This chapter outlines a way forward for the HR function to address major transitions. It focuses on three key dimensions: course-setting, which combines leadership and strategic planning to provide clear direction; capabilities, referring to the tools, processes and skills needed to drive transformation; and co-operation, covering both internal coordination within and across administrations and external engagement. It draws on the situation in France and relevant practices from EU and OECD Member countries.
Developing a Resilient HR Function in the French Public Service
Addressing Digital, Ecological and Managerial Change
Abstract
Despite their distinct characteristics and specific impacts, the three major transitions outlined above ultimately produce converging effects on the HR function. They intersect with other structural dynamics, such as population ageing and strengthening trust in public institutions. These different transitions share a common horizon, calling for more resilient administrations that are capable of anticipating profound changes in society.
In this context, a set of shared responses to these major transformations can be identified: developing leadership capable of grasping the issues at stake to foster an environment conducive to experimentation and innovation; strengthening the skills of all employees; attracting talent with rare expertise; designing appropriate training programmes; transforming work environments and anticipating future disruptions. These shared responses will need to be developed and reinforced by the HR workstream in order to support other government departments and shape its own transformation.
Addressing these challenges therefore requires rethinking the HR function around three main dimensions (Figure 3.1):
Course-setting, combining leadership and strategic planning to provide a clear and coherent course;
Capabilities, understood as the set of tools, processes and skills that HR professionals use to drive transformation;
Co-operation, encompassing internal co-operation between administrations and external co-operation with trade unions, labour market actors or academic partners.
Source: Authors’ elaboration.
These three dimensions are reflected in the DGAFP’s strategic project, currently under development, which focuses on five areas: “building a more strategic HR function”, “using HR policy to support public sector transformation based on the needs of employees and regions”, “moving towards a support-oriented approach for public employers”, “embodying the values of the State as an employer by promoting a unifying and positive narrative on public servants” and “strengthening the DGAFP employer brand and uniting the public service HR community”.
Levels of maturity in these three areas vary significantly among EU and OECD Member countries. This section explores what an HR function with the necessary direction, capabilities and co-operation might look like, identifies inspiring practices observed internationally, and analyses France’s degree of preparedness for these transitions.
Developing an overall vision is essential to explain why the HR function must evolve in response to the transitions underway, in a context where changes are accelerating and multiplying. This direction must provide a clear course of action and unite stakeholders around shared objectives by setting priorities and preparing the HR function to steer, rather than merely absorb, the human impact of transformations. This requires responsive and action-oriented leadership, as well as stronger strategic workforce planning capabilities.
France has laid solid foundations to support senior public service leaders in defining a course of action to deal with the major transitions. Several ambitious initiatives demonstrate this engagement: training of 25 000 top managers on the green transition, led by the DIESE, implemented with local support from the PFRH; the “high-quality management” initiative, led by the DGAFP and piloted in 17 central and decentralised government departments, which is beginning to transform leadership practices; and the core role played by the INSP, IRAs and other public service schools in fostering openness to innovation among managers. These efforts are complemented by strategic support from the DITP and the institutionalisation of foresight within bodies such as the CORH.
However, translating these initiatives into practice remains a major challenge. Effective ownership of the skills acquired, their recognition and utilisation in operational contexts, and widespread adoption of foresight practices have yet to take hold. There are several means to strengthen this momentum: aligning performance appraisal tools with new skills; institutionalising scenario planning, strengthening steering of strategic workforce planning, and adapting strategic thinking more closely to working practices. Together, these measures could enable a deeper and more coherent transformation of French public administrations in response to transitions.
Involve leadership in anticipating and managing transitions, in particular by:
Integrating management of the major transitions into the competency frameworks for top managers and senior public service leaders and developing transition-related performance objectives in annual performance appraisals of top managers;
Incorporating support for transitions and its integration in managerial practices and organisational management into 360-degree or 180-degree performance appraisals of top managers;
Fostering a culture of controlled experimentation, for example by authorising small-scale pilots with a clear mandate and a secure framework to test new ways of working or HR management mechanisms;
Recognising innovative and collaborative behaviours as described in the DIESE’s competency framework for managers, for example by creating formal recognition mechanisms to identify managers who demonstrate a strong ability to collaborate, innovate and collaborate across networks beyond their administrative remit.
Strengthen strategic foresight in HR, in particular by:
Integrating scenario planning to guide HR decisions, by regularly developing 10-15-year scenarios and testing their implications for skills, professions, staffing levels and the HR function itself;
Developing methodological and inter-ministerial support for strategic workforce planning, for example by developing a maturity model for strategic workforce planning enabling administrations to assess their current level of maturity and supporting pilot administrations to reach the next level;
Continuing efforts to pool and strategically use HR data, in particular by harmonising data submission methods in existing tools and by analysing major trends and their impacts on HR data.
3.1.1. Leadership engaged in foresight and management of transitions
Mobilising senior public service leaders to support transitions
The major transitions require enhanced awareness and active engagement from senior public service leaders in the public service. They are at the forefront of translating policy guidance into concrete actions and implementing them within administrations. Their involvement is therefore key to strengthening the public sector’s capacity to deploy policies that meet these challenges and to mobilise all teams at the organisational level. However, this means investing human and financial resources in supporting senior public service leaders and creating spaces for peer-to-peer dialogue, allowing them to share both successes and difficulties in implementing often complex cross-cutting objectives.
As noted above, various administrations may be responsible for supporting public service managers (see Section on “Leadership management” in Chapter 1). These administrations play a central role in training and supporting managers through major transitions that impact their work and that of their teams. They can ensure that manager performance measurement includes elements on these cross-cutting and horizontal issues (OECD, 2021[1]). In 58% of OECD Member countries, objectives requiring collaboration across ministries or agencies are assigned to several senior public service leaders who share responsibility for results. Conversely, in 19% of Member countries, such performance objectives are generally linked only to the individual remit of senior public service leaders, limiting their ability to respond effectively to major transitions.
