Parliament reviews civil service hiring reform bills
MPs examined three government bills proposing changes to civil service recruitment, examinations and candidate assessments.
Nicosia, Cyprus. Parliament on Monday began reviewing three government bills intended to streamline and accelerate hiring procedures for civil service first-appointment posts, although MPs raised objections to some proposals.
Proposed examination changes
The bills would amend recruitment and examination procedures, including the assessment of candidates.
A Finance Ministry official said the general written examination would take place after vacancies are published, rather than beforehand as currently occurs. Candidates would therefore know in advance whether they meet the qualifications before deciding whether to sit the examination.
Earlier publication of vacancies
Under the proposals, all vacancies would be published during the first two months of each calendar year, rather than during the first quarter, as is currently the practice.
Candidate preferences
The Public Service Commission would ask applicants to state their order of preference for the positions for which they apply.
If a candidate secures the position listed as their first preference, their name would be withdrawn from consideration for the other positions they selected. The Finance Ministry official said this would end the practice of candidates moving between jobs, which can create understaffing problems in some posts.
Assessment scoring
The proposed legislation would also increase the weighted score assigned by department supervisors from five points to 15 points.
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