Publication:
Romania Public Sector Pay Practices : Overall Public Sector Trends and Detailed Analysis of Local Government Contract Employees

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2009-03-12
ISSN
Published
2009-03-12
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assist the Ministry of Labor (MoL), Social Solidarity and Family to analyze the current public sector pay practices and to provide recommendations that could be used to strengthen public sector compensation strategy in the future. This study was originally intended to focus on all categories of public sector employees that were not part of the civil service statute. However, because of problems the MoL faced in obtaining the central government data on several groups, the decision was made to limit the study to local government contract employees. Within that group it includes execution and management jobs, high and low-skilled positions, and jobs found in local governments of all sizes. The group is covered by its own employment statute and so the findings on pay from this group are not necessarily generalizable to others covered by different statutes. On the other hand, the study confirms that some of the problems and weaknesses found among the civil service can also be found among contract employees. The study also confirmed that the highly disaggregated information management and reporting processes are a hindrance to policy analysis and planning. Although the individual employment statutes do detail what allowances each category of jobs is entitled to receive, the government lacks a picture of how this manifests itself in practice on external competitiveness, on internal equity, or on the capacity of governments to attract and motivate skilled professionals. This study is a first, limited attempt to address some of these issues for non-civil servants. The study is organized into four main sections: i) size and composition of public sector employment; ii) remuneration of local government contract employees; iii) comparative analysis of pay policies in the public sector; and iv) conclusions and recommendations.
Link to Data Set
Citation
World Bank. 2009. Romania Public Sector Pay Practices : Overall Public Sector Trends and Detailed Analysis of Local Government Contract Employees. © http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18602 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Associated URLs
Associated content
Report Series
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    Public Sector Size and Performance Management : A Case Study of Post-Revolution Tunisia
    (World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-01) Brockmeyer, Anne; Khatrouch, Maha; Raballand, Gael
    This paper examines public sector size and performance management in post-revolution Tunisia, drawing on macro-empirical, legal, and qualitative analyses. The paper first shows that public sector employment figures and the wage bill have increased significantly since the 2011 revolution, but that this represents merely an acceleration of the previous trend. The paper then examines de jure and de facto performance management in Tunisia's public sector, covering incentives through recruitment, evaluation, compensation, and promotion. The examination shows that Tunisia's legal framework is well-designed for recruiting the most skilled candidates into the public sector and promoting the most high-performing employees. De facto, the link between an employee's performance and evaluation, compensation, and promotion is weak. Performance evaluation is virtually nonexistent and promotions are automatic or awarded through a process that emphasizes seniority over performance. This is particularly true during the post-revolution period, in which a number of ad-hoc arrangements multiplied divergences between the legal basis for performance management and its application. These ad-hoc changes allowed the state to act as employer of last resort, significantly increasing direct (noncompetitive) recruitment and regularizing temporary staff. The increase in and proliferation of allowances have added to the complexity of the compensation system. In a qualitative review of past reform attempts, the paper demonstrates that reformers had identified the weaknesses of Tunisia's public sector performance system as early as 1989, but failed to achieve major change.
  • Publication
    Mongolia - Consolidating the Gains, Managing Booms and Busts, and Moving to Better Service Delivery : A Public Expenditure and Financial Management Review - Annexes
    (World Bank, 2009-01-02) World Bank
    Mongolia's external economic outlook is dramatically changing as it faces sharp reductions in the copper price, caused by the financial crisis and global downturn. This compels the government now to drastically cut spending to prudently manage the budget. The budget is extremely dependent on mining revenues. Government is taking the right step in proposing a balanced budget for 2009. But further adjustments will be needed given the continuing fall in copper prices. A prudent fiscal stance will also be needed to manage inflation, which accelerated in the past year to over 30 percent. The current situation highlights the need to manage mining revenues better than in recent years. Mongolia saved little during the boom years, but instead dramatically increased expenditures on wages and salaries, and poorly-targeted social transfers. Adopting a multi-year fiscal framework-which enforces saving during the boom years, sets limits to expenditure growth and debt, and ensures transparency to the public-can help. Since much of the past windfall revenues have been spent, the country enters the down-turn with little savings and high inflation, forcing it to cut expenditures with every drop in the copper price. To avoid such situations in the future, the government has the opportunity to adopt a transparent, multi-year budget framework for expenditures and investment. This includes adopting a new fiscal responsibility law. It will ensure that the government saves during the 'boom' years, so that it can continue to spend during the 'bust' years. It will also set limits to expenditure growth and public debt. Within the limits set by this framework, parliament can then exercise its constitutional rights to amend the budget.
