Democracy and Political Governance Chapter 3 Chapter 3 commission, and approval of the final list of candidates – were in place to ensure that recruiting happens transparently. He has also pointed out that there will always be errors of judgement in a delegated system. The practice of delegating authority, with the high number of recruits in the public service on the one hand and the limited resources available to the PSC on the other, will prevail, as it is impossible for the PSC to recruit for all positions in the civil service directly. 226. 227. With regard to public sector reforms, the CSAR notes that the Ministry of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms (MCSAR) is responsible for developing and coordinating policies that regulate employment in the civil service. The ministry’s primary function is to manage staffing, salaries, planning and the training of public officers. Its main objectives are to develop a performance-oriented culture in the public service and to develop innovative and improved methods to deliver quality public services. Examples of the major reforms that it has introduced are: (i) quality-management initiatives (like introducing a code of ethics, adopting International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification, adopting a citizens’ and customers’ charter, and introducing work-improvement teams); (ii) encouraging creativity and innovation through a staff suggestion scheme; and (iii) inculcating a culture of quality in the civil service. Future reforms will include strengthening the strategic budgeting process and introducing PBB in all ministries. With regard to oversight mechanisms for the civil service, the CSAR briefly describes the roles of the director of the National Audit Office (NAO), which section 110 of the constitution provides for, and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, which conducts closed hearings. With regard to current reforms in the civil service, the CSAR notes that the intention is to emphasise results or outputs more. This would lead to greater productivity. 228. The CSAR makes several recommendations to achieve the objective. They include reassessing the existing mechanism that allows the PSC to delegate its power of appointment to responsible officers. ii. Findings of the CRM Size and nature of the Mauritian public service 229. 116 The ‘traditional’ Mauritian civil service, which the MCSAR controls, has about 50,000 employees. The larger public service – the traditional civil service together with local governments and parastatals – has Democracy and Political Governance some 80,000 employees at various grades. Its vision is to “create a modern and efficient Public Service, ensure good governance and achieve excellence in the delivery of public services”. Its mission is to “be a driver, catalyst and facilitator for the development of effective and efficient human resources in the Civil Service, [and] to spearhead administrative reforms to enable the delivery of timely and quality public services”. Its core values are “integrity, innovativeness, quality, teamwork and timeliness”. The civil service is politically neutral. Since 1968, therefore, it has faithfully served nine governments and played its role of assisting the elected government to develop policies and implement them. The relationship between elected officials and appointed ones has generally been cordial, despite occasional clashes of personality. It deals with these, again behind the scenes, because every party knows its limits. Ministers who are MPs (all of them except, occasionally, the attorney general) have constituency clerks, whom the state pays, to assist them with their constituency work. Ministers also give up their full-time jobs. However, their colleagues who are not ministers are free to continue with their professions. 230. Such is the quality of the work of the Mauritian civil service that parents and guardians prefer public schools to private ones. The civil service has proved a breeding ground for the talent that the private sector needs. There are internal rules that are flexible to allow easy entry and exit. The civil service awards one salary increment to employees who get higher qualifications to encourage training and self-improvement. Some strengths of the public service 231. The strong private sector seems to support the civil service. Indeed, the overwhelming perception is that the private sector leads and the public sector follows in Mauritius. The CRM learnt that civil servants are seen as arrogant in many countries, while those in Mauritius are seen differently. There is a harmonious working relationship between civil servants and managers in the private sector. The civil service consults the private sector about new laws and budget proposals. It seems, in fact, that the government accepts between 50 and 60 per cent of the advice that the private sector gives and that the government and the private sector develop policy jointly. One of the reasons for this is, apparently, that the government draws on the capacity of the skilled men and women with brilliant ideas in the private sector. The partnership is positive, because the public and the private sectors see themselves as citizens of the same country and therefore as partners 117