In France, practices for managing performance on cross-cutting issues remain variable depending on positions and policies developed. However, several programmes aim to raise awareness of the importance of these transitions and to support the development of related skills among top managers. For example, the ambitious goal set in 2022 to train all 25 000 top managers in the State public service on the green transition has been achieved (see Section on “In France, education on the challenges of the green transition at an advanced stage” in Chapter 2).
However, certain difficulties persist regarding follow-up to and effective ownership of this type of training. The key is to go beyond simply rolling out these initiatives, by ensuring that the operational environment of senior public service leaders can integrate and leverage their learning. Several policy tools can be used to achieve this: integrating command of skills related to the major transitions into annual performance appraisals; collecting and using feedback; and monitoring their capacity to apply the content of training courses, particularly in terms of managerial transformation and change management, through 360-degree appraisals.
Embodying public service values in responding to evolving expectations of public servants and society
Senior public service leaders today must ensure that public service values are embodied and conveyed in an environment characterised by the diversification of profiles, statuses and working methods (Gerson, 2020[2]). These values, such as integrity, impartiality, a sense of the public interest and accountability, are essential to guiding public action. However, putting them into practice raises constant tensions between sometimes contradictory objectives, such as reconciling effectiveness and efficiency, or accepting accountability while encouraging the risk-taking necessary for innovation.
Across OECD Member countries, 65% clearly define public service values as a key area of the competency framework for public service executives (OECD, 2021[1]). In the Netherlands, senior public service leaders frequently collaborate with other administrations, the private sector and civil society to design and implement public policies. This approach is accompanied by discussions to clarify the boundaries of the mandates of senior public service leaders, manage stakeholder expectations, and exchange experiences with other senior public service leaders facing similar challenges.
In France, an edition of the Boussole du manager contributes to this dynamic by offering senior public service leaders a tool to translate public service values into concrete daily practices (DGAFP, 2022[3]). It encourages them to go beyond a declarative approach to values and embed them in team management, strategic decision-making and interinstitutional co-operation. Regular use of the tool can help to harmonise managerial behaviour, clarify expectations in relation to senior public service leaders and strengthen trust between government, public servants and citizens.
Strengthening the innovation capabilities of senior public service leaders
Increasingly, leaders are required to tackle public policy challenges through innovative approaches, often supported by digital technology. The major transitions call for more agile policies that can adapt to complex and changing environments. These transformations require the development of new capabilities within the senior public service, whether adopting more collaborative management approaches or cultivating the ability to integrate external perspectives. They also necessitate changes to organisational structures and processes in order to create spaces that encourage experimentation, collective learning and co-operation beyond traditional administrative boundaries.
This can be achieved through dedicated programmes. Latvia, for example, is implementing a core leadership development programme for senior public service leaders. Led by the State Chancellery, the programme involves around 270 managers from more than 100 institutions. It combines modular training, individual coaching, peer mentoring and networking activities, based on a competency framework co-constructed with the beneficiaries. The programme has also created a unique space for dialogue between public service executives. Initially supported by EU funds (2016–2022), it is now being continued with national funding and is part of a long-term strategy to make leadership a driver of public sector transformation. Similarly, in Canada, the Public Service Commission’s Leadership assessment and development services provide leadership competency assessments, psychometric testing and executive coaching and counselling. These services support adaptive leadership, self-awareness and readiness to lead change in complex environments.
In France, the INSP and the DITP play a central role in educating top managers on public sector innovation. The INSP’s “learning expeditions” expose top managers to other contexts, enabling them to observe innovative initiatives, particularly in public innovation labs. These initiatives help to develop a culture of innovation and reinforce the open-minded approach necessary to lead change. At the same time, the DITP provides support for the development of an institutional framework that welcomes innovation and allows for flexibility and potential financial support. These efforts provide valuable opportunities for structuring communities of practice and networks of managers, beyond innovation experts alone, thereby strengthening the collective innovation capacity to better respond to the major transitions. However, this requires an innovation-friendly environment that goes beyond the framework provided by solely by the DITP and extends throughout the public administration.
3.1.2. Strengthened strategic foresight in HR
Integrating scenario planning to guide HR decisions
The integration of foresight and scenario planning helps to strengthen the capacity of administrations to anticipate changes in skills and workforce needs. These approaches make it possible to imagine multiple plausible futures, identify core uncertainties, and develop more robust and resilient HRM strategies. They thus provide essential support for strategic workforce planning, particularly in a context marked by rapid transitions whose effects can be difficult to predict.
In Australia, as part of the independent review of the Australian public service conducted in 2018, the Boston Consulting Group carried out a scenario planning exercise to help the Australian government prepare for 2030 (Boston Consulting Group, 2018[4]). Four plausible futures were modelled: Techsplosion, a scenario marked by the rise of disruptive technologies; Devolution Revolution, where citizens’ trust shifts towards local levels of government; Wikigov, characterised by increased demands for transparency and participatory democracy; and New World (Dis)Order, in an unstable and fragmented global context. This forward-looking approach helps to strengthen the resilience of the administration by identifying key cross-cutting success factors for dealing with these hypothetical scenarios, such as organisational flexibility, mobilisation of specialist skills and increased use of data.
In France, certain ministries, such as the Ministry of the Armed Forces, already use scenario planning in response to the acceleration of technological and strategic developments affecting their core activities. However, these practices remain largely confined to the ministerial level and have not been institutionalised at the inter-ministerial level. Two policy tools emerge as priorities for structuring this dynamic. First, it would be useful to incorporate scenario planning into a common strategic monitoring process, led by the DGAFP as part of its HR foresight mission, in close collaboration with the CORH or actors such as France Stratégie and the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques, INSEE), in order to pool expertise and ensure methodological continuity. Second, the establishment of co-ordination mechanisms between the inter-ministerial level and the ministries would make it possible to develop shared scenarios and strengthen the capacity of HR departments to take ownership of them. These mechanisms could be complemented by targeted training in foresight and periodic reviews of hypotheses and trends identified, in order to ensure their operational relevance.
