CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE _____________________________________________________________________ • putting on line the official journal of Burkina Faso and records of the Council of Ministers computerisation of passport management, and the establishment of governmental and ministerial websites; and • computerisation of the civil status register in a dozen municipalities. 275. A number of seminars and workshops were organised to enrich the content of the reform and ensure the upgrading of state agents. Moreover, two major conferences on public administration (1993-1994), and several training workshops on the implementation of the reform, were held. The reform also relies on specialised schools designed to support general administration, namely the National School of Administration and Magistracy, the National School of Financial State Control (ENAREF), a health school, a police school, etc. However, it also relies on private initiatives and support centres for capacity building and the enhancement of national expertise, examples being the Commission for the Promotion of National Expertise (COPENA), CAPES and the Network for Knowledge Management in Burkina Faso (RGC-B). 276. Matters such as the recruitment, training, promotion, management and evaluation of civil servants are governed by Law 013-98/AN of 28 April 1998 on the legal regime applicable to jobs and to public servants. This law lays down the basic principle that entry into the civil service must be subject to competition. It provides categorically for criteria for promotion and disciplinary action. The Burkinabe state seems intractable as regards the principles of fairness, equality and transparency when it comes to access to public jobs. On several occasions it has cancelled a competition on account of fraud and begun the competition anew. Furthermore, the CRM notes with satisfaction the existence of a draft decree that provides that the appointment of chief executive officers (CEOs) of national companies will henceforth be made by way of a public bid. 277. Making the state a supreme regulatory actor capable of reforming and modernising the administration for the benefit of users and promoting a culture of good governance seems to be a constant obsession of the government of Burkina Faso. Overall, citizens have a good understanding of how public officials should conduct themselves. Despite a few complaints, the majority of those interviewed affirmed that they are well received at city halls and by administrative services. The Burkinabe government has also been trying to adopt a forward-looking stance, for capacity development has a long-term perspective. The national prospective study ‘Burkina Faso 2025’ introduces prospective culture and its methods in public administration. From this set of reforms and practices, it is clear that Burkina Faso’s public administration is today among the first of its kind in Africa. 130