EDITORIAL – A professional bureaucracy

Eight months after the vacancy was created, President Aquino has nominated a new chairman of the Civil Service Commission. The nominee, Alicia de la Rosa-Bala, must be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments and will have a fixed term of seven years.

Rosa-Bala, a social worker by profession, has just finished serving as the deputy secretary-general of the ASEAN Secretariat based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She will replace former health secretary Francisco Duque III, who was appointed to the CSC in 2010 and left office last February.

The post does not get headlines for its occupant, which is just as well, since whoever heads the nation’s civil service has a lot on his or her plate and must work outside the glare of publicity. It is one of the most important positions in any effort to promote good governance and improve public services. Any administration that professes to fight corruption and espouse good government must give the CSC solid support.

A professional bureaucracy is one of the bedrocks of the world’s advanced economies. In Asia, it is no coincidence that the most prosperous economies such as Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea also have efficient and professional civil servants. The Japanese government has withstood frequent leadership changes because it has a stable bureaucracy that can continue delivering efficient public services even during political upheavals.

The commission in charge of the civil service plays a crucial role in developing a professional bureaucracy. This is no simple task in this country where politicians are often unable to draw the line between public and personal property. An efficient bureaucracy is also a meritocracy, but this is difficult in a country where politicians, religious groups and other special interests are allowed to meddle in appointments and promotions in government offices. These hindrances make the post of the civil service chief among the most challenging.

Despite these hindrances, the CSC chief must implement reforms to encourage professionalism and enhance efficiency in the delivery of government services. The CSC chairman can endorse legislation along this line and seek greater executive support for reforms. A lot of work needs to be done, and the Commission on Appointments must act with dispatch in approving the nomination of the new CSC head.