Analysing trends in public service employment to anticipate future skills needs and emerging jobs
Strategic workforce planning is all the more necessary given that the public service is facing a context marked by three dimensions: challenges related to its attractiveness, a gradual but marked ageing of the workforce, and major transitions that are profoundly transforming the jobs and skills required. These three factors require administrations to conduct careful forward-looking analysis in order to prevent critical shortages.
Across EU and OECD Member countries, some administrations are seeking to better analyse these trends and their consequences for the public service workforce. In Australia, the Public Service Commission has launched a programme to strengthen workforce planning within the federal administration, based on an in-depth assessment of the maturity of administrations. This approach is structured around four pillars: developing the skills of planners and managers, empowering and building accountability for leaders, creating shared tools, and using data analytics to inform decision-making. The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the need for these capabilities to ensure continuity of operations and rapid mobilisation of employees. In the United Kingdom, the digital transition has led to the development of the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) sector. This sector focuses on foresight and career policy, supporting digital transformation through attractive and visible career paths. Ultimately, the United Kingdom aims for 6% of its public service workforce to join this sector, representing a major undertaking for the HR function.
In France, trends in public service employment are discussed within the CORH, a forum for dialogue that brings together employers from the three branches of the public service, representatives from the private sector, academia and research. Since its overhaul in 2022, its work has focused in particular on the evolution of professions and HR strategies. Additional work is carried out periodically by other administrations or public bodies. For example, France Stratégie has recently conducted various studies on trends within the public service (France Stratégie, 2024[5]).
However, strategic workforce planning often remains a neglected component of the HR function at ministerial level, due to a lack of shared tools and operational steering mechanisms. Despite the publication of a methodological guide in 2016 (DGAFP, 2016[6]), these approaches are struggling to become firmly established in practice due to limited cross-functional co-ordination, insufficient methodological support and the absence of common mechanisms for effective monitoring. This situation has led to uneven development of approaches across ministries, at the expense of a shared strategic vision. However, this is set to change with the DGAFP’s co-ordination of an inter-ministerial community of actors involved in strategic workforce planning, one of whose objectives will be to share methodological frameworks and best practices from the ministries in order to update existing tools.
In this context, and in order to better guide inter-ministerial strategic workforce planning, it could be useful to develop the CORH’s work in working groups bringing together HR professionals and certain local managers. Such an approach would strengthen ownership of foresight analyses by those responsible for translating them into concrete work practices. At the same time, it would require clarification of the division of roles between the inter-ministerial level, which provides an overall vision, and the ministries, which have the professional expertise. This co-ordination would benefit from a common framework, including a clear definition of responsibilities, methods for producing and updating mapping of jobs and skills, and procedures for sharing information.
The capabilities of the HR function are central to the effective management of transformations. They are based on three complementary elements. First, tools must be available, up to date and actually used by HR professionals to ensure the effectiveness of HR missions. Second, processes must reconcile adherence to regulatory requirements and public service principles with the need for simplification and clarity, in order to foster ownership and smooth implementation. Finally, the development of HR staff skills must support the evolution of certain missions towards more strategic responsibilities that extend beyond a strictly administrative remit, while maintaining proficiency in job fundamentals (see Section on “Developing HR practices in Ireland through the introduction of a framework for HR professionals” in Annex A).
In France, the State HR function has embarked on a modernisation process focused on three dimensions: tools, processes and skills. Significant progress has been made through the gradual roll-out of the inter-ministerial HRIS RenoiRH, which aims to ensure unified management of HR data, and the use of shared frameworks such as DiCo. Some administrations have simplified key processes, automated low value-added tasks and improved support for staff. The professionalisation of HR teams has also been strengthened, in particular through inter-ministerial training courses focused on statute-based fundamentals.
Develop HR tools to support workforce analysis and management in the public service, in particular by:
Continuing the roll out of RenoiRH across ministries, while systematically supporting HR teams during the transition from their previous system;
Strengthening a skills-based approach to career management, for example by systematically integrating the jobs performed by employees into the HRIS, and by structuring identification of skills in annual performance appraisals, career reviews or skills validation mechanisms;
Supplementing the RMFP to make it more operational, for example by streamlining job roles and standardising job descriptions, while allowing administrations to assess the expected skill levels according to their specific contexts.
Ensure HR processes are clear and adapted to use, in particular by:
Exploring the potential for automating certain low value-added HR tasks, such as calculating remuneration of contractual staff, drawing up contracts or collecting supporting documents, to enable teams to focus on supporting staff and analysing HR developments;
Strengthening adaptability through controlled experimentation, for example by conducting pilot projects to test and optimise HR processes before wider deployment;
Establishing a fund for HR innovations, for example to support local or interministerial experimental projects;
Decentralising certain HR processes to bring them closer to teams, for example by giving managers responsibility for the operational management of flexible working arrangements where relevant.
Professionalise and anticipate changes in the missions and skills of HR professionals, in particular by:
Identifying medium-term HR strategic priorities and areas of expertise to be strengthened, for example by building on the strategic project currently being developed by the DGAFP;
Clarifying responsibilities within the HR function for supporting transformations, for example by explicitly designating, in each administration, an HR professional responsible for transformation support and HR foresight;
Strengthening the professionalisation of HR teams, for example by developing a common competency framework for HR professionals or by creating inter-ministerial training courses for the HR community, building on the HR professionalisation guidance materials produced by the DGAFP;
Exploring the potential for structuring the HR workstream, for example by defining inter-administrative career paths that allow HR employees to move between different jobs and levels within the HR function and to enhance their mobility.
However, these developments remain fragmented and have not yet generated a system-wide impact. Tools are still only partially deployed and poorly integrated into steering practices. HR processes remain complex, heterogeneous and often designed without user logic. Finally, HR professionals report a lack of recognition, support for skills development and clear prospects for advancement. Addressing these various issues should make it possible to develop a shared and strengthened capacity for the HR function, combining tools, process simplification and professionalisation of the HR function.
3.2.1. HR tools to support workforce analysis and management in the public service
Developing and leveraging digital HR steering tools to strengthen foresight and empowerment
The use of robust HRISs and reliable, up-to-date and centralised data sets is key to better understanding the workforce situation, monitoring developments in real time and anticipating organisational needs related to the major transitions. These tools inform strategic decisions by objectifying trends and facilitating the identification of policy priorities.
