Reducing the corruption risks in the Human Resources Management system in the Ministry of Defence
In Ukraine, CIDS implements a four year project to increase emphasis on merit- and integrity based professionalism in the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The project goal is fully in line with key priorities of the Ukrainian government, NATO and EU guidance.
The project has three specific objectives:
• Enhancing the levels of competence among MoD officials in order to make them more conducive to professionalism based on merit and integrity
• Strengthening legal frameworks, administrative procedures and practices to achieve a higher degree of professionalism
• Systematization of project related experience that may highlight the need for reforms in other parts of the Ukrainian public administration
In most countries, ministries of defence are among the largest ministries in terms of number of staff and they are responsible for considerable numbers of employees outside the ministry. Human resources management is central to the quality of performance of defence sector institutions and military units. However, HRM is also a high-risk area susceptible to corruption/unethical behaviour.
The main role of the civil service and security sector organisations is to uphold constitutional values, and to protect the general interests and security of the State as defined by law. HRM arrangements will significantly influence the extent to which this role is fulfilled. Systems of HRM in the public service should be merit-based, i.e. they should be grounded on competitive selection, professionalism and integrity, and aimed at serving the public interest. The merit system is the opposite of a system in which civil service positions are obtained on the basis of, say, political loyalties and not professional merit. The project is carried out by CIDS on behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As part of the implementation, CIDS has established a project office in Kyiv and engaged local experts to support the project.
