CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2005 CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE

• INTRODUCTION
• STAGES IN THE SELECTION OF OFFICIALS AUTHORISED TO TAKE PART IN THE TRAINING PROGRAMME
• SELECTION TIMETABLE
• ANNEX I
• ANNEX II
• ANNEX III

1. INTRODUCTION
   
   1.1. What is the certification procedure?
   
   Article 45a of the Staff Regulations introduces a new procedure - certification – whose purpose is to enable category B* officials of at least grade 5 to be appointed to category A* posts, provided that they have been selected to take part in, and have successfully completed, a compulsory training programme.
   
   The certification procedure takes the place of internal competitions to move from category B* to A* and will be organised annually from 2005.
   
   The appointing authority has set at 110 the number of Commission officials authorised to follow the training programme in 2006.
   
   Further information is available at: http://www.cc.cec/pers_admin/promotions/cdr/certification_2_en.html
   
   1.2. Who may apply?
   
   The certification procedure relates only to B* officials of at least grade 5.
   
   The Commission Decision of 22 June 2005 - http://www.cc.cec/pers_admin/promotions/cdr/certification_2_leg_en.html - details the conditions to be met:
   
    
   • Officials who, at the date on which the call for applications is published, are in active employment, on parental or family leave, or seconded in the interests of the service, may apply.
      
   • However, officials who during 2005 or 2006 are to be automatically retired, in respect of whom the Commission has adopted a decision resulting in the definitive termination of their service, or in respect of whom the Commission has granted an invalidity allowance, may not apply.
      
2. STAGES IN THE SELECTION OF OFFICIALS AUTHORISED TO TAKE PART IN THE TRAINING PROGRAMME
   
   The Commission Decision of 22 June 2005 - http://www.cc.cec/pers_admin/promotions/cdr/certification_2_leg_en.html - sets out the stages in the certification procedure:
    
   1. publication of a call for applications;
       
   2. establishment of the list of officials authorised to take part in the training programme;
       
   3. participation in the training programme, which will be given by the European Administrative School;
       
   4. establishment and publication of the list of officials who have passed the tests demonstrating that they have successfully completed the training programme.

   This Administrative Notice concerns the first two stages referred to above.
   
   2.1. Call for applications
   
   This Administrative Notice constitutes a call for applications and launches the 2005 certification procedure.
   
   Deadline
   
   The deadline for submitting applications is 23^rd November 2005.
   
   How to apply
   
   Applications must be submitted via Sysper2. A new certification module has been developed for that purpose. In order to access it, go into the Sysper2 menu and click on the link “My attestation and certification history” in the group “Attestation & Certification”. Then click on the button “Submit an application”.
   
   Information to supply
   
   You should supply any information which is necessary in order to assess your application in the light of the pre selection and selection criteria and which is not already in Sysper2.
   
   Firstly, you will have to choose one of the priority areas listed in the appointing authority decision of 17th October 2005. http://www.cc.cec/guide/publications/infoadm/2005/ia05078_en.html.
   
   The number of posts available is broken down by field: 15 for external communication policy; 15 for compliance with Community law and dealing with infringements; 15 for budget, finance and contracts; 20 for management of programmes and projects; 15 for audit; 15 for human resources management; and 15 for information technologies.
   
   To make your choice, click on the button “choose a priority area” under the tab “reference data”.
   
   Secondly, you will have to supply information on your education and training. Under the heading “Studies”, state the higher education diplomas (post-secondary) which you have obtained and the qualifications of equivalent level obtained as part of your professional training.
   
   For each of these, you will have to state:
    

   • the title of the qualification;
      
   • its level (please refer to the enclosed table Annex I);
      
   • the date on which it was obtained;
      
   • the authority which awarded it;
      
   • the corresponding periods of instruction.

   You will also have to state whether the qualification relates to one of the priority areas referred to above.
   
   There is no need to include qualifications of secondary level or lower, as these will not be taken into account in the selection procedure.
   
   Lastly, you will have to fill in the sections relating to your professional experience as an official or temporary staff member. Two categories of information are to be supplied under the “Professional experience” tab.
   
