Public managers are expected to improve the performance of their organisations and the outcome of their activities. As such, they have to work with their staff to encourage, enable and support them in a continuous quest for improved quality and productivity while simultaneously upholding core public sector values. By delegating some authority for HRM to line ministries, departments and agencies, governments aim to increase the ability of public sector managers to adapt working conditions to the business needs of their organisation and to the merits of individual employees. As HRM responsibilities have been delegated to line ministries, the role of the central HRM body has begun to focus more on setting minimum standards and formulating policy rather than implementing them. However, delegation is not without risks, which can include an increased variability of conditions of employment across government organisations, decreased mobility of staff, and difficulties in maintaining shared government values and a whole-ofgovernment perspective.

The objective of recruitment systems is to ensure that government organisations have the right number of people with the right skills and values at the right time.

A focus on performance is at the core of modernising public administrations in most OECD member countries. Assessing performance is often the first step in recognising both individual and collective efforts in a more fair and objective manner. At the same time, performance assessments can clarify the goals of the organisation for staff, linking their roles to organisational objectives and helping implement change. However, creating a performance management system does not in itself improve performance. Its success, in part, depends on goals and strategies being clearly defined and communicated to employees, and on managers’ ability to objectively assess and measure performance.

Countries need senior civil servants who are able to pursue performance-oriented management, ensure cohesion across ministries, and at the same time protect the ethos of a politically neutral and professional public administration. The senior civil service is the interface between politicians and the public administration. They are responsible for the implementation of legal instruments and political strategies. They are also responsible for the coherence, efficiency and appropriateness of government activities. Thus, the capacity of the senior civil service has become a key public governance issue.