1. COMPARATIVE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MPA 503 LECTURE 25
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN FRANCE

2. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES
HISTORICALLY THERE HAS BEEN A HIGH DEGREE OF CENTRALIZATION OF POWER IN THE HANDS OF EMPERORS
WHICH GAVE RISE TO A CENTRALISED ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM WITH A POWERFUL CIVIL SERVICE
ANOTHER FEATURE OF THE FRENCH SOCIETY HAS BEEN LONG PERIODS OF POLITICAL INSTABILITY WHICH ADDED FURTHER TO THE POWER OF THE FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES.
AS SUCH FRANCE HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS A ‘CIVIL SERVICE STATE’ OR AN‘ADMINISTRATIVE STATE’

3. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES
FRANCE HAD THE SYSTEM OF “SALE OF THE OFFICES” TILL THE MIDDLE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
THE VACANT POSTS IN GOVERNMENT WERE SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER IN A PUBLIC AUCTION.
THUS THE GOVERNMENT POSTS WERE CONSIDERED AS A FORM OF PRIVATE PROPERTY WHICH COULD BE PURCHASED OR SOLD

4. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES
TWO ADVANTAGES OF THIS SYSTEM OF RECRUITMENT WERE:
IT FREED THE GOVERNMENT FROM POLITICAL INTERFERENCE AND PATRONAGE.
IT BROUGHT HEAVY REVENUE TO THE GOVERNMENT

5. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES DISADVANTAGES OF THIS RECRUITMENT WERE:
IT MADE THE CIVIL SERVICE A ROYAL SERVICE RATHER THAN THE PUBLIC SERVICE.
IT WAS UNDEMOCRATIC AS POOR PEOPLE WERE DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY OF ENTERING INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE.
IT DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE FACTORS OF MERIT AND ABILITY OF THE CANDIDATE

6. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES REFORMS OF 1946
THE CIVIL SERVICES ACT 1946 INTRODUCED THE FOLLOWING MEASURES TO REFORM THE CIVIL SERVICE AND HENCE TRANSFORMED IT INTO A NATIONAL INSTITUTION
(I) ESTABLISHMENT OF A CIVIL SERVICE DIRECTORATE UNDER DIRECT CONTROL OF THE PRIME MINISTER
(II) UNIFICATION OF THE STRUCTURE OF CIVIL SERVICES
(III) THE COUNTER SIGNATURE OF THE PRIME MINISTER TO BE REQUIRED ON RULES OF THE CIVIL SERVICES ALONGWITH THE SIGNATURES OF THE FINANCE MINISTER

7. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES
(IV) THE SERVICE CONDITIONS OF CIVIL SERVANTS TO BE SET BY THE STATE WHICH CAN ALSO CHANGE THEM UNILATERALLY
(V) THE CIVIL SERVICES TO BE DIVIDED IN 4 CATEGORIES
SPECIALIZED FUNCTION
NON-SPECIALIZED FUNCTIONS
FUNCTIONS OF PLANNING AND DIRECTION
FUNCTIONS OF APPLICATION

8. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES RECRUITMENT
THE MERIT SYSTEM OF RECRUITMENT OCCUPIES A STRONG POSITION IN FRANCE
EMPHASIS IS ON A FORMAL WRITTEN EXAMINATION SUPPLEMENTED BY INTERVIEW
THE MEMBERS OF THE HIGHEST CIVIL SERVICES CLASS ARE SELECTED THROUGH THE “ECOLE NATIONALE D ‘ ADMINISTRATION “
THERE ARE ALSO OTHER SPECIALIZED SCHOOLS THAT PREPARE GRADUTAES FOR THE TECHNICAL SERVICES LIKE THE “ ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE “ FOR SCIENCE AND THE “ECOLE NATIONALE DES IMPOTS “ FOR FINANCE

9. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES
CIVIL SERVANTS FROM FRANCE ARE DRAWN FROM AN ELITIST SOCIAL GROUP
A UNIQUE FEATURE OF THE FRENCH BUREAUCRACY IS THE EXISTENCE OF A SUPER ELITE ,MADE UP OF MEMBERS OF GROUPINGS KNOWN AS THE GRAND CORPS ,TRACING THERE ORIGINS IN MOST CASES TO THE NAPOLEONIC PERIOD (FERREL HEADY)
THIS INCLUDES TECHNICAL AS WELL AS NON-TECHNICAL GROUPS

10. ROLE OF NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ADMINISTRATION
THE ECOLE NATIONALE d” ADMINISTRATION (ENA) ACTS AS THE CENTRAL RECRUITING CENTRAL TRAINING AGENCY IN FRANCE
IT WORKS UNDER THE DIRECT CONTROL AND SUPERVISION OF THE PRIME MINISTER
IT PERFORMS THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS
IT CONDUCTS OPEN COMPETETIVE EXAMS FOR RECRUITMENT INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE.APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE ON THE BASIS OF MERIT LIST PREPARED BY IT.IN US AND UK THIS TASK IS PERFORMED BY THE OPM AND THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

11. ROLE OF NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ADMINISTRATION
IT ARRANGES PRE – ENTRY COACHING TO ASPIRING CANDIDATES.SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT DOES NOT EXIST IN MANY COUNTRIES
IT IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPARTING POST ENTRY LONG TERM TRAINING TO CIVIL SERVANTS
IT IS THUS A SINGLE WINDOW CATERING TO MAJOR ASPECTS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE WITH NO PARALELL IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY

12. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES TRAINING
THE FRENCH SYSTEM OF TRAINING IS POPULAR ALL OVER THE WORLD AND SERVES AS A MODEL FOR MANY COUNTRIES
THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF FRENCH SYSTEM ARE:
IT IS PRACTICAL RATHER THAN THEORATICAL.
(II) IT IS HANDLED BY THE CIVIL SERVANTS THEMSELVES
(III) THE CIVIL SERVANTS ALSO RECEIVE TRAINING EXPERIENCE FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR

13. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES
(IV) THE SYSTEM OF TRAINING INSTILLS BOTH SPECIALISTS AND GENERALISTS SKILLS
(V) THE TRAINING PROGRAMME IS OF LONG DURATION.
THE ENA IS A POST GRADUATE COLLEGE AND PROVIDES A 28 MONTHS LONG TRAINING TO THE NEW ENTRANTS FOLLOWING WHICH THEY JOIN THE GRAND CORPS AND THE MINISTRIES
. FIRST STAGE OF THE TRAINING COMPRISES OF AN ATTACHMENT TO THE PREFECTURE FOR 11 MONTHS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE PREFECT
. IN THE SECOND STAGE A PRACTICAL TRAINING BY SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS IS IMPARTED FOR 17 MONTHS WHICH INCLUDES A 2 MONTHS ATTACHMENT IN A PRIVATE SECTOR UNIT

14. FRENCH CIVIL SERVICES PROMOTION
A COMBINATION OF BOTH, THE PRINCIPLE OF MERIT AND THE PRINCIPLE OF SENIORITY IS ADOPTED FOR PROMOTION IN THE CIVIL SERVICES.
PROMOTIONS TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE SAME CORPS AND HENCE ARE LIMITED
THE ENA PREPARES A LIST OF ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES AND SUBMITS IT TO AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHICH CONTAINS AN EQUAL NUMBER OF REPS FROM BOTH SIDES-OFFICIAL AND STAFF
THE COMMITTEE APPROVES THE LIST SEND BY ENA.THE COMMITTEE IS ALSO AUTHORISED TO SETTLE DISPUTES RELATING TO PROMOTION
A CIVIL SERVANT IN FRANCE CAN ALSO BE PROMOTED TO A PRIVATE ORGANISATION AND CAN COME BACK TO

