume responsibility and problem solve. Able to implement solutions.
Analysis. Planning. Communication. Drafting. Decision making.
Independence. Negotiation and mediation. Team member and team
manager. Basic PC skills.

91
 Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)
Occasional foreign travel may be required.

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

Leadership, mentoring, communication. Delegation and control.
Performance appraisal including interviewing.

Responsibilities Letting and administration of contracts for services and

supplies to the Romanian public service by foreign suppliers. Participation in
formulating terms of reference. Setting up and participating in contract boards.
Analysing and formulating proposals regarding technical and financial proposals
by contractors. Dealing with requests for contract amendment or extension.
Liaison with foreign donor agencies. Day to day administration of contracts
including monitoring and payment. Managing assigned team. Participating in
broader management of Directorate.

Competence limits (decision freedom) Able to act on own initiative regarding

all matters within sphere of responsibilities. Contracting authority limited to Euro
1 million or equivalent for any single contract

Delegation of responsibilities Able to delegate to team at personal discretion

subject to the content of job descriptions.

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional General financial policy and general policy directorates and

personnel directorate.

Control Assigned work team only.

Representation Within Ministry as required by responsibilities.

External

With public authorities and institutions All public authorities affected or

potentially affected by contracts or contract procedures.

92
 With international organisations All international organisations,
government and non-government, relevant to contract responsibilities.

With private legal persons Contractors and their agents. Any other
company, partnership or other entity relevant to the exercise of
responsibilities.

Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by

Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

93
 CASE STUDY

MR. DANIEL TEODORESCU

Personal details

Date of birth 3rd April 1962

Date of seniority 1st January 1997
Marital status Divorced
Home Flat 14 – 167 Stefan Cel Mare, BUCHAREST

Employment details

Position held Chief of Office - Legal Services

Ministry Ministry of Industry and Commerce
Privatisation Unit

Previous experience

Other jobs 1992- 1997 Executant – Legal Expert

Ministry of Transport
Consumer Rights

1990 – 1992 Executant – Legal Expert

Ministry of Industry and Commerce
Financial Services

1985 -1990 Press Officer

Chamber of Commerce, Constanta

Education

University Master of Law – University Timosoara

Bachelor of Law – Private University,
Bucharest

Languages Romanian – fluent written and spoken (native)

English – written 4, spoken 4
French – written 3, spoken 4

History

Mr. Teodorescu is currently working on primary and secondary legislation aimed

at the eventual privatisation of the electricity generating system in Romania. His
responsibilities are mainly related to thermal power systems and to the electricity

94
grid, but he must also take into account current and planned nuclear generation.
A good part of his work relates to commercial contracts between the generators
and the coal, oil and gas industries.

However, this year he has had to extend his range into property rights and
conveyancing. There have been shortages in the Ministry’s legal unit dealing with
property transfer and, since a there is high commercial asset value in property
within the generating system and more especially in the grid system, with its
extensive use of way-leaves. It has been appropriate for him to become involved.

On the privatisation side he has had these main tasks.

Generators will not be privatized all at once. A number of stations will remain part
of the nationalized industry. But new generators are expected to be more
efficient. Most of them will over the next 10 years will be new-build stations. They
will operate combined cycle gas turbines. They will be able to come on line very
quickly in response to demand and they will command premium payments per
megawatt hour supplied.

If they are to meet their full economic potential they will need priority access to
the grid system. But that is currently at or near saturation. A system of grid
access pricing needs therefore to be developed; and it needs to be brought into
effect over the next year.

Mr. Teodorescu has two staff working mainly on this issue. His personal
responsibilities are to achieve draft changes to the primary legislation regulating
electricity supply contracts and to determine the need for and the content of
supporting secondary legislation. This is a complicated legal task, but it also
depends on being able to understand the technicalities of electricity supply. Mr.
Teodorescu acts as the main reference point for the electrical and other
engineers working on the issue. He also links with the energy economists unit
within the Ministry and with energy policy colleagues.

We are at the stage of understanding the problems and what is needed to

resolve them. We have legal position papers on the two types of legislation. We
have legal analysis of the policy and economic papers. We have sketches of the
changes needed to primary legislation and quite detailed indexes of what is to go
in secondary legislation. But, as yet, we have no draft law. This is a matter of
concern. The timetable for this work is linked to EU accession and it has to be
completed and operational in 1996. As things stand, it will be difficult to get the
work completed in less than 6 months.

The second issue on which he is working is arrangements for the planned

maintenance of power stations.

95
Station down time is very sensitive politically and, of course, highly unpopular
with consumers. The main reason for down time is that whole stations have to be
taken off-generation. This can happen in a planned way: stations plan periodic
maintenance of boilers and generators. To do this they need access to
equipment that is shared between stations. Examples are heavy lifting gear and
transporters. But often maintenance is not planned. It happens through random
breakdown. When that occurs the stations affected need maintenance equipment
in a hurry and, most often, they have to get all or some of it from other generators
or from the grid system.

A working party has been set up within the Ministry to set out better
arrangements for the sharing of necessary maintenance equipment. Mr.
Teodorescu is the legal representative. The primary output from the working
party will be secondary legislation that puts maintenance equipment into a
common pool from which stations can draw. But it is not quite as simple as that.
The equipment needed might already be in use at another station, either
because of planned maintenance or because the station is dealing with an
unplanned outage. A system of priorities therefore needs to be identified and
codified in order to ensure that equipment is first used where it will be to best
advantage.

The working group has been a disappointment. It has been dominated by the
engineers. The main recommendations so far are that the supply of maintenance
equipment should be increased significantly. Hardly a practical proposition. The
equipment is very complex and very expensive. Much of the time it sits waiting
for something to happen. And it sits in the place where it was last used.

Mr. Teodorescu has so far taken a passive role in all this. He has documented
the various views and objections. He has drawn up rules of ownership, but not of
use. He has drawn up a highly complex hierarchy of need in which priority
between stations is computed according to their flexibility – are they combined
cycle stations able to come on and off line quickly – and their contribution to
meeting base load. On that criterion, the nuclear station, which is essentially a
base load station scores most highly, but it is also the station with least need:
most of its equipment is specialized to its need and it is seldom off line because
of non-nuclear related problems.

Mr. Teodorescu really needs to start to make things happen on this issue.

Third, he has been dealing with the issue of the shared European transmission
system and access to the Romanian grid by foreign generators. This has moved
on satisfactorily. Mr. Teodorescu has a very good knowledge of the Romanian
power system. He understand well the limits and capacities of our generators. He
understands the capacity of the transmission system. Importantly, he has a good
grasp of when base load can be acquired from foreign sources and how
aggregate demand needs to be managed through supply contracts. He is also a

96
tough and assured negotiator. As a result we now have letters of understanding,
signed at Ministerial level, between ourselves and foreign suppliers. Work is well
advanced on the necessary bilateral and multi-lateral agreements. And the actual
supply (and penalty) contracts are mostly fully drafted and ready for signature. All
this is due in no small part to Mr. Teodorescu’s efforts and to those of his team,
and they deserve the credit.

Fourth, Mr. Teodorescu has been dealing with preliminary work on potential
property transfers. This is painstaking and time consuming work and he and his
team have managed a great deal of the spadework in a short space of time. An
inventory has been drawn up of all major property holdings, leases and way-
leaves. Visits have been made (mainly by his team) to sites in dispute and the
land property researches have been carried out to establish title. This work has
led us into an area of difficulty. It turns out that a lot of our way-leaves exist only
by grace and custom. Work now needs to be done on their valuation as indeed
does work on the valuation of some generation and switching station sites. The
valuations will be carried out by a land valuation company on contract, but it will
be for Mr. Teodorescu to draw up and monitor the contract performance.

Fifth, Mr. Teodorescu has managed a team of four executant/expert staff plus a
debutant lawyer. This has been done to a good standard. He is a good
communicator with considerable interest in the subjects with which he deals and
he has managed to convey this enthusiasm to his team. There have been many
field trips, a lot of them involving out of hours travel. They have all been done
uncomplainingly.

Mr. Teodorescu’s unit was equipped with new computers this year and now
everybody in his unit has web and e-mail access and the use of the Microsoft
Office Suite. This has given rise to a significant increase in the throughput of
work – mainly this has been accomplished by the sharing of documentation. The
debutant has mainly worked as an assistant directly to Mr. Teodorescu who is his
formal counselor. This arrangement has worked out very satisfactorily. The
debutant has a real grasp of the whole range of the work being carried out in the
unit and there is little doubt that his probation marking will be other than very
favourable. As an experiment, an electrical engineer has been nominated to work
with Mr. Teodorescu and, in fact, he spends most of his time in the legal unit
dealing with the two issues of supply of maintenance equipment and the
development of bilateral supply agreements. He and Mr. Teodorescu get on very
well together and derive a good deal of synergy from each other’s presence. The
arrangement should be continued next year.

Mr. Teodorescu is nominally a strong team player. His staff work willingly and
well for him. He has built good links in other parts of the Ministry, especially with
engineers and administrators. Generally he is seen as competent, diligent and
hard-working. His enthusiasm for his work comes across well to others and he is
seen as having considerable expertise in his field. He does not always work well

97
upwards. He is very independently minded and will rely on his own initiatives and
priorities through thick and thin. He does not always keep his seniors informed of
what is being done and about what his personal timetable might be. The result is
that his work priorities become skewed. What he likes, he does well, what he
does not like can drift.

His administrative skills are competent. He can reduce sometimes very

complicated technical issues down to their essentials. He is good at meetings,
generally an active listener and a strong contributor. He is not particularly
numerate. He is more at home with descriptions than with data.

His marked strengths are his commitment and his highly ethical approach. While
not a man to hide his light under a bushel, he is not a man who takes advantage
of his position.

Objectives

Mr. Teodorescu had the following objectives.

First, to develop work on privatisation to the extent that final drafts of sections of
primary legislation relevant and the entirety of the secondary legislation were
ready by the year end. We are some way short of that and it will need
accelerated effort to get texts ready by the middle of next year – the practical
deadline

Second, arrangements were to be drawn up by the year end, including draft

secondary legislation, to provide for the best sharing of heavy maintenance
equipment between potential users. Twelve meetings of a working group have
been held. Mr. Teodorescu has attended all of them. The difficulties are now fully
clarified in an engineering sense – as indeed was mainly the case at the outset.
A better community of interest has been developed, but there is no real
agreement on sharing and no draft of secondary legislation.

Third, the development of a bilateral system for grid access by foreign generators
to be examined and analysed in time for implementation by 1997. Expectations
have been exceeded here. Not only have the framework agreements been
reached, they have been enshrined in letters of intent. The drafting of bilateral
agreements is well on course.

Fourth, (new objective inserted at the end of the first quarter of the year) an
inventory was to be made of transmission property rights and site rights for the
grid and generator system. This has been accomplished to a significant extent
and the next stage will be the valuation of rights, under the terms of a commercial
contract which Mr. Teodorescu will administer.

98
Fifth, there was to be effective management of the debutant lawyer and the
electrical engineer attached to the legal unit. Both have been accomplished. We
will seek to assign another debutant to Mr. Teodorescu’s group next year.

Requirement

Based on this information, complete an annual appraisal report on Mr.

Teodorescu.

• Mark and comment upon the extent to which objectives set have been fulfilled
and deduce an overall performance mark for this aspect of his work.

• Mark and comment on individual aspects of his performance as required by

the report form, and deduce an overall report mark. Assume priorities for
individual aspects of performance according to the information you have been
given.

• Write an overall commentary on performance this year.

• Set a number of objectives for next year and assign performance measures to
them.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Thursday, June 10, 2004

99
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Industry and Commerce Approved
General directorate
Industry Support and Regulation
Directorate
Electricity Industry Head of the public
Department authority of
Privatisation Unit institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Chief of Office – Legal Services

Level of the job Chief of Office 1

Identification of the public position

Name Daniel Teodorescu

Class 1
Professional degree (if any) Master of Law. Batchelor of Law.

Main purpose of the job The development of primary and secondary legislation
relevant to electricity generation and distribution and its privatisation.
Development and implementation of international electricity supply contracts.
Legal work in relation to assets, land and property connected with the electricity
industry. General legal work related to electricity generation and transmission.

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None apart from legal qualification

Advanced training None

Computer operation/programming Microsoft Word and Excel, e-mail

and web.

Foreign languages None required, but English and French useful.

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Objectives oriented. Able to

analyse and synthesise complex issues on own initiative, resolve
problems and implement solutions. Forward work planning and
management of work timetables. Written and oral communication. Lead

100
 and work within team. Able to organise and control work and to make
decisions. Performance appraisal and interviewing. Use of computer for
word processing and spreadsheet work. High level of probity and ethics.

Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)

Frequent travel within Romania. Occasional travel abroad.

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

Manage work team. Requires leadership, planning, control, coordination
and decision making. Responsible for personnel appraisal and
interviewing. Implicit mediation and negotiation.

Responsibilities Preparation of draft primary and secondary legislation

regarding the regulation of electricity generation and distribution and its
privatisation. Legal work to support the effective and efficient operation of
electricity supply and distribution. Legal work to develop and implement electricity
supply contracts with foreign generators. Work to support the general
responsibilities of the electricity directorate. Work concerning the acquisition and
control of assets and the holding and transfer of land and other real property.
Management of an assigned team of lawyers and other staff. Use of computer
systems. Travel to sites and otherwise as required, including foreign travel.

Competence limits (decision freedom) Determine work priorities with

delegated limits. Decisions of day to day work as required. Seek advice and
guidance on own initiative.

Delegation of responsibilities Delegates work to team on own initiative within

the limits of their job descriptions.

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional With ministry professional and administrative staff as required

on any matter within responsibilities.

Control Of designated work team. Use of ministry common services as

needed by the work.

Representation As may be assigned from time to time.

101
External

With public authorities and institutions As required in relation to

responsibilities

With international organisations As required in relation to

responsibilities. Specifically required in relation to foreign suppliers to the
Romanian grid, their agents and associates. Links with international
electricity supply organisations as required.

With private legal persons As required by responsibilities and as may be

assigned.

Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by

Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

102
 CASE STUDY

MRS. EVANGELINA MIRCEAU

Personal details

Date of birth 16th June 1972

Date of Seniority in post 8th October 1999
Marital status Married, two children
Home Flat 3 -22 Calea Dorabantilor, BUCHAREST

Employment details

Position held Executant – Legal Expert

Ministry Ministry of Foreign Affairs – EU Unit

Previous experience

Other jobs 1994 – 1996 Research Fellow EU Commission

1996 – 1997 Bonds Broker Amro Bank BUCHEREST
1997 -1999 International Negotiator, Tarom.

Education

University Bachelor of Arts – Modern Languages and

Literature – Berlin University
M.Phil. - International Law & Relations –Maastricht
Translation Diploma – Leeds University

Languages Romanian – fluent written and spoken (native)

German – written 5, spoken 5.
Dutch – written 4, spoken 5.
English – written 5, spoken 5

History

Mrs. Mirceau is an odd blend. Her academic and work background has been
highly successful. On every external appearance she is well equipped to be an
outstanding employee of this Ministry. Certainly she brings to her work a ready
understanding of the processes of the European Union institutions and practice.
Her languages are fully up to date. She works very comfortably in all four; and
she moves with practiced ease between them. She is a very social person: a

103
member of specialist language institutes. And she makes the most of her
opportunities to move in the circle of the EU and other missions in Bucharest.

Her main problem is that, while she has the attendant skills to work well as a
legal expert, her day to day skills do not quite meet the full job specification.

It would be easy to concentrate on her good points; there are very many. She is
highly tuned to situations and people. As a result she scarcely puts a foot wrong
in her dealings with colleagues and her opposite numbers. She is one of the
people most able to attend meetings and gain the best of information from them.
She has a fund of examples of the inner workings of the EU bureaucracy. She
uses those to best effect when setting out proposals and gathering in counter
proposals. She has ready intelligence and comes back with many ideas for
action from her work outside the Ministry. The difficulty is just that. They are good
ideas (most of them) for action. But she needs someone to bring them into effect.
Most often this is her colleagues. However, willing they are, this is not always
possible and Mrs. Mirceau’s pending file spills over her desk, while she moves
forth bringing in, almost daily, new nuggets of work.

She does score very highly with those at Ambassador rank and with Ministers
and dignitaries. She can, and does, produce very good briefing. It is elegant
almost to a fault. But it is rather too full of what might be possible rather than
what has actually been achieved. Ideally, she should occupy a grade several
steps above her present one, in which she could dispose of the efforts of
resources. That could well be her saving, but it is unlikely to happen at least for
the present.

She has been a frequent foreign traveler on the Ministry’s business. Organising
and participating in study tours is her forte. She has undertaken these this year to
Germany (Bonn and Berlin), to Belgium (Brussels), to the OECD in Paris, to
Edinburgh, Dublin and London. The success of these trips has been largely due
to the work put in by Mrs. Mirceau beforehand. She reads avidly: scarcely an
economic, legal or political journal passes her by. She is also a frequent and
serious user of the Ministry’s library, which has expanded in some important
areas due largely to her interests and requests; often made on behalf of senior
officials and Ministers.

Mrs. Mirceau is very close to the press office, to the private offices of Ministers
and others. This has led her to move into new territories in the past year. She
has started to produce and edit an index of work anticipated or in progress by the
legal department. This is being done using text retrieval software based on the
Lex legal index. But it is supplemented by Mrs. Mirceau’s own efforts using
Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, for both of which she is an expert user. She
also uses her e-mail system to draw in initiatives being taken that are relevant to
Romanian law by the various embassies and missions. All this material is made
easily available and is much appreciated by the Ministers and dignitaries who

104
receive it as routine. Indeed, apart from the daily digest of press and media
interest that press office prepares and updates with foreign reporting, Mrs.
Mirceau is an important source of up-to-date information.

There have been some solid achievements this year, though they have largely
taken place aside from Mrs. Mirceau’s nominally assigned legal duties. Her
primary responsibility is to act as eyes and ears. To use her background as a
legal expert to winkle out and to assess proposals for legislative action being
taken by EU member and accession states that directly or indirectly has the
potential of affecting Romanian interests, as itself a candidate state. It would be
churlish to say that this has not been achieved. It has and Mrs. Mirceau can point
to specific action on her part that derived it, But there remains a strong feeling
that more could have been done and in a more timely manner. Evidence from the
social round is all very well, but it needs to be backed up by hard evidence, by
analysis of what is taking place rather than just by whom, and most of all there
must be fully formed proposals for action, not just a wish that this should
somehow be done.

Two of Mrs. Mirceau’s positive actions merit particular praise. A very successful
conference was arranged, with EU sponsorship, concerning the particular current
status of Romanian secondary legislation relating to the field of social and
industrial policy. Mrs. Mirceau acted as the primary liaison person within the
Ministry and it is in no small part due to her that the arrangements went off so
smoothly. Second, due to her links with the Goethe Institute, staff from the
Ministry were able to meet informally with German industrialists and investors
interested in developing trade and cultural links with the regional centres in
Romania. Her ability to flit between Romanian, German and English at will
contributed much to the success of the event, and her analysis of what had taken
place was both interesting and informative to her colleagues in regional and local
government..

