Учебнометодическое пособие Петрозаводск 2010 ббк 81. 2Англ удк 811. 11 Г 613 Рецензенты
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2) Define the terms: “the spoils system,” “the merit system,” “USAJOBS.” 3) Find the peculiarities of American civil service in comparison with Russian civil service. 4) Make a plan of the text and talk about the development of American civil service. 5.15 CIVIL SERVICE IN CANADA 1) Read the text and say what problem Canadian civil service is facing nowadays. The Public Service of Canada is the staff (or bureaucracy) of the federal government of Canada. Its function is to support Queen Elizabeth II, the Canadian monarch, and to handle the hiring of employees for the federal government ministries. It is represented by the Governor General, and the appointed ministry. The purpose of the Canadian public service is to enact the will of the government. It does this through providing advice, implementing the priorities of the government, supporting Ministers of the Crown, and delivering services that support Canadians. The public service functions through departments, agencies, commissions, crown corporations, and other federal organizations. Over 40% of the Public Service of Canada is located in the Ottawa-Hull area, although there is staff in over 180 countries and 1,600 locations across Canada. It is also the nation’s largest single employer. A typical department is headed by a minister, which is a political position usually held by a member of parliament, and who is a member of the Cabinet. The senior civil servant in a department is usually titled Deputy Minister. These officials are responsible for all on-going operations within their department, while ministers are accountable to parliament. Deputy Ministers report to the Clerk of the Privy Council who is the chief public servant in Canada. Under the Deputy Minister there will usually be three to five Assistant Deputy Ministers who oversee various broad aspects of the department (policy, administration, program implementation, etc). Within the jurisdiction of each Assistant Deputy Minister is usually two to five Directors-General who oversee more functional areas of each broad element of the department. Under Directors-General are Directors, who oversee various directorates, which are the core of any department. These directorates contain the ground level in each department and are the members of the public service who implement government decisions. There are approximately 100 distinctly different positions in Canadian civil service. Most work in policy, operations or administrative functions. About 15% are scientists and professionals, 10% work in technical operations, and 2.5% are executives. Hiring of civil servants is typically done through a competitive process that is either external (open) or internal (closed). External competitions are typically organized to recruit a greater number of applicants. Conversely, internal competitions may be held to provide opportunities for advancement within the civil service. Civil servants in Canada are not contracted by an abstraction called “the state,” but rather are employed by the Canadian monarch, who personifies the state. Hence, some civil servants, such as police officers, are required by law to recite the Oath of Allegiance before taking their posts. However, bureaucratic civil servants do not have to swear the oath any more. The civil service has been reduced several times, often due to restraint programs designed to reduce its cost. Nevertheless, the public service has expanded over the years as population has grown, and the number of services provided to Canadians has increased with the introduction of new offices throughout the country. 2) Draw a scheme of Canadian civil service. Compare this scheme with the one of a different country of your choice. 3) Answer the questions on the text: a) Who is Canadian monarch? b) Who represents the monarch in Canada? c) Where are “the headquarters” of Canadian civil service located? d) Is Canadian civil service political? e) Which positions are considered to serve the country in Canada? 5.16 CIVIL SERVICE IN BRAZIL 1) Read the text and ask five questions on its content to your neighbour. In Brazil public servants are hired through entrance examinations, known as Public Contests. The government hires several companies to conduct the examinations. The positions are filled according to the examination score. Public officials are privileged compared to the private sector. In the first place, Brazilian civil servants have lifelong employment. It is prohibited to fire civil servants in Brazil, except for very serious violations. In the second place, civil servants are among the richest working class in Brazil, depending on the career. Then, they have a longer maternity leave of 180 days compared to 120 days for others. Also, Brazilian civil servants get a “Culture Pass.” It amounts to about 15% of their salary and should be spent on movies, theater, and other leisure and culture activities. 2) Enlarge the text adding your opinion on Brazilian civil service. 5.17 CIVIL SERVICE IN FRANCE 1) Read the text and make a scheme of the French Civil Service. Is it similar to the system of Russian civil service? The French Civil Service is the set of civil servants working for the French government. It is divided into the civil service of the State, the judiciary, the civil service of public hospitals, and the civil service of local governments. Civil servants of the State are divided into three corps named A to C, which are subdivided into classes. For instance, the corps of university professors is corps of category A which is divided into 3 classes: second class (equivalent to an American associate professor), first class (full professor), exceptional class (leading full professor in his area). About half of the French civil servants are employed in the public education system. Other French Civil Services have different organizations. Certain corps enjoying particular prestige are called “the great corps of the State.” They are Great technical corps of the State (e.g. Corps of Roads and Bridges, Corps of Telecommunications) and Great administrative corps of the State (Conseil d’État, Court of Auditors, and General Inspection of Finances). All civil servants have duties. Failure to carry them out may result in disciplinary action, up to discharge. The main duties of French civil servants are:
