As process automation increases, the number of people required to provide services will decrease. This happens in all sectors of the economy, including public administration.

In the future, governments should record a reduction in the number of civil servants, due not only to technological progress, but also to the demand of the population itself, which demands a reduction in public spending due to the high salaries of some posts.

The reduction of the workforce should be slow and limited to certain areas, even though the law does not allow the dismissal of people hired.

The future workforce must be reduced and those who remain in this position will have to undergo continuous training – Photo: FABIO ABREU / North Dakota

“Despite the demands of society, there is a limit to the reduction of the state machine, above which the quality of service begins to fall,” recalls Arlindo Carvalho Rocha, Doctor of Administration and Professor at the University of Udesa.

For him, functions such as professor and doctor and the like will not be reduced, as they are considered necessary. However, the number of servers providing “over-the-counter services” is likely to decrease as services digitize.

“In the federal government, you are unlikely to find inactive employees, but in the state government, the opposite is true. There are a lot of phantom servers, and city halls don’t even talk about it,” he adds. So that civil servants do not lose their positions, the professor proposes to change the nature of the activity of a civil servant.

“Now he will have to stay behind the machine, supervising and auditing. It’s a much more complex server from an intellectual standpoint,” he explains. For this structure to materialize, it is necessary to constantly train employees and implement more strategic people management.

“Governments will have to train civil servants on technology by identifying talent and investing in training. But in addition to learning, it is important to hear what this change means for professionals and support them,” adds Tatjana Düssel Perfall from the NGO Vetor Brasil.

Artur Igreya, a digital transformation specialist, notes that even the profile of a state manager should undergo changes. “The bar will be raised in terms of what kind of executive ruler will be needed. We will need real professional managers who build partnerships and use technologies that are closer to the demands that are in the private sector,” he explains.

According to Igreya, governance problems will become even more obvious, and society will demand more responsible leaders. Another aspect that needs to be changed, as in the private sector, is the mode of operation of the servers.

“The experience of working from home during the pandemic has demonstrated increased productivity and quality of life for government employees. Some governments are regulating this modality, which is a trend for the future,” Perfall says.

Vetor Brasil Coordinator still believes that the discussion about overtime and the creation of interdisciplinary teams in government should become relevant, replacing the fragmented management of specific secretariats for each area.

Administrative reform stalled in Congress

The proposal for administrative reform began to be considered in 2020 in Brazil. The text was approved by a Congressional Select Committee last year, but the process has stalled since then.

The PEC proposes some changes in the civil service, including the limitation of stability for some professions. The text provides that this modality is limited to civil servants who hold typical public positions only after the end of their probationary period and if they remain in service for one year with a satisfactory performance.

The proposal also proposes dismissal due to insufficient performance in accordance with criteria to be established by law. Another proposal is to allow temporary hiring of employees through a simplified selection process for natural disasters or emergencies, seasonal projects and on-demand activities.

The proposal also imposes some restrictions on benefits for government employees: additional benefits for seniority, vacations of more than 30 days, increase in remuneration or compensation payments with retrospective effect, reduction in working hours without a corresponding reduction in wages, promotion or promotion. solely based on service time, incl.

Hiring should prioritize truly qualified professionals

To start a public career, civil servants must pass a public competition if they want to guarantee stability, or receive political guidance if they are appointed to positions.

However, in Brazil, a new form of contracting that is unusual among governments is gaining popularity: selection processes. As in the private sector, the method includes resume analysis, interviews and assessments of other professionals in the field.

“Digital transformation will require the government to attract specialists. All data production will only be used effectively if we have employees who are ready to decipher, interpret and transform all this into information for decision making,” justifies Tatiana Perfoll.

The non-governmental organization Vetor Brasil, which was created in response to the need to improve personnel management in federal, state and municipal governments, is responsible for conducting this selection. One of the programs that has been developed is the Public Administration Intern, which selects professionals to hold leadership positions and launch projects within 12 months.

Ten interns have already been deployed in Santa Catarina, distributed between the state and municipality of Blumenau in governments, according to the coordinator for strategic government support.

Illustration – Photo: Source: State Government.