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Increasing Public Pressure for Civil Service Reform


International experience of civil service censuses and databases has been documented via an extensive surveys of international donor staff, project managers, international and local consultants, and civil servants. Following the survey, eight case studies have been prepared, exploring approaches adopted in different countries, and the actual census typology. Censuses have been categorized according to objectives and methodology.

Categorizing census exercises by methodology, there appear to be three main approaches such as physical headcount, distribution of questionnaires, and reconciliation of data sources. The main focus for a headcount, or staff audit, is to determine who is on actual strength and whether names on a payroll belong to genuine employees. Another alternative is the distribution of questionnaires either to individual employees or employers. The third methodology involves reconciling data sources such as paper-based personnel files, nominal rolls and databases. It is the least favored because of the difficulty of identifying a credible and reliable alternative data sources.

Several lessons were learnt from this review of international experience. First, it is essential to set up realistic objectives for the census. Second, information requirements need to be balanced against the capacity to verify, analyze and use data that is gathered in a timely and effective manner. Third, census enumerators need to be well trained and the data providers need to know what is expected of them and the implications of a failure to comply. Fourth, arrangements for resolving disputes about data and for reconciling errors need to be in place. Fifth, it is important to have incentives and sanctions to ensure local ownership, not only in terms of census design but also in its delivery. Finally, there is a need to build robust systems for managing records alongside the census exercise since data integrity is key. This should be reinforced by making managers accountable for the completeness and accuracy of payroll and personnel data in their area of responsibility.

The full version of this survey report can be downloaded if you click on International Experience with Civil Service Censuses and Databases [PDF 671K].