5. Human Resource Management
Applying the Capacity Assessment Methodology to Anti-corruption Agencies
The Organizational level
Notwithstanding the fact that human resources have a considerable impact on ACA performance, staff recruitment and management is often regulated by general public service legislation and rulebooks, and thus the matter partly resides at the enabling environment level. ACAs can develop their own policies and approaches (e.g. on fiscal/non-fiscal incentive systems or performance management) within existing legal frameworks.
Qualified staff may be attracted by a clearly defined career path, and staff training in return for mid-term commitment to the ACAs may also be useful.
Some core issues should be considered when reviewing human resource policies in an ACA. In particular, internal policies and processes should help safeguard the objectivity, professionalism, impartiality, integrity and honesty of the staff and the ACA. These key qualities will, more than anything else, ensure public trust and support for the agency (particularly agencies that perform enforcement functions). A capacity assessment should review the following elements: