Context
The Centre for Education and Evaluation (Centrum vzdelávania a hodnotenia – CVH) emerged from a recognised need to improve Slovakia’s public administration. Reports such as ‘The Worldwide Governance Indicators’ highlighted weaknesses in the system, leading to strategic documents including ‘The framework of the national strategy for the reform of public administration’, which emphasised improved human resource management as a key priority. This project aligns with the goals of the Human Resources Management Strategy in the Civil Service for 2015–2020. It also complements broader European Commission goals for streamlined public administration within Slovakia. The Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic is the key stakeholder, with the State and Public Services of the Central Office overseeing implementation.
Objectives
This national project had two core objectives. First, it sought to introduce advanced methods for assessing the abilities and personality traits of civil service applicants, especially those seeking high-level management positions. This aimed to create fairer competition and better employment opportunities. Second, the project focused on providing comprehensive training to existing civil servants across all relevant offices in Slovakia. This training emphasised skills needed to meet the requirements of the Civil Service Act, ensuring a strong alignment between the workforce’s competencies and the roles they fill.
Implementation
The Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic established the National Institute for Education, staffed by a professional methodological team, to guide the project. A substantial budget was allocated, with careful tracking of spending. The implementation was planned in phases, starting with staffing and equipping the Institute, followed by defining methodological procedures and finally, the core activities. These included testing applicants using assessment centre methods and psychodiagnostics, providing diverse training for civil servants, collecting data and evaluating the project’s efficiency. The Institute has successfully exceeded its measurable targets in terms of the number of civil servants trained and government bodies supported.