On 12 February 2002, the Commission adopted new guidelines on mobility within the Commission. These guidelines establish a well-defined framework for a coherent, transparent and objective policy of mobility. A copy of these Guidelines can be found in : >> de en fr 

The Administrative notice N° 35-2002 of 3 May 2002 on the Guidelines on mobility announced that DG ADMIN would "provide more detailed explanations on the practical application of the measures introduced by the guidelines, together with the documents and/or forms which will be necessary to implement all these measures correctly".

The present Administrative notice introduces  "Directions for implementation", accompanied by a form for applying to vacant posts, a common format for writing a CV and a grid for evaluating candidates for a vacant post.

Please note that a "Word" version of these documents can be found in the GINA site so that members of the staff can already start using them.

1. GENERAL ISSUES
   
   1.1.       Scope of the Guidelines
   
   The Guidelines on mobility provide a general framework for mobility that applies to all officials and temporary agents of the Commission. However, specific rules have been developed for:
   
   
   • Senior management: Decision of the Commission on the appraisal, selection and appointment of senior Commission officials of 22.12.00 (SEC(2000)2305/5);
     
     
   • Middle management: Decision of the Commission on a global package for the reform of personnel policy of 29.10.01 (SEC(2001)1697/6): annex 7;
     
     
   • The External Service: On 2 July 2002, the Commission adopted a Memorandum on the administrative reform of the Unified External Service which will form the basis for further discussions with the trade unions / staff associations (SEC(2002) 745/3;
     
     
   • Research Staff: Communication à la Commission concernant la révision de la politique du Personnel de Recherche du 27.12.01 (PE/2001/2871).
     
   
   1.2.       Links with other issues in the Reform
   
   The Guidelines on mobility introduce a framework for encouraging and structuring the management of mobility within the Institution. These Guidelines are to be seen as part of the whole package of measures launched since March 2000 with a view to contributing to an improvement of the management of Human Resources. In particular, the following links can be highlighted:
   
   
   • Mobility offers officials more attractive Career Development. It shapes the progression of individuals within the institution through a sequence of job-related experiences that will help equip them for whatever level of responsibility they have the ability to reach.
     
     
   • In order to help individuals to plan and manage their career development, a new Career Guidance service is available to staff. In addition to the Central Career Guidance Service (SCOP)¹ in DG ADMIN, a network of local career guidance officers representing all Directorates-General and services has been operational since the beginning of 2002.
     
     
   • The new Commission decision on Staff Training sets out as one of its objectives that "by developing relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes, training should further help individuals to make desired career moves, both laterally (mobility) and vertically" .
     
     
   • The Promotion system with cumulative merit and priority points will contribute to further encouraging mobility as individuals will carry over their points when changing DG.
     
     
   • The Career Development Review (CDR) includes a section that deals with career development prospects including skills, mobility and training, and will be used to record any aspirations of the reportee regarding mobility.
     
     
   • In its Communication of 18 December 2001 on the follow-up of the implementation of the Standards of Internal Control ² , the Commission includes two standards (Number 3 and 5) related to mobility.
     
     
   • Finally, the new Job Information System (JIS) within SYSPER2 will greatly contribute to the preparation of future career moves by enabling all staff to access all approved job descriptions in the Commission.
     
   
   1.3.       Definition of mobility
   
   The issue of the definition of mobility should not pose many problems in reality, since the Guidelines on mobility clearly confirm that mobility is voluntary. In fact, it will only have an importance in cases of compulsory mobility and for candidates to a middle-management position who have to prove they have experienced relevant mobility.
   
   The Guidelines specify that mobility can be defined as moving from one unit to another, either within a Directorate, between Directorates within a Directorate-General or between Directorates-General. Furthermore, mobility can also be considered to have occurred when an individual has accepted a considerable change in the functions and duties they perform, as reflected in the job description, whilst remaining within the same unit.
   
   Mobility within a unit
   
   In the case of mobility within the same unit, it is important to ascertain under which circumstances a change of job content can be considered as significant. Two approaches are possible: either to ask for a complete change of the job description or to simply consider that a change of certain elements would suffice (change of country / project for desk / project-officers, change of a number of functions / duties). Although strict minimum criteria might appear an easy and useful mean to determine whether mobility has taken place, the exact circumstances of each Directorate-General, Directorate or Unit are probably such, that they will not be applied in reality. Therefore, each Directorate-General should define, taking into account its specificities, what it considers "a significant change in the functions and duties as reflected by the job description" in the terms of the Guidelines.
   
   Mobility and re-organisations
   
   A second issue that needs further consideration is mobility following a merger, scission, etc. of units, Directorates or Directorates-General. As in the case of mobility within a unit, the determining factor should be "a significant change". Again, this will have to be verified on the basis of criteria set by the Directorates-General. However, situations where the organisational entity of the official only changes name or code, cannot be assimilated to mobility.
   