So far as her colleagues and peers are concerned, Mrs. Mirceau is fast-
becoming one of the grande dames of the Ministry. An epithet has arisen that an
issue has been ‘Miceaued’. It has been investigated, summarised and put on
someone’s agenda. Not least probably their own. Most take this in good part.
Much of the (interesting) spade work has been done. People are clear what
follow up action is needed. Next year, Mrs. Mirceau must be encouraged to do
that aspect of the work for herself.

Objectives

Mrs. Mirceau had the following objectives

First, to develop her professional and social contacts in and connected with EU
related missions in Romania with the purpose of ensuring that well founded
information about plans and intentions became available to the Ministry. Action

105
could then be taken to support or amend these intentions based on the current
and planned state of development of secondary legislation in Romania. The
intelligence has certainly been gathered. It has been summarised and parceled
for action. It has been adequate follow-up that has principally been lacking.

Second, to use her experience and contacts to plan and carry out a number of
study tours to EU countries, involving dignitaries and senior officials. To ensure
that the tours focused on the various development of secondary (and primary)
legislation in those countries, and was placed in the context of developing
Romanian legislation. Four tours, involving visits to seven centres, have been
carried out. This has ensured that the Romanian perspective has been given
high visibility. Most of the work in organising and carrying out the tours fell to Mrs.
Mirceau and she coped admirably, both with action on the ground and in
documenting follow-up..

Third, to raise the profile of the work done by the EU related legislation
department of the Ministry both within it and in linked organisations beyond it.
Here again Mrs. Mirceau has performed very well. Her information initiatives
have ensured that all who need to know are fully aware of developments, almost
as they are happening.

Fourth, to translate intelligence gathered into well-formed initiatives for

implementation. This is the weak point in the armoury of Mrs. Mirceau. Much has
been identified for action. Too often it has been left to others who have different
roles.

Requirement

Based on this information, complete an annual appraisal report on Mrs. Mirceau.

• Mark and comment upon the extent to which objectives have been fulfilled
and deduce an overall performance mark for this aspect of her work.

• Mark and comment on individual aspects of her performance as required by

the report form, and deduce an overall report mark. Assume priorities for
individual aspects of performance according to the information you have been
given.

• Write an overall commentary on performance this year.

• Set a number of objectives for next year and assign performance measures to
them.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Thursday, June 10, 2004

106
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Approved
General directorate
European Affairs
Directorate
EU Affairs Head of the public
Department authority of
EU Relations institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Legal Expert

Level of the job Executant

Identification of the public position

Name Evangeline Mirceau

Class 1
Professional degree (if any) BA Modern Languages. MPhil International
Relations. Translation Diploma

Main purpose of the job Analysis of legal issues regarding Romania’s relations
with the EU. Maintaining working level contact with EU authorities, Embassies
and High Commissions in Romania on legal matters. Organising and
participating in Romanian delegations to EU countries. Information gathering and
analysis of EU relevant legal matters.

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None

Advanced training None apart from law degree.

Computer operation/programming Microsoft Word and Excel. Lex

system.

Foreign languages None required, but English, German and French

useful.

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Adaptability. Working on

own initiative. Analysis and synthesis. Communication – written and oral.

107
 Problem solving and implementation. Team working. Negotiating.
Organising. Word processing and spreadsheet skills and use of legal
database. High level of probity and ethics.

Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)

Frequent foreign travel mainly to EU countries. Travel within Romania.
Organisation of and participation in delegations.

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

Not appropriate – no staff managed.

Responsibilities Maintaining and developing relationships on legal matters with

EU authorities and with embassies and high commissions. Preparing reports on
contacts, analysing, proposing and implementing action after authorisation.
Organising and participating in study tours and delegations, recording action and
initiating and completing follow up action. Preparing reports, submissions and
ancillary briefing and speech material regarding EU legal issues. Participating in
seminars and conferences as required. Using PC based Word, Excel and Lex
software. Working as a member of the general legal team.

Competence limits (decision freedom) Organise own work subject to general

supervision. Decisions of any significant action involving outside agents require
approval.

Delegation of responsibilities None

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional Within legal directorate and wider within Ministry

Control None – no staff managed

Representation General representation of legal directorate as required

External

With public authorities and institutions With these bodies as required

by the work.

With international organisations Extensive with EU authorities

embassies and high commissions. With foreign governments, via
Romanian embassies, mainly but not exclusively regarding study tours

108
 and delegations. With EU and other trade and commercial authorities as
needed.

With private legal persons As required by the responsibilities of the post.

Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by

Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

109
 CASE STUDY

MR. DAN MITROI

Personal details

Date of birth 18th September 1949

Date of Seniority 1st January1999
Marital status Married
Home 10 Prague Street, BUCHAREST

Employment details

Position held Deputy Secretary General

Ministry Ministry of Administration

Previous experience

Other jobs 1990-1999 Director General

Ministry of Justice

1980-1990 Director General

Ministry of Finance

1965-1980 Various Posts

Ministry of Commerce
Education

University Batchelor of Arts Mathematics

PhD Philosophy

Languages Romanian – written 5, spoken 5 (native)

English – written 5, spoken 5
German – written 5, spoken 5

History

Mr. Mitroi is a quietly spoken, rather patrician man. His hobbies are in the arts.
He is a very good amateur painter, in watercolours, and he is a patron of the
national orchestra and of the opera. He is also a fine calligrapher.

Since he has taken up his post there has been constant change. The civil service
of Romania is evolving fast to meet many new challenges. Candidacy for the
European Union has meant that almost the entire bureaucracy has had to
change. New ministries have been created and others have been merged. There
has been a strong push towards decentralisation. There have been problems of

110
recruiting and retaining civil servants because of low salaries and generally bad
working conditions. There have been almost continuous negotiations, not just
with the EU, but with the World Bank and with the IMF. Legislation has never
been more voluminous and there have been numerous emergency ordinances
and decisions. Almost all of this, to a larger or smaller extent, has involved Mr.
Mitroi personally. His work load is very high and very onerous.

It is a tribute to his personality and skills that matters generally have been kept
on an even keel. He is adept at balancing the different demands of his portfolio.
Much of his work is done direct to State Secretaries and, even more often, to
Ministers. All of them hold him in high regard. He drafts very concisely,
accurately and at high speed. He is excellent at analysing and playing briefing
material. He is an excellent chairman of meetings, able to cut through chaff and
expose points and positions very accurately, summarise them and draw out
consensus.

He works very long hours and, if there is a fault, it is that he takes on too much.
He has not taken the opportunity of general reorganization to reorganize and
expand his own staff. The result is that those who work directly for him are as
hard pressed and as overworked as he is himself. This has not led to any
complaints because of the high intrinsic interest and importance of the work, but
it has not been the most efficient of arrangements.

During the year the following main work has been done.

A major recodification of the law relating to the civil service has been achieved.
All the individual legislation has been drawn into a single up to date law. The
opportunity has been taken to get rid of inconsistencies and overlaps and overall
the law now meets the requirements of the European Union for a modern civil
service statute. A number of major provisions, for example those related to anti-
corruption and ethics have still to be brought into full effect and this will be an
important task in the coming year.

Significant action has been taken to redistribute functions from central

departments to non-governmental organisations and to local authorities. This has
involved protracted and difficult negotiations with all the interests involved,
particularly over the delegation and future control of budgets. It has also involved
the preparation and enactment of complex legislation. Mr. Mitroi has acted as the
focal point and the leader for all of this work.

A new scheme has been developed, legislated for an implemented which will
mean the recruitment of up to 100 fast stream civil servants into the Romanian
civil service each year. Over a few years, this is expected to have a profound
effect on the character and functioning of the civil service. Some difficult technical
problems have had to be overcome. Again, Mr. Mitroi has been at the forefront of
this initiative and it is very much his scheme.

111
Over the past year there have been a number of very difficult negotiations with
the European Union both in Bucharest and in Brussels and Strasbourg. The
road to accession is proving rocky. A great deal of attention has been focused on
improving the functioning of the Romanian civil service and fundamental changes
are having to be introduced. The most important of these relates to improved
standards of service to the public, where significant steps forward have to be
made; to anti-corruption measures, where there has recently been a highly
critical report by the World Bank; and to much extended decentralisation. These
are specific issues aside from a general requirement to improve the status and
functioning of the civil service and to improve its pay and conditions under
difficult economic circumstances. Major progress has been made to the extent
that new legislation is now in place – the omnibus civil service legislation is the
largest stride forward – but full implementation remains to be achieved. This is
now being pressed for strongly by the EU authorities.

Mr. Mitroi has been an effective lead negotiator. He has not been able to secure
a reduction in the content of demands, but he has been able to secure
reasonable time for implementation – two years. Part of the negotiated
programme is the promulgation of three major Phare projects directed towards
implementation. All of them have to be up and running within the first six months
of next year and each will run for twelve months. However, the timetable is
already slipping and it seems likely that only one project will be in place before
June. The best estimate for the others is the autumn. Mr. Mitroi has decided that
all the projects will be run from the Ministry of Administration. This will place a
large burden on the Ministry’s resources. With hindsight, it might have been
better to attach two of the projects to other agencies.

Mr. Mitroi does a great deal of public speaking, mainly to national and
international conferences, for which he is considerable demand. This done well.
He always has full command of his material and he speaks with authority. The
only point of criticism is that he can gloss over difficulties. He is a considerable
optimist and tends to believe that things can be moved faster forward than will be
the case in practice.

Mr. Mitroi gets on reasonably well with his colleagues. They admire him rather
than like him. He is a man very conscious of his position as a leader and as a
man at the centre of affairs. He is not a man to suffer fools gladly and he has
turned a sardonic tongue on a few in his time. He tends to build a high degree of
loyalty and respect in his team, but it is not always easy to make the grade.
Those who do not, very soon find that they are given opportunities elsewhere.

Mr. Mitroi’s specific objectives for this year were the following.

• Participate, without involving any delay, in negotiations with the EU, World
Bank and EU authorities concerning the improved functioning of the civil
service, civil service pay and conditions, and specifically anti-corruption

112
 measures. All of this has been progressed well and some solid achievements
have been made. Mr. Mitroi has both acted as a lead negotiator and as a
direct support to Ministers. Clear action points have been produced for
implementation, but the timetable set by Mr. Mitroi has been criticized by
some of his colleagues as too optimistic and too ambitious.

• Achieve recodification of the general civil service law ready for Parliamentary
approval by mid-June. Secure framework provisions regarding anti-corruption
and ethics. Prepare draft secondary legislation on these topics for ministerial
approval before end-September. This was achieved. The codification was
achieved one month early. Implementation action for the anti-corruption
legislation and the ethics legislation needs to be taken quickly; it has slipped
by about 2 months and the EU authorities are impatient.

• Design and achieve proposals for maximum decentralisation of powers to

non-governmental organisations and to local authorities. Achieve positive
results by end-September. Solid progress has been made, but more needs to
be done. Negotiations have been protracted and this has delayed some of the
primary legislation and a lot of the secondary legislation. The outstanding
secondary legislation now needs to be advanced. That will require further
negotiations. Implementation plans need to be developed and brought into full
effect.

• Legislation for the fast-stream civil servants scheme to be developed and

drafter by October and the scheme brought into operation by 1st January. This
has been fully achieved and the scheme is now fully ready to go operational.
Next year it will be necessary to introduce monitoring arrangements.

Requirement

Based on this information,

• complete a report by Mr. Mitroi on his activities this year

• Acting the role of a member of the appraisal commission,

• Mark and comment upon the extent to which objectives have been fulfilled
and deduce an overall performance mark for this aspect of his work.

• Mark and comment on individual aspects of his performance as required by

the report form, and deduce an overall mark. Assume priorities for individual
aspects of performance according to the information you have been given.

• Write an overall commentary on performance this year.

113
• Set a number of objectives for next year and assign performance measures to
them.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Wednesday, June 09, 2004

114
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Administration Approved
General directorate
Public Service
Directorate
- Head of the public
Department authority of
- institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Deputy Secretary General (Public Administration)

Level of the job 1

Identification of the public position

Name Dan Mitroi

Class 1
Professional degree (if any) BA Mathematics. PhD Philosophy.

Main purpose of the job Senior adviser to ministers and to dignitaries. Heads
the division of the ministry concerned with the regulation and conduct of the civil
service. Manages a personal cabinet of 8 civil servants. Responsible for 3
directorates of the ministry – about 130 staff.

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None required

Advanced training None required

Computer operation/programming None required

Foreign languages None required, but English, French and German

useful.

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Focused on objectives and

achieving them. High levels of responsibility and independence requiring
adaptability and perseverance in the face of obstacles. Major requirement for
analysis, synthesis and decision making coupled with very high drafting and oral
skills. Majority of work involves strategic development with both broad and

115
narrow time frames. Very significant leadership and managerial demands. High
work load and consequent need for controlled delegation. High standards of
probity and ethics.

Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)

Considerable travel required, both internationally and in Romania.
Absences from base generally do not exceed one month.

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

High managerial and leadership competence. Able to motivate and sustain
staff through difficult work periods. Strong focus on achieving results and
on implementation generally. Strong and controlled delegator.

Responsibilities Senior adviser to Ministers, State Secretaries and other

dignitaries on matters connected with the development, operation and control of
the public service. Takes part in foreign delegations as a negotiator and
supporter, particularly, but not exclusively to EU, World Bank, IMF, OECD and
similar organisations. Participates in delegations to foreign governments.
Controls the drafting of primary and secondary legislation relevant to the civil
service. Supports the parliamentary stages of legislation and secures the
implementation of legislation. Chairs or participates in high level working parties
and other groups relevant to the operation of the civil service. Oversees the
management of personal cabinet. Oversees the management of three
directorates of the ministry.

Competence limits (decision freedom) Reports directly to Ministers, consulting

Secretary on his own initiative.

Delegation of responsibilities Free to delegate responsibilities with the span of

his command on his own judgement, subject to the overall control of ministers
and the secretary general.

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional All directorates within the ministry as might be required by the

business.

Control Personal cabinet plus assigned three directorates.

Representation Directly to ministers and dignitaries and across the

spectrum of the ministry. Interventions are at his discretion unless
mandated by the minister, dignitaries or the secretary general.

116
External

With public authorities and institutions Extensive across the whole of

the public service.

With international organisations Extensive. Main international contacts

are EU, World Bank, IMF and OECD. Other contacts are made as
required. Extensive contacts with other countries both in the EU and
beyond. These contacts are managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

With private legal persons Extensive and at the discretion of the post
holder subject only to ministerial and secretary general’s control.

Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by

Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

117
 CASE STUDY

MR. FLORIAN IONESCU

Personal details

Date of birth 3rd September 1980

Date of seniority 1st January 2003
Marital status Single
Home Flat 12 – 76 Str. Popa Radu, BUCHAREST

Employment details

Position held Debutant Civil Servant -

Ministry Ministry of Labour

Previous experience

Other jobs 2002 – 2003 British Council

Library Assistant

Education

University Bachelor of Arts – History - Timosoara

Librarianship Diploma

Languages Romanian – fluent written and spoken (native)

English – written 4, spoken 5
French – written 3, spoken 4

History

Mr. Ionescu is at present undergoing a twelve month probationary period which

will end of 31st December 2004. During the whole of this period he has been
counseled by a single individual, Mrs. Adriana Dimitriu, a supervisor in the
employment services division of the local office in Bucharest Sector 4. His duties
involve the setting up of employment files for individuals. Recording their
qualifications and work histories. Recording their work preferences. And then
trying to match individuals with vacant jobs. He also has to take preliminary
action about claims for benefit. He has to record and verify the family
circumstances of the claimant. He has to obtain a record of the unemployment
insurance contributions they have paid. He has to liaise with the welfare office to

118
ensure that two different kinds of benefit are not paid to the same individual for
the same circumstances.

Mr. Ionescu has done quite well. He is a conscientious young man. He always
arrives early at the office. He works solidly throughout the day and does not
leave before the closing time. He is very neat. His files are maintained up to date
and all the action that has been taken or is due to be taken is fully recorded on
them. Anyone in the office can pick up his cases and progress them.

He has two areas of difficulty: one of them probably due to lack of experience.
Many of the people dealt with in this office are aggressive. They are in
disadvantaged circumstances and many of them are in urgent need of money.
They do not take kindly to being dealt with by a fresh-faced young man,
obviously just out of college and quite new to the job. Consequently, he has had
his difficulties. There have been no actual incidents, but many of his clients ask
for second opinions or to see a supervisor. Mr. Ionescu needs to become more
assertive in his dealings with the public. He knows his job. He must communicate
that clearly. For the first ten weeks of his time with us all his interviews were
supervised and he still has the opportunity of sitting in on interviews carried out
by senior staff and by supervisors. We hope that he will grow into this part of his
work quite quickly when his probationary period is completed.

The second difficulty is potentially more serious. Mr. Ionescu has a blind spot
with figures. Many of his assessments are done two or three times over and they
still have to be checked very carefully. It is not that he does not understand the
rules. He knows them and can explain them very well. It is just that, faced with a
column of figures, he seems to freeze. He gets the wrong arithmetical result,
even using a calculator with percentages built in. This needs worked on. Over the
coming three months Mr. Ionescu will work almost exclusively on assessment
work. We hope that will give him confidence as well as experienced and that the
problem will be overcome.

His written work is very sound. He has a good command of language and can
turn a phrase very well. There are no worries on that score. Indeed, after his
probation is finished and he has shown that he can deal with the calculation side
of the work rather better, plans are that Mr. Ionescu should move into the unit
dealing with employers. That mainly involves work on the telephone and writing
letters. Both of these are strong points for him.

His judgment is sound. He knows what to do and when to do it. He now has
rather more than nine months of experience and seldom needs guidance on
technicalities. When he puts a case forward for decision, the various options are
invariably fully documented and well argued. Seldom are his recommendations
overturned. His case handling is concise and to the point.

119
Mr. Ionescu is popular and well regarded by his colleagues. His willingness both
to do the work and to try hard is much appreciated. He has had a spread of
experience and has shown himself to be quite adaptable. He is a good team
member, always willing to pick up where others have left off, and he documents
current and future action very well. He also has a sound general knowledge of
the Ministry and of government in general – this comes in part from his University
studies; his minor was in public administration, and in part from his work at the
British Council Library where he was responsible for their weekly digest of
government activity. But he has also taken full advantage of the training courses
he has attended related specifically to his current work.

He came to us not knowing very much about computers. Now he can use the
software used by the Ministry well. He is also quite competent on the Word
programme. He has been able to enter data into Excel spreadsheets quite
accurately, but he has found the arithmetical functions quite confusing, in line
with previous comments.

Mr. Ionescu has received an induction training day and a three day formal
training course in public administration during his probationary year. He will
attend a job-specific course in February. He has been given supervised reading
both in relation to employment and benefit law and practice. He has also been
given supervised reading in relation to public administration. He seems to have
absorbed the material. He has received desk training from his guidance
counselor. He has also worked directly with more experienced colleagues,
assisting them with their cases.