French civil servants are recruited through competitive exams, either external or internal, on professional tasks. Most employment positions in the French civil service are open to the citizens of the European Union. Others, especially in police and justice, are open only to French nationals. Some rare positions, e.g. university professors and researchers, are open regardless of citizenship. As an exception to the general rules concerning workers, civil servants do not sign contracts. Their situation is defined by statutory and regulatory dispositions. The pay of a civil servant is composed of a base pay, possible overtime pay (since 1950 it has been given to three civil servants only), and possible bonuses. High-level administrative positions are typically paid much less than the equivalent positions in private industries. 2) The text describes the duties of French civil servants. Are they applicable to Russian civil servants? 3) Say if the statements are true or false: a) All French civil servants are employed in the public education system. b) “The great corps of the State” are especially prestigious in France. c) French civil servants have a life-long employment and cannot be removed from their posts. d) Any person can become a French civil servant. e) Civil servants in France get higher salaries than private entrepreneurs. 5.18 CIVIL SERVICE IN GERMANY 1) Read the text and compare the system of civil service in Germany with that of other countries. The public employees of Germany are put into two classes, namely ordinary employees (Angestellte) and Beamte. This distinction does not exist in most other national bodies of law. The original idea was that whoever represents the state by doing official duties, such as issuing official documents or making official decisions, should have a special kind of employment with the state. The status of Beamte is enjoyed by the staff of public authorities and civil services, and also by policemen, soldiers and officers, most teachers and other professionals, and by holders of political offices such as mayors, ministers, etc. However, for holders of political offices the status of Beamte is not permanent and is only applicable for their period in office. There are 4 professional tracks for Beamte, depending on their education: lower service, middle service, upper service, and senior service. One does not become a Beamte by signing a contract, but rather by receiving a diploma of appointment. The first task is to swear the oath to uphold the federal constitution and the constitution of the federal state. To become a German Beamte, each applicant, regardless of which career he/she chooses (lower, middle, upper or senior service), should complete the preparation service lasting one to three years. Usually, the preparation service ends with several oral and written exams and a written work. Then applicants have a probation time. It usually lasts three to five years. Only after probation a person becomes a Beamte for life and thus has the status of an official civil servant. German Beamte have a special health plan, an index-linked pension of 71.5% of the last salary, and most importantly, the impossibility of losing the job (basically, the state may only terminate employment in cases of serious felonies). One notable disadvantage is that Beamte, unlike all other public or private employees, don’t have the right to strike. Furthermore, the salary and working week are defined by law and not by negotiations between employers and unions. As a result, the usual working week for public employees is 38.5 hours whereas for Beamte it is 40 to 42 hours. Beamte suffer from an image problem within Germany. A study conducted by the German Civil Service Federation stated that 61% of the German population thought that Beamte are “lazy, lethargic, inflexible, stubborn or corrupt.” Other common points of contention among the German public were that Beamte are paid excessive salaries and cannot be released from their positions for any other reason than engaging in a criminal act or being unable to work. 2) Answer the questions on the text: a) What is the difference between an “Angestellte” and a “Beamte” in Germany? b) How can one become a “Beamte”? c) What are Beamte’s job benefits? d) Are there any disadvantages in the job of Beamte? e) Typical Beamte are considered to be important in Germany, aren’t they? 5.19 CIVIL SERVICE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION 1) Read the text and draw the structure of the European civil service. The European Civil Service is the civil service working in the institutions of the European Union. Most notably it serves the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. It is the permanent bureaucracy that implements the decisions of the European Union’s government. These civil servants are known as “European Mandarins” (usually referring to high ranking members) or as “Eurocrats.” Civil servants serve in the European Commission which is headed by a Secretary General. The Commission is divided into departments, known as Directorates-General (DGs), and various other services. Each DG is headed by a director-general. DGs cover a specific policy area or service such as External Relations or Taxation. They prepare proposals for their Commissioners which can then be put forward for voting in the college of Commissioners. The Directorates-General are divided into four groups: Policy DGs (e.g. Environment), External relations DGs (e.g. Humanitarian Aid), General Service DGs (e.g. Eurostat) and Internal Service DGs (e.g. Translation). Policy makers are divided into a set of grades: from AD 5, the most junior administrator grade, to AD 16, which is a director-general (AD = administrator). According to the Commission’s own internal statistics, it would take a person with eight years of experience over 40 years to climb from AD 5 to AD 16. Below the AD category is AST (assistant) which includes secretarial employees, drivers, messengers, and others. It is possible for civil servants to be promoted from AST to AD grade. The Commission employs officials and external staff – contractual agents, detached national experts, young experts, etc. There are servants from all member states with the largest group being Belgian (21.4%, no other nationality exceeds 10%). EU civil servants work 37.5 hours a week, though they are theoretically available 24/7. They receive a minimum of 24 days of leave a year (maximum of 30), with additional leave on grounds of age, grade and distance from home country. The lowest grades receive between €2,325.33 and €2,630.96 each month, while the highest grade receives between €14,822.86 and €16,094.79 a month. This salary is taxed by the EU, rather than at the national level. Taxation varies between 8% and 45% depending on individual circumstances. This is paid into the Community budget. Earnings are augmented by allowances, such as allowances for those living outside their own country, those who are the principal earner in their household, those who have children and are educating them, and those who are moving home. There are other benefits, such as the pension scheme. Employees contribute about 8.25% of their basic salary, and the maximum retirement pension is 70% of their final basic salary for 35 years’ service. For a contribution of 2% basic salary, employees are provided with health insurance which covers a maximum of 85% of expenses (100% for serious injury). Civil servants are recruited by competitions set by the official selection office. One of the entry qualifications for the civil service is that the candidate speaks at least two European languages, one of which must be English, French, or German. Prior to first promotion, officials must demonstrate competence in a third EU official language. 2) Answer the questions on the text: a) What are “European Mandarins” or “Eurocrats”? b) What do “European Mandarins” do? c) What are the requirements for entering the European civil service? d) Can European civil servants get promotion? e) The career in the European Civil Service is profitable, isn’t it? f) Which nationality is overrepresented in the European Civil Service? g) What are the working conditions for European civil servants? 3) Note down useful words and phrases to talk about the profession of a civil servant in general. 5.20 CIVIL SERVICE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND 1) Answer the questions on the text: a) Is British civil service political? |