There is talk of political alternation as a means to clean up representative institutions. Also to make changes in the direction of policies that seek novel proposals to secular problems when these have not been completely solved. No one doubts that the alternation supposes (or is supposed to) give original visions to those problems that arise. At the level of policy management, in practice, the alternation also allows "agitation" to the teams so that they return to give their best, which would facilitate achieving the objectives mentioned. This need has been clearly detected in some departments of the Junta de Andalucía, in which after almost 40 years without change in the color of the government , the ability to manage significant improvements in certain plots of the Service Administration and policies in Andalusia, something that seemed to us not only necessary but imperative.

In the case of the Board, and contrary to what many could foresee (we do not enter into counted but relevant exceptions), what we have found is a very solvent technical bodies and with an exceptional illusion for change. However, the lack of political alternation had screened wills and maintained behaviors that required a reorientation. In not a few of these departments it was managed by autopilot , with the clear need for a new vision of the future; with evident capacity for improvements in terms of effectiveness and efficiency and that would allow to return the confidence to the Administration of citizens who are increasingly critical and disaffected. Therefore, this dynamic needed a clear change.

In this sense, those of us who sign this article are members of two councils, those of Economy, Knowledge, Business and Universities and that of the Presidency, Public Administration and Interior, crucial for this paradigm shift in the Administration model . And it serves as an extrapolable example to the rest of the Andalusian Government. In them we have found everything, but there is no shortage of congested departments and in which, after eight months, there is still a huge job to reactivate it and put it to work at full lung. The judicialization of some policies and behaviors has also had an effect of contraction in the civil service, in search of the self-protection of politicians, through an excess of "collateral" that has meant, in a few cases, an absolute blockade of administrative procedures , as has happened in the IDEA Agency of the Junta de Andalucía.

In this particular, and as far as the experience of those who write is supposed, the vocation of public service has been oriented towards the reform of some of the departments in which we are responsible. We know that we are not the exception and that not a few colleagues with competencies in the rest of the areas that make up the management on the Board are doing the same.

To give a clear example, the management of European Funds has been exemplary to date within its body in charge of processing the files, the Directorate General of European Funds, but such management has not received political attention as to its improvement needs since not less than three decades ago. The complexity of this management has grown exponentially while the administrative structure has remained the same, only adjusted by the "patching" technique. In eight months we have evaluated the situation and, with the invaluable help of the same Fund technicians we take advantage of to infinitely thank them for their work and help, a plan has been developed to modernize the management to achieve a better implementation of these funds so necessary for the Andalusian economy.

On the other hand, we have promoted an in-depth analysis, with the help of officials but also of experts outside the administration who suffer it, of the possible and necessary improvements both in the regulation and, above all, by the obstacles that are imposed on the activity Economic and general. This need is assumed by the officials themselves, who have made it their own, and in some cases with unusual energy . In particular, the Agency for the Defense of Competition is achieving magnificent results, which will translate, in not too long, into normative or procedural changes.

One of the crucial issues, in line with this, is that for decades the officials themselves had not been placed as true protagonists of these changes. The Andalusian Public Function Law is 34 years old! and the norms had not even been adapted to those of the State in a matter as crucial for all as the Electronic Administration, which would increase the efficiency of the management and whose decree is already about to be approved by the Governing Council.

There was no plan that reflected a deep reflection from the Andalusian Administration itself about how many employees we are, what they do, where they need more, what the citizen demanded, and so on. But now, this paradigm shift translates into the actions being carried out by the Ministry of the Presidency, and in this area an analysis has already been completed that will soon materialize in the Human Resources strategy . This strategy will determine such key issues as what type of employees are needed, how they should be selected, trained or what their professional career may be. This analysis, and after due debate with the social agents involved, will finally be reflected in the new Public Employee Law.

And, as our president has already announced, the law itself will bet on the figure of the professional public manager , which will allow the incorporation of the best talent of our community at the service of our citizens.

As these examples we could be talking about many more. All this with the clear objective of achieving, once and for all, an agile and efficient Administration, transparent, close and appropriate to the new times, that helps the citizen instead of putting problems. There is still time to finish the job . Let us also hope that the citizen perceives it, values ​​it and allows it.

Ana M. Vielba is general secretary for the Public Administration of the Junta de Andalucía and Manuel A. Hidalgo is general secretary of Economy of the Junta de Andalucía.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Andalusia
  • World
  • Opinion
  • Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla

Indigenous ChroniclesExcursion to Doñana

Tribune Sanchez bothers Madrid

Global playground We were all British