Overall, we are pleased to have Mr. Ionescu. His plus points are well marked.
Above all he is willing and he is trainable. He gets on well with clients and he will
grow in his experience of handling them. His number work needs strengthening,
but arrangements are already in hand for that. He knows his work: he needs a
little more experience – that is all.

Mr. Ionescu’s job description as a debutant is attached. The objectives he was

given for his probationary year were the following.

• To gain an adequate knowledge of employment and benefit law by mid-year.

This has been achieved, Mr. Ionescu now has a good grasp not only of the
law, but of administrative procedures and practice.
• To be able to deal with straightforward cases involving interviews with the
public by end-June. This has been achieved, but Mr. Ionescu still needs more
experience and needs to become more positive.
• To be able to assess accurately claims for unemployment benefit by mid-June
and to be able to deal with more complex cases by end September. This has
been achieved, but Mr. Ionescu is still not entirely accurate in his handling of
figures.

120
• To be fully competent in file and claim building by end June and to be able to
write associated letters and minutes of enquiry. This was done very well. Mr.
Ionescu is a neat and meticulous worker who writes well.
• To integrate into the work team as soon as possible and to show flexibility
and adaptiveness in working. Mr. Ionescu did this very well and very speedily.
He is a good, conscientious and loyal colleague.

Requirement

Based on this information, complete probation evaluation reports on Mr.

Ionescu.

• Prepare a guidance counselor’s report as if you were Mrs. Adriana Dimitriu.

Make the appropriate recommendations.

• Write a probationer’s report as if you were Mr. Ionescu.

• Write and mark, with appropriate recommendations, an evaluator’s report on

Mr. Ionescu.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Thursday, June 10, 2004

121
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Labour Approved
General directorate
Operations
Directorate
Employment Services Head of the public
Department authority of
Local Office institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Debutant – Employment Services and Unemployment Benefit

Level of the job Debutant - Executant

Identification of the public position

Name Florian Ionescu

Class 1
Professional degree (if any) BA History. Librarianship Diploma

Main purpose of the job Provides an employment placing service for

unemployed individuals. Assesses claims for unemployment benefit and puts
awards into payment.

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None apart from job specific training (Civil Service
provided).

Advanced training None

Computer operation/programming End user for ministry system.

Microsoft Word and Excel.

Foreign languages None required

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Adaptable, responsible and

able to see work through to a conclusion. God communication, written and
oral and able to deal effectively with the public. Able to work on own
initiative and as a member of a team. Ability to analyse and synthesise
written information and straightforward data. Computer literate – ministry

122
 systems and Microsoft Word and Excel. High standards of probity and
ethics.

Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)

May be delegated to other local offices or ministry headquarters within
normal rules of secondment.

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

Not appropriate.

Responsibilities Acts a local officer dealing with casework related to placing

unemployed individuals in work and assessing and putting into payment their
entitlement to unemployment benefit. Builds and maintains claim files and
employment files. Works as a member of a team and assists colleagues as the
work demands. Writes minutes and letters associated with casework. Uses the
ministry’s computer system as an end user and also uses Word and Excel
programmes.

Competence limits (decision freedom) All work to be subject to approval by

supervisor.

Delegation of responsibilities Not appropriate

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional Within team

Control By supervisor and seniors

Representation Only under supervision.

External

With public authorities and institutions Only as authorised by

supervisor

With international organisations Not appropriate.

With private legal persons With the agents of clients and subject to
direction by supervisor.

123
Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by
Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

124
 CASE STUDY

MISS MARIANA POPESCU

Personal details

Date of birth 9th April 1982

Date of seniority 1st January 2003
Marital status Single
Home Flat 5– 18 Str. Vlad Patru, BUCHAREST

Employment details

Position held Debutant Civil Servant -

Ministry Ministry of Finance

Previous experience

Other jobs 2002 – 2003 Chamber of Commerce

Office Assistant

Education

University Bachelor of Arts – Geography - Bucharest

Word Processing Diploma

Languages Romanian – fluent written and spoken (native)

English – written 4, spoken 4
French – written 3, spoken 3

History

Miss Popescu has been working in the pay unit for 10 months. She deals with
general salary matters and her work involves day to day contact with other
Ministries. Most often this is about pay rates on promotion and about special
allowances that are paid in addition to basic salary rights.

The job is quite a technical one. It needs a good grasp, not just about salary
entitlement, but about the various statutory and other deductions that have to be
made – social insurance contributions, income tax and so on. The post holder
has to be very familiar with word processing, with e-mail, and with Excel
spreadsheet programmes, all of which are used daily. In addition, many basic

125
calculations have to be made using an electronic calculator – we have one which
is programmable.

In many respects, Miss Popescu has been a model employee. She comes in
early and frequently works late, especially in the middle and at the end of the
month – our two most busy periods. She is a lively outgoing personality and has
brought a breath of fresh air to a largely middle aged and pretty staid team. She
works quickly and accurately, making best use of the tools at her disposal. Her
output, while not exceptional, has been well up to standard given her length of
experience. Her biggest plus point is her accuracy – and she does not get
flustered when the pressure is on.

There are really no negative points to her performance. It would be good to see
her extend her range into general finance related work. We had good reports of
her from the training unit which she attended for 6 days and where the general
and pay specific work of the Ministry was covered. Such a move might be
possible in another 6 months or so. Various retirements are anticipated.

Next year she should concentrate as much as she can on the more complex
cases, involving multiple allowances and rate changes.

Miss Popescu had these objectives for her probationary year.

• To acquire by the middle of the year adequate knowledge to process salary

payments, including statutory and voluntary deductions. This was achieved.
Miss Popescu gained the necessary knowledge quickly and was working
effectively on basic cases by the summer.
• To acquire by the middle of the year adequate knowledge of Word, Excel and
job specific computer programmes. This was achieved. Miss Popescu is quite
comfortable as a computer user.
• To extend the range of casework being handled by end September to include
those involving special allowances and discretionary payments and to be able
to deal with starting pay on promotion. This was achieved, but Miss Popescu
still needs more experience.
• To integrate into the work team with minimum delay. Mis Popescu achieved
this easily. She is a cooperative and adaptable colleague.

Requirement

Based on this information, complete a probation evaluation report on Miss

Popescu.

• Mark and comment upon the extent to which objectives set for a probation
period of twelve months have been fulfilled and deduce an overall
performance mark.

126
• Write an overall commentary on performance this year.

• Make a recommendation concerning the probationary period – was it

satisfactorily or unsatisfactorily completed; should the appointment be made
permanent; should the appointment be terminated

• Set a number of objectives for next year and assign performance measures to
them.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Thursday, June 10, 2004

127
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Finance Approved
General directorate
Civil Service Finance
Directorate
Pay Head of the public
Department authority of
Salaries institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Salary Clerk - Executant

Level of the job Debutant

Identification of the public position

Name Mariana Popescu

Class1
Professional degree (if any) BA Geography. Word Processing Diploma

Main purpose of the job Calculation of the salary entitlements of civil servants
on starting, on promotion and when other relevant changes occur. Calculation of
salary allowances. Calculation of statutory and other deductions. Putting salaries
and allowances into payment. Recovery of salary overpayments.
Correspondence and minutes associated with salaries. Other work arising
relevant to salaries.

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None

Advanced training None

Computer operation/programming Use of Word, Excel and e-mail.

Foreign languages None

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes Numerate with good

drafting skills. Able to solve problems and implement solutions. Able to
plan and manage work load. Able to analyse and synthesise. Able to work
with minimum supervision. Able to work in a team. Good computer skills.

128
 Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)
None

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

Not applicable.

Responsibilities
Deal with assigned caseload of salary and salary related work. Calculate salary
awards and revisions. Calculate deductions from salary and account for them.
Calculate allowances in addition to salary. Calculate over and underpayments of
salary. Conduct correspondence in relation to caseload and other salary related
matters assigned. Work in general support of the salary team. Other work
assigned.

Competence limits (decision freedom)

Debutant – all work to be supervised.

Delegation of responsibilities
Not appropriate

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional Within the salary directorate

Control None

Representation None

External

With public authorities and institutions In connection with casework

and related matters.

With international organisations None

With private legal persons Occasional contacts related to casework.

129
Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by
Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

130
 CASE STUDY

MISS IRENE LUPU

Personal details

Date of birth 7th July 1982

Date of seniority 1st January 2003
Marital status Single
Home Flat 6 – 12 Poland St. BUCHAREST

Employment details

Position held Debutant Civil Servant -

Ministry Ministry of Health

Previous experience

Other jobs None

Education

University Bachelor of Arts – Economics - BUCHAREST

Languages Romanian – fluent written and spoken (native)

English – written 4, spoken 5

History

Miss Lupu has now completed almost a year in post. She found it difficult at first
to accommodate to the routine of daily work. She was frequently late and took
extended breaks, but this seemed to cure itself after about 3 months. Since then
she has been a good attender and has applied herself to her work well, but she is
not particularly happy and says that she would like to be doing something more
exciting, perhaps involving face to face contact with the public.

Her main duties involve collecting and analysing material about complaints
regarding hospital services in Bucharest. Letter are received from
Parliamentarians, Senators and Deputies and from members of the public. Miss
Lupu has to assemble a file and then obtain information from the hospital and
health authorities. She adds to this commentary from relevant health
professionals in the Ministry. Then she has to draft a letter answering the

131
complaint. She circulates her draft to the health professional who have been
involved for comment and amendment. Finally, she prepares a final draft which
she submits to her superiors for approval. Texts then go out at that level if the
complaint has come directly from a member of the public or they are submitted to
either a State Secretary or occasionally to a Minister if the complaint has come
from a Parliamentarian.

The main problem with Miss Lupu’s drafts are that they are too terse. She sets
the facts out baldly and does not yet have the knack of setting out issues in
perspective. On the other hand, she does well at building up the facts of a case
and is good at following up points that are loose or unclear. There has been
some improvement in her drafting over recent months and it could now be
described as a low average.

Where Miss Lupu scores is with her relationships with her colleagues. She is a
personable young woman and very willing to help. For example, there is a heavy
caseload in the section in which she works. Miss Lupu has been willing to work
on the ‘bring forward’ system for other staff and to assemble information on
which they can prepare their drafts. This has been a considerable help. She also
gets on very well with the health professionals with whom she comes into
contact; and they can sometimes be difficult. Her telephone manner too is very
good. She conveys and obtains information well and is non-threatening in her
approach.

Over the past three months a working party has been operating. Its remit is to
devise means of speeding up the handling of complaints, including the possibility
of devolving some of the work to hospitals and health authorities themselves.
Miss Lupu has been acting as joint secretary to this grouping harness with a
more experienced colleague. She has been responsible for preparing minutes of
meetings, for preparing action notes and for taking administrative action in follow
up. She has both enjoyed this and done it very well. Her minutes are succinct
and accurate, and well balanced. So much so that they need the minimum of
amendment. Similarly the action points she has drawn up have been accurate
and clear. She has had some responsibility for following up action points with
colleagues and has done this in a good humoured and effective way.

In the coming year Miss Lupu will take over a full allocation of work. The section
is organised to deal with cases on the basis of geographical divisions. Up to now,
Miss Lupu’s cases have been hand picked to give her a wide range of
experience of work in different subject areas and of different complexity. There is
no doubt that she will be able to handle the volume. Our hope is that by then her
drafting style will have matured to the point at which she will be fully effective.

The work of the section is fully computerised. Microsoft Word is used as the
standard word processing package and Excel is used to record the receipt and
progress of cases through to completion. Miss Lupu had not used a computer

132
before joining the Ministry and now is an accomplished user. As well as the
standard packages she is able to use e-mail well and to carry out research on the
internet. She is not naturally comfortable with numbers, but tries hard and
normally achieves the results required

Miss Lupu has attended two training courses since joining the Ministry. The first
was a five day induction course which covered public administration in general as
well as the operation of the Ministry. The second was one linked to the work of
hospital services division. She came back from both very enthusiastic and both
produced an improvement in her performance.

Overall Miss Lupu is now displaying a reasonable standard in her work. Her
general drafting is less good than would be ideal, but it is showing signs of
improvement. Her conduct, in terms of her work attendance, is now satisfactory,
after a slightly shaky start. Relations with her colleagues, peers and superiors, is
good. There are no juniors in the unit.

Throughout the year Miss Lupu has had a single guidance counsellor, Mrs Maria
Goran, her section supervisor, who has dealt with a number of probationary civil
servants over past years.

Requirement

Based on this information, complete probation evaluation reports on Miss Lupu.

• Prepare a guidance counselor’s report as if you were Mrs. Maria Goran. Make
the appropriate recommendations.

• Write a probationer’s report as if you were Miss Lupu.

• Write and mark, with appropriate recommendations, an evaluator’s report on

Miss Lupu.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Wednesday, May 12, 2004

133
Public authority or institution
Ministry of Health Approved
General directorate
Health Services
Directorate
Hospital Services Head of the public
Department authority of
Written complaints institution
Office Bucharest

Job Description
Number …..

Name of the job Written complaints case officer

Level of the job Debutant

Identification of the public position

Name Irene Lupu

Class 1
Professional degree (if any) Batchelor of Arts - Economics

Main purpose of the job Analysing written complaints and providing draft replies

Requirements for holding the job

Specialised training None – general knowledge of public administration

and health ministry work

Advanced training None

Computer operation/programming Operation of Word and Excel

Foreign languages None required

Necessary abilities, qualities and aptitudes

Analysis and drafting. Meeting casework output and quality goals. Working
within teams. Communication with health professional and other
colleagues. Acting as committee secretary. General communication skills.
Judgement related to casework and other activities.

134
 Specific requirements (travelling, delegations, secondment)
None

Managerial competence (knowledge, qualities, aptitudes)

None

Responsibilities
Casework (written complaints) analysis and drafting. Joint secretary or internal
working group. Acting as general member of complaints team. Using computer –
word processing and casework statistics.

Competence limits (decision freedom)

Debutant status only. All work supervised.

Delegation of responsibilities
Not appropriate

Relationships

Internal

Hierarchic – subordinate to………………superior to……………..

Functional Health professionals and general colleagues. Working group.

Control None

Representation Of Ministry to health authorities and hospitals.

External

With public authorities and institutions Health authorities and hospitals

With international organisations None

135
 With private legal persons None except complainants and
representatives

Drawn up by Notified to Job holder Endorsed by

Name…………… Name……………… Name………………
Public office Signature………… Public office………
Signature………. Date………………. Signature………….
Date……………... Date………………...

136
 SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS TO THE
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL CASE STUDIES

Notes

1. These notes are suggested solutions to the various case studies in the guide.
Much of the material presented in the case studies is open to judgement.
Therefore, some variation can be expected in the interpretations placed on
different aspects of the studies and thus some variation in the marks awarded
and the comments that are made.

2. All that is claimed for the solutions is that the marks and comments awarded
are defensible. A variation of plus or minus one grade in a marking should
broadly be taken as acceptable. More than that should probably trigger
another look at the case study material.

3. The solutions are in narrative form, but the narrative follows the flow of the
evaluation report model provided in the sub-annex to the Government
Decision 1209/2003. We have in all cases included a justification for the mark
awarded.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Wednesday, June 16, 2004

137
 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
ALICIAL FLORESCU
CHIEF OF OFFICE, MENTAL HEALTH UNIT
MINISTRY OF HEALTH

1. General remarks

2. The picture that the case study conveys is of a dedicated and generally able
civil servant. Given her back ground, she is quite at home in the work of the
Unit. Sometimes she lets emotions rule her head – her work in relation to the
advisory committee’s investigation of hospital scandals is an example. But
generally she is balanced, as well as committed. There are some indications
that she could be doing better in some areas – for example, in her written
work and in her numerical work. Some of her work has been notable. That
relating to the role of the psychologist is an example. She has also shown
clear initiative in her work related to the control of violence in hospitals. Bread
and butter work has been adequately done. Overall her performance might be
rated as good, with some high points marked, as well as some lower ones.

3. Suggested marks and comments

4. Objectives

• Mental health advisory committee work on scandals. Mark 3. Work was good
overall, but the Chairman could have been given firmer direction regarding
costs.
• Role of the psychologist. Mark 4. A very good, well thought out report owing
much to Miss Florescu.
• Violence in hospitals. Mark 4. Very good work achieved largely on own
initiative.
• Study tours. Mark 4. Well organised tours with good follow up action.
• Child psychiatric services. Objective deferred with authority to end March.

5. Overall mark for objectives work (15/4) = 3.75.

6. Performance standards

• Adaptability Mark 3. Sometimes allows her feelings to run over her

judgement.
• Analysis and synthesis (Very important) Mark 4. Good knowledge of the work
and its background which she uses to good effect. Particularly good work on
dealing with violence in hospitals.
• Implementation (Very important) Mark 4. Identifies action for follow-up
correctly and pursues action vigorously with the officials and others
concerned.
• Strategic thinking Mark 3. Copes very adequately.

138
• Decision making (Less important) Mark 3. Takes the decisions within her
responsibility adequately.
• Team work Mark 2. No highs or lows.
• Written work Mark 2. Adequate, but it is an area of performance which she
should try to improve.
• Oral performance Mark 3. Clear and to the point
• Leadership Mark 2.
• Delegation Mark 2.
• Control Mark 2.
• Motivation Mark 2.

7. Overall mark for aspects of performance (32/12) 2.66

8. Final grade (3.5+2.66/2) 3.21. Good.

9. Outstanding results

10. No results in the outstanding category were achieved, but Miss Florescu’s
work relating to the role of the psychologist was of a very high standard as
was that in relation to violence in hospitals.

11. Objective difficulties

12. None.

13. Other observations

14. Miss Florescu is a good performer across the range of her duties. She should
try to improve her written work, however. It tends to be too blunt and needs
more careful tailoring to its audience

15. Objectives for next year

• Policy development work on child psychiatry to be given priority. Achieve an

agreed policy plan by end-April.
• Complete work on implementation of advisory committees report on hospital
and care centre scandals within budget available. Implementation plan to be
agreed by end-February.
• Implementation plan for the role of clinical psychologists to be agreed by end
March Thereafter implement according to agreed timetable.
• Complete work on violence in hospitals. Guidance to be issued by end-July.
• Continue effective liaison with programme for improvement of residential
homes for children throughout year.

Ramboll Management Monday, June 14, 2004

139
 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MISS IRENE LUPU
DEBUTANT CIVIL SERVANT
MINISTRY OF HEALTH

1. General remarks

2. Miss Lupu made an impaired start to her internship. She was frequently late
and took extended breaks. But this seems to have been confined to her first
three months, and it is not unusual for people taking up work for the first time
to have difficulties in accommodating to the routine. While her difficulties can
be noted, they should be placed in the perspective of her later performance
which seems to have been much better. Her preparation of draft letters could
still do with improvement, but there are signs that this is happening. She has
done well with the working party on hospital complaints. Her work here, which
has included some complicated drafting, has been done well. Overall Miss
Lupu seems to have proved herself adequately as a civil servant. Her
appointment to permanent status should be approved.