Most OECD Member countries have systems in place to enable a comprehensive overview of the public service workforce. Ninety-one per cent of Member countries have implemented a standardised information system for collecting data on the number of employees across the entire public service. In some cases, these systems can also collect detailed information on the careers of public servants, offering a consolidated view of the workforce or major structural trends. When effectively used, these systems can also support forward-looking analysis and inform experimentation with new workforce practices or organisational arrangements. In Korea, for example, a standardised electronic HRM system, e-Saram, covers all administrative processes, from appointment to retirement, and informs staff management decisions. This digital infrastructure provides up-to-date and detailed data to guide HR policies and ensure more a more responsive steering role.
In France, the scaling up of the inter-ministerial HRIS RenoiRH reflects the ambition to equip the government with a unified tool (see Section on “In France, increasing digitalisation of the HR function” in Chapter 2). However, despite its gradual roll-out, several challenges persist. These include, on the one hand, difficulties in ensuring the smooth and consistent use of certain data (such as performance appraisal reports) and, on the other hand, the absence to date of full roll-out across all administrations, which continues to constrain the scope of analyses and their integration into day-to-day management. Despite RenoiRH’s flexibility in adapting to different administrative contexts, these limitations underline the need for public administrations to take effective ownership of these systems and align them with the specific needs of ministries. Strengthening their strategic use could also support broader analytical functions within the HR community, including identifying emerging workforce trends, informing experimentation with new management practices, and supporting innovation in public sector workforce policies. Moreover, systematic use of these tools and of strategic data often depends on decisions by policymakers rather than HR professionals. Strengthening the legitimacy and added value of these tools therefore requires strong engagement from these actors, notably by making them a cornerstone of the implementation of HR policies.
Leveraging job and competency frameworks and assessment tools to align recruitment, development and career paths
Developing an HRM approach based on jobs and skills is a goal shared by many countries seeking to adapt their public service to rapid changes in public service jobs and missions. Such an approach makes it possible to focus not only on the entry corps, qualifications or seniority, but also on the jobs performed by public servants and the technical, personal and, where applicable, managerial skills required for these jobs. Strengthening job- and skills-based HRM can help to better identify the skills needed for the major transitions and ensure that administrations have the required workforce in place. This involves identifying the jobs and skills needed for public service missions, particularly to support transitions, mapping available jobs and skills, and developing those that are lacking.
Job and competency frameworks and associated management tools are important instruments for identifying gaps between required and available skills, guiding recruitment, and structuring training and professional development activities. Nearly two-thirds of OECD countries have adopted centralised job and competency frameworks (OECD, 2021[1]). However, a major challenge for many administrations remains the operationalisation of such tools, in order to implement comprehensive job and skills management across the entire public service.
In France, the public service remains largely organised around a career-based model, centred on recruitment through competitive examinations and statute-based membership of a corps. This system partly relies on competitive entry, which guarantee access to a career-based public service. However, in 2020, the Court of Auditors noted that “[competitive examinations] prioritise equal treatment in access to public service jobs and the long-term management of the corps, sometimes at the expense of responsiveness to the immediate needs of administrations and users” (Cour des comptes, 2020[7]). Furthermore, subsequent management of public servants remains largely based on seniority and corps affiliation, without systematically establishing a clear link with the jobs performed and the skills required for the positions held. This creates the risk of statute-based management that does not allow for the strategic leveraging of skills through the career path guidance. This hinders the capacity of the State and the HR function to establish a strategic vision of jobs and skills and to actively develop them, which is important to respond to changes in public service missions.
However, a statute-based approach and active job- and skills-based management can be mutually reinforcing when careers are viewed as professional trajectories supported by the gradual acquisition and mobilisation of new skills. The use of existing shared frameworks, such as the DiCo or the RMFP, can facilitate skills mapping (through performance appraisals, career reviews and performance assessment mechanisms), vertical and horizontal mobility, and skills development. This nevertheless requires greater integration of skills considerations in career management and, on the part of actors of the HR function, an increased role for HR professionals in supporting these efforts.
3.2.2. Clear HR processes adapted to practical use
Streamline administrative procedures to reduce complexity and improve responsiveness
Overly complex HR processes can generate frustration among candidates and public servants, while taking up a significant amount of HR professionals’ time. The delays caused by these processes can sometimes discourage managers from engaging in staff management, deter candidates from joining the public service, and dissuade public servants from taking career-related steps. The digital transition offers an opportunity to digitalise and automate some HR tasks, provided that administrations ensure that procedures remain understandable and not unduly burdensome, and that final decision-making continues to be based on human judgement.
In Belgium, the gradual introduction of e-recruitment in the post-COVID period has contributed to streamlining a core HR process. The standardised recruitment process is structured around three phases: CV selection, written tests, and interviews. HR professionals steer the entire process online, and managers are involved in conducting interviews. Initial feedback suggests that this approach has simplified the candidate experience in Belgium while maintaining the quality of selection.
In France, several administrations have taken concrete steps to simplify HR processes and reduce day-to-day administrative burdens. For example, the CISIRH has developed an inter-ministerial individual status record, which means that employees who are transferred do not have to resubmit documents that have already been provided to and verified by their previous administration. The Ministry for Education launched a pilot programme in 2020, with eight regional education authorities and the General Secretariat, to identify high-impact processes. This initiative led to improvements in telephone support for public servants through dedicated teams and clearer guidance materials. At the same time, several administrative procedures, such as the issuance of certificates, have been automated. These changes have helped to reduce processing times, strengthen the skills of HR teams and improve public servant satisfaction, with a gradual roll-out planned across all regional education authorities.
However, other key HR processes remain fragmented and opaque, which can hinder the responsiveness of HR departments and discourage candidates and public servants. For example, certain stages of recruitment involve multiple departments and successive approvals (see Section 1.3.3. on “Recruitment” in Chapter 1), contributing to lengthy hiring timelines. This is particularly evident in the calculation of remuneration, which takes place after the recruitment decision has been made, even though it is a key factor that can influence a candidate’s decision to join the public service. Similarly, mobility management remains complex, for both public servants and the HR professionals responsible for processing applications. The diversity of applicable rules and the lack of shared tools reinforce this sense of complexity and can generate uncertainty.
