Development Opportunities of the Human Resource Management in the Hungarian Public Administration Based on the New Government Administration Act

Abstract

The development direction of public administration staff policy was clearly declared in the different
administration development strategic documents (Magyary Zoltán Public Administration Development Program 11.0;
Magyary Zoltán Public Administration Development Program 12.0; Public Administration and Public Service
Development Strategy 2014-2020) after 2010 in Hungary. The new neo-Wéberian state concept identified as a primary
goal the provision of predictable, stabile and continuously progressed career path and also the enforce of efficiency
and good performance of the administrative staff. Furthermore the position was placed in the middle of human
resource management (HRM).
Although roll-based HRM is a feature of the position-based system of public administration, as the high level of
centralization was ruling in Hungarian public administration, the administration model was still graded as close-tocarrier-
based system. The operation of the public administration is determined by the legal environment in all aspects.
It is also true in the human resource management, especially in the carrier-based systems, which are characterized by a
high level of centralization. There is a funny phrase, like what is not regulated in the public administration that is even
doesn’t exist. But also research results point at the phenomenon, that public administration employers are mostly
focusing on those HRM activities, which are required by the legislation (e.g. performance assessment, competencies
management, job tendering and selection, providing cafeteria benefits etc.).
The new government administration act (2018/CXXV. act) meant a very important milestone in the reform of staff
policy in public administration. The new regulation changed many rules of HR processes and functions and we can
state that freedom of the employees had been significantly increased in HRM decision making. Related to this, the
question arises that can the new government administration act contribute to reach the level of strategic-based human
resource management in public administration, or it may conserve its administration-based focus. I am looking for the
answers to these questions in my study.