  • Publication
    Kyrgyz Republic Public Expenditure Review Policy Notes : Public Wage Bill
    (Washington, DC, 2014-05) World Bank
    Restraining the growing wage bill expenditures while enhancing the performance of the public sector remains one of the government's major development priorities. Wage bill levels in the Kyrgyz Republic are high compared to the majority of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) countries, constituting almost one third of government expenditures. Over the last few years, the government has undertaken important steps towards enhancing pay systems and improving competitiveness of pay in public health and education sectors accounting for almost 66 percent of the wage bill. The Kyrgyz Republic confronts the need to restrain its public wage bill as part of its mid-term fiscal strategy, as well as the need to improve the performance of the public sector. The analysis, undertaken in this policy note, suggests that the government should consider the following measures and reforms: improve predictability of the wage bill and avoid further ad hoc increase in wages; moderate and gradual consolidation of employment; any increase of the base pay elements has to be linked to modest and gradual consolidation of public sector employment, and should be limited to inflation as needed; establishment controls need to be strengthened through sound monitoring of the number of employees and payroll in all parts of the public sector; and civil service pay reform has to be undertaken with a unified pay system, gradually introduced at all levels of the government. This note discusses public sector wage management in the Kyrgyz Republic, by analyzing wage bill expenditure levels over the last decade with a closer examination of dynamics in 2008-2011.
  • Publication
    Public Employment Services and Publicly Provided ALMPs in Egypt
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-01) Semlali, Amina; Angel-Urdinola, Diego F.
    This note presents a brief overview of Public Employment Services (PES) in Egypt and describes the institutional framework for public delivery of Active Labor Market Programs (ALMPs) in Egypt. Egypt has the fourth largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region and has implemented economic reforms since 2004 which have led to some economic growth (e.g. a fast growing technology sector and the country has been recognized as one of the top offshoring destinations for international companies).
  • Publication
    Republic of Tajikistan Public Sector Pay Reform : Policy Note on Medium-Term Pay Reform in Public Sector, Volume 2. Background Note
    (Washington, DC, 2008-10) World Bank
    This part of the public sector pay reform policy note represents a summary of main messages and findings of the report. The report also provides the summary of simulations for various policy scenarios; it is not imperative that quantitative parameters of policy actions (for example, base pay levels, etc.) should be exactly the same as in the policy note, actual numbers may change depending on available fiscal space by the time when final decision is taken vis-a-vis pay increase. Summary of recommendations is provided in annex two; by the time when the report was ready for publication, the Government already took actions to address immediate objectives of the pay reform agenda in public sector; it issued a decree to increase pay levels for civil servants, education and health sector workers as well as other social sector workers. In general, the decree was consistent with overall immediate objectives of pay reform in public service. Public sector wage reform is a key aspect of the reform agenda in Tajikistan. The strong erosion of real wages, as a consequence of the civil war and the collapse of the economy in the 1990s, and very limited employment opportunities in the country combined with increasing opportunities for labor migration, as a consequence of growing economies in Kazakhstan and Russia, have led to a large outflow of qualified personnel in the public service. At the same time, these sectors are crucial to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and for ensuring sustainable growth. The public sector continued to provide a quarter of employment (25 percent) over the last seven years. Job creation in the economy was very marginal. It is very likely that the public sector will continue be one of the major employers in the local labor market in medium term. The policy note focuses on civil service, education, health, social protection, science, culture, and sport, sectors with a very uneven reform background and different starting points. The policy note attaches special emphasis on state of play in these sectors and explores options that could encompass policy decisions of the authorities in a three- to five-year timeframe.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Publication
    Economic Recovery
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-06) Malpass, David; Georgieva, Kristalina; Yellen, Janet
    World Bank Group President David Malpass spoke about the world facing major challenges, including COVID, climate change, rising poverty and inequality and growing fragility and violence in many countries. He highlighted vaccines, working closely with Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF, the World Bank has conducted over one hundred capacity assessments, many even more before vaccines were available. The World Bank Group worked to achieve a debt service suspension initiative and increased transparency in debt contracts at developing countries. The World Bank Group is finalizing a new climate change action plan, which includes a big step up in financing, building on their record climate financing over the past two years. He noted big challenges to bring all together to achieve GRID: green, resilient, and inclusive development. Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, mentioned focusing on vulnerable people during the pandemic. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, focused on giving everyone a fair shot during a sustainable recovery. All three commented on the importance of tackling climate change.