These findings call for a simplification approach based on a comprehensive mapping of HR processes, in order to precisely identify bottlenecks and low value-added tasks. Automating certain repetitive operations, such as estimating remuneration, drawing up contracts or collecting supporting information, represents a significant opportunity to reduce delays and allow HR professionals to focus on support and advice.
Adapting HR policies to the specific needs of different jobs and contexts
Public administrations must be able to adapt in order to respond to both the diversity of operational needs and the expectations of employees. This agility is particularly important in hard-to-recruit areas, such as the digital workstream, where competition with the private sector makes attractiveness a major challenge and calls for tailoring recruitment and career development conditions to the specific profiles sought. These adjustments require moving away from a uniform model to provide, within a defined framework, greater leeway to recruiters and managers. Such agility also helps to foster a more empowering managerial culture and strengthen trust between HR departments and professions.
Several countries are seeking to structure this capacity to adapt through controlled experimentation. In the United Kingdom, a series of “discovery pilots” was launched in 2024 across several ministerial departments to identify ways to accelerate recruitment processes and open up alternative entry routes. Each pilot tests a specific, time-limited and evaluated HR innovation. The aim is to inform the potential broader roll-out of some of these methods across the entire public service. This approach helps to develop practical solutions tailored to department needs, while ensuring coherence across the public service.
In France, specific measures have been introduced to address attractiveness challenges. In the digital workstream, such measures provide greater discretion to managers and allow for salary negotiations between candidates and the administration (see Section on “In France, structuring of the digital workstream underway” in Chapter 2) Beyond this specific case, consolidating a culture of trust and experimentation could enhance the agility of the HR function. For example, local adjustments related to flexible working arrangements sometimes require formal approval by HR departments, even when they concern operational arrangements within teams.
Several policy tools can be leveraged to support these changes. First, it may be useful to establish a framework allowing local experimentation – as in the case of the HR innovation fund until 2022 – in order to test innovative approaches in certain areas before considering broader roll-out. Second, the introduction of clauses for periodic review of HR policies can allow rules and processes to be regularly adapted in line with feedback and the emerging needs of departments. Finally, empowering management teams makes it possible to adjust certain procedures, without systematically requiring central approval.
3.2.3. Professionalise and anticipate changes in the missions and skills of HR professionals
Identify emerging HR tasks and roles
As the major transitions rapidly reshape job and skill requirements and make talent management more complex, certain jobs within the HR function itself are also undergoing transformation. HR professionals are no longer solely managers of administrative processes; they are business partners supporting operational departments, advisors to managers, and drivers of organisational innovation. These roles involve anticipating changes in the workforce, supporting transformation projects, and integrating HR data analysis into decision-making. Public administrations must therefore be able to identify these emerging roles and ensure that they have professionals with the appropriate skills to carry out these missions.
However, only 24% of OECD Member countries consider the introduction of these new HR roles to be an explicit priority in their HRM reforms (OECD, 2024[8]). This suggests that such developments are often confined to isolated trials rather than part of a structural transformation. This raises questions about the ability of administrations to acquire the expertise needed to steer more strategic HR policies.
In France, this dynamic remains uneven. Innovations in HR jobs are mainly found in certain pioneering ministries, such as the Ministry of the Armed Forces, which is developing more forward-looking functions and specialised expertise. However, in most administrations, HR teams remain focused on traditional HR functions, with limited structuring of activities related to transformation, innovation or strategic analysis. Within the PFRHs, some of these missions have been identified, but they are frequently underutilised due to limited human or financial resources.
Thus, ongoing reflections on the development of these new roles first require clarification of the overall vision of the HR function, by identifying medium-term strategic priorities and areas of expertise to be strengthened in order to respond to the major transitions while continuing to fulfil the basic missions of HR professionals. This should help administrations to better identify emerging missions, and therefore jobs, such as those related to transformation support, HR strategy advisory services, or data management, and to design career paths tailored to these new HR profiles.
Strengthening skills and professionalising the HR function to better support organisational change and transformation programmes
Professionalising HR teams is key to accelerating the modernisation of the public service. As administrations are required to manage an increasingly diverse public service, both in terms of contractual arrangements and career paths, they must also carry out far-reaching transformations in which the HR function plays a central role. This calls for strengthened skills for all HR professionals: HR strategy, managerial support, and command of digital tools.
In Ireland, such efforts are underpinned by the Civil Service People Standards Framework, a foundational instrument that defines three main categories of skills: core knowledge, core behaviours, and specialist knowledge. Specialist skills, which vary more from one HR professional to another, are a means to better recognise expertise related to change management and identify high value-added HR roles in public service transformation.
In France, efforts to professionalise the HR workstream remain largely driven at the ministerial level and lack a common foundational framework. The course “Fundamentals of Human Resources and Public Service Law”, offered by the DGAFP on the Mentor platform, is one of the few inter-ministerial initiatives. It provides a useful statutory foundation for those taking up posts and learning and development, through online modules and guidance materials covering key stages of a public servant’s career. However, it remains focused on statutory law and does not, at this stage, address cross-functional skills such as digital technology, social dialogue or change management. It is neither integrated into ministerial strategies nor recognised as a lever for professional development. More broadly, the absence of a common HR competency framework limits the clarity of career paths, recognition of expertise, and valuing of HR experience in mobility and promotions. This can undermine the retention of experienced profiles and the attractiveness of a workstream that is sometimes perceived as undervalued.
Further inter-ministerial reflection on HR professionalisation and its implications could help to better recognise the strategic role of the HR function and improve retention of HR professionals. Such reflection could lead to the emergence of a shared framework on skills, common training initiatives, and increased clarity and recognition of career paths.