3. Guidance counselor's report

4. Activities carried out

5. Debutant civil servant working under supervision. Analysis of written

complains about hospital services provided in Bucharest. Complaints come
from Senators and Deputies and from members of the public and their
agents. Following analysis, Miss Lupu requests reports and other information
from the health authority and the hospital. Using this material, and following
any further enquiry necessary, Miss Lupu drafts a reply. Her draft is circulated
to health professionals for comment. The draft is then revised and submitted
for approval and eventual issue. Over the past three months Miss Lupu has
also been working as joint secretary to the working party on the handling of
complaints about hospitals. She prepares minutes and action notes and
follows the notes through to implementation.

6. Abilities proved

7. Good knowledge of health (hospital) law, regulations and procedures. Good

general knowledge of public administration. Overall Miss Lupu currently fulfills
her responsibilities to a good standard. She is quite versatile and adaptable.
She analyses her casework accurately and sends well thought out enquiries
to the health and hospital authorities. She has been willing and able to help
others in the section with this aspect of the work when this has been needed.
Her final draft replies are still a little too terse, but this has improved over the
past few moths. Her work with the hospital complaints working party has been
very good. She reasons well. Her communication skills, apart from the issue

140
 of terseness of replies, which is improving, are well developed. She is good
orally, both face to face and on the telephone. She has fitted in well to the
section and works well within it. She should be able to handle a full allocation
of casework next year.

8. Line of conduct

9. Miss Lupu had difficulties in settling in to the routine of work when she first
arrived. She was frequently late and took extended breaks. But this was
confined to the first three months. Thereafter she eradicated the problem and
her conduct since has been entirely satisfactory.

10. Conclusions and recommendation

11. Miss Lupu’s overall standard of performance has been good. She should be
offered a permanent appointment.

12. Report by Miss Lupu

13. Office assignments

14. Casework related to complaints about hospital services in Bucharest.

Complaints cover general complaints about to availability and adequacy of
services and concerning the treatment of individual patients. The complaints
come from Senators and Deputies and from patients and individual members
of the public generally. My duties involve registering the complaint and setting
up the file. Analysing the complaint and sending enquiries to the health
authority and the hospital. On the basis of the information they give, I then
draft a reply to the complaint which I send to the relevant health professionals
in the Ministry for comment. Thereafter, when any differences of point of view
have been resolved (part of my responsibilities), I draft a reply to the
complaint and send it forward for approval. I use a computer (Word and
Excel) for preparing texts and keeping records of casework in progress and
completed.

15. Other assignments

16. Since September, I have been acting as the joint secretary to the working
party dealing with the procedures for handling complaints about hospitals. I
take the minutes of meetings, prepare a note of the action points and follow
up on the action being taken in different parts of the Ministry.

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17. Specialised courses

18. I attended a 5 day general induction course to the civil service and the
ministry and I attended a 1 day course on the work of hospital services
division.

19. Activities carried on outside the institution

20. None

21. Other activities

22. None

23. Description of activity carried out over the probation period

24. Supervised casework dealing with complaints about hospital service in

Bucharest. Joint secretary to the working party on hospital complaints since
September.

25. Difficulties encountered during the probation period

26. I found it difficult to adjust to the work when I first arrived and it was three
months before I began to be comfortable with what I was doing. After that
period I think that I found my feet. My guidance counselor has told me that my
letter drafts need more polish. I have been working on that since the criticism
was made and I think that I have been able to improve.

27. Evaluator’s report

• Knowledge of regulations specific to field of activity Mark 4.

• Knowledge of public administration Mark 4.
• Ability to fulfill office assignments Mark 4.
• Adaptability and versatility Mark 4
• Reasoning Mark 4.
• Communication Mark 3
• Ability for teamwork Mark 4.
• Line of conduct during working hours Mark 3
• Evaluation rating Mark 3.75

Satisfactory, but needs to improve her written work on casework drafts.

Recommendation Suitable for permanent appointment.

Ramboll Management Monday, June 14, 2004

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 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MR. BOGDAN DIMITRIU
CHIEF OF OFFICE – MINISTRY OF FINANCE

1. General remarks

2. Mr. Dimitriu has been presented as a good technician, but as a man who can
lose the big picture in the detail. He is not a good delegator and the
implication of the material is that he does not get the best from his team.
Overall, his performance is patchy. He is good at setting terms of reference,
but hogs the contracts panel work and can over-dominate discussions and
get bogged down in detail. His contract administration work seems to be done
satisfactorily, but he seems to be doing too much himself and demotivating
his staff in the process. The wastage rate among his staff is alarmingly high;
the more so since it is the more experienced that seem to leave. It is difficult
to see Mr. Dimitriu as more than just making the satisfactory grade. He does
not seem a man over whom many tears would be shed if he found
employment elsewhere.

3. Evaluation report

4. Objectives

5. Dealing with the development of project terms of reference. Mr. Dimitriu has
continued to do most of this work himself and his staff have, to that extent, not
been involved. The work has been done satisfactorily, but the lack of
delegation is an important criticism. Mark 2.

6. Improve the content and manner of his involvement in contract panels. Mr.
Dimitriu is doing too much himself and his staff, in consequence, are being
excluded. This is demotivating. The work Mr. Dimitriu performs is satisfactory,
but he still in inclined to raise too many small points and to pursue them too
far. Mark 2.

7. To improve delegation of work to his staff. Mr. Dimitriu’s staff are kept busy,
but disappointingly there has been no sign of increased delegation of
responsibility to them. Staff turnover remains at too high a level. Mark 1.

8. To improve relationships with donor organisations and with contractors.

Noticeable improvement has been achieved with the donor organisations, but
relationships with contractors remain problematic, in some degree. Mr.
Dimitriu needs to show more flexibility, without reducing his high standards of
probity and ethics. Mark 3.

9. Overall mark for objectives (8/4) 2.

143
10. Aspects of performance

11. Adaptability (very important) Mark 2 – Mr. Dimitriu is not adapting well to the
changed environment in which contacts work is taking place.

12. Assuming responsibility Mark 2 – Mr. Dimitriu is very willing to take and
exercise responsibility and, in personal terms, he does it well, but he crowds
out his team and does too much himself.

13. Problem solving (very important) Mark 3 – Mr. Dimitriu is very experienced
and his judgement can generally be relied upon, though he can pursue small
issues too far.

14. Decision making (very important) Mark 2 – Generally good, but can lose sight
of the larger picture in the detail.

15. Implementing solutions Mark 3 – His judgement can be relied upon, but he
needs to make more use of his team.

16. Written communication Mark 3 – Good at drafting, accurate and to the point.

17. Oral communication Mark 2 – tends to dominate discussions too much.

Sometimes fails to see issues in the correct perspective and gets them out of
proportion. Did well this year as a speaker at various conferences.

18. Negotiation and mediation Mark 2 – prepares himself well and follows
established procedures exactly, but his style can be over dominant and he
can get sidetracked in small issues.

19. Team manager (Very important) Mark 1 – his performance is below the
satisfactory level. He does not delegate sufficiently and his staff are
demotivated and performing less well than they could.

20. Team member Mark 1 – Mr. Dimitriu tends too much to want to take the lead
to be an effective team member. Where he does not have the lead he tends
to opt out.

21. PC use (Low importance) Mark 4 – An accomplished user of Word and

especially Excel.

22. Overall mark for aspects of performance (25/11) 2.27.

23. Final grade for the evaluation 2.14 Satisfactory.

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24. Narrative report

25. Outstanding results – none.

26. Objective difficulties – none known.

27. Other observations. Unfortunately the results being achieved by Mr. Dimitriu
are less good than they could be. He is a good technician and understands
the work admirably well. But there are two major failings. He does not
delegate or use his team to the best of their capacity. Consequently many of
them are demoralized – some indeed have left. Second, he involves himself
in too much detail and sometimes loses sight of the larger picture.
Consequently his dealings with contractors can be fraught. All these matters
have already been drawn to Mr. Dimitriu’s attention, but there has been no
substantive improvement this year.

28. Goals for next period

29. Achieve maximum delegation of work to team with immediate and continuing
effect.

30. Reduce personal participation in contact panels to no more than 50%, of total,
delegating other attendances to team provided contracts are valued at less
than Euro 1 million or equivalent.

31. Improve relationships with contractors with immediate and continuing effect.
Avoid pursuit of detail whenever possible.

32. Maintain present standards regarding the formulation of terms of reference,

but delegate at least 40% of this work to your team by the end of March and
continue at that level.

33. Training

34. Mr. Dimitriu should attend training in managing and motivating teams and in
general inter-personal behaviour skills.

Ramboll Management
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 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MISS CARMINA ALBA
EXECUTANT, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

1. General remarks

2. The picture presented is of an enthusiastic, committed civil servant who is

well on top of her job. There are few criticisms. Sometimes she goes too far
and gets in danger of exceeding her brief, and she is not as good at handling
data as would be ideal. The former can be controlled by effective
management and the latter is to be addressed by further training for Miss
Alba next year. She now seems to be working well in her team. She gets on
well with Ministers and senior officials and has received a letter of praise for
her work from a minister during the year. We would expect Miss Alba to be
placed at least in the ‘good’ category and she could just tip into the ‘very
good’.

3. Evaluation report

4. Objectives

5. Improve daily dealings with the press. This has been achieved as a team
effort, but Miss Alba has played her part. The work has had a good outcome.
Miss Alba has developed a web-page, largely on her own initiative. Mark 4.

6. Improve the development of data based information and tabulations. Miss

Alba has done less well here. She has made contact with the statisticians and
has obtained information from them, but has not been able to do more with it
than represent it. Nevertheless, Miss Alba is not a statistician, and she can be
considered to have done reasonable well. Mark 3.

7. Improve horizontal relations. This seems to have been done sensitively and
well. She now occupies a lead position in the eyes of her colleagues. She has
also established a fruitful relationship with the consultants. Mark 4.

8. Counseling the debutant civil servant. This also seems to have been done
well. The probation period was well structured and the debutant was well
mentored. Mark 4.

9. Overall mark for objectives (15/4) 3.75

10. Aspects of performance

11. Adaptability (Very Important). Miss Alba is versatile and willing and has done
well. She still needs to improve her data handling skills. Mark 3.

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12. Drafting (Very important). Miss Alba has done well. She produced a good
committee report that won approval. We have no information about her
speech writing this year and we should assume there has been no substantial
improvement. Mark 3.

13. Ability to meet deadlines. There are no adverse comments and the tenor of
the report is that Miss Alba is well on top of things. Mark 3.

14. Analysis and synthesis. There remains a question mark over her data
handling, but otherwise she seems able to handle complex issues well and
accurately. Mark 3.

15. Facility with language – oral (Very important). Miss Alba seems an assured
and polished performer. The criticism in the material about her dealings with
the agricultural industry and with trade unions has not been picked up this
year and it can be assumed to have been overcome. Mark 4.

16. Written work has been dealt with at 11.

17. High level of communication (Very important). This goes beyond facility with
language and deals with the effective passage of information. Miss Alba
seems a very good performer overall. Mark 4.

18. Independent working. Miss Alba seems to work well on her own initiative.
There are no criticisms this year about her exceeding her brief. She has done
well on the task group and on her two trips abroad. Mark 4.

19. Team member. The objective set on this has been met in full and she is well
appreciated by her colleagues. Mark 4.

20. Computer skills (Low). Miss Alba is more than competent. Mark 3.

21. Overall mark for performance standards (31/9) 3.44

22. Final grade for the evaluation (3.75+3.44/2) 3.60 – Very Good.

23. Report

24. Outstanding results. Miss Alba received a letter of commendation from the
Minister this year for her work in connection with at trip to Brussels. She also
did a very good job as counselor to a debutant civil servant.

25. Objective difficulties. None known.

147
26. Other observations. Miss Alba has done very well this year. Her drafting has
improved and her oral presentation is assured. She still needs to polish her
data handling skills and a course is being arranged for her next year.

27. Goals for the next period

28. Improve data handling skills (by mid year). Show capacity to deal with data
integrity tests, population samples, standard deviation and regression as well
as percentages, averages, means and modes. Demonstrate by application of
techniques to data handling.

29. Improve speech writing (by end first quarter). Incorporate more substance into
drafts and tailor them better to the needs of the speech-maker and the
audience. Demonstrate by fewer amendments being needed to drafts.

30. Build on existing relationships with external consultants (throughout year).

Demonstrate a full understanding of the project management methodology.
Demonstrate through appropriate support to the senior project officer.

31. Continue to improve and build upon relationships within the work team
(throughout the year). Demonstrate by relationships observed by supervisor.

32. Maintain and, if possible improve further, daily dealings with the press
(throughout the year). Demonstrate by improved range and number of
contacts.

33. Training

34. Miss Alba should attend a course in elementary statistical and data analysis
as soon as practicable during the coming year. The course should be Excel
based.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Tuesday, June 15, 2004

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 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MR. CORNELIUS NEGRU
EXECUTANT (AUDITOR), MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT

1. General remarks

2. Mr. Negru is presented as rather a one sided individual. As an auditor he is

an accomplished technician, but he is an uncomfortable, rather daunting
colleague and he is not really coming to grips with the changes that are being
made in the audit world. As a result, he risks becoming professionally isolated
and out of date with current practice, notwithstanding his (laudable) pursuit of
an accountancy qualification. His attitude to the team of external consultants
is worrying and seems likely to bring him grief. We would expect to see Mr.
Negru marked highly on the purely technical aspect of the work (probably
around 4), but to be marked down to 2 and in some cases 1 on other aspects
of his work. The overall mark might be 2, pulled up by his technical work, but
with words of caution being expressed in the narrative report.

3. Evaluation report

4. Objectives

5. Build bridges with audit client organisations. This has not been done and, in
some respects at least, Mr. Negru has done the opposite. He has increased
the number of his audit enquiries and has been asking more detailed
questions. However, some of those seem to have been pertinent. Overall
though, his performance on this objective has been unsatisfactory. Mark 1.

6. Immediately improve relationships with colleagues. Opportunities were given

through the working party and by involving him with the consultant team. Both
seem to have had negative results. His performance on these matters is
clearly below an acceptable standard. Mark 1.

7. Improve written work. There has been no change in Mr. Negru’s performance.
He has therefore failed to meet the objective. On the other hand, his drafts
are clear and to the point. We can meet that by an appropriate mark in
‘aspects of performance’. In respect of the objective, the correct result is Mark
1.

8. Speed up closure of audit points. Mr. Negru continues to head the league in
the number of audit points raised and the implication is that some of them, at
least, are unnecessary. He has three times more outstanding audit enquiries
at the year end than anyone else. He is obviously working hard, but he is
ignoring advice and direction. Mark 1.

9. Mark for objectives (4/4) 1.00 unsatisfactory.

149
10. Aspects of performance

11. Facility with figures (Very high). Mr. Negru rates highly on this. His technical
abilities are not in doubt. Mark 4.

12. Good drafting (Low). His drafts are blunt to a fault and he does not trouble to
tailor them to the recipients, but they are clear and concise. Mark 2.

13. Good orally (Low). His approach is said to be sparse and staccato; a man
who prefers to let figures speak rather than words. However, he seems to get
his points across. With some hesitation, Mark 2.

14. Analyse and synthesize (Very high). Mr. Negru is a good technician. He gets
directly to the point of issues and does no become distracted, but he does get
bogged down in the minutiae. This pulls down his mark. He scrapes Mark 3.

15. Self motivation. Mr. Negru should score well here. He pushes matters
forward, perhaps not always in the best way, but he does it. He stands up for
himself and his principles. He would score higher if he showed more
judgement. Mark 3.

16. Self reliant. Again Mr. Negru scores well here, and again he is pulled down
somewhat by his lack of judgement. Mark 3.

17. Sets and achieves objectives. A low score is appropriate here. Mr. Negru
might set and achieve goals, but they are not the goals set for him or really
what the organisation wants and needs. Mark 1.

18. Personal responsibility. Mr. Negru seems very willing to take responsibility for
what he does, but his judgement of issues lets him down. Mark 2.

19. Flexible and adaptable. This is just what Mr. Negru is not and the case study
is full of examples. Mark 1.

20. Computing skills. Mr. Negru seems to have skills well above the average.
Mark 4.

21. Mark for performance standards (25/10) 2.5 satisfactory

22. Final grade for the evaluation (1+2.5/2) 1.75 satisfactory.

150
23. Report

24. Outstanding results. None.

25. Objective difficulties. None

26. Other observations. Mr. Negru’s performance is unbalanced. In strictly

technical terms he is an adequate auditor, but has not caught up with the
changing face of audit practice. He raises too many points of detail, to the
irritation of his clients and his colleagues. He has failed to meet any of the
objectives set for him this year and which were designed to enable him to
demonstrate greater flexibility and sensitivity. His work with the finance and
policy sub-committee was insensitive and poorly judged and he has so far
developed poor relationships with the consultant auditors. The only highpoint
is his technical expertise, but he has to learn to use that with discretion and
judgement. Mr. Negru has not fitted in well with the rest of the audit team this
year and his handling of the debutant civil servant attached to him for
counseling was below the standard required.

27. Goals for the next period

28. Establish immediately and maintain throughout their contract a satisfactory

working relationship with the consultant auditors. To be measured by extent
and quality of interaction and by contributions made to the work of the
consultants.

29. Reduce audit queries outstanding at year end to nil by end February.
Formally write off any minor enquiries then outstanding with the approval of
supervisor.

30. The number of new audit enquiries raised during the year to be kept in broad
line with the enquiry rate for the section generally. The supervisor will provide
target figures and monitor month by month.

31. Immediately improve written drafts and maintain improvement throughout the
year. Drafting to be less terse and more suited to the recipient. Supervisor to
monitor drafts on a 25% sample basis.

32. To improve immediately and throughout the year standard of team working.
To be monitored by supervisor on a week by week basis.

151
33. Training programmes

34. Mr. Negru should receive periodic counselling (monthly) from his supervisor
about his performance. He should also attend a formal training course in
interpersonal behaviour and in team working.

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 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MISS MARIA BACU
EXECUTANT/INSPECTOR MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL
SOLIDARITY

1. General remarks

2. Miss Bacu is presented very much as an official in command of her job. Her
technical work is very sound. She has a high work rate and a high output, and
makes sure that she does not carry any arrears. She is said to be rather
waspish with her peers and the impression is conveyed of a person who
expects people to perform as well as she does herself. In this respect, her
standards are probably too high. She is not as good at preparing material for
Ministers and dignitaries as she is at case work. Her submissions are too
much ‘written by an official’ and do not take enough account of the needs of
the recipient. She has recently been a near miss candidate for promotion.
Overall we would expect Miss Bacu to merit a marking for 4 with some
reservations about her abilities in relation to providing material for ministers
and others.

3. Evaluation report

4. Objectives

5. The World Bank Project. She seems to have done this work well. The
inception report has varied from the technical proposal, which is normally
expected to some degree, but the changes have all been to the advantage of
the ministry. Miss Bacu is working well with the consultants and seems to
have their confidence. Mark 4.

6. Improvement in work to Ministers and dignitaries. More work has been done
and some improvement seems to have been made; recipients are pleased
with the content, but still amend the presentation. This is an area in which
Miss Bacu still needs to improve. Mark 3.