   1.4.       Roles of DG ADMIN and other DGs
   
   The Guidelines define the different roles to be played by DG ADMIN (assistance and evaluation) and by the different directorate generals (direct responsibility for implementing and monitoring mobility).
   
   DG ADMIN will be responsible for the general policy for mobility within the Commission and will monitor the application and implementation of the Guidelines in the Directorates-General / Services. Furthermore, it will check and ensure that officials holding sensitive functions abide by the mandatory rules on mobility.
   
   Finally, DG ADMIN will continue to act as an arbitrator between Directorates-General when they cannot agree upon the exact modalities surrounding mobility of an official from one Directorate-General to the other and it will continue to exercise those rights given by the "table d'AIPN".
   
   The actual direct implementation of the Guidelines on mobility falls fully onto each Directorate-General. They will have to foresee the necessary structures, procedures, etc. within their services in order to allow a correct implementation of the Guidelines.
   
   
2. ORGANISATIONAL ISSUES
   
   The Guidelines include a number of concrete proposals with a view to improving the modalities for filling vacant jobs so that the procedures are as fair, objective and transparent as possible.
   
   2.1.       Publication of vacancies
   
   
   • At present, Directorates-General draft their vacancy notices following their own practices and send them for publication through NADIA. The content and quality of the vacancy notices can vary enormously as well as their appropriateness for attracting the right candidates and for selecting them. For that reason, the Guidelines ask for vacancy notices to be "based on the job description and specify clearly all the requirements for the post".
     
     Following the introduction of the Job Information System, by the end of September 2002, Directorates-General / Services will have clear and correct descriptions of all jobs allocated to them. Later, a module of Sysper2 dealing specifically with mobility, recruitment and vacancies will be launched, which should allow for a direct and smooth transfer of the job description into a vacancy notice.
     
     In the meantime, Directorates-General are invited to do this operation "manually", meaning they should base themselves on the existing job description when they draw up the vacancy notice. This vacancy notice could then consist of the overall purpose of the job, its main functions / duties and the most important job requirements. To these elements, specific elements could be added in accordance with the specific wishes of the Directorate-General or Service.
     
     
   • A vacancy can only be filled when the job has actually become vacant. However, given the very short delays foreseen by the Guidelines when it comes to the transfers of officials, some flexibility should be allowed to Directorates-General regarding the time of publication: a job can be published when the Directorate-General knows it will become vacant. If this vacancy were to result from mobility, the "exporting" Directorate-General should at least possess a written confirmation (an e-mail should be sufficient) from the "receiving" Directorate-General / Service indicating they intend to recruit the official concerned.
     
   
   2.2.       Applications for a vacancy
   
   According to the Guidelines on mobility, staff applying for a post, should introduce their candidacy through a "standard application form" using a "common CV based upon the recently adopted European CV format" accompanied by a "motivation letter".
   
   In order to limit paper-flows to a minimum, the standard application form will include the elements of motivation. A model is attached in annex 1 including some hints on how to write a good motivation letter.
   
   Regarding the common CV format, a model is attached in annex 2, which includes a number of adaptations in order to render the different elements of the CV compatible with the order of the job requirements template of the Job Information system (JIS). DG ADMIN is currently working on the development of a module to manage mobility within Sysper2 (Cfr. Point 2.1). This module would include inter-alia an electronic version of the CV model, which should facilitate the elaboration and updating of a CV by the jobholder and its transmission when applying for a vacant job. In the meantime, it is strongly recommended to use the "paper" version of the attached model.
   
   Both the standard application form and the adapted European CV will be available through GINA.
   
   2.3.       Interviews of suitable candidates
   
   Following the Guidelines on mobility, all officials considered eligible for the vacancy will have to be invited for an interview. The only exceptions to this general rule will be those cases related to applicants who:
   
   
   • are clearly not qualified
     
     
   • have made multiple applications and are known to be already wanted elsewhere in the DG
     
     
   • have already recently been interviewed before for a similar vacancy
     
   
   In order to allow the interviewer to identify in an objective way the best candidate for the job, the interview will be done using standard interview grids based upon the job description. A model, which can be adapted to the specific needs of each Directorate-General, is attached in annex 3.
   
   The recommendation regarding the presence of a representative of the unit Human Resources at the interview could be limited to those vacancies for which the Directorate-General considers they necessitate the presence of an objective outsider before making a decision on the recruitment.
   Furthermore, Directorates-General and Services are reminded that all candidates whose application has not been retained for the published vacancy have to be informed, at least orally, by the recruiting official of their decision.
   
