CAF reiterates commitment to CLAD on public sector good personnel management practices

CAF—development bank of Latin America—took part in the international event on good personnel management practices in the public sector, organized by the Latin American Center for Development Administration (CLAD) and the National Civil Service Office (ONSC), held in Uruguay, where representatives of countries of Ibero-American, Africa and Spain gathered to present and discuss issues on the topic at hand.

Christian Asinelli, Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming at CAF, also participated in the meeting, and reaffirmed the strategic partnership that the organization maintains with CLAD. “Our institutions were conceived almost at the same time, both based in Caracas, Venezuela. Over the past 50 years, we have collaborated for regional integration, creation of knowledge from and for the public administrations, and in understanding the demands and needs of Latin America and the Caribbean,” he noted.

In this connection, Asinelli assured that CAF and CLAD “have been, are and will continue to be strategic partners for the development and integration of the continent,” and underscored that, same as last year, the institution will participate in 2023 in the International Congress on the Reform of the State and Public Administration, to be held in November in Havana, Cuba.

Furthermore, he noted that there are “quite a few possible fronts” from which to tackle the implications of personnel management in regional public administrations. “First, through the transformation of social and historical contexts that define—to a large extent—the function and role of States at each moment.” Accordingly, he stressed that national governments had, during the COVID-19 pandemic, “to address the emergency in record time, readjusting the labor modalities and dynamics of public sector employees and the provision of services.”

Secondly, he argued that it is possible to address the issue through an institutional approach that “gives central importance to funds allocation, overcoming restrictions and constraints, appropriate personnel management, and the management of incentives, promotions and talent retention.”

Lastly, he stressed interorganizational action, i.e., the link established with the social fabric surrounding public institutions.

CAF has promoted two lines of work around State issues. First, program implementation, in addition to the transfer and financing of resources. Meanwhile, officials, technical staff and leaders from different areas of the sector have been trained.

The second edition of the Diploma in Governance and Public Innovation was recently launched, as a proposal organized and delivered by CAF with 19 universities in 21 Latin American countries, which will offer innovation and public management tools to officials at national and subnational levels, from public and private companies.