7. Improve relations with colleagues. This seems to have occurred, but in an

indirect way. Miss Bacu has improved her efficiency even further and made
herself more indispensable. Mark 3.

8. Ability to deputise. Miss Bacu seems to have done this very well. There is a
sneaking feeling that Jane is as good as her mistress. Mark 4.

9. Overall mark for objectives (14/4) 3.5 Good

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10. Performance standards

11. Casework (Very important). Handles a complex and heavy caseload very
well. Avoids arrears and works accurately. Mark 4.

12. Priorities. Able to set and maintain her own work priorities with the minimum
of supervision. Mark 4.

13. Adaptable (Less important). Works well with clients and with consultants. Able
to move easily from one type of work to another. Mark 4.

14. Self reliant. Very confident and self contained officer. Needs very little
guidance except in relation to submissions to Ministers and dignitaries. Mark
4.

15. Problem solving (Very important). Does this very well in relation to casework
and other technical work. Needs some advice and guidance in (written)
dealing with Ministers and dignitaries. Mark 4.

16. Written work. Very good in relation to casework and to work with the World
Bank consultants. Drafts to Ministers and dignitaries need to be tailored more
to their needs. Mark 3.

17. Oral work. Confident and assured. Mark 4.

18. Team working (Less important). Admired and respected as a colleague with
very good technical skills. Sometimes expects too high standards from those
around her. Mark 3.

19. Computing. Expert knowledge of the ministry’s dedicated system. Advanced

use of Microsoft Word and Excel – attended appropriate courses this year.
Mark 5.

20. Overall mark for performance standards (35/9) 3.89.

21. Final grade for the evaluation (3.50+3.89/2) 3.70 – very good.

22. Report

23. Outstanding results. Miss Bacu attended an advanced computing course

during the year and is now an expert user.

24. Objective difficulties. None known.

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25. Other observations. Miss Bacu is a very good all round performer. There are
no major criticisms. Her drafts to ministers and to dignitaries need to be better
tailored to the recipient and sometimes she expects too much from her
colleagues.

26. Goals for next period

27. Achieve improvement in draft material being sent to Ministers and dignitaries
immediately and throughout the year. Test – fewer drafts being amended.

28. Maintain an average output of X cases per week throughout the year.

29. Maintain arrears of post below 7 days throughout the year.

30. Training programmes

31. None.

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 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MR. DAN MITROI
DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL
MINISTRY OF ADMINISTRATION

1. General remarks

2. Mr. Mitroi is presented as an able senior official. He has a heavy work load
and he handles it well, working long hours to get it done. There is a hint that
he is doing too much and, perhaps, could delegate more. The main watch
point in dealing with Mr. Mitroi’s case is one of standards. He is a senior
official and, as such, he should be expected to set and reach particularly high
standards of performance. This should be reflected in the judgements that are
made. Overall, we would expect Mr. Mitroi to be in the good or very good
category.

3. Statement of activities

4. Leadership of [defined] directorates within the Ministry of Administration

dealing with the management and development of the Romanian civil service.

5. Negotiations, as leader and as participant, with EU countries and authorities,

including the World Bank and IMF, on matters affecting the management and
development of the Romanian civil service.

6. Achieved re-codification of the entire body of Romanian law governing the

management and functioning of the civil service. Anti-corruption legislation
and ethics legislation remain to be fully implemented.

7. Decentralisation of powers from the central civil service to local authorities

and specified non-governmental agencies. Framework legislation achieved.
Further secondary legislation still required.

8. Design and implement a scheme for the incorporation of a fast-stream of civil

servants within the Romanian civil service system. The necessary primary
and secondary legislation was achieved and the scheme is now operational.

9. General support to Ministers on a day to day basis.

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10. Evaluation report

11. Objectives

12. EU and other negotiations. Mr. Mitroi has played and prominent and effective
role and achievements have been made. However, the implementation
timetable might be too ambitious. Mark 4.

13. Recodification of civil service law. The recodification was achieved one month
ahead of target. However, there has been slippage on the (important) anti-
corruption and ethics legislation. Mark 3.

14. Decentralisation. This seems a difficult and contentious area of work. Some
good progress has been made, but both primary and secondary legislation
have still to be completed. The implication in the material is that such delays
as there have been have been outside Mr. Mitroi’s control. Mark 3.

15. Fast stream. This has been designed and is now ready to go fully operational.
Mr. Mitroi has apparently played a major parting the development of the
scheme. Mark 4.

16. Mark for objectives (14/4) 3.50 Good.

17. Aspects of performance

18. Objectives focused. Mr. Mitroi seems well focused in his work, but perhaps
slightly soft on implementation issues. Mark 3.

19. High responsibility (Very important). Mr. Mitroi seems to take his work very
seriously, to set high targets and, in general, achieve them. If there is a fault,
it is that he might be doing too much himself. Mark 4.

20. Independence. Mr. Mitroi seems to work very well on his own initiative and
exercises good control over affairs. Mark 4.

21. Analysis and synthesis (Very important). This seems well developed, but his
judgement seems to have slipped a bit regarding the Phare Projects. He also
seems to have been too optimistic in his assessment of the timetable for
implementation of EU related work. Mark 3.

157
22. Drafting. He is said to draft concisely, accurately and at high speed, so this is
a particular strength. Mark 5.

23. Oral. Again, this seems to be a particular strength. He is an excellent

chairman of meetings and a very good negotiator. Mark 5.

24. Leadership. Mr. Mitroi seems to give adequate leadership without being
particularly exceptional. He builds loyalty and respect, but cherry picks his
staff. He can be sardonic. Mark 3.

25. Management. Seems to fall down a little on implementation, but overall is a

competent performer. Mark 3.

26. Delegation (Less important). This seems a weakness. His high work load is,
in part, something of his own making. He could have delegated more and also
reorganized his personal staff. Mark 3.

27. Probity and ethics. Seems to set and maintain high standards. Mark 3.

28. Mark for aspects of performance (36/10) 3.60 Good.

29. Final grade for the evaluation (3.50+3.60/2) 3.55 Very good.

30. Report

31. Outstanding. Mr. Mitroi’s drafting and oral work are both of an outstanding
level.

32. Objective difficulties. Negotiations on decentralisation have been protracted

for reasons beyond Mr. Mitroi’s control.

33. Other observations. Mr. Mitroi is a very competent performer overall. He

might, however, be doing too much himself and should look for opportunities
for delegation.

34. Training

35. None

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36. Objectives next period

37. Achieve greater delegation of work to subordinates – immediate.

38. Review and, if necessary, revise the timetable for implementation of the
outcome of negotiations with EU authorities and World Bank. Undertake
renegotiation if necessary. By end March.

39. Recover 2 months slippage on implementation of anti-corruption and ethics

legislation. By end June.

40. Advance outstanding primary and secondary legislation on decentralisation

issues. Develop implementation plans and bring new arrangements into full
effect. By end June.

41. Set up and operate effective monitoring arrangements for the fast stream
scheme with effect from January and continuing. Make a formal appraisal of
arrangements September.

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 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MISS MARIAN POPESCU
DEBUTANT CIVIL SERVANT
MINISTRY OF FINANCE

1. General remarks

2. Miss Popescu is presented as a very satisfactory employee. She has

managed to cope with the work very well. She has established a role for
herself within the team and works well with it. It is said, in terms, that there
are really no negative points to her performance. Consequently we would
expect Miss Popescu to pass through her probationary period easily and to
gain a mark in the very good range.

3. Guidance counselor’s report

4. Activity carried out by the debutant. Casework related to the award and
payment of salary to civil servants. Dealing with starting pay on appointment
and promotion. Calculation of statutory and voluntary deductions using
computer systems. Payment of pay related allowances. Associated minute
and letter writing.

5. Abilities proved. Miss Popescu has a good grasp of the regulations and
procedures regarding salary award and payment and she is now ready to
move on to more complex cases. She has become an assured user of the
ministry’s dedicated computer system and can use Word and Excel well. She
also has a good grasp of public administration generally. Overall she has
done very well on all the work she has been asked to do. She is quite
adaptable and quite versatile and very accurate in her work. She reasons well
and makes good use of the information at her disposal. She is good in face to
face situations and her drafting is well up to standard. She has a lively
personality and has fitted in well to the work team.

6. Conduct. Exemplary.

7. Conclusion. Very good performance.

8. Recommendation. Permanent appointment.

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9. Debutant civil servant’s report

10. Office assignments. Casework related to the award and payment of salary to
civil servants. Calculating statutory and voluntary deductions using computer
system. Dealing with awards of pay related allowances. Drafting letters and
minutes. Other assigned work in relation to the salary system.

11. Other assignments. None.

12. Courses. Six day course at ministry training unit dealing with induction,
government finance and public administration, pay system.

13. Duties outside the institution. None.

14. Other activities. None.

15. Description of the activities carried out over the probation period. Supervised
casework dealing with the award and change of salaries on appointment and
promotion. Calculating and accounting for statutory and voluntary deductions.
Writing associated minutes and letters. Dealing with telephone calls from civil
servants and their employing institutions about pay matters. Occasional
supervised interviews with civil servants about their pay. General
administrative work in support of the pay team. Use of computer for ministry’s
pay system and also Word and Excel.

16. Difficulties encountered. None.

17. Evaluation report

18. Knowledge of regulations in field of activity. Mark 4.

19. Knowledge of public administration. Mark 3.

20. Ability to fulfill assignments. Mark 4.

21. Adaptability and versatility. Mark 4.

22. Reasoning. Mark 3.

23. Communication. Mark 3.

24. Team work. Mark 4.

25. Conduct. Mark 4.

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26. Proposals. Move to general work in due course.

27. Recommendation. Permanent appointment

28. Objectives for next year

29. Take over a full assignment of casework by end February and work
unsupervised within normally delegated limits.

30. Maintain a clearance rate of X cases a week throughout year.

31. Maintain post arrears within seven days throughout year.

32. Achieve familiarity with more complex cases assigned by supervisor – by

June.

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 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MRS EVANGELINE MIRCEAU
EXECUTANT/LEGAL EXPERT
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

1. General remarks

2. Mrs. Mirceau is presented as something of a mixed character. She is socially

adept and those aspects of her job that depend on that she does very well.
However, she seems no to be good at getting down to the bread and butter of
follow up work and action, preferring to leave that to others, as she moves on
to other things. Yet she is not all puff and frivolity. She produces excellent
briefing. She is very good at organising and conducting study tours. She has
extended the Lex database and made it more useful and relevant. She
organised a very good event at the Goethe Institute. So there are clearly
pluses and minuses. However, the overall impression is of someone who
skates over the surface of things too much, and it is probably a criticism of her
manager that she is allowed to do so. Overall we would expect Mrs. Mirceau
to gain a satisfactory grading, but probably no more than that. Someone
needs to get tough with her next year.

3. Evaluation report

4. Objectives

5. Developing professional and social contacts and taking follow up action. Mrs.
Mirceau has done the first part very well, but has fallen down on the second.
Mark 2.

6. Organise and participate in study tours. Mrs. Mirceau has organised four
tours this year. The arrangements have been very good and the tours went
off well. She also seems to have covered the follow up action well. Mark 4.

7. Raise the profile of the EU related legislation department. This seems to have
been done well. Mrs. Mirceau has taken well thought out initiatives and has
put them into practice. Mark 3.

8. Translate intelligence into implemented action. Mrs. Mirceau has not

performed well here. She has identified action but has not taken it. This is a
major failing. Mark 1.

9. Mark for objectives (10/4) 2.50

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10. Performance standards

11. Adaptability. Mrs. Mirceau is socially adaptable, but she avoids a big part of
her responsibilities, possibly because she finds them relatively uncongenial.
Mark 2.

12. Initiative. Mrs. Mirceau seems able to work well on her own initiative, subject
to the reservation that she leaves implementation too much aside. Mark 3.

13. Drafting. Mrs. Mirceau is said to be very good at drafting. Her briefing is said
to be elegant. Mark 4.

14. Oral. Mrs. Mirceau seems to be an assured performer and is fluent in a

number of languages. Mark 4.

15. Problem solving. She seems adept at spotting and documenting issues, but
does not follow them through to a conclusion. Mark 2.

16. Implementation. This seems her Achilles heel. She really needs to work on
this. Mark 1.

17. Negotiating. This is not covered specifically in the case material, but the
broad implication is that Mrs. Mirceau would do it well. Mark 3.

18. Team work. Not much of a team player. She leaves others to do work that
she should do herself. Mark 1.

19. Computing. She is said to be an expert user. Mark 4.

20. Probity and ethics. Palming off work is not an ethical activity. Mark 2.

21. Mark for aspects of performance (26/10) 2.60 – Good

22. Final grade for the evaluation (2.50+2.60/2) 2.55 – Good.

164
23. Report

24. Outstanding results. None

25. Objective difficulties. None known.

26. Other observations. Mrs. Mirceau’s work this year has been mixed. She has
been very good at establishing, maintaining and developing contacts. The
study tours for which she was responsible were a considerable success. But
she is falling down on a large part of the work. She does not follow issues
through to their conclusion and is generally weak on implementation. This
cannot simply be left to others. She must attend to this next year.

27. Training

28. Seminar training in team work and in project implementation.

29. Goals for next period

30. With immediate effect and continuing throughout the year place emphasis on
implementation of proposals and agreed action. To be evaluated by check of
completed action by supervisor.

31. Continue throughout the year to develop and maintain range of contacts with
EU related missions in Romania, but concentrate on identifying points for
action and on following them through. To be evaluated by check of completed
action by supervisor.

32. With immediate effect and throughout the year, improve relations with the
work team by ensuring that action is not passed to them which you should
take yourself. To be evaluated by supervisor checking work flow.

33. Undertake training in teamwork and project implementation as soon as it can

be arranged. Thereafter apply training to everyday work.

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 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MR. DANIEL TEODORESCU
CHIEF OF OFFICE – LEGAL SERVICES
MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE

1. General remarks

2. Mr. Teodorescu is presented as a competent civil servant. He knows the

background to his work very well and works well with engineers and other
professional staff. He manages his team well. But he can go too far on his
own initiative and does not always keep his seniors fully in the picture. This,
however, seems a relatively minor fault. More serious is his failure to progress
work on privatisation legislation to timetable and his failure to get a working
scheme out of the committee dealing with the sharing of heavy maintenance
equipment. He could have done better on both of these matters. On the other
hand he has done well in developing bilateral international power supply
agreements and on the initial work regarding property transfers. Overall we
would expect to see him rate at the middle range of the good scale. The low
points are too severe to be completely offset by the high points.

3. Evaluation report

4. Objectives

5. Privatisation legislation. Slippage has occurred. It is potentially serious and

there seems no good reason for it. The implication is that work that has been
done is of a good standard, but it needs to be accelerated. Mark 2.

6. Heavy maintenance equipment. Mr. Teodorescu has not got on top of this, as
he should have done. There has been no substantive progress. There is no
agreement on the basis of equipment sharing and no secondary legislation,
even in draft. Mark 1.

7. Bilateral agreements for grid access. Mr. Teodorescu has done well here. The
work is progressing faster than anticipated. He has proved to be a good
negotiator. Mark 4.

8. Property rights. Mr. Teodorescu seems to have made a very good start to this
work and seems to have managed his team very well. Mark 4.

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9. Management of the debutant and the engineer. Mr. Teodorescu seems to
have done both these tasks very well. Mark 4.

10. Mark for objectives (15/5) 3.00 – Good.

11. Aspects of performance

12. Objectives oriented. Mr. Teodorescu has fallen down on two of his goals this
year. But, in general he seems sufficiently task and goal oriented. Mark 2.

13. Analysis and synthesis (Very important). With the exception of the work on
maintenance equipment, which seems to have generated more heat than
light, Mr. Teodorescu seems to be good at analysis and synthesis. Mark 3.

14. Initiative. He has let himself down on the maintenance equipment work and to
a lesser extent on the privatisation work, but otherwise he seems to have
good initiative. Mark 3.

15. Problem solving (Very important). Again he is let down by his work on his first
two goals, but on other work he has done well and particularly well on the
bilateral agreements. Mark 3.

16. Work planning. Most of this has been done well, but he is again let down by
the work on privatisation and on maintenance equipment. Mark 3.

17. Decision making. The maintenance contract work is a blot as is privatisation.

Other decision making seems to have been above average. Mark 3.

18. Drafting (Very Important).This not dealt with specifically in the case study, but
it carries a general implication that Mr. Teodorescu’s drafting is sound. Mark
3.

19. Oral (Very important). Mr. Teodorescu did a very good job negotiating the
bilateral agreements and he is said to be good at meetings. His failure with
the maintenance equipment work drops him down a notch. Mark 3.

20. Team leader. Mr. Teodorescu seems to motivate his team well and draws
good work from them. He has also worked well with the debutant and the
engineer. Mark 4.

21. Team working. Mr. Teodorescu is very good working down, but not so good at
working up. His superiors are sometimes kept in the dark. Mark 3.

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22. Performance appraisal (Less important). Nothing is said about this in the case
study beyond that he dealt well with the debutant. Mark 3.

23. Computing (Less important). Mr. Teodorescu has coped well with the re-
computerisation of his unit this year. Mark 3.

24. Ethics. Said to be highly ethical. Mark 4.

25. Mark for aspects of performance standards (40/13) 3.08 – Good.

26. Final grade for the evaluation (3.00+3.08/2) 3.04 – Good.

27. Report

28. Outstanding results. None, but Mr. Teodorescu did particularly well in
developing bilateral power supply agreements.

29. Objective difficulties. None known.

30. Other comments. Mr. Teodorescu’s performance has been mixed this year.
He did not progress work on privatisation matters as fast as was needed and
the working group on the sharing or maintenance equipment has not yet
concluded satisfactorily. But he did a very good job negotiating bilateral
supply contracts (ahead of time) and a very good start has been made to the
work relating to the transfer of property rights. He has also managed the
debutant civil servant and the engineer appointed to his unit very well.

31. Goals for next period.

32. Privatisation legislation. Draw and agree a work plan for this activity by mid-
January. Submit detailed and costed plan for approval.

33. Privatisation legislation. Achieve draft primary legislation agreed with main
stakeholders by end March. Submit draft for approval.

34. Privatisation legislation. Achieve draft secondary legislation agreed with main
stakeholders by end May. Submit drafts for approval as they are completed.

35. Working party on maintenance equipment. Reconvene the working party and
reach agreed proposals for sharing by mid February. Submit report for
approval. Thereafter, prepare draft regulation for approval no later than end
March.

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36. Property Transfers. Prepare contracts for employment of consultant valuers
by end January and let contract by end February. Thereafter manage and
control the consultancy work as senior project officer. Valuations to be
completed by year end. Continue work on property transfers without delay.

37. Bilateral agreements. Complete work on bilateral agreements by end

September. Submit individual agreements for approval as they are
negotiated.

