Chapter 9

            In chapter 9, it talks about the functions of personnel in administration. A separate staff that serves line management is the human resource development (HRD). They are responsible for creating policies for people and positions in the public sector. Nationally, the system is run by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Human resources functions include “position classification, recruiting and selecting employees, negotiating with collective bargaining units, doing performance appraisals of current employees, and conducting training and professional development events” (p.222).

            Recruitment is the process of which job openings are advertised, trying to get candidates to apply for them. Part of the recruitment process is to have the candidates take skill tests, provide police clearances and court clearances. The skills tests are specific to each company and each position to ensure the candidate is qualified to fulfill the requirements of the job position.

            Another thing chapter 9 talks about is the rights of employees. Employees tend to have strikes and labor unions to “guarantee the rights of public employees beyond wages and working condition issues within contract negotiations and agreements.” These rights deal with things like layoffs. Public unions have established rights and protections such as a right to join a union, freedom of association, unions can collect agency fees, public employees have the right to express their views in public forums, employees must be involved in decisions on contracting a project or making it in house, fair treatment, equal pay for equal work, retention of employees who perform well, protection against such things as arbitrary action, and protection against reprisal for lawful disclosure of information (pp. 231-232).

LeMay, Michael C. (2006). “Balancing Values in the Administration of Public Policy”  Public Administration: Clashing Values in the Administration of Public Policy.  WADSWORTH CENGAGE Learning, 2nd edition.