The growing complexity of these major transitions requires HR functions to move beyond siloed approaches and strengthen networked co-operation. Such partnerships must be structured at three complementary levels. First, internal co-operation promotes coherence in HR actions. Second, co-operation between administrations enables sharing of experience and replication of best practices. Finally, co-operation with external actors provides access to complementary expertise and can stimulate innovation in HR responses. These forms of co-operation can thus not only guide HR decision-making but also help adapt HR strategies to the realities on the ground experienced by a wide range of actors.
France has a strong inter-ministerial dynamic, which is necessary in a large government administration. The DGAFP plays a key role in structuring this co-operation and in its support for the major transitions, in particular by facilitating central and local HR professional networks, co-ordinating cross-functional initiatives and projects, leading social dialogue at the inter-ministerial level and across the branches of the public service, and promoting forums for dialogue such as the CORH. These efforts contribute to harmonising certain practices, developing a shared culture between administrations, and enhancing the coherence of HR policies in response to the major transitions. In parallel, certain ministerial initiatives or partnerships with external actors demonstrate that innovative practices can also emerge at local or sectoral levels.
However, approaches to co-operation within the HR function often remain top-down and insufficiently connected to local dynamics or on-the-ground feedback. The HR function remains predominantly ministerial, which can hinder the development of genuinely cross-functional mechanisms. The steering of certain transitions may be weakened by the lack of clear and shared governance. To strengthen the impact of co-ordination, it would be useful to better link inter-ministerial action with bottom-up practices by clarifying responsibilities, improving information flows and involving HR professionals more closely in setting priorities. Facilitating HR networks and translating the CORH’s foresight work into operational actions could be key to fostering this convergence.
Ensure close internal collaboration to promote the HR function’s role as a partner, in particular by:
Creating, where they do not already exist, inter-departmental dialogue forums within administrations that include HR teams, focusing, for example, on quality of life at work;
Establishing, where it does not already exist, dialogue between the HR department and operational directorates within administrations, for example by organising biannual reviews to ensure alignment between departments’ workforce and skills needs and the HR policies implemented.
Strengthen collaboration between administrations, in particular by:
Continuing to develop inter-ministerial approaches where relevant, for example through the roll-out of RenoiRH or the establishment of Local Public Employment Committees (Comités locaux pour l’emploi public, CLEPs) in the regions;
Clarifying the scope of responsibilities and mandates of each ministerial actor in relation to the major transitions, for example by setting up multi-level and multi-stakeholder steering committees.
Develop collaboration with external stakeholders, in particular by:
Further opening up CLEPs to serve as broader information-sharing and co-ordination forums, extending them to other branches of the public service and public operators;
Involving external actors in the analysis of employment developments linked to the major transitions, for example by engaging professional organisations or private sector companies in foresight work, in order to enrich analysis by public administrations.
3.3.1. Ensure close internal collaboration to promote the HR function’s role as a partner
Strengthening internal synergies between support functions for an integrated and coherent HR function
The major transitions require a cross-functional approach that goes beyond specialised or siloed approaches. Within a single administration, this calls for both enhanced co-operation between HR professionals and closer co-ordination with other support functions (legal, information systems, finance, procurement, communication, etc.). By recognising each other’s expertise and aligning certain interventions around shared objectives, public administrations can respond more effectively to the major transitions. Such an integrated approach requires joint working methods, shared tools, cross-cutting project management skills, and clearly defined governance for decision-making.
In Australia, Services Australia, an agency with more than 30 000 employees, launched an initiative to improve co-ordination between two HR teams: the People Delivery Centres and the Employee Relations Team (Australian Public Service Commission, 2023[9]). Despite their complementary roles, communication between the two teams was hampered by gaps in contextual understanding of the roles and day to day pressures and challenges each team faced. To address these issues, reciprocal immersion sessions were organised and continuous improvement applied to better align practices. This initiative, led by the HR teams themselves, strengthened a shared purpose and improved the quality of service provided to managers. It shows that targeted efforts to break down silos, even within a single function, can enhance responsiveness, clarity and relevance of HR action in a large administration.
In France, the diversity of practices between ministries makes it difficult to obtain a coherent overview. However, some ministries have developed internal committees or inter-departmental dialogue bodies, often focusing on issues such as quality of life at work or social responsibility. Within the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, this dynamic is reflected in the creation of a delegation for solidarity and engagement, responsible for promoting a better work-life balance through enhanced social support, including in the areas of housing and childcare. It also aims to strengthen occupational health and safety measures, with a focus on the mental health of employees and their families, who face specific challenges related to expatriation and crisis situations. However, the impact of such committees remains uneven, particularly when the HR function is not fully integrated into strategic decision-making circles.
Strengthening collaboration between HR departments and operational teams to ensure that HR practices reflect organisational needs
HR departments are sometimes perceived as being disconnected from the operational realities that employees encounter on a daily basis. This perception may be due to a lack of communication between HR professionals and managers, even though both are stakeholders in the HR function. Transformation must therefore draw on regular exchanges between HR departments and managers, who play an increasingly important role in team management and supporting transformation. Such alignment helps to strengthen buy-in and ownership of initiatives at all hierarchical levels. The aim is to avoid changes in jobs and skills being seen as the sole responsibility of HR departments, and to make these transformations a shared collective goal. When managers and employees are fully involved, they are better able to support change, identify the specific needs of their department and communicate strategic priorities to their teams. For this dynamic to be effective, roles must be clearly defined. HR departments must retain a steering role and ensure overall coherence, while each hierarchical level contributes to initiating, championing or taking ownership of actions. This shared positioning strengthens the credibility of the HR function, promotes faster implementation and limits the risk of rejection or misunderstanding of reforms.
In this context, some administrations in EU and OECD Member countries are developing the role of HR professionals to strengthen their ties with operational departments. The “HR business partner” model illustrates this approach. It aims to bring HR professionals closer to officials in the field by integrating them directly into management teams. Their mission is to align HR priorities with the organisation’s strategic objectives, while providing local support on issues related to management, transformation and collective performance. In the United Kingdom, the Home Office has structured this role around clearly defined missions: designing and implementing HR strategies for each directorate; supporting transformation and change management initiatives; contributing to reflections on work organisation and resource plans; advising officials on issues concerning employment relations, talent management and diversity. By working closely with managers and other HR professionals, HR business partners help to improve service quality and strengthen the coherence of internal policies.