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 CASE STUDY SOLUTION
MR. FLORIAN IONESCU
DEBUTANT – MINISTRY OF LABOUR

General remarks

Mr. Ionescu is presented as a generally good performer. He is conscientious and

neat, and has now reached the stage where he can work largely unsupervised.
His main weak point is his figure work, but this is being worked on and the
difficulty may be overcome with more practice. Overall we would expect Mr.
Ionescu to pass through his probation period satisfactorily

Suggested marks and comments

Guidance counselor’s report

Activities carried out

Setting up, developing and maintaining employment files. Dealing with the public
on employment and benefit matters. Calculating and assessing the award of
unemployment benefit. Liaising with the welfare office ands other parts of the
Ministry regarding casework. Drafting minutes, letters and reports. Working within
a small team. Using a word processor and spreadsheet.

Abilities proved

He has a very good knowledge of the law, regulations and administrative

instructions relating to the work. He also has a good general knowledge of public
administration. He deals well with the public, but needs more experience and to
be a little more positive. He has some difficulty with figure work, but this is being
worked on. His written work is of a good standard. He works very well within the
team.

Conduct

Excellent. A diligent and willing worker.

Conclusions

Overall performance is very good apart from the relative weakness with figures.

Recommendation

Suitable for permanent appointment.

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Report by Mr. Ionescu

Office assignments

Preparing developing and maintaining case files. Dealing with the public on
employment and benefit matters. Processing claims for unemployment benefit.
Writing minutes, letters and reports. Liaising with other parts of the Ministry and
with the welfare office. Working within a small team. Using a computer for word
processing and spreadsheet work.

Other assignments

Additional work on the assessment and checking of benefit claims

Training

No formal training courses. Undertook supervised reading in work related matters

and in general public administration. Received desk training from supervisor and
other colleagues.

Work carried on outside the institution

None.

Other activities

None.

Description of the activities carried out during probation

Dealing with an allocation of employment and benefit work. The size and
complexity of the allocation was increased during the period. Dealing with the
public, initially supervised and then alone. Writing minutes, letters and reports
using a word processor. Obtaining and providing information from and to the
welfare office and other parts of the Ministry by telephone and in writing.
Maintaining case records using a spreadsheet. Providing assistance to
colleagues in the work team.

Objective difficulties encountered

None. I found difficulty with the figure work at first, but I think that this has been
overcome.

171
Evaluator’s report

Evaluation criteria

Knowledge of regulations specific to activity Mark 4

Knowledge of public administration Mark 3
Ability to fulfill assignments Mark 3
Adaptability and versatility Mark 4
Reasoning Mark 4
Communication Mark 4
Team work Mark 4
Conduct Mark 5

Evaluation rating 3.88

Proposals

Needs further experience of number work and of dealing with the public.

Recommendation

Permanent appointment.

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 NOTE ON EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. This section of the guide sets out in tabular form evaluation criteria for
performance. There are three sets.

a. Criteria relating to general civil servants.

b. Criteria for legal staff.
c. Criteria for staff working in finance units.

2. There are many more types of civil servant than those covered. These are
mainly specialists working in particular public authorities or institutions, but
evaluation criteria for these civil servants cannot be sensibly prepared
centrally and must remain a matter for the particular organisation to develop.

3. The criteria are listed from left to right in ascending grade order. The grades
are generic ones and are intended to give a broad indication of level of
activity at which particular points of evaluation might be relevant.

4. The evaluation criteria are broad statements of the type and standard of
activity that might be expected on different aspects of work. They are
intended to be general guides. They have been drafted on the basis that they
represent a standard that should be achieved by the civil servant of average
performance.

5. The evaluation criteria should be used to supplement the issues identified for
a particular official as his or her aspects of individual performance for
performance appraisal purposes.

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Professional Knowledge Has acquired and can use
effectively in the course of day
to day work the professional
civil service knowledge
required by the post.

174
 Excutant
Core competencies
Ethics
Understands and abides by the
ethical standards set for the
organisation and the civil
service.
Written work
Tailors to needs of recipient.
Organises text logically
using headings,
paragraphs and sub-
paragraphs. Uses correct
grammar and syntax.
Comprehends written text
accurately.
Chief of bureau/service
Understands and abides by the
ethical standards set for the
organisation and the civil
service. Acts as an ethical
example to juniors.
Able to deal effectively with
more complex drafting
adequately meeting the needs
of recipients. Ability to
synthesise texts from disparate
sources. Able to prepare
accurate summaries of
complex material. Able to add
value to texts prepared by
juniors.
Director
Understands and abides by the
ethical standards set for the
organisation and for the civil
service. Can be relied on for
sound ethical advice in
complex situations.
Marked facility in the use of
language. Able to deal
effectively with the most
complex and sensitive drafting
fully meeting the needs of
recipients. Able to draft
accurately at speed. Able to
add significant value to the
drafts of others
Director General and above
Understands and abides by the
ethical standards set for the
organisation and the civil
service.
Ensures that sound ethical
standards permeate the
organisation. Acts as a source
of sound ethical advice in
complex situations.
Polished and effective drafting
fully meeting the needs of
recipients. Drafts fluently and
concisely at high speed. Able
to weigh and reconcile differing
points of view in a concise and
accurate manner. Is looked
upon as an exemplar of good
drafting.
175
Oral competence
Competent in one to one
situations and in small groups.
Speaks to the point using
accurate and appropriate
language. Able to comprehend
and relay information
accurately.
Competent in one to one
situations, in small groups and
as a staff manager. Ability to
summarise discussions
cogently and accurately.
Contributes points that carry
discussion forward.
Very effective in one to one
situations in small and large
groups and as a staff manager.
Able to contribute positively in
formal and informal situations.
An effective public speaker.
Shows marked ability to
synthesise complex
discussions and to frame
contributions that lead to an
effective conclusion.
An effective communicator in
any situation, formal or
informal. Punctilious in the use
of language. Facilitates and
synthesises the contribution of
others. Adept at assisting
discussion to a conclusion.
Looked on as an exceptionally
effective communicator.
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Numeracy
Able to carry out arithmetical
calculations, including
arithmetic mean and mode and
percentages using a calculator.
Able to prepare tables and to
deduce graphs and
histograms.
General PC Based
Computer Skills
Able to use Windows (or other)
operating system for efficient
file management, transfer and
copying of files. Able to use
word processing software for
the preparation and
amendment of documents,
including the incorporation of
tables. Able to prepare and
format simple spreadsheets
and to generate histograms.
Able to use e-mail and web-
browser.
Job specific computer skills
Able to use job specific
software and hardware easily
and accurately.
Able to prepare and analyse
simple tables effectively. Able
to prepare and analyse graphs
and histograms. Understands
normal and skewed
distributions.
Able to use Windows (or other)
operating system
comprehensively. Able to use
word processing software
comprehensively. Able to
prepare complex spreadsheets
including the use of basic
formulas and to generate
histograms. Able to use e-mail
and web-browser.
Able to use job specific
software and hardware easily
and accurately. Able to instruct
others in its use. Able to fix
routine problems.
Marked facility with figures.
Able to interpret complex data
correctly.
Able to use Windows (or other)
operating system. Able to
create, access and amend
documents using word
processor. Able to access and
amend spreadsheets. Able to
use e-mail and web browser.
Aware of the capacities and
requirements of the job specific
software and hardware and of
its limitations in use.
Uses appropriate data routinely
and accurately. Able to specify
data requirements accurately.
Able to use Windows (or other)
operating system. Able to
access and amend word-
processed documents. Able to
access and amend
spreadsheets. Able to use e-
mail and web-browser.
Aware of the capacities and
requirements of the job specific
software and hardware and of
its limitations in use.
177
Adaptability
Able to plan personal work
around competing priorities.
Seeks new tasks and
accommodates to them easily.
Personal Responsibility
Able to work substantially
unsupervised. Manages
personal workload effectively.
Works steadily and achieves a
high standard and quantity of
output.
Problem Solving
Acts on own initiative to solve
work problems when they
arise, but knows when and
how to seek guidance. Uses
and interprets manuals of
instruction correctly. Does not
exceed limits of authority.
Able to assess accurately the
effect of new work on self and
team and to plan effectively to
accommodate it. Deals
correctly with competing
priorities with minimum
guidance. Takes initiative in
seeking new work.
Works substantially on own
initiative within delegated
responsibility. Ensures team
achieves a satisfactory volume
and quality of output.
Contributes effective ideas to
the larger work of the
organisation
Able to solve problems for self
and team largely using own
initiative. Uses discretion
effectively within delegated
limits. Acts as an
approachable, expert source of
help for subordinates.
Highly adaptable, self-
motivator. Able to work on own
initiative within a broad
strategic framework. Assesses
competing priorities accurately
for self and team. Actively
seeks new responsibilities and
initiatives.
Works on own initiative with
minimum guidance from
superiors. Contributes strongly
to organisational goals and
objectives. Sets and expects
high standards for himself and
for others. Is a present leader
in a crisis.
Able to solve major problems
on own initiative. Places
problems appropriately within
the strategic framework for the
organisation. Acts and is seen
by subordinates as an effective
resolver of major problems.
Comfortable in an unstructured
environment with many
competing priorities.
Works entirely on own initiative
within the strategic goals and
objectives for the organisation.
Meets the highest standards in
terms of quantity and quality of
output. Takes responsibility
when things go wrong and puts
effective remedial action into
place.
Able to resolve complex and
important problems involving
major internal and external
stakeholders of the
organisation. Secures
modification to strategic plans
where necessary.
178
Project Management
Accepts and carries out
assigned tasks according to
the project timetable and
milestones. Reports any
variance from plan for
resolution.
Implementation
Implement procedures and
processes defined according to tasks according to the
the timetable set.
Manages tasks and work
segments according to the
project timetable and
milestones. Delegates tasks
appropriately. Takes action to
resolve variances from plan.
Schedules implementation
implementation plan content
and timetable. Takes action to
resolve technical and timetable
matters within competence.
Provides scheduled reports on
implementation progress.
Sets out project plan,
identifying milestones, work
segments and tasks. Assigns
resources to project
components. Sets up steering
arrangements and participates
in steering committee.
Establishes and monitors
business case. Designs
implementation plan. Ensures
adequate project
communication.
Drafts implementation plan and
assigns cash and other
resources. Receives reports on
implementation progress and
takes action to resolve delays
or other. Monitors business
case for the implementation.
Sets terms of reference for the
project. Approves business
case. Chairs steering
committee. Resolves major
variances in project plan.
Aligns project with other
projects. Ensures account is
taken of stakeholder interests.
Approves implementation plan.
Ensures business case met
Approves the implementation
plan. Approves the business
case and the resource
allocation. Receives periodic
reports on progress and on
completion.
179
Self-Improvement
Sets work in an appropriate
context. Develops awareness
of written procedures and
manuals. Seeks to achieve
technical expertise. Curious
about the broader aspects of
the work.
Analysis and synthesis
Able to provide an adequate
analysis of the issues
encountered in daily work and
to synthesise action to meet
them.
Creativity and initiative
Able to see beneath the
Balances technical and
management skills. Reads
technical and management
literature. Shows an interest in
team management skills as
well As larger management
issues. Attends lectures and
seminars given the
opportunity.
Able to analyse issues using a
SWOT or other appropriate
analysis tools. Able to
understand investment
appraisal, including Net
Present Value and Internal
Rate of Return. Able to
construct simple decision
charts. Able to calculate and
apply manpower and other
costing. Able to summarise
and synthesise data and other
information accurately.
Looks for underlying problems
Sets time aside for technical
and management reading, and
does so widely, well beyond
the confines of the job.
Participates in conferences,
seminars and lectures when
they are offered and prepares
in advance.
Effective at analysing issues
using an appropriate analysis
tool. Able to construct
investment appraisals and cost
benefit analyses. Able to apply
tests of validity to numerical
data. Able to construct
complex decision charts. Able
to apply manpower and other
costing. Aware of different
models of strategic planning
and able to choose a best fit
with the organisation. Able to
reconcile data and information
from different sources and to
synthesise it into a coherent
single document.
A lateral thinker when the
Ensures fully up to date with
the theory and practice of
Government and of
management. Reads national
and international journals and
disseminates them. Frequent
attendee at conferences and
seminars and takes pains to
communicate information
within command.
Able to analyse and synthesise
accurately at the strategic and
whole organisation level.
Familiarity with the output of
relevant analytical tools and
able to assess their relevance
and their strengths and
weaknesses in a particular
application.
Highly creative and willing to
180
surface of an issue to the
underlying problem. Able to
develop innovative ways of
resolving the problem using
own initiative. Flexible in
approach and attitude.
Planning and strategic
capacity
Aware of the general plans and
the strategy of the
organisation. Knows how own
work fits in to the broader
perspective
Independence of action
Works well on own initiative
and with minimum of direction.
Observes correct limits of
action.
and consistently comes up with
new and more effective
methods for dealing with them.
Does not apply precedent
blindly. Consistently proposes
new ideas relevant to the
strategy and operation of the
organisation. Acts on own
initiative within the limits of
authority.
Aware of the general plans and
the strategy of the
organisation. Knows how own
work fits into the broader
perspective.
Plans work of self and of team
with minimum of guidance.
Meets day to day problems
with well thought out solutions.
Aware of limits set by the
operational and strategic plans
of the organisation.
occasion demands.
Consistently looks for new and
better ways of doing the work
and is persistent in carrying
ideas through to fruition.
Welcomes new ideas and
encourages people to bring
them forward
Understands the strategic
planning process and the
contribution to be made from
the post. Knows the mission,
ethics, objectives and strategic
plan of the organisation.
Contributes ideas and
suggestions at appropriate
stages in the planning and
strategy process. Ensures
work of self and team aligns
with plans and strategy.
Works mainly on own initiative
with very little guidance
needed. Plans, develops and
delivers new work within the
framework of the
organisation’s operational and
strategic plan. Contributes
strongly to those plans on own
make decisions and stand by
them. Receptive to the ideas of
others and gives them credit
for their initiative. Can be relied
upon to think round a problem
and to come up with a fresh
approach where necessary.
Understands the theory and
practice of strategic planning.
Can judge the appropriateness
of top-down, bottom up and
mixed planning in relation to
organisational character.
Knows the planning and
strategy process in use in
detail and contributes strongly
to it,
Works on own initiative with
only strategic guidance.
Strongly motivated self-starter.
Foresees and overcomes
problems with well thought out
solutions
181

