Summary:
The Local government and its Human Resources (HR) emerged in its early form when the first organized communities were formed and co-operated in a process of proportional symbiotic evolution and development. When the first organized societies evolved into States, the need to create a supportive HR was evident more than ever. This HR would handle the new organizational and management actions required in order to maintain and develop the complex socio-economic and civilian-military structures.
The evolution of States led to the development of special traits of this HR, such as increased power and specialized knowledge and mission. Understanding and acceptance of its significant role in the promotion and support of State’s role has led to the development of Administrative Science. This discipline helped the HR to perform to its full potential and be utilized within the structured but also restrictive framework of Government functions.
Globalization as a multisectoral nexus of nations’ interdependence, as well as the introduction and diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into people’s everyday life of have man-centered the theoretical approaches of the Administrative Science towards the management and utilization of employees. For the employees of the public sector this change has been expressed after 1990s with the adoption of New Public Management in order to arrange with qualitative criteria the managerial problems that have arisen and to overcome an apparent saturation in its performance.
Within the above framework of trends and on the verge of change of the theoretical approach of the productive model of HR, this research aims to seek and shape the strategic future role of Local Government through its HR. Moreover investigates strengthening the role of HM through its optimal management and the outmost utilization of its potential.
In order for the research to reach reasonable and useful conclusions and proposals, it must initially describe existing conditions in the Greek municipalities by highlighting their positive elements and underlying their negatives. Subsequently having gathered the theoretical and scientific knowledge base of this topic, it will highlight practices and methods of maximizing and enhancing the first and limiting or eliminating the latter negative characteristics.
Considering the multilevel structure of the subject, the extent of the cognitive base of the administrative science, the conflicting or complementary methodological approaches we have selected to support on a multidisciplinary research model with a stronger quality sign.
More specifically the present study, within the aforementioned data framework, aims to:
1. Emphasize the strategic role that the State may have for human resources of the local government.
2. Set the theoretical background of good practices for HR Management as a basis and guide for research on best practices for management, utilization and adaptation model for the Local Authorities.
3. Investigate the external and internal environment of Greek municipalities by identifying the positive and negative factors that affect human resources and their functioning.
4. Detect and analyze through a multimodal scheme of tools and techniques the existing conditions and the operating framework of Local Authorities’ human resources, and the practical dimension of the real action parameters of a reliable representative sample.
5. Predominately to transpose among all the elements, the empirical knowledge deriving from long-term observation and personal involvement in local government’ processes in proven research material for further scientific use beyond this.
This research paper is based partly on theoretical research on the collection, study and analysis of primary, secondary and tertiary data, using legislation, Public Administration Documents, Public Service Reports and Studies, Public Law Entities and Private Research Entities, as well as related electronic and printed bibliography. The theoretical approach is related with the findings and conclusions of a multidisciplinary empirical approach and case- study of the Local Authorities of Kastoria’s Regional Unity.
The first chapter examines overtime the local and regional authorities on a global and local level, and through the existing evolutionary framework is detected by observations, events and theories their developing strategic role. Following the presentation of the scientific- administrative theoretical framework, which sets an optimal model for the management and utilization of local authorities’ human resources, the paper attempts to adapt to the specific administrative requirements of the Greek Local Authorities. In addition, by using the methodological tool of PESTEL-DG analysis their external seminal environment is presented and an attempt is made to show their intense diversity from their European equivalents, rendering them as a research case; administrative units requiring to adopt customized staff management patterns. Alternatively, a random statistical sample of Local Authorities’ Operational Programs is considered in order to create an auxiliary basis for comparing sample’s case study.
In the second chapter the case of the three Local Authorities of the Regional Unity of Kastoria is studied, with main diversification feature their size. Building on empirical methods we try to capture accurately the administrative status and function of their human resources. The survey includes a semi-structured team interview of staff and targeted individual semi-structured interviews of elected local government officials and related representatives of other stakeholders. In addition, small-scale experiments are performed with observations and counting of administrative action.
In the third chapter the research conclusions are presented with the intent to formulate an extended theory for the total Greek Local Authorities. A comparative study of the empirical data of this chapter with the data of the Theoretical Part seeks broader correlations, weaknesses and opportunities for the management and utilization of Greek Municipalities human resources with the SWOT analysis methodological tool.
The fourth and final chapter bearing in mind the informative, correlated and elaborated research essence of the Greek Local Authorities study presents proposals for optimal management and capitalization of their heterogeneous human resources.
Keywords:
Human resources, manpower, management, utilization of human resources, staff development, local government
