If the Government sticks to the latest amendments to the Draft Law on Civil Servants and State Employees, a candidate with a four-year university degree, with eight years of experience, or a bachelor's degree, also with at least eight years of experience, may be appointed as the head of a public administration body.
The difference between candidates with a four-year and three-year degree will be their experience in management positions.
Thus, candidates with a four-year higher education will need at least two, and those with a bachelor's degree at least three out of eight years in management positions.
As announced yesterday, the Government has decided to withdraw from parliament previously submitted amendments to the Bill, which were submitted at the end of March and stipulated that at least a bachelor's degree was required for management positions.
The new amendments state that "the inclusion of two alternative criteria ensures greater inclusiveness and flexibility in recognizing the professional and managerial potential of candidates, while maintaining a high standard of overall work experience."
The new amendments similarly define the requirements for senior management staff - completed four-year studies (VII 1 level), seven years of experience, two of which in management positions.
"...Or at least a level VI educational qualification and at least seven years of work experience, of which three years in management positions, unless otherwise prescribed by a special law," the amendments published yesterday state.
Managers or supervisors will need to have a bachelor's degree with at least five years of work experience, bosses and coordinators four years of experience...
The proposal is in the parliamentary procedure, and the controversy over the text of the regulation has been ongoing since the end of February, because the Government did not accept the draft offered by the Ministry of Public Administration.
That draft, as "Vijesti" was told by the department Maraš Dukaj, was agreed with European partners, but did not receive support from the Government.
Some ministers found it objectionable that for senior management and expert staff, as well as heads of agencies, a VII-1 level of education was required, i.e. a four-year university education. They also did not like the provision that the acting head of an agency must be from the state administration, which would ensure that candidates from other sectors would not enter the public service without respecting the new legal criteria.
The Ministry then confirmed to the editorial staff that Dukaj "separated his opinion in relation to the directly proposed changes to the legal text, which were put forward during the Government session."
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