Team working
An effective and loyal team
worker. Able to put the good of
the team above self-interest.
Contributes ideas to improve
the working of the team.
An effective and committed
team leader. Understands and
applies team motivation and
communication. Takes
responsibility for team actions.
Aware of team’s contribution to
the larger organisational effort.
initiative.
An effective and committed
manager. Sets, maintains and
communicates realistic work
objectives. Aware of the theory
and practice of working in
teams. Takes responsibility
when things go wrong. Places
team work in an appropriate
organisational perspective.
Creates an appropriate
environment for successful
team working. Delegates tasks
and resources effectively.
Empowers staff appropriately.
Acts as a point of final
reference for problems. Highly
visible manager.
182
Counselling skills
Counselling of clients in
accordance with job
specification. Understands and
can apply basic interviewing
techniques. Understands
limitations and difficulties of
oral communication.
Capacity for guidance
Has required technical
knowledge for job function and
can use it effectively to provide
accurate and concise guidance
to those affected.
Respect for the law
Understands and properly
applies the rule of law. Aware
of the constitutional provisions
relevant to the civil service and
of the organic law and legal
instruments relevant to the
post held.
Able to interview clients
successfully in difficult
situations in accordance with
job specification. Able to guide
and mentor team members
effectively. Understands theory
and practice of interviewing
and applies them consistently.
Active listener. Able to act as
an effective change agent
High level of technical
knowledge related to job
function and can use it
effectively to provide accurate
and concise guidance to staff
and clients. Acts as a
participative team leader and
achieves results through
effective mentoring.
Understands and properly
applies the rule of law. Aware
of the constitutional provisions
relevant to the civil service and
of the organic law and legal
instruments relevant to the
post held.
Skilled counsellor of staff and
others. Understands and
applies consistently the theory
and practice of good
interviewing. Active listener.
Able to act as an effective
change champion.
High level of technical
knowledge and of the general
content of public
administration. Uses
knowledge effectively to guide
staff in the wider aspects of
their work. A participative
manager who achieves results
through effective mentoring.
Understands and properly
applies the rule of law. Aware
of the constitutional provisions
relevant to the civil service and
of the organic law and legal
instruments relevant to the
post held.
Skilled counsellor of staff and
others. Understands and
applies consistently the theory
and practice of good
interviewing. Active listener.
Able to act as an effective
change sponsor.
An acknowledged expert in the
work of the public institution
and in public administration.
Provides effective guidance to
staff and others based on
experience and knowledge.
Achieves results through
participation and mentoring.
Understands and properly
applies the rule of law. Aware
of the constitutional provisions
relevant to the civil service and
of the organic law and legal
instruments relevant to the
post held
183
Conduct
Correctly observes the ethical
and disciplinary norms
applicable to the civil service
and to the public institution in
which the duties are
performed. Attends work
during the prescribed hours
and works diligently during the
period of attendance.
Maintains the required degree
of confidentiality.
Demonstrates appropriate
loyalty to the employing
institution and to superiors..
Correctly observes the ethical
and disciplinary norms
applicable to the civil service
and to the public institution in
which the duties are
performed. Attends work
during the prescribed hours
and works diligently during the
period of attendance.
Maintains the required degree
of confidentiality.
Demonstrates appropriate
loyalty to the employing
institution and to superiors
and juniors.
Correctly observes the ethical
and disciplinary norms
applicable to the civil service
and to the public institution in
which the duties are
performed. Attends work
during the prescribed hours
and works diligently during the
period of attendance.
Maintains the required degree
of confidentiality.
Demonstrates appropriate
loyalty to the employing
institution and to superiors
and juniors.
Correctly observes the ethical
and disciplinary norms
applicable to the civil service
and to the public institution in
which the duties are
performed. Attends work
during the prescribed hours
and works diligently during the
period of attendance.
Maintains the required degree
of confidentiality.
Demonstrates appropriate
loyalty to the employing
institution and to superiors
and juniors.
184
Organisational Skills
Organises own workload with
a correct regard to priorities.
Knows the impact of personal
work on other organisational
units. Knows when and where
to seek advice and help
Leadership Skills
Able to work effectively as a
leader of small ad hoc working
teams giving appropriate lead
and guidance to members.
Organises work of self and
team. Sets realistic targets
and deadlines. Monitors work
in progress effectively against
timetable and milestones.
Prepares staff and resource
costing for new initiatives.
Understands and applies
theory and practice of small
group behaviour. Leads by
personal example. Motivates
using appropriate emotional
reward. Sets short-term,
stretch-targets for staff and
acknowledges achievement.
Manages operational and
strategic tasks according to
timetable, milestones and
budget. Delegates tasks and
resources effectively and
empowers junior managers
sufficiently. Takes proper
account of the effect of
decisions on other parts of the
organisation and modifies
action if necessary. Plans
effectively for the medium and
long-term, as well as the
short-term.
Provides a appropriate task
structure for staff to work
within. Identifies strategic and
operational imperatives and
transforms them into defined
and aligned tasks with
timetables, milestones and
staff and other budgets.
Provides for effective
monitoring of tasks and
acknowledges achievement
and effort. Identifies and
arranges to meet training
needs.
Prepares effective strategic
and operational plans taking
proper account of available
manpower and other budgets.
Sets effective timetables for
action including milestones
and reporting points.
Delegates effectively. Takes
proper account of the effect of
decisions across the
organisation and modifies
plans if necessary. Draws an
appropriate balance between
operational imperatives and
medium and long-term plans.
Articulates a clear vision for
the organisation. Sets an
appropriate mission and
supports it with effective
strategic planning and goal
setting. Ensures that strategy
and goals align with available
budgets. Undertakes
stakeholder analysis and
modifies plans and goals
when necessary. Ensures
effective communication of the
vision, mission, strategic plan
and objectives.
185
Co-ordination skills
Takes account of the possible
impact of work on other
members of the team and on
other teams. Anticipates
problems that might arise and
either resolves them or seeks
advice from team leader.
Controlling skills
Takes positive action to
control workflow according to
established priorities. Seeks
guidance when priorities
clash.
Balances workload
appropriately across team.
Gives clear direction about
priorities. Allocates work
effectively to meet goals.
Provides for effective
communication laterally and
vertically. Provides
appropriate feedback.
Monitors work flow objectively
against established plans and
standards. Mentors effectively
staff falling below standard.
Suggests and arranges
remedial training when
necessary. Specifically
acknowledges good results.
Sub-divides central objectives
into work components, work
segments tasks and activities
and allocates them correctly.
Co-ordinates activity using a
task plan incorporating
milestones Achieves strong
vertical and lateral
communication. Takes
account of impact of the work
on other parts of the
organisation and revises work
schedules as necessary.
Promulgates and maintains
work plans that allow progress
to be monitored and
measured. Acts as an
effective mentor when
circumstances require.
Arranges training when new
skills are required. Does not
accept poor quality work
without intervention.
Specifically acknowledges
good results
Sets strategic and operational
plans correctly within the
context of the plans for the
organisation as a whole. Sets
and communicates correct
priorities and puts appropriate
monitoring arrangements in
place. Co-ordinates activities
correctly with peers,
subordinates and superiors
Controls work at a strategic
and objective setting level.
Resists personal involvement
in matters delegated to a
lower level of responsibility,
but monitors output and
results against the milestones
and timetable of the strategic
plan. Fosters new initiatives
by others and specifically
acknowledges good results.
Does not accept poor quality
work without intervention with
the senior manager involved.
186
Ability to obtain best results
from the team
Leads small ad hoc groups
effectively when required to
do so. Communicates
objectives and pursues them
in a structured way.
Manages team paying correct
attention to the dynamics of
small groups. Employs a
participative and inclusive
style in which new ideas are
encouraged and valued. Uses
objective methods to judge
performance. Sets and
communicates high personal
standards. Poor standard of
work triggers positive remedial
action.
Understands range of
management options and
chooses form and style
appropriate to span of
command and control.
Encourages and is receptive
to new ideas and initiatives
consistent with the strategic
plan for the organisation. Sets
and communicates high
personal standards. Judges
performance objectively and
praises achievement. Poor
standard of work triggers
positive remedial action.
Sets a clear vision, mission
and strategy that is achievable
within the resources available.
Delegates responsibility and
matching resources aligned
with the capacity of
subordinates to manage them.
Sets and communicates high
personal standards. Is present
in a crisis and initiates
effective action to resolve it.
Judges the performance of
subordinates objectively and
praises achievement. Poor
standard of work triggers
positive remedial action.
Accessible to staff and will act
as their champion when
necessary.
187
Decision making
competence
Manages own workload
effectively and decides
priorities correctly. Identifies
possible impacts on
colleagues or on other units
and brings them to attention.
Makes objective decisions
and records the rationale.
Able to use common decision
support tools such as SWOT
analyses and simple decision
trees. Uses numerical and
other data correctly to support
decisions. Familiar with Gantt
charts and PERT charts.
Understands critical path
analysis. Understands the
legal framework for decisions
and acts within it. Takes
responsibility for decisions.
Able to make an informed
choice between common
decision support tools
including SWOT analyses,
decision trees, critical path
analysis, Gantt and PERT
charts, Program Budgeting,
Investment Appraisal and
Cost Benefit Analysis.
Undertakes stakeholder
analysis when necessary.
Able to undertake policy
analysis of complex issues,
reconciling a range of different
viewpoints, and reaching a
well-argued conclusion. Able
to draw correct inferences
from complex statistical and
financial data, and to identify
gaps. Sets decisions correctly
in their legal framework.
Takes responsibility for
decisions
Makes rapid, robust and
soundly based decisions
properly supported by
argument and made at the
right time. Able to make an
informed judgement about the
suitability of techniques used
to derive information on which
decisions are based. Takes
account of the effect of
decisions on peer group and
on the broader organisation.
Brings in other to the decision
making process if necessary.
Decisions always in full
accordance with the law.
Takes responsibility for
decisions.
188
Delegation Skills
Effective at distributing tasks
within ad hoc working groups.
Takes proper account of the
capacities and work-loads of
team members.
Delegates work to team
members with clear
instructions for its
performance. Sets appropriate
timetables and deadlines.
Mentors staff as necessary to
achieve targets.
Delegates work and resources
to complete tasks according to
timetable and deadlines.
Establishes and maintains a
monitoring plan and checks
progress against milestones.
Delegates tasks with
necessary resources and
responsibilities and in
accordance with strategic
plan. Receives reports on
progress against milestones
and initiates remedial action
where necessary. Does not
interfere in performance of
day to day tasks.
189
Human Resource
Management
Understands and applies
Not applicable established human resource
policies with respect to team.
Identifies strengths and
weaknesses in performance
and completes fair and well-
justified performance
appraisal reports. Identifies
and plans to meet training
needs for new skills. Acts as
an effective mentor. Makes a
recommendation for
disciplinary sanctions where
appropriate.
Understands and applies
established human resource
policies. Identifies strengths
and weaknesses in
performance and completes
fair and well-justified
performance appraisal
reports. Acts as an effective
second signatory to reports.
Carries out effective
performance appraisal
interviews Identifies and plans
to meet training needs for new
skills. Acts as an effective
mentor. Initiates disciplinary
action where necessary.
Makes an accurate estimate
of the manpower cost of new
and continuing work.
Maintains an accurate and up
to date manpower plan.
Understands and applies the
established human relations
policies of the institution.
Contributes positively to their
further development when
necessary. Ensures those
policies are understood and
properly applied within unit of
command. Completes fair and
well-justified performance
appraisal reports and acts as
an effective second signatory.
Carries out effective appraisal
interviews. Approves requests
for additional training.
Approves disciplinary action
where necessary. Ensures
that new and continuing work
is properly costed and that an
effective manpower plan is
maintained and monitored.
190
Capacity to develop
personnel skills
Understand personnel theory
and practice related to the job
function. Reacts positively to
training and mentoring. Eager
to acquire new skills and
experience.
Competence in managing
resources
Manages personal time
effectively and works
diligently. Uses office
equipment and supplies
correctly and without waste.
Identifies opportunities for
improvement of self and
others. Understands the
basics of personnel
management theory and
practice. Sees training and
mentoring as an important
part of responsibilities.
Understands group dynamics
and the role of feedback.
Presents staff with challenging
work opportunities.
Understands government
estimating and budget cycle.
Understands and applies
principle of separation of
authorisation and payment.
Prepares and maintains
resources budget. Prepares
and maintains accurate
accounts of expenditure and
receipt. Uses resources
efficiently and monitors
Understands personnel
management theory and
practice and applies it
effectively. Employs well
thought out strategies for
personnel development
including job-rotation, training
inside and outside the
institution, and mentoring.
Sets appropriate stretch-
targets for staff. Provides
appropriate reinforcement to
maintain high performance.
Expert knowledge of
government estimating and
budget cycle. Able to interpret
and use national income
accounts. Understands
input/output analyses.
Reviews and consolidates
resource budgets. Ensures
compliance with financial
standards by staff. Uses
resources efficiently and
Has developed a high
level of knowledge
concerning personnel
theory and practice. Has
an active personnel plan
in use that provides for
planned job rotation and
planned training. Sets
high but achievable
standards of
effectiveness for staff.
Motivates staff by
personal example and
by use of positive
reinforcement
mechanisms.
Expert knowledge of
government estimating
and budget cycle.
Understands national
income accounts.
Understands
input/output analyses.
General familiarity with
macroeconomic
indicators. Delegates
budgets effectively and
191
expenditure against budget, monitors expenditures against ensures accurate and
ensuring compliance. budget, achieving compliance. correct accounting.
Monitors expenditure
Where appropriate, Where appropriate, against budget using
understands basic principles understands principles of appropriate expenditure
of accounts and double entry accounts and double entry profiles. Takes timely
bookkeeping. Able to bookkeeping. Able to analyse remedial action when
construct and interpret complex balance sheets. Able needed.
balance sheets and to prepare to analyse complex trading Where appropriate. Able
and interpret trading and profit accounts and profit and loss to analyse and interpret
and loss accounts. accounts. Understands and complex commercial
Understands and can apply can apply commonly used accounts and to apply
simple accounting ratios accounting ratios common test ratios.

192
Training abilities
Able to act as an effective
mentor for less experienced
colleagues when required to
do so.
Identifies training needs
accurately. Able to identify
training sources and their
cost. Makes effective
cost/value decisions and
recommendations regarding
training. Able to act as an
effective mentor and trainer as
required. Understands
fundamentals of training
analysis and design.
Training oriented. Acts on
recommendations for training
on best-fit basis and with
proper regard to cost. Able to
act as mentor and as a trainer
for small and large groups.
Effective training analyst and
designer
Ensures that all staff are
correctly trained for their
responsibilities.
Conducts gap analyses
of requirements against
capabilities. Makes
correct decisions
regarding training supply
having regard to costs.
Ensures skills acquired
by training are brought
into effective use. An
effective public speaker
and seminar leader.
193
Mediation and negotiation
Acts as an effective
participant in meetings. Makes
points that are succinct and
material and that assist in
reaching a conclusion. Drafts
effective agendas for
meetings. Prepares effective
notes of meetings that are
concise and accurate.
Identifies and assigns action
points correctly and takes
appropriate follow up action.
Able to carry out effective
mediation and negotiation with
team and with peers. Sets out
a plan of objectives with
reserve positions. Adopts a
non-confrontational style. Able
to act effectively as a member
and chairman of meetings.
Sets an appropriate agenda.
Makes contributions that
move towards an effective
conclusion. Summarises
points of discussion
accurately. Provides clear
action points. Prepares
accurate and concise minutes.
An effective mediator and
negotiator in small and large
groups. Sets out a plan of
objectives with reserve
positions. Adopts a non-
confrontational style and
shows flexibility while holding
to central points. Ensures
meetings have an appropriate
agenda and time allocation.
Speaks to the point and
carries issues towards a
conclusion. Summarises
points of view and discussion
accurately. Ensures that clear
action points emerge attached
to a nominated individual.
An effective mediator
and negotiator at any
level. Prepares positions
and fallbacks in
advance. Skilled at
reconciling opposing
points of view. Ensures
that meetings have an
appropriate agenda and
timetable and holds to
them. Adopts a non-
confrontational style, but
maintains essential
positions. Summarises
points of view and
discussion accurately.
Ensures that clear action
points emerge attached
to a nominated
individual.
194
Appraisal objectivity
Prepares draft job plan
accurately and sets an
appropriate timetable for
activities. Identifies
appropriate performance
measures for discussion.
Change Management
Flexible and adaptive to
change. Accepts the
ambiguity that arises from
change. Works co-operatively
with others to make change a
success.
Ramboll Management
Finalises draft job plans for
team. Prepares performance
appraisal objectively with
proper regard to the law and
to the performance criteria set
out for the work being
appraised. Makes
recommendations for
performance related pay and
bonuses.
Acts as an effective change
agent. Understands the
organisational dynamics of
change. Understands the
difficulties of attitudinal and
cultural change. Develops and
carries through plans to
achieve change. Facilitates
team learning and
communicates clearly what
people are expected to do
differently.
Acts as first signatory for
those reporting directly. Acts
as second signatory for staff
two levels below. Makes
appraisals objectively with
proper regard to the law and
to the performance criteria set
out for the work being
appraised. Determines
performance pay and bonuses
for those for whom he acts as
second signatory. Makes
recommendations regarding
the performance pay and
bonuses for those for whom
he acts as first signatory.
Acts as an effective change
champion. Builds and
negotiates successful change
plans. Establishes structures
and processes to facilitate the
embedding of change.
Addresses resistance to
change and shows empathy
with those who feel
discomfited by change.
Monday, 17 May 2004
Completes performance
appraisal objectively
with proper regard to the
law and to the
performance criteria for
the work being
appraised. Ensures
consistency of reporting
standards across the
organisation for which
he is responsible.
Determines performance
pay and bonuses
Acts as an effective
change sponsor and
initiator. Shows
consistent support for
innovation and for
changes needed to
improve organisational
effectiveness.
Negotiates agreements
with major stakeholders
affected by change.
195
 Legal Advisor Senior Legal Advisor Managing Legal Advisor Senior Managing
(Junior) (Assistant) (Chef) Legal Advisor
(Director)

Core Competencies
Drafting primary and
secondary legislation and
∗
other legal instruments.

Conducting legal research Drafting primary and Able to deal effectively with Polished and effective drafting.
with regard to the issues that secondary legislation. Able most complex and sensitive Drafts fluently and concisely at
will be subject to further to deal effectively with more drafting. Able to draft high speed. Able to weigh and
legislation. Drafting Memos complex drafting. Able to add accurately at speed. Able to reconcile differing points of view
related to: value to texts prepared by add significant value to the in a concise and accurate
(a) legal obstacles that juniors. drafts of others. manner. Is looked upon as an
might be encountered; Able to cooperate with legal exemplar of good drafting.
(b) legal comparative advisors from ministries and Able to adjust legal constraints to
analysis; public institutions having specific objectives that result
(c) analysis of legal related interests in drafting from the Government Program.
studies. legislation. Capability to promote the draft
Drafting sketches of primary Able to asses constitutional legislation before higher
and secondary legislation. issues in the process of governmental bodies and to
drafting legislation. testify in hearings before
parliamentarian standing
committees.


Applicable only for legal advisors from the Legal Department of public authority or institution.

196
Drafting commercial and civil
∗
agreements 

Conducting research on legal Drafting commercial and civil
issues that will be subject to agreements. Able to draft
agreements. specific clauses of
agreements in accordance
with the public institution
specific interests. Able to
add value to texts prepared
by juniors.
∗
Written work
Able to deal effectively with
most complex and sensitive
drafting. Able to draft
accurately at speed. Able to
add significant value to the
drafts of others.
Polished and effective drafting.
Drafts fluently and concisely at
high speed. Able to weigh and
reconcile differing points of view
in a concise and accurate
manner. Is looked upon as an
exemplar of good drafting.
Able to adjust legal constraints to
the commercial needs of a public
institution.

Ability to draft memos on
various legal issues, using the
appropriate legal concepts and
to find legal solutions for
different problems encountered
in the day-to-day activity of the
public institution.
Able to deal with more
complex drafting, adequately
meeting the needs of the
public institution. Ability to
synthesize texts from
disparate sources. Able to
prepare accurate summaries
of complex material. Able to
add value to texts prepared
by juniors.
Marked facility in the use of
legal language. Able to deal
effectively with the most
complex and sensitive
drafting, fully meeting the
needs of the public
institution. Able to draft
accurately at speed. Able to
add significant value to the
drafts of others.
Polished and effective drafting.
Drafts fluently and concisely at
high speed. Able to weigh and
reconcile differing points of view
in a concise and accurate
manner. Is looked upon as an
exemplar of good drafting.
Able to draft legal articles and
studies in Law journals.




197
Competence before the
∗
courts
Able to deal effectively with Able to deal effectively with Able to weigh and reconcile
Able to sustain before the most complex issues arising most complex and sensitive differing points of view in a
courts the interests of the in the course of a trial. issues arising in the course concise and accurate manner.
public institution by using of a trial. Able to proper Excellent oratory skills. Is looked
appropriate legal means. dialogue and negotiate with upon as an exemplar of
the counter party. proficiency.

mplementation of the primary and

secondary legislation and
∗
other legal instruments

Conducting legal research regarding Capability to identify obvious Able to prepare provisory Capability to send alerts to
the proper implementation of and hidden obstacles in the solutions in the process of the minister (head of
legislation. process of implementation. implementation in case of public institution) in order
Capability to foresee barriers which cannot be to eliminate by legislative
litigation resulting in the cancelled in a quick means any obstacles that
implementation process. legislative approach. might occur in the
implementation process.
∗
Implementation of EU legislation

Not applicable
Not applicable Able to comprehend and Able to comprehend and
make proposals for the make proposals for the
implementation of EU implementation of EU
legislation. legislation.
Able to interact with EU Able to interact with EU
consultants. consultants.

∗
Applicable also for legal advisors from other departments of public authority or institution.



198
 ∗
Ethics

Understands and abides by the
ethical standards set forth by the
legislation regulating the activity of
legal advisors, the organization and
the civil service.
∗
Oral competence
Understands and abides by the
ethical standards set forth by
the legislation regulating the
activity of the legal advisers,
the organization and the civil
service. Acts as an ethical
example to juniors.
Understands and abides by
the ethical standards set forth
by the legislation regulating
the activity of the legal
advisers, the organization and
the civil service. Can be relied
on for sound ethical advice in
complex situations.
Understands and abides
by the ethical standards
set forth by the legislation
regulating the activity of
the legal advisers, the
organization and the civil
service. Ensures that the
sound ethical standards
permeate the
organization. Acts as a
source of sound ethical
advice in complex
situations.

Competent in one to one Competent in one to one Very effective in one to one An effective communicator
situations and in small groups. situations, in small groups and situations in small and large in any situation, formal or
Speaks to the point, using as a staff manager. Ability to groups and as a staff informal. Punctilious in the
accurate and appropriate summarize discussions manager. Able to contribute use of language.
language, having a good use of cogently and accurately. positively in formal and Facilitates and
the specific legal language. Contributes points that carry informal situations. An synthesizes the
discussions forward. Ability to effective speechmaker. contribution of others.
clearly point out and sustain the Shows marked ability to Adept at assisting
public institutions interests in synthesize complex discussion to a
relations to third parties. discussions and to frame conclusion. Looked on as
contributions that lead to an an exceptionally effective
effective conclusion. communicator.
General PC Based Computer
∗
Skills 





199

Able to use Windows (or other)
operating system for efficient file
management, transfer and copying
of files. Able to use word processing
software for the preparation and
amendment of documents, including
the incorporation of tables. Able to
prepare and format simple
spreadsheets and to generate
histograms. Able to use e-mail and
web-browser.
Able to use Windows (or other) Able to use Windows (or
operating system other) operating system.
comprehensively. Able to use Able to create, access and
word processing software amend documents using
comprehensively. Able to word processor. Able to
prepare complex spreadsheets access and amend
including the use of basic spreadsheets. Able to use
formulas and to generate e-mail and web browser.
histograms. Able to use e-mail
and web-browser.
Able to use Windows (or
other) operating system.
Able to access and amend
word-processed
documents. Able to
access and amend
spreadsheets. Able to use
e-mail and web-browser.

