Somalia reorganized its civil service under Hussen and created a staffing institute
Evidence
“Tonight we gather to participate in decision-making which marks yet another important milestone in the development of the machinery of our civil service… . I am referring of course, to the official approval of the reorganization of government and the re-establishment and integration of the entire civil service… . In a developing country like ours, it is essential that we make the maximum utilization of our human resources. We must ensure that duplication and unnecessary activities are eliminated. Our first step in this direction is the creation of a sound organizational structure which is the foundation upon which our public administration is to develop. The second step is the careful analysis of the organization structure to determine exactly how many positions are needed, what skills are required and where they should be located… . For the first time we are able to determine our manpower requirements, both present and future. This will facilitate improved budgetary and financial control and permit more accurate training and staff requirements for the future. The third and most important step is the selection and appointment of civil servants to give life to the organization, for it is the human resources who, in the final analysis, will determine the success or failure of this all important undertaking. I doubt very much if our civil service personnel have ever been subjected to the kind of screening which has just been completed in selecting officers for senior appointments… . Right man for the right job. I should mention at this point that the Somali Institute of Public Administration, which I mentioned briefly in my address last Wednesday, will shortly commence activities. A major priority will be training and development of our senior and intermediate staff… .” — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 785
Categorization
- SEED: A possible angle: the ‘right man for the right job’ meritocratic screening of a young African state’s civil service as an under-appreciated state-building episode contrasted with post-independence narratives of corruption.