Abstract

This paper examines changes in the existing model of training civil servants in the context of the personnel policy pursued in the Kyrgyz Republic since 2021. New approaches, methods and tools for improving the professional level of civil servants are described. The paper identifies problems, the solution of which will contribute to improvement of the training system for civil servants in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Introduction

Professional competence of civil servants is one of the principles of the civil service of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to country’s legislation professional development of civil servants is their right and duty.

The foundations of the modern system of advanced training and retraining (training) of civil servants of the Kyrgyz Republic were introduced in 2013, during the modernization of the civil service institute (Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2011).

The formation of a training system for civil servants required the adoption of legal acts regulating its main components. This allowed to establish regular training of employees holding administrative positions and reduce the severity of the problem of the need of government bodies to improve the skills of civil servants.

However, not all tasks related to the formation of a training system for civil servants have been solved. For example, regular monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of training of civil servants, research and analytical work, etc. have not been established (Abdyramanova Ch.Sh., 2019). The practice of conducting training for civil servants also revealed the imperfection of some regulatory documents.

The need to improve the system of training for civil servants has become especially relevant after the adoption of the new Law on Civil Service and the implementation of a new personnel policy aimed at forming a civil service focused on goals achievement, high-quality solutions to problems and performing state functions, and conscientiously serving society.

The purpose of the paper is to describe the key changes in the system of training of civil servants in the Kyrgyz Republic based on an analysis of the practice of its functioning and legal acts in this area adopted in recent years.

Main part. In 2013, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic adopted legal acts that define key aspects of the civil servants’ training system. They include:

• types and forms of training, its duration;

• determination of training needs;

• procedure for organizing the training process;

• sources and procedure for financing training;

• training organizations and requirements for them;

• management and coordination of training;

• control, monitoring and evaluation of training results;

• remuneration of persons involved in training, etc.

According to the Regulation on the procedure of training civil servants of the Kyrgyz Republic (Government Decree of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2014) advanced training is defined as training carried out in order to update the professional competencies of civil servants in the field of their activities within one group of positions. Whereas retraining of civil servants was defined as training to acquire new professional competencies related to transition of civil servants to the next group of positions and a change in their job responsibilities.

Furthermore, two directions of training were identified:

• general, for civil servants to meet standard qualification requirements regardless of the field of activity;

• departmental, for civil servants to meet qualification requirements specific to a particular branches or fields.

The duration of training according to types and directions has been established. Advanced training implies that within the general direction of training - from 72 to 100 hours; within the departmental direction of training in accordance with the training program. Retraining of in all directions of training - from 100 to 300 hours.

The organisation of training in the general directions was assigned to the State Body for Civil Service Affairs. This institution operates according to the Plan for training civil servants for each year (state order) approved by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The state order includes the following information on the training of civil servants:

• titles of the topics of advanced training courses;

• number and categories of employees subject to training;

• duration of training (number of hours);

• time and place of training;

• training budget.

The state order also includes a section on development of civil servants training system such as: assignments for the preparation of training modules, including modules for distance learning; conducting scientific research; conducting an independent evaluating of training results.

In departmental direction of training, state bodies independently form employee training plans and organise their implementation.

The process of organising civil servants training in general and departmental directions consists of the following stages:

• assessing the needs of training;

• forming and approving an order for training;

• placing an order for training among educational organizations;

• conducting training;

• monitoring the training process and evaluating its results;

• preparing and submitting a report on the basis of results of the fulfillment of the training order.

The sources and procedure for financing the training of civil servants were determined. Funds allocated for general training direction, come from the state budget allocated for the implementation of the state order. For the training of civil servants in the departmental direction, state bodies are given the right to allocate funds in the amount of at least one percent of the budget provided for their activities.

The right to conduct training of civil servants is given to educational organisations that have a state license for educational activities in the area of additional professional education. The leading role belongs to the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (APPAKR).

The State Agency for Civil Service Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic is authorized to manage the training system for civil servants.

All these made it possible to train about 4 thousand civil servants annually under general and departmental programs, with an average staffing level of 16 thousand civil servants in the country.

Modern changes in the system of training civil servants in the Kyrgyz Republic were determined by the new Law on Civil Service (2021) and the Decrees of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic On the new state personnel policy (2021) and on the state strategy for the development and formation of personnel in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2023-2025 (adopted in 2023).

Their main idea was that citizens with progressive thinking, aware of their responsibility to society, possessing the appropriate qualifications, high moral and ethical principles should work in the civil service. For this purpose, it was necessary to give the existing system of training civil servants the ability to promptly respond to the current needs of public administration, use opportunities and best practices. This problem was tackled by amending and supplementing the Regulation on the procedure for training civil servants (Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2023).

The updated model of the training system for civil servants of the Kyrgyz Republic is characterized by the following features.

The training conditions for civil servants holding administrative positions may be also applied to civil servants holding political positions.

The State Agency for Civil Service Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic and the AGUPKR were given more rights and obligations to manage the civil servant training system. Thus, the draft of state order is prepared by the AGUPKR jointly with the State Agency for Civil Service Affairs. The AUPPKR is also responsible for determining the topics of advanced training courses based on standard qualification requirements for groups of civil service positions.

Funding for training in the general direction is now allocated as a separate item in the AUPPKR budget in the amount stipulated when approving the state order. At the same time, the execution of state and departmental orders must be carried out in accordance with the legislation on state procurement of works, goods and services.

The duration of training in general and departmental training programs has been reduced. Training in the general direction can be implemented in the form of advanced training courses and make up from 36 to 72 hours. The duration of training in the departmental direction is: for retraining employees - at least 72 hours; for advanced training - at least 36 hours.

Another novelty was the possibility of using the cumulative principle for improving the qualifications of civil servants in a departmental direction. For example, for civil servants who are appointed to a position for the first time, a cumulative volume of training of at least 36 hours during the first year of work is established.

This approach, practiced in other areas of additional education, creates opportunities for continuous professional development of employees. It is determined by taking into account the results of trainee of different training modules included in the structure of the thematic training program, as well as participation in educational events, such as trainings, seminars, conferences, webinars, online courses and others confirmed by relevant documents (Koryakovtseva O. A. 2011).

At the same time, there is untapped potential for further development of the training system for civil servants of the Kyrgyz Republic. It includes: regulation of training of persons in reserves for positions in the civil service at various levels; wider use of digital technologies in training processes; conducting scientific research on different topics on the problems of developing a training system for civil servants; regular independent evaluation of learning outcomes; updating the topics of training courses that develop in participants not only legal, administrative and political knowledge, but also soft skills such as service ethics, negotiation, conflict management, etc.

Based on the above, the following conclusions can be drawn.

1. A system of training for civil servants has been developed in the Kyrgyz Republic, in which there are two directions of training: a) general, for civil servants to fulfill standard qualification requirements regardless of the field of activity, and b) departmental, for civil servants to fulfill qualification requirements specific to a particular sphere or field.

2. The current stage in the development of the training system for civil servants in the Kyrgyz Republic is determined by the new personnel policy, implemented since 2021, aimed at forming an effective and the professional apparatus of government bodies.

3. Changes in the organisation of the training system of civil servants is aimed at giving it greater flexibility, using the opportunities of modern educational technologies and best practices.

4. The role of the ASUPKR in the training system for civil servants, in assessing training needs, forming an annual state order and organizing its implementation has increased.

5. The new procedure for financing and implementing the state order for training civil servants through competitive procurement of services of educational organisations promotes transparency and efficient use of budget funds.

6. The introduction of the cumulative principle into the civil servants training system creates additional opportunities for the professional development of employees and allows them to form an educational trajectory taking into account their professional needs.

References

1. The concept of modernization of the civil service of the Kyrgyz Republic. Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, No. 146 (2011)

2. Abdyramanova Ch. Sh. (2019). Development and improvement of the system of advanced training in the field of public administration and local self- government in the Kyrgyz Republic. Bulletin of the ASUPKR No. 26, 58-63.

3. Temporary regulations on the procedure for training state and municipal employees of the Kyrgyz Republic. Resolution of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 462 (2014)

4. On state and municipal service. Law of the Kyrgyz Republic (2021).

5. On the new state personnel policy. Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 2 (2021).

6. On the state strategy for the development and formation of personnel in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2023-2025. Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 17 (2023).

7. Regulation on the procedure for training state civil servants and municipal employees of the Kyrgyz Republic. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 209 (2023).

8. Koryakovtseva O. A. (2011). Advantages of implementing a cumulative-modular system for improving the qualifications of teaching staff. Yaroslavl Pedagogical Bulletin No. 1, 214-217