Contenu du sommaire

The french civil service since 1945 -Overview The French Civil Service reflects to a large extent a complex social reality engaged in a permanent evolutionary process. The author shows, on the basis of rather legalistic principles, the French System has managed to overcome the inherent rigidity of structures and mentality and to adjust to the big changes that have occurred over the past thirty years. Despite the difficulties entailed by these changes, the French Civil Service has evidenced its resilience, while upkeeping the tradition of basic principles.

Allegations of bias in recruitment of higher civil servants in Great-Britain The author explains the discussions and hearings held by the House of Commons Expenditure Commission in 1976-77 on recruitment conditions for Higher Civil Servants. A presentation of the Comission's Report, which raises the issue of bias in selection, various witnesses are quoted and the documentary evidence is analysed in some detail.

The political environment of public administration in latin american countries While considering Administration to be the first and foremost means of political section of the State, the author aims at pinpointing the most salient factors therefore. Thus present-day Public Administration in Latin American Countries appears largely determined by a number of common features : mature independence and social integration ; a central political action focus and a presidential executive system ; the weakness of political institutions, in particular parliament and judicature ; the preeminence of political parties ; excessive State intervention, and corruption. Pushed by its political environment, Public Administration ought not to content itself with adjusting to changing political conditions, but is to perform a leading role towards change on account of its leading position in the process of development.

Territorial decentralization in Latin America F. de Baecque introduces papers and discussions of a seminar under his chairmanship at the IIAP on territorial decentralization in Latin America, with seven case studies on Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Haiti, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela. A confrontation of data leads to three remarks. — despite the differences among these countries, they have features in common both as regards structures and in terms of recent developments in each country ; — the powers available to decentralized bodies is rather weak ; — decentralization is quite limited in scope.

Local government reform in the “regional state” of Italy After analysing the difficulties raised by the local government reform in a regional State, the author States that there is on the whole a “natural” trend for local government to evolve under the power of the State while requesting the State to intervene continually, so as to guarantee its relations with the Region. Hence the need for reaching a State of balance in the treble relation State — Region — Commune. The author suggests three measures of reform : a general law on autonomy to avoid both overcentralism and emptiness ; an autonomist reform of sector activity legislation and of the role of local government ; transfer of financial autonomy to communes. In other words, the State and the regions have to bring about conditions for autonomy and general criteria of implementation. Local reform has to emanate from local government and has to be implemented by the latter.

Local government reform in China The author analyses the changes in local government in China following application of the law of 1st July 1975. This law purports to bring about a far reaching reform in the wake of the movement in favour of legality and democracy which has been noted through recent months. The reform aims at a complete overhaul of structures. The committees of revolution are disappearing, and powers on the local plane are assumed by three bodies : an assembly, a permanent committee, and a government.

Economic intervention through contract Over the past thirty years, Administration had adopted ever more frequently contracting for economic control purposes. Two considerations seem to prompt this choice. First, a contract allows more easily for economic factors to be taken into due account than a unilateral decision ; second, economic State action generally concern a multiplicity of partners both public and private. Contracting procedures have evolved along three main stages : right after the Second World War, contracting was used for the first time as a means of controlling certain economic sectors ; in the sixties, a new type of economic contracting was adopted involving quite original procedures ; since 1970, the scope of intervention has been extended to implement industrial policies and achieve local equipment under contracts. This innovation in legal procedures raises, however, some problems, in particular the problem of how to qualify in law this type of agreement with regard to the traditional definition of contract.

Steps for deconcentration within the ministry of education Following an analysis of deconcentration within the Ministry of Education from 1962 to 1979, characterized by a rather empirical approach, the author discusses recent measures taken in 1979, which indicate greater streamlining efforts, the general trend being to arrive at a clearer distribution of work within the Ministry between the central services and peripherals.

French-german symposium Report on the French-German Symposium held at the IIAP from 2 to 4 April 1979 following an invitation of the Directorate general of Public Administration on the Communication process between the individual and Administration.