In an answer to a central question on human resources within local authorities at the weekly plenary session, he outlined a series of measures to introduce modern, judicious management of these resources, with a view to absorbing the deficits that undermine their performance, before mentioning, among other things, the creation of an observatory for deployment and career paths at the General Directorate for Local Authorities, tasked primarily with monitoring workforce development and movement as well as the enshrinement of good governance in terms of human resources management in local authorities, all the more so as a large number of civil servants from a vast recruitment operation in 1991 and 1992 will be retiring in the next few years.
He also pointed out that local authorities regularly launch competitions for positions in specialties “under pressure”, including architects and engineers and technicians specializing in architecture, civil engineering, public works and IT, as well as general practitioners, forensic doctors, nurses and health technicians.
Laftit reported on a study into the introduction of a forward-looking management system for staff, functions and skills, which initially concerned 25 communes, before the conclusions of the study were subsequently extended to all communes. He also emphasized the efforts made to adapt human resources to the real needs of local authorities.
In this respect, he pointed out that it was not a question of a shortfall in staff numbers – 90,000 civil servants in all – but rather a problem of deployment in terms of administrative and technical management needs. He went on to announce that a draft law governing the status of civil servants in local authorities would be drawn up, along with draft decrees for its application.
He emphasized that the drafting of these texts was based on the principle of equivalence, with a view to preserving the same rights, duties and guarantees, following the example of what is in force in the civil service, announcing the preparation of consultations with the social partners to arrive at a final draft of the project and the inherent application texts before their entry into force.