To this end, a dedicated training programme has been designed within the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the Diplomatic and Consular Academy, for employees joining the HR department, aimed at strengthening their expertise and the quality of support offered. Since 2024, the reorganisation of the department has made it possible to assign each employee an HR advisor, regardless of their corps or category, ensuring personalised support more connected to career development issues. Finally, the annual dialogues métiers (“job family dialogues”) between the HR department and operational directorates help to align department needs with human resources policies. These exchanges directly feed into review of the ministry’s frameworks and have already led to targeted initiatives, such as the Africa attractiveness plan, demonstrating the added value of this enhanced dialogue. However, such practices still vary greatly from one administration to another.
3.3.2. Strengthen collaboration between administrations
Developing inter-ministerial approaches to workforce management and data collection
The major transitions affect public administrations as a whole, calling for a move beyond siloed approaches and the development of an inter-ministerial talent management strategy. Such an approach makes it possible to build a consolidated vision of skills needs, facilitate mobility between entities, and generate economies of scale in attracting, developing and managing employees with rare expertise. This is particularly important to support the emergence of specific workstreams, such as the digital workstream, which extend beyond the remit of a single ministry and require co-ordinated action. However, inter-ministerial approaches face continuing challenges related to the complexity of governance, the diversity of administrative cultures, and difficulties in aligning certain priorities. The key challenge is therefore to develop centralised steering capacity to guide common strategies, while respecting the operational specificities of each entity.
For example, in the United Kingdom, the Data Sharing Network of Experts (DSNE) aims to facilitate data sharing between administrations. This inter-ministerial team acts as a neutral facilitator, providing support to ministries facing technical, legal or organisational barriers. By clarifying applicable rules, harmonising processes and promoting dialogue between different professions, the DSNE seeks to address structural obstacles to co-operation. This initiative thus lays the foundations for inter-ministerial data governance, which is essential for the integrated management of staff and skills. In Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat has developed an HR Data Model to improve decision-making, data stewardship, and interoperability across government systems, The model provides a system-agnostic structure that can be applied across different departments. It is built around core elements such as jobs, job descriptions, positions, people and organisations, supporting more consistent and comparable workforce data across departments. This shared framework allows departments to test data stewardship models on operational cases, including staffing, classification and workforce planning.
In France, the action of the CISIRH aims to strengthen inter-ministerial governance of data on the public service workforce. In addition, at the inter-ministerial level, the DGAFP runs several professional networks, with thematic (training, foresight, etc.) and generalist (heads of units, deputy directors, HR directors) remits. These fora can be used to promote HR dialogue between administrations and share practices. Furthermore, certain recent developments, such as the creation of the corps of State administrators and its inter-ministerial management, or the increased role of PFRHs in the regions and the structuring of regional committees of HR directors of public employers, show that a more cross-functional approach is possible and that it can strengthen a common public service culture and the effectiveness of the HR function.
However, these collaboration mechanisms remain largely driven by a top-down approach rather than by co-construction, which may limit their ownership by ministries. In addition, HRM remains predominantly organised at the ministerial level. While this ensures a strong understanding of jobs and operational realities, it also constrains the ability to develop a common vision and deploy cross-functional mechanisms. The example of HR data collection, which is still largely undertaken at the ministerial level, illustrates the difficulty of establishing a shared, real-time overview.
Clarifying responsibilities and expectations between central HR administration, ministry HR departments and managers regarding the transitions
The smooth functioning and effectiveness of HR processes also depend on a clear definition of roles and responsibilities. While major processes, such as recruitment and payroll, tend to have clearly defined roles across EU and OECD Member countries, more cross-cutting issues, such as the transformation of administrations to address the major transitions, are more likely to suffer from unclear leadership and insufficient co-ordination.
Across EU and OECD Member countries, the digital transition, as the longest-standing transition, often has clearer governance, with better-defined role allocation, particularly in HR matters. In Slovenia, for example, the co-ordination of digital transformation is based on structured governance (OECD, 2021[10]). The Government Council for IT Development, composed of secretaries of State, provides strategic guidance. It is structured around three levels: a strategic council headed by the minister, a co-ordination group led by the secretary of State, and an operational group under the authority of the IT director. In 2021, a dedicated ministry and a strategic council reporting to the Prime Minister were added to strengthen this inter-ministerial co-ordination. Other transitions, such as the green transition, may struggle with a more fragmented ecosystem.
In France, these limitations are apparent in the roll-out of certain transitions. The digital transition relies on governance that is increasingly structured around recognised actors (DINUM and DGAFP). In contrast, the green transition highlights the challenges of establishing coherent leadership. Several entities have partial responsibilities (DIESE for executive training, CGDD for environmentally responsible services, DGAFP for incorporating these priorities into the training master plan, SGPE for co-ordinating the development of national green strategies), but there is no single framework linking these efforts into a shared vision for the HR function. This fragmentation hinders the HR function’s ability to act as a strategic lever and limits the scope for action of ministerial teams and managers, who sometimes struggle to identify their key contact on the issue.
Strengthening the overall coherence of these transitions requires clarification of the scope of responsibilities and mandates of each actor, particularly regarding strategic issues and transformation projects. The establishment of multi-level steering committees could help to ensure more structured co-ordination, improve information flow, and encourage ownership of initiatives at all levels. It would also provide a framework more conducive to regular monitoring of priorities, rapid identification of obstacles, and dissemination of best practices.
3.3.3. Develop collaboration with external stakeholders
Collaborating with universities, training institutions, the private sector and civil society to bring in new expertise on emerging trends
Major transitions require administrations to develop HR policies based on expertise that the public sector does not always have in-house. Structured collaboration with universities, training institutes, civil society and certain private actors can help strengthen the public HR function’s foresight and innovation capacities. These partnerships make it possible to better understand changes in the world of work and to design appropriate, forward-looking responses.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) plays a leading role in this area. This professional body brings together HR experts and develops standards, studies and recognised training programmes. The CIPD works closely with public administrations, particularly through co-operation agreements, the dissemination of competency frameworks and the design of professional development programmes for public servants.