  • Publication
    Media and Messages for Nutrition and Health
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-06) Calleja, Ramon V., Jr.; Mbuya, Nkosinathi V.N.; Morimoto, Tomo; Thitsy, Sophavanh
    The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has experienced rapid and significant economic growth over the past decade. However, poor nutritional outcomes remain a concern. Rates of childhood undernutrition are particularly high in remote, rural, and upland areas. Media have the potential to play an important role in shaping health and nutrition–related behaviors and practices as well as in promoting sociocultural and economic development that might contribute to improved nutritional outcomes. This report presents the results of a media audit (MA) that was conducted to inform the development and production of mass media advocacy and communication strategies and materials with a focus on maternal and child health and nutrition that would reach the most people from the poorest communities in northern Lao PDR. Making more people aware of useful information, essential services and products and influencing them to use these effectively is the ultimate goal of mass media campaigns, and the MA measures the potential effectiveness of media efforts to reach this goal. The effectiveness of communication channels to deliver health and nutrition messages to target beneficiaries to ensure maximum reach and uptake can be viewed in terms of preferences, satisfaction, and trust. Overall, the four most accessed media channels for receiving information among communities in the study areas were village announcements, mobile phones, television, and out-of-home (OOH) media. Of the accessed media channels, the top three most preferred channels were village announcements (40 percent), television (26 percent), and mobile phones (19 percent). In terms of trust, village announcements were the most trusted source of information (64 percent), followed by mobile phones (14 percent) and television (11 percent). Hence of all the media channels, village announcements are the most preferred, have the most satisfied users, and are the most trusted source of information in study communities from four provinces in Lao PDR with some of the highest burden of childhood undernutrition.
  • Publication
    The Journey Ahead
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31) Bossavie, Laurent; Garrote Sánchez, Daniel; Makovec, Mattia
    The Journey Ahead: Supporting Successful Migration in Europe and Central Asia provides an in-depth analysis of international migration in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the implications for policy making. By identifying challenges and opportunities associated with migration in the region, it aims to inform a more nuanced, evidencebased debate on the costs and benefits of cross-border mobility. Using data-driven insights and new analysis, the report shows that migration has been an engine of prosperity and has helped address some of ECA’s demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Yet, migration’s full economic potential remains untapped. The report identifies multiple barriers keeping migration from achieving its full potential. Crucially, it argues that policies in both origin and destination countries can help maximize the development impacts of migration and effectively manage the economic, social, and political costs. Drawing from a wide range of literature, country experiences, and novel analysis, The Journey Ahead presents actionable policy options to enhance the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries and migrants themselves. Some measures can be taken unilaterally by countries, whereas others require close bilateral or regional coordination. The recommendations are tailored to different types of migration— forced displacement as well as high-skilled and low-skilled economic migration—and from the perspectives of both sending and receiving countries. This report serves as a comprehensive resource for governments, development partners, and other stakeholders throughout Europe and Central Asia, where the richness and diversity of migration experiences provide valuable insights for policy makers in other regions of the world.
  • Publication
    Remarks at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-10-12) Malpass, David
    World Bank Group President David Malpass discussed biodiversity and climate change being closely interlinked, with terrestrial and marine ecosystems serving as critically important carbon sinks. At the same time climate change acts as a direct driver of biodiversity and ecosystem services loss. The World Bank has financed biodiversity conservation around the world, including over 116 million hectares of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas, 10 million hectares of Terrestrial Protected Areas, and over 300 protected habitats, biological buffer zones and reserves. The COVID pandemic, biodiversity loss, climate change are all reminders of how connected we are. The recovery from this pandemic is an opportunity to put in place more effective policies, institutions, and resources to address biodiversity loss.
  • Publication
    South Asia Development Update, April 2024: Jobs for Resilience
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-04-02) World Bank
    South Asia is expected to continue to be the fastest-growing emerging market and developing economy (EMDE) region over the next two years. This is largely thanks to robust growth in India, but growth is also expected to pick up in most other South Asian economies. However, growth in the near-term is more reliant on the public sector than elsewhere, whereas private investment, in particular, continues to be weak. Efforts to rein in elevated debt, borrowing costs, and fiscal deficits may eventually weigh on growth and limit governments' ability to respond to increasingly frequent climate shocks. Yet, the provision of public goods is among the most effective strategies for climate adaptation. This is especially the case for households and farms, which tend to rely on shifting their efforts to non-agricultural jobs. These strategies are less effective forms of climate adaptation, in part because opportunities to move out of agriculture are limited by the region’s below-average employment ratios in the non-agricultural sector and for women. Because employment growth is falling short of working-age population growth, the region fails to fully capitalize on its demographic dividend. Vibrant, competitive firms are key to unlocking the demographic dividend, robust private investment, and workers’ ability to move out of agriculture. A range of policies could spur firm growth, including improved business climates and institutions, the removal of financial sector restrictions, and greater openness to trade and capital flows.