Enhancing the professionalism of civil servants: the experience of the OECD countries

Abstract

Professionalization of official activities is an important link in the process of strengthening the public service and increasing customer focus in relations between the public and private sectors. Time dictates higher demands on the professional and personal qualities of managers and ordinary employees of government agencies. Communication skills, flexibility in decision making, and analytical skills come to the fore. The aim of this article is to study the experience of OECD countries in this area, the main trends in the training and retraining of officials, with the development of recommendations for improving approaches to the professionalization of the state apparatus in Kazakhstan. The study examines and summarizes cases from countries such as the UK, USA, Canada, Japan, France, Lithuania, and Australia. In addition to the educational component, the policy of civil servants professionalization within the OECD countries is based on the meritocracy principles, gender equality, and continuous improvement of skills. Overall, the core principles for improving public service in OECD countries are professional, strategic and innovative. The paper concludes with recommendations aimed at advancing the professionalization of Kazakhstan's state apparatus, drawing on current practices and lessons learned from international best practices.

Key words: professionalization, training, retraining, government apparatus, Kazakhstan, OECD.