In France, the establishment of Local Public Employment Committees (Comités locaux pour l’emploi public, CLEPs), aims to enhance the attractiveness of the public service, in particular by strengthening collaboration between employment actors. Their activities focus on identifying hard-to-recruit areas, analysing barriers to recruitment, and promoting career mobility pathways between different branches of the public service. This approach is based on broad governance that brings together public employers from the three branches of the public service, specialised public operators and, where appropriate, private actors, in order to develop solutions tailored to the needs of each area.
The CORH also brings together external actors, including researchers, representatives of international institutions (OECD), associations and private companies. Recent discussions within the CORH have led the DGAFP to create or develop the “high-quality management” approach and the strategy for the use of AI in HRM in the State public service. This diversity of actors provides opportunities for dialogue and experience sharing, although the CORH is not intended to cover the full range of HR foresight topics or translate them into operational roadmaps. It might therefore be appropriate to draw on one of the inter-ministerial networks of HR professionals co-ordinated by the DGAFP to strengthen the link between the CORH’s priorities and the ownership and follow-up of its work.
Strengthening social dialogue to better respond to transitions
The major transitions are profoundly transforming jobs, organisational structures and work conditions in the public service. They have a direct impact on public servants, placing trade unions at the heart of these changes. Successfully managing these transformations requires social dialogue to be fully integrated into change management. It is not only a tool for information or consultation, but a strategic lever for developing shared responses that are adapted to operational realities.
In a highly devolved system such as Denmark’s, social dialogue plays a core role in public service governance. On the issue of workforce ageing, negotiations between public employers and social partners have led to concrete measures (OECD, 2025[11]). These agreements include support for senior public servants, end-of-career arrangements and retraining for redeployment.
In France, social dialogue provides a forum to address the issue of major transitions and their impact on the public HR function. In relation to the digital transition, for example, the Minister for Public Action, the Public Service and Simplification (ministre de l’action publique, de la fonction publique et de la simplification) recently launched a consultation process with the trade unions represented on the Joint Council for the Public Service (Conseil commun de la fonction publique, CCFP), with a view to analysing growing use of AI in the public service and its impact on public servants. It could be useful to extend this type of social dialogue to each major transition, under terms to be defined.
Engaging with labour market actors to strengthen talent pools and anticipate future recruitment needs
The diversification of contractual recruitment methods in the public service and competition between the private and public sectors for certain profiles are helping to improve career mobility between these two sectors. In this context, public administrations must be able to develop a better understanding of the labour market as a whole. Strengthening collaboration between HRM actors in the public service and certain private actors can help to improve communication about the missions and impact of public administrations and to adapt attractiveness and recruitment strategies.
For example, in Norway, the Norwegian Committee of Skill Needs has brought together public authorities, social partners and researchers to better anticipate skills needs in the context of the green transition (OECD, 2023[12]). Its 2023 report combines data from surveys, interviews, policy area studies and market analyses to establish a shared diagnosis of future needs in certain key sectors of the economy and in the public sector. By integrating the dynamics of the private and public sectors, this approach informs recruitment strategies and makes it possible to target talent pools that are suited to the transformations underway.
In France, such co-operation remains limited and often ad hoc, without a shared overall vision of how the labour market works as a whole. However, certain measures aim to improve young people’s access to the public service and promote equal opportunities through the creation of partnerships between the administration and training providers, in particular the Institutes for Preparation for General Administration (Instituts de préparation à l’administration générale, IPAG) and universities, which are among the actors in the labour market. In this regard, the Public Service Talents (Talents du service public) plan, launched in 2021, aims to support students and job seekers in preparing for public service competitive examinations, both in terms of education, by subsidising training structures, and in terms of material support, by awarding grants to students. The IPAGs are also funded by the DGAFP for their training activities, covering both external and internal competitive examinations. The measures introduced make it possible to create pools of candidates for future public service recruitment and to promote social diversity, with a view to ensuring that the public service is representative of society. In addition, some administrations have formed partnerships with private actors to better reach potential candidates. This is notably the case of the Ministry of the Interior and the Directorate-General for External Security (Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure, DGSE), which regularly promote their employer brand and job opportunities on the “Welcome to the Jungle” website (OECD, 2023[13]).
In addition, the DGAFP has established a national partnership with France Travail (French employment agency), which has been adapted and formalised through agreements in most territories (Corsica, Réunion, French Antilles-French Guiana, Centre-Val-de-Loire, Île-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Grand Est, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur). In other territories, the partnership is in the process of being renewed (Normandy, Occitanie) or formalised (Brittany, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Pays-de-la-Loire). At the local level, these agreements involve setting up regular bilateral meetings, ongoing awareness-raising work by the PFRH with France Travail advisers (on the public service, its main job families, entry pathways, etc.), recruitment support for specific positions (hard-to-recruit jobs or strategic positions, sourcing techniques, additional training in recruitment techniques: collaborative recruitment methods, etc.). The agreements also lead to the creation of ambassador networks, ensuring that each local France Travail agency in the region has an identified adviser who can act as a relay for the opportunities offered by public employment in that region. These networks of advisers, known as “public service ambassadors”, are jointly co-ordinated by PFRH advisers and the regional directorates of France Travail. The aim is to regularly provide France Travail advisers with relevant information to enable them to support job seekers’ pathways into the public sector employment and to answer their questions. At the local level, this co-operation is also reflected in the inclusion of short PFRH or public service updates in the France Travail advisers’ newsletter. During events on public employment, France Travail and PFRH advisers jointly present the France Travail service offering, which is available to all State employers in the region. Finally, as local partners for employment and entry on the labour market, these advisers are members of the HR Managers’ Committee (Comité des responsables des ressources humaines, C3RH) and are invited to participate in CLEPs.
Despite the differences between the private and public sectors, structured exchanges with this type of stakeholder can help public administrations respond more effectively to increased competition for certain profiles and adjust HR practices accordingly.
References
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