The quality of public policies and the services provided by any government are closely linked to the quality of its civil service. The ways in which the civil service is managed – in other words, crucial human resources management (HRM) functions such as planning, recruitment and selection, and professional development, and the incentives for professionalisation, among other factors – are critical factors to attracting, retaining, and motivating suitable staff.

The civil service merit index measures the guarantees of professionalism in the way that the civil service system operates. Specifically, it measures the degree of effective protection against arbitrariness, political capture or clientelism, and the different ways that interested groups or sectors engage in rent-seeking.

Performance appraisal involves planning, encouraging, and evaluating employees’ contributions to the public sector’s performance. It is a crucial tool for improving staff performance, identifying skills and performance gaps and motivating public servants. It is also a key component to install a performance-oriented administrative culture in public sector institutions.

Adequate compensation management is a key aspect in building a high-performance organisation, as it impacts three of the main goals of public sector HRM: attracting and retaining suitable human capital, building a motivated workforce oriented toward improving institutional performance, and achieving a fiscally sustainable wage bill.

The civil service agency or equivalent institution in charge of regulating how human resources are managed within the central government plays a crucial role in shaping HRM practices across the public sector. Public managers and HR units within line ministries or agencies matter as well, as they are in charge of the actual implementation of these practices.