15. PAY AND SERVICE CONDITIONS
A RIGID FORMALA BASED ON THE GENERAL GRID SYSTEM WHICH PROVIDES AN INDEX NUMBER FOR EACH POST IS USED TO DETERMINE SALARY,HOWEVER THE INDEX SYSTEM IS NOT APPLICABLE TO TOP CIVIL SERVANTS ALSO KNOWN AS HORSE CLASS
CIVIL SERVANTS ARE PROVIDED VARIOUS ALLOWANCES
CIVIL SERVANTS ENJOY THE RIGHT OF ASSOCIATION
CIVIL SERVANTS ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT TO STRIKE UNLIKE THE US
UNLIKE MANY COUNTRIES CIVIL SERVANTS ARE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.THEY CAN JOIN POLITICAL PARTIES AND CONTEST ELECTIONS AND BECOME LEGISLATORS.AT THE END OF THE TERM THEY CAN COME BACK TO THE CIVIL SERVICE.HOWEVER THEIR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES ARE MONITORED BY THE HIGHEST ADMINISTRATIVE COURT OF THE COUNTRY
RETIREMENT AGE IS 60

16. MACHINERY FOR CONSULTATION
THERE ARE THREE AGENCIES AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION AND NEGOTIATION WITH EMPLOYEES IN SERVICE MATTERS WHICH ARE SET UP ON THE LINES OF WHITLEY COUNCILS AND CONSIST OF EQUAL NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT.
THESE THREE AGENCIES ARE:
JOINT ADMINISTRATIVE COMMISSION FOR EACH SEGMENT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE
JOINT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE IN EACH DEPARTMENT
HIGHER COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC SERVICE PRESIDED OVER BY THE PRIME MINISTER/MINISTER FOR CIVIL SERVICE

17. FRENCH ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS
THE FRENCH SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW IS KNOWN BY THE NAME OF “ DRIOT ADMINISTRATIF “.
IT PROVIDES FOR SPECIAL RULES GOVERNING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITIZENS.
THE “DRIOT ADMINISTRATIF “ SYSTEM OF JURISPRUDENCE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RISE AND GROWTH OF ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS IN FRANCE.
THE DECISIONS OF THESE ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS CAN NOT BE CHALLENGED IN THE ORDINARY COURTS.

18. FRENCH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
THE FRENCH CONSTITUTION PROVIDES FOR A UNITARY STATE.ALL POWERS ARE VESTED IN THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
AT PRESENT FRANCE HAS FOUR TYPES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS UNITS. THEY ARE:
(I) DEPARTMENT
(II) ARRONDISEMENT
(III) CANTON
(IV) COMMUNE

19. FRENCH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
(I) DEPARTMENT:
THE DEPARTMENT IS THE LARGEST UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND OCCUPIES TOP PLACE IN HIERARCHY.
THERE ARE TOTAL 90 DEPARTMENTS IN FRANCE. THEY ARE:
HORSE CLASS OR SPECIAL CLASS DEPARTMENTS (15)
FIRST CLASS DEPARTMENTS (19)
SECOND CLASS DEPARTMENTS (22)
THIRD CLASS DEPARTMENTS (34).

20. FRENCH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ARRONDISEMENT
EVERY DEPARTMENT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE OR FOUR ARRONDISEMENTS.
IT IS HEADED BY A SUB-PREFECT WHO ACTS AS AN AGENT OF THE PREFECT OF DEPARTMENT.

21. FRENCH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CANTON
EACH ARRONDISEMENT IS FURTHER SUBDIVIDED INTO NINE (9) CANTONS.
IT SERVES AS A WARD ( ELECTORAL AREA ) FOR THE ELECTION OF THE GENEREAL COUNCIL OF DEPARTMENTS.

22. FRENCH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
COMMUNE
A COMMUNE IS THE SMALLEST UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE FRANCE.
IT IS THE SUBDIVISION OF THE CANTON.
AT PRESENT THERE ARE ABOUT COMMUNES IN THE FRANCE.
EACH COMMUNES HAS A MUNICIPAL COUNCIL AS ITS LEGISLATIVE BODY.
COUNCILS ELECTS ITS OWN CHAIRMAN CALLED MAYOR, FOR A PERIOD OF SIX YEARS, LIKE THE PREFECT OF THE DEPARTMENT.

23. SUMMARY