The Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Oleksandr Saienko and Senior Adviser of the SIGMA Programme on Civil Service and Human Resources Management Wojciech Zieliñski performed their welcome speeches.

Head of the NAUCS Kostiantyn Vashchenko reported on the results of the agency's work in 2017. Starting his speech he noted that in 2018 Ukraine celebrate the centenary of the introduction of the civil service and emphasized that the Agency has something to celebrate this jubilee date.

For the proper implementation of the Law of Ukraine “On Civil Service” the secondary legislation was fully formed - 41 bylaws (24 resolutions and one order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine) were adopted. 16 NAUCS orders were secured.

The amendments to the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On Approval of the Concept of Implementation of Reforms experts” dated November 11, 2016 No. 905 was final in the list of bylaws which implementation enables the recruitment of qualified specialists to the civil service positions which will be able to carry out tasks on the preparation and realization of key national reforms effectively and to influence the tendencies and development of the civil service.

The adoption of the following documents was provided:

- Concept for reforming the system of professional training of civil servants, heads of local state administrations, their first deputies and deputies, local self-government officials and  local councils members;

- Concept on implementation of the integrated Human Resource Management Information System in the civil service (HRMIS) and approval of the Action plan for its realization;

- Concept on optimization of the system of the central executive bodies, due to which:

• the functions on the formation and implementation of state policy was differentiated;

• the status of ministries as a leading bodies in the system of the central bodies of executive power which ensure the formation, strategic planning of the state policy, monitoring and evaluation of the results of its implementation was approved;

•  functions among other central executive bodies were distributed.

The total number of civil servants in 2017 decreased by 18.2 percent compared to 2015.

A new model of remuneration of civil servants was introduced.  There were the significant changes in the remuneration of civil servants according to this model.  If in 2015 the basic payments were 36% and stimulating payments were 64% then in 2017 the basic payments were 56% and stimulating payments were 44%. In 2015 at the local level the basic payments were 49%, stimulating - 51%, and in 2017 - 72% and 28% respectively.

Personnel renewal of the civil service has begun. Open competitions for all civil service positions have been introduced.

More than 60,000 competitions for the civil service positions of categories "B" and "C" were held throughout Ukraine and more than 94 000 people took part in them. As a result of the competitions 53,339 people were appointed.

Last year 98 competitions for the civil service positions of categories "A" were held.  548 persons applied the documents to the competitions.  According to the results of competitions 65 people were appointed.

Regarding introduction of the reforms experts positions, 367 contests were held in September-December 2017. The number of persons who were admitted to the competition was almost 10,000. 26.7 candidates were claimed to one competition position. 77 people including 13 - at the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, 58 - in 8 ministries and 6 in 2 agencies were appointed to the positions as of December 31, 2017.

The conditions for the reformation of the system of professional training of civil servants, local self-government officials were created:

- The Concept for reforming the system of professional training of civil servants, heads of local state administrations, their first deputies and deputies, local self-government officials and local councils members was approved;

- All-Ukrainian Center for Professional Development of Civil Servants and Local Self-Government Officials was created.

Modern technologies of personnel management are implemented:

- The Concept on integrated Human Resource Management Information System in the civil service (HRMIS) and the Action plan for its realization were approved;

- the General Department on Personnel Management on  Civil Service was established, the main tasks of which are:

• to ensure (provide) the formation of a state policy on the basis of constant analysis of the state of affairs in the  area of personnel management in the civil service and development of alternative solutions for existing problems;

• to monitor and evaluate the results of the implementation of the state policy and developing proposals for its continuation or correction;

• to provide legal regulation in the area of human resources management in the civil service.

An effective system for monitoring the progress of public administration reform has been introduced, namely with the involvement of the European Commission and the SIGMA Programme, a great communicative activity on public administration reform in Ukraine has been launched that has become a formal beginning of a full and in-depth assessment of the state of affairs in the system of public administration. The results of this assessment will allow us to draw conclusions about the reform, on the basis of which further actions will be planned.

An effective protection of the rights and interests of civil servants was ensured.

During 2017, 5515 disciplinary proceedings were initiated against civil servants.
More than one third of disciplinary cases (almost 2000) were completed with the conclusion that there were no disciplinary offenses; in 139 cases, circumstances were identified that exclude the possibility of disciplinary enforcement against civil servants.

Normative and legal regulation in the area of civil service is provided. In 2017 the NAUCS developed 38 normative legal acts, 2144 written explanations were given, the main subjects of which were issues of civil service and service in local self-government authorities, in particular, assignment of ranks to civil servants, assignment to the appropriate category of civil service positions, rights to retirement of civil servant, including in the length of civil service of certain periods of work (service) and other innovations in the civil service legislation.

Citizens' rights are guaranteed for access to public information. Thus, during 2017, 397 requests for public information were received by NAUCS; compared to 2015, the number of requests for public information in 2017 increased by 65.2%, which in turn indicates an interest to the NAUCS` activities.

The activities of local authorities have been optimized. During the reporting period, interregional departments of NAUCS prepared and reviewed 11 issues at the meetings of the collegiums of regional state administrations; 82 issues at meetings of collegium of district state administrations.

In 2017 interregional departments conducted more than 4000 communicative activities on application of civil service legislation, including thematic meetings, workshops, lectures, webinars, trainings, advisory assistance, interviews with mass media, participation in collegiums, plenums, etc.

In accordance with the provisions of the NAUCS, Program of Activities of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Strategy for Sustainable Development “Ukraine-2020”, the Medium-Term Plan of Priority Actions for the Government until 2020, the Strategy of Public Administration Reform of Ukraine for 2016-2020, the NAUCS prepared a draft Strategic Plan for the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service for 2018-2020 (sector reform plan), which identifies five strategic goals for achieving the objectives:

1. Strengthening institutional capacity of the personnel management services of government authorities.

2. Increasing protection for the right of citizens to facilitate access to the civil service, legal rights and interests of civil servants.

3. Increasing institutional capacity-building, openness and transparency of NAUCS in the area of reforming the civil service.

4. Establishing an unified and effective system of professional training of civil servants and local self-government officials

5. Adaptation the civil service to the standards of the European Union.

The fulfillment of tasks defined in the draft Strategic Plan would enable the achievement of the strategic objectives of the NAUCS, which will be an appropriate contribution to the achievement of the goals derived by the state strategies.

At the meeting of the collegium, presentations also were made by:

The Head of the Public Council under the NAUCS Yuriy Pizhuk spoke on issues of cooperation between NAUCS and representatives of civil society institutions.

Head of the Division on Activity of the Commission on Senior Civil Service Vita Kostyk reported on the activities of the Senior Civil Service Commission.

Director of the All-Ukrainian Center of Advanced Training of Civil Servants and Local Self-Government Officials Volodymyr Yurchenko informed on its activities .

State Expert of the Expert Group on Regulatory Provision of Personnel Management of the General Department on Personnel Management in the Civil Service Olha Panok reported on the state of preparation of the Strategic Communications Plan of the NAUCS for 2018–2020.

The results of the activities of the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union were presented by its Director Maryna Kanavets.

Svitlana Onyshchuk introduced activities of interregional departments of NAUCS.

Head of the Personnel Management Department of NAUCS and regional authorities of the Personnel Management and Human Resource Department Larysa Lymarenko reported on honors of representatives of NAUCS.

As a result of the discussion of the issues above mentioned it was agreed:

• to approve the report on the achievements of NAUCS in 2017;
• to send a report on the achievements of NAUCS in 2017 to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;
• to endorse the strategic action plan of NAUCS for 2018–2020 (sector reform plan).