Factors determining civil servants' readiness to change: the case of PAR in Georgia

Abstract

                      Organizational development is a continuous process, with personnel playing a central role. In the public sector, this is particularly challenging as organizations depend on their human resources to keep up with the demands of a rapidly-changing world. Since 2014 Georgia signed the Association Agreement with the European Union, there have been numerous systemic reforms in the country, including in public administration, the success of which is measured by the strength and professionalism of the civil service. Continuous professional development is among the main goals of the Law on Civil Service, which has brought a new career management model to the system. Moreover, new legislative initiatives and management practices are changing the organizational culture of the public sector, where the staff is actively involved.                       Changes start with individuals, therefore, it is vital to share knowledge relevant to them and implement the change at an individual level  (Kotter J. P., 1996) (Prosci, 2020). The goal of the research conducted within the framework of the doctoral thesis is to study the importance of the human factor in the processes of organizational development of the public sector on the example of the ongoing public administration reform in Georgia.  The article presents the findings of specific aspects of the research, namely, what factors determine the readiness of civil servants to change and what basic change management mechanisms exist for the active involvement of civil servants in the process. Except for some fragmented attempts, these issues have not yet been properly evaluated.  The results discussed in the article are based on empirical data research. Crucially, the readiness of civil servants for organizational change and their involvement therein is determined by various factors, including their professional attitude, competencies, motivation, and leadership qualities. Ultimately, all of these elements and more will shape their approach toward the ongoing transformational change in public administration.                The study reveals that the correlation between employee engagement and their willingness to participate in public administration reform is relatively strong, meaning that the more prepared the staff is, the more involved they are in the process. In turn, both factors – employee engagement and willingness to participate – will determine whether the reform will prevail. Only 27.9% of respondents claimed that they were ready to participate in such change, while more than 50% could not with certainty what the goals of the public administration reform were. Only 13% of the respondents believed that in 2015 they had enough knowledge and skills to participate in the public administration reform, and the proportion of respondents giving the same answer in the latest research had risen to only 25%, which suggests the reform's success has been somewhat limited.