ACCOUNTANCY/FINANCE STAFF

Executant Chief of Bureau Director Director General +

200
 Core Competencies
Ethics
Understands and abides by the
ethical standards set for the
organisation and the civil
service.
Number Skills
Able to perform arithmetical
functions, including
percentages and averages
using a calculator. Able to
construct and interpret simple
tables. Able to display
information in graph and
histogram formats.
Understands and abides by the ethical
standards set for the organisation and
the civil service. Acts as an ethical
example to juniors.
Able to perform arithmetical functions
including percentages and averages,
using a calculator or computing
manually. Able to prepare and analyse
simple tables using standard software
or manually. Able to prepare and
analyse graphs and histograms.
Understands normal and skewed
distributions.
Understands and abides by
the ethical standards set for
the organisation and the civil
service. Can be relied upon
for sound ethical advice in
complex situations.
Marked facility with figures.
Able to construct and interpret
complex data tables and
spreadsheets. Able to
interpret graphs and
histograms and to understand
underlying principles. Able to
provide advice and guidance
on data related issues.
Understands and abides
by the ethical standards
set for the organisation
and the civil service.
Ensures that sound ethical
standards permeate the
organisation. Acts as a
source of sound ethical
advice in complex
situations.
Uses appropriate data
routinely and accurately.
Able to specify data
requirements accurately.
Understands
spreadsheets, graphs and
histograms. Able to direct
and control general
number related work
201
General computer skills
Able to use Windows (or other)
operating system for efficient
file management, transfer and
copying of files. Able to use
word processing software for
the preparation and
amendment of documents,
including the incorporation of
tables. Able to prepare and
format simple spreadsheets
and to generate histograms.
Able to use e-mail and web
browser.
Knowledge of specific
accountancy software
Able to use job specific
software related to recording
and analysing receipts and
payments and to the payment
of salaries and wages,
including statutory and non-
statutory deductions. Able to
generate required summary
reports and analyses.
Able to use Windows (or other)
operating system for efficient file
management, transfer and copying of
files. Able to use word processing
software for the preparation and
amendment of
Documents including the incorporation
of tables. Able to prepare and format
complex spreadsheets, including the
use of common formulas, and to
generate histograms. Able to use e-
mail and web browser.
Able to use and supervise the use of
job specific software used for
recording and analysing receipts and
payments and to the payment of
salary and wages including statutory
and non-statutory deductions. Able to
specify and generate required
summary reports and analyses and to
reconcile and interpret them.
Able to use Windows (or
other) operating system. Able
to create and amend
documents using word
processing software. Able to
create and amend complex
spreadsheets. Able to use e-
mail and web browser.
Aware of the capabilities and
requirements of job specific
software. Able to specify
summary reports and
analyses that might be
required. Able to interpret
reports and accounts and to
ensure that disbursements
and receipts have been
properly accounted for.
Assumes responsibility for the
work of those reporting to
him/her.
Aware of capabilities and
requirements of job
specific software in use.
Able to specify summary
reports and analyses. Able
to interpret reports and
accounts and to ensure
that disbursements and
receipts have been
properly accounted for.
Assumes overall
responsibility for work of
subordinates.
202
Knowledge of principles of
Government Accounting.
Aware of and consistently
applies the established rules of
Government accounting.
Applies the principle of
separation of function between
authorisation and payment.
Ensures that there is specific
authority before payment.
Ensures that all payments and
receipts are properly supported
by vouchers and posted to the
correct sub-heading of the
budget.
. procedures as required by the duties
Aware of and consistently applies the
established rules of Government
accounting and ensures that they are
properly applied by subordinates.
Carries out routine finance checks to
ensure separation of payment and
authorisation, to ensure that payments
are only being made in accordance
with written authorities, and that there
is correct posting of receipts and
payments to the correct heading of the
budget.
Carries out audit and test check
of the post
Aware of and consistently
applies the established rules
of Government accounting
and ensures that they are
followed by subordinates.
Carries out routine and
random finance checks to
ensure compliance with
accounting rules. Carries out
audit functions as required by
the post including
reconciliations of cash and
bank accounts and the proper
maintenance of ledger and
other accounts against
vouchers.
Aware of and consistently
applies the established
rules of Government
accounting and ensures
that they are followed by
subordinates. Carries out
audit and test check
functions as required by
the post. Provides audit
reports and certifications
in accordance with the
accounts.
203
Knowledge of Government
National Income
Accounting (Specific
Ministries and organs of
Government only)
Able to assign data to account
headings using spreadsheet or
subject specific software. Able
to generate tables and
histograms. Understands
function of national income
accounts and how the specific
job relates to these functions.
Able to supervise the assignment of
data to account headings using
spreadsheet or subject specific
software. Able to test-check and audit
data assignment. Able to generate
tables, histograms and associated
reports. Understands the function and
use of national income accounts and
the main components of their
construction.
Fully conversant with the
structure and function of
national income accounts.
Able to extract and
summarise elements of the
account. Able to present
material in tabular, graphic or
histogram forms.
Understands the different
bases of year on year
comparison.
Fully conversant with the
structure and function of
national income accounts.
Able to specify and
supervise data extraction
and presentation.
Understands general
principles of
macroeconomic theory.
204
Knowledge of double entry
accounting. (Specific
Ministries and institutions
and agencies only.
Understands general principles
of double entry system.
Understands use of journal and
of real and nominal accounts.
Can construct a trial balance.
Understands trading account
and profit and loss account.
Understands balance sheet.
Able to use standard
bookkeeping software
Knowledge of computerised
accounting
Able to use job specific
software for recording
payments and receipts and for
the production of reconciliations
reports and analyses.
Understands general principles of
double entry system. Understands use
of journal and of real and nominal
accounts. Understands principles of
trial balance. Understands trading
account and profit and loss account.
Understands different methods of
asset depreciation. Understands
accruals. Understands balance sheet.
Able to apply simple accounting ratios.
Able to use standard bookkeeping
software.
Able to use and to tutor subordinates
in the use of job specific software for
the recording and reconciliation of
receipts and payments, including bank
and cash accounts. Able to specify
and to analyse reports and summaries
generated.
Understands general
principles of double entry
system. Able to read journal,
real and nominal ledger,
trading account and profit and
loss account and balance
sheet for sole trader,
partnerships and registered
companies. Understands
accrual, different depreciation
methods and the creation of
reserve accounts. Able to
apply test ratios to accounts.
Familiar with standard
bookkeeping software.
Understands software in use
for the recording of receipts
and payments and for the
preparation of reconciliations
reports and analyses. Able to
understand and analyse the
outputs of the system.
Understands general
principles of double entry
system. Able to read
trading accounts, profit
and loss account and
balance sheet for sole
traders, partnerships and
companies. Able to apply
and use general
accounting ratios. Familiar
with standard
bookkeeping software.
Understands software in
use for the recording of
receipts and payments
and for the preparation of
reconciliations reports and
anayses. Able to
understand and analyse
the outputs of the system.
205
Knowledge of auditing of
accounts
Understands general principles
of auditing including the
independence of the auditor.
Understands when to use
sample techniques and full
audit techniques. Raises
appropriate enquiries on
accounts and follows them up
effectively. Prepares first draft
audit reports.
Understand general principles of
auditing including the independence of
the auditor. Uses sample and full
auditing appropriately. Raises
appropriate enquiries on accounts and
follows them up effectively. Prepares
comprehensive audit reports. Acts as
an effective mentor and guide for
subordinate staff.
Able to plan and control major
audits of complex accounts.
Undertakes submission and
follow up of audit reports.
Acts as fully independent
auditor reporting to the
accounting officer of the
institution or agency.
Controls and manages
major audits of complex
accounts taking final
responsibility for the
submission and follow up
of audit reports. Ensures
that the audit function is
fully independent.
206
Knowledge of investment
appraisal (Defined
Ministries, institutions and
agencies only)
Understands general principles
of investment appraisal using
payback periods, return on
capital employed and
discounted cash flow, including
internal rate of return. Able to
use appropriate software
including spreadsheet software.
Understands general principles of
investment appraisal using pay-back
periods, return on capital employed
and discounted cash flow, including
internal rate of return. Able to select
between projects on the basis of
investment appraisal. Able to compute
graphs for different investment
streams. Able to apply straightforward
risk analysis. Able to use appropriate
software including spreadsheets.
Understands the general
principles of investment
appraisal and can make an
informed choice about which
technique should be used.
Able to supervise and mentor
staff using the techniques.
Able to select appropriate
discount factors for test. Able
to select between projects on
basis of most appropriate
technique. Able to apply risk
analysis to outcomes.
Understand software
including spreadsheets.
Understands the general
principles of investment
appraisal and can make
an informed choice about
which technique should be
used. Understands and
applies appropriate
techniques for risk
assessment. Selects
appropriate discount
factors for test.
Understands the
limitations and advantages
of different appraisal
techniques and can select
appropriately. Fully
conversant with risk
analysis applied to
investment appraisal.
207
 LAW REGARDING PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

Law 188/99

Article 58

(1) Individual performance assessments of civil servants shall be performed

on an annual basis.
(2) The assessment procedures shall be performed for the following
purposes:
a. promotion to higher pay ranks;
b. promotion on the pay scale;
c. promotion to a higher public position;
d. dismissal from a public position;
e. establishing the needs for professional development of civil
servants.
(3) The following grades shall be awarded following the assessment process:
‘excellent’, ‘very good’, ‘good’, ‘satisfactory’, ‘unsatisfactory’.
(4) The assessment of the individual professional performance of high ranking
civil servants shall be conducted by an assessment commission made up
of five personalities who are outstanding public administration specialists,
proposed by the Public Administration Minister and appointed by the
Prime Minister.
(5) The methods for the assessment of the individual professional
performance of civil servants shall be approved by the Government in a
resolution following the suggestions of the National Agency of Civil
Servants and by consultation with the trade union organisations of civil
servants that are representative nationwide.

Decision regarding the organisation and the development of the civil

servant’s career

Promotion on the pay scale

Article 50

The civil servant promotes on the pay scale corresponding to the public position
held upon law regarding the establishing of a unitary pay system for the civil
servants on the basis of the following cumulated criteria:

a. the score obtained at the annual evaluation of the individual

professional performance;
b. not having been subject to a disciplinary sanction in the last year;
c. the seniority on the pay scale from which he is about to be
promoted.

208
Methodology for the evaluation of the individual professional performance
of civil servants

Article 1

(1) The procedure for the evaluation of individual professional performance

shall apply to every civil servant considering the individual responsibilities
in the job description.
(2) The main elements to be taken into account when the job description is
made are provided in the model in point 2 of this annex.

Article 2

The individual professional performance of civil servants shall be evaluated by

referring the performance standards to the degree of fulfillment of the individual
tasks set for the evaluated period.

Article 3

(1) The evaluated period shall be between December 1 and November 30 of

the next year.
(2) The evaluation period shall be between December 1 and December 15 of
the year after the one for which the individual performance of the civil
servant is evaluated.
(3) As an exception, the individual professional civil servant shall be
evaluated during the evaluated period in the following cases:
• When during the evaluated period the civil servant’s work relations
cease, suspend or change, under the law. In this case the civil
servant shall be evaluated for the period before the cessation,
suspension or changing of the work relations. In establishing an
annual grade account shall be taken, depending on the specificity
of the tasks included in the job description, of the grade obtained
before the cessation, suspension or changing of the work relations.
• When during the evaluated period the work relations of the civil
servant, who holds a leading public position or a public position
corresponding to the high civil servants category cease, suspend or
change under the law. In this case the leading civil servant must
before ceasing, suspending or changing the work relationship,
within 15 days from the ceasing, suspending or changing the work
relationship, fulfill the evaluation of the individual professional
performance of civil servants in a subordinate position. The grade
awarded shall be taken into account in the annual evaluation of
their individual professional performance.
• When during the evaluated period the civil servant obtains a higher
diploma and is to be promoted to a higher category, upon the law,
to a public position corresponding to the graduated studies.

209
 (4) For the individual professional performance to be evaluated on an annual
basis the civil servant must have worked for at least 6 months in a public
position, except for the cases provided for in paragraph (3).

Article 4

(1) The evaluator shall evaluate the individual professional performance of

subordinated civil servants.
(2) Upon this procedure, the evaluator is:
a. the leading civil servant who coordinates the department in which
the executing civil servant carries out his activity, or who
coordinates his activity.
b. The hierarchically superior leading civil servant according to the
organisational structure of the public authority or institution for the
leading civil servant.
c. The high civil servant for the subordinated leading civil servants or
for the executing civil servants when they carry out their activity in
departments not coordinated by a leading civil servant or who
carries out his activity upon a dignitary’s coordination.
d. the mayor, upon the proposal of the local council, for the secretary
of the commune, town and the territorial-administrative sub-division
of the municipalities.

Article 5

The evaluation procedure comprises the following three stages:

(1) making of the evaluation report by the evaluator;
(2) interview;
(3) countersigning of the evaluation report.

Article 6

(1) With a view to making the evaluation report the evaluator:

a. analyses how the individual goals were fulfilled;
b. notes the performance standards in terms of their importance;
c. sets the final grade for the evaluation of the individual professional
performance;
d. notes the ‘outstanding’ results of the civil servant, the objective
difficulties encountered during the evaluated period, and any other
observations considered relevant;
e. sets the individual goals and the deadlines as well as the training
needs for the next period to be evaluated.
(2) The standard format of the evaluation report is provided in point 3 of this
annex.

210
Article 7

(1) The individual goals are specific targets established for the next period
based on tasks provided in the job description.
(2) The individual goals must:
a. be specific to the activities that involve the prerogatives of a public
power;
b. be quantifiable – have a concrete materialization;
c. have deadlines;
d. be realistic – apt to be fulfilled within the deadlines set and the
resources earmarked for them;
e. be flexible – apt to be revised in terms of the changing priorities of
the respective public authority or institution.
(3) Individual goals can be revised on a quarterly basis. The changes shall be
noted in a document signed by the evaluator and the civil servant to be
evaluated. The document shall be annexed to the evaluation report.

Article 8

(1) The performance standards and the establishment of the final evaluation
grade shall be subject to the following stages:
a. each objective shall be noted from 1 to 5, the mark expressing the
degree of fulfilling the respective objective as regards quantity,
quality and the period in which it was carried out;
b. for obtaining the mark for fulfilling the objectives, the arithmetic
mean of the marks granted shall be obtained for each fulfilled
objective;
c. each performance standard shall be marked from 1 to 5, the mark
expressing the appreciation of how the performance standard was
matched in the work to fulfill the individual goals;
d. for obtaining the mark for fulfilling the performance standard, the
arithmetic mean shall be obtained for each fulfilled objective;
e. for the final mark the arithmetic mean of the marks granted shall be
obtained in conformity with paragraphs (b) and (d);
(2) The meaning of the marks provided in paragraph (1) points (a) and (c) is
that 1 equals the minimum level and 5 equals the highest level.

Article 9

The final grade of the evaluation is to be established on the basis of the final
mark as follows:
a. between 1.00 and 1.50 – unsatisfactory;
b. between 1.51 and 2.50 – satisfactory;
c. between 2.51 and 3.50 – good;
d. between 3.51 and 4.50 – very good;
e. between 4.51 and 5.00 – exceptional.

211
Article 10

The interview as a stage in the evaluation represents an exchange of

information, impressions and opinions between the evaluator and the civil
servant as part of which:
a. the civil servant is appraised of the notes made by the evaluator in the
evaluation report;
b. in the case where there are differences of opinion between the
evaluator and the evaluated person regarding the notes made by the
evaluator in the evaluation report they shall proceed to finding a
common viewpoint. The evaluator can alter the evaluation report in
terms of what has been established jointly with the civil servant;
c. the comments of the evaluated civil servant are noted in the evaluation
report;
d. the evaluator and the evaluated civil servant sign and date the
evaluation report.

Article 11

(1) The evaluation report is forwarded to the counter-signer.

(2) Upon this procedure the counter-signer is:
a. The civil servant hierarchically superior to the evaluator in the
organisational structure of the public authority or institution.
Exceptionally, in the case that is not possible, a civil servant
hierarchically superior to the evaluator shall be designated as
counter-signer by the civil servant who holds the highest public
position appointed by the head of the public authority or institution
or the deputy head of the public authority or institution;
b. The prefect, for the secretary of the commune, town or territorial-
administrative sub-division of the municipalities.
(3) The evaluation report can be modified upon the decision of the counter-
signer in the following cases:
a. the assessments to be countersigned are not realistic;
b. there are differences of opinion between the evaluator and the
evaluated civil servant that could not be jointly reconciled.
(4) The evaluation report as altered under paragraph (3) shall be made known
to the civil servant.

Article 12

(1) Civil servants displeased by the results of an evaluation may contest it to

the head of the public authority or institution.
(2) By way of an exception from the provisions of paragraph (1), the secretary
of the commune, town or territorial-administrative sub-division of the
municipalities who are dissatisfied with the evaluation result may appeal to
the administrative court.

212
 (3) The appeal shall be formulated within 5 days of the civil servant being told
of the evaluation grade awarded and shall be resolved within 15 days.
(4) The result of the appeal shall be made known to the civil servant within 5
days of the settlement.
(5) Civil servants dissatisfied with the solution to the appeal claim formulated
according to paragraph (1) may appeal to the administrative court
according to the law.

Specific regulations regarding the evaluation of the individual professional

performance of high civil servants

Article 13

An assessment commission made up of five personalities who are outstanding

[in the field of public administration], respectively a president and four members,
proposed by the Administration and Interior Minister and appointed by the Prime
Minister shall conduct the assessment of the individual professional performance
of high ranking civil servants.

Article 14

The evaluation of the individual professional performance of the high civil servant
consists of estimating, upon the report of activity of the high civil servant:
a. the manner and the level of fulfilling of the objectives established by
the head of the public authority or institution;
b. the way in which objectives have been fulfilled and the performance
obtained by the [managed] structures;
c. proposals regarding the efficiency of the [managed] structures’
efficiency by identifying deficiencies in activity and means of
eliminating them.

Article 15

(1) The evaluation shall be done as follows:

a. Each component of the activity report provided in article 14 is
evaluated with marks from 1 to 5, the mark expressing the
quantitative and qualitative estimation and the term within which it
has been realized.
b. Each performance criteria is evaluated from 1 to 5, the mark
expressing the estimation of fulfilling the performance criteria in
realizing the activity.
c. In order to obtain the mark for the assessment of the activity, the
arithmetic mean shall be taken of the marks given for fulfilling each
component.

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 d. In order to obtain the mark for the assessment of the performance
criteria, the arithmetic mean shall be taken of the marks for fulfilling
each criteria.
e. In order to obtain the final mark, the arithmetic mean shall be taken
of the marks awarded under (c) and (d).
(2) The provisions of article 9 shall be applied accordingly.

Article 16

The high ranking civil servant dissatisfied with the mark obtained at the individual
performance evaluation may appeal to the court of administrative litigation upon
the law.

Ramboll Management
Phare Project Friday, June 04, 2004

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