   2.4.       Date of effect of transfers
   
   The Guidelines on mobility foresee that a member of staff, selected by his new organisational entity, can be transferred within 20 working days. This rule should be interpreted in the following way:
   
   
   • Once a Directorate-General has agreed to recruit the candidate for a published vacancy, it will inform both DG ADMIN and the "exporting" Directorate-General of its decision and ask for the transfer of the official concerned. This communication can be done by e-mail.
     
     
   • The delay of 20 days will start to count from the date of reception by DG ADMIN and the "exporting" Directorate-General of the note asking for transfer of the official.
     
     
   • The effective date of transfer will then be either the 1st or 16th of the month following the 20 days.
     
     
   • The month of August will be "neutralised" when calculating the effective date of transfer, i.e. a request for transfer introduced at the end of July shall only take effect on 1 October.
     
   
   Of course, this procedure does not rule out the possibility that the "exporting" and "receiving" Directorate-Generals agree expressis verbis on a different date for the transfer of the official.
   
   2.5.       Transfer of files
   
   According to the Guidelines on mobility, the official recruited for a new post must prepare a briefing file for their successor. If no file is prepared, the official's departure can be delayed.
   
   Given the specific situations of Directorates-General / Services, central guidelines on this issue would not be very useful. It will be up to each Directorate-General / Service to set up the most adequate policy for their context.
   
   An example of good practice can be found in the guidelines drawn up by DG ENV for all officials leaving the DG) presented hereafter:
   
   "At least 2 weeks before the person is due to leave a file should be presented to the Head of Unit / Director containing the following:
   
   
   • List of priorities;
     
     
   • Brief notes with the state of play on all dossiers under the official's responsibility, including description of potential problems that could arise;
     
     
   • List of files;
     
     
   • Important dates for calendar (Meetings/Conferences);
     
     
   • List of key internal and external contacts (including contact details);
     
     
   • Liaise with the Informatics Unit to ensure that all relevant files on your PC are kept for your replacement and make a note of this in the handover file.
     
   
   This information does not of course replace the more extensive files on each area of responsibility, which should be available for the new arrival.
   
   The official should be ready to give reasonable advice and assistance to his/her replacement for a period of at least six months following departure."
   
   
3. ISSUES RELATING TO THE BENCHMARKS
   
   3.1.       Benchmarks
   
   Except for a small category of staff, the benchmark periods mentioned in the Guidelines on mobility are voluntary. They exist to allow staff to take stock of their career / professional development at predefined periods.
   
   The terms of the note of MM. De Koster / Williamson of 21 January 1993 are however still applicable, and therefore, except in specific circumstances, staff will have to stay a minimum period of 2 years in a job.
   Finally, the 3-year period foreseen for newcomers is to be interpreted as a maximum period and not a minimum stay.
   
   3.2.       Sensitive posts
   
   The procedures for the implementation of mobility for sensitive functions need to be clarified. It is important to note that the basis for this exercise is both:
   
   
   • The Decision of the Commission on Standards for internal control of 13.12.00, SEC(2000)2203/3;
     
     
   • And the Guidelines on mobility within the Commission.
     
   
   On this basis, Directorates-General and Services have to do two following consecutive exercises: first identify the sensitive functions within their services and, second, implement mobility for those functions.
   
   
   
   • Identification of sensitive functions within Directorates-General / Services
     
     The identification of sensitive functions will have to be carried out in each Directorate-General on the basis of the note of Mr. Mingasson of 14 May 2001. This note and its annex lay down the criteria allowing Directorates-General / Services to classify certain functions as sensitive.
     In order to further clarify the terms of the note of Mr. Mingasson, the Secretariat General, DG BUDG and DG ADMIN will issue soon guidelines on the definition of sensitive functions.
     
     
   • Mobility of staff occupying a sensitive function
     
     Once a function has been defined as sensitive, this has to be indicated in the new Job Information System. For this reason, the system includes a special section which must be completed by the Human Resources Unit of each Directorate-General / Service. All sensitive functions are submitted to compulsory mobility, except those for which Directorates-General have devised appropriate mechanisms to limit the risks (mitigating controls). If they want to implement a rotation policy for their staff (which may need to be determined in the light of the numbers involved and taking into account the availability of replacement resources), Directorates-General should:
     
     
     • if possible, avoid devising a rotation policy involving mobility outside their services;
       
       
     • give priority to functions with high sensitivity and / or whose jobholder has occupied them for a long period;
       
       
     • remember that, contrary to the normal rules, mobility for jobholders older than 55, who occupy sensitive posts, is compulsory.
       
     
     Once a rotation policy has been put in place, its actual and individual implementation will be up to each Directorate-General. The role of DG ADMIN is limited to giving specific guidance and to taking necessary action when an official is still in the same post at the end of a benchmark period and no transfer has taken place.