    

   • The first relates to your experience as a category B* or A* official or temporary staff member at other European institutions (type 1 experience). You will have to detail your periods of service, stating for each the institution, Directorate General and Unit in which you worked and your status (temporary staff member or official) and grade.
      
   • The second category of information relates to the priority areas referred to above (type 2 experience). If you have acquired experience in these areas since 1 October 1995 as a category B* or A* official or temporary staff member you will have to state, for each area, the posts held for what period and in which Directorate General and Unit, as well as your status and grade.

   For professional experience acquired between 1 October 1999 and 30 September 2005 you will also have to have a certificate signed by the Head of the Human Resources Unit for the department in which you acquired that experience, confirming the accuracy of the information supplied. These certificates must be sent before 16^th December to the following address:
   
   Unit ADMIN.A/6 “Certification Procedure”
   MO-34 5/15
   
   A model certificate for signature is attached at Annex III of this Administrative Notice.
   
   Once you have filled in the three sections, you will have access to your full application form. You will therefore be able to check the content of the information and make any corrections necessary.
   
   Once the information has been validated, your application will attain “submitted and signed” status: this will be proof that your application form has been duly registered.
   
   How to submit an application if you do not have access to Sysper2
   
   If, for some reason, you do not have access to Sysper2 between the date of publication of this Administrative Notice and the deadline for submitting applications, i.e. 23^rd November 2005, you can send your application on paper (see specimen at Annex II) to:
   
   European Commission
   Unit ADMIN A/6 – Certification procedure applications
   MO 34 5/15
   B-1049 Brussels
   
   It must be sent by 23^rd November 2005, as evidenced by the postmark.
   
   Do you need to submit an application if, during the last appraisal round, you asked your reporting officer to fill in the new “potential” section created for the certification procedure?
   
   Yes, you do indeed have to submit an application. The “potential” section in the career development report covered only some of the information required for the certification procedure, namely that relating to your aptitude for undertaking category A* duties.
   
   By submitting an application, you will confirm your interest in the certification procedure. The application will also enable DG ADMIN to collect information on your level of education and training and professional experience.
   
   Do you need to add to your personal file?
   
   If the documents concerned are not already on your personal file, you will have to add to your file the originals of your qualifications or copies certified as true, together with proof that those qualifications have been officially recognised by the public authorities in the Member State or third country where they were awarded.
   
   Your attention is drawn to the fact that the information supplied in applications will be systematically checked against that on the personal files of officials authorised to take part in the training programme given by the European Administrative School.
   
   If the information in your application does not tally with that on your personal file or if your personal file is incomplete, your application will consequently be deemed not eligible.
   
   2.2. The pre selection phase
   
   Once you have validated your application, DG ADMIN will check that it meets the pre selection criteria laid down by Article 4 of the Commission Decision of 22 June 2005: http://www.cc.cec/pers_admin/promotions/cdr/certification_2_leg_en.html
   
   How can you check whether your application meets the pre selection criteria?
   
   The appointing authority will publish a list of the officials who have been pre selected.
   
   Once that list has been published, you will be able to access your certification file in Sysper2 (“Calculations” tab, “Valorisation” and “Pre selection” subtabs) in order to check how the information in your application has been examined and the outcome of that examination for the pre selection phase.
   
   How can you appeal?
   
   If you are not pre selected, you will have 10 working days following publication of the draft list referred to above within which to lodge an appeal before the Joint Certification Committee.
   
   An appeal will have to be lodged via your certification file in Sysper2. The appeal will have to be substantiated: a free text area of unlimited size will be made available to each user who clicks on the “Launch an appeal” button; you will need to enclose any official documents supporting the appeal (via the “Annexes” tab).
   
   If, for some reason, you are prevented from accessing Sysper2, you may lodge an appeal by sending a substantiated note to:
   
   European Commission
   Unit ADMIN A/6 – Certification procedure appeals
   MO 34 5/15
   B-1049 Brussels
   
   The note must be sent within 10 working days, as evidenced by the postmark.
   
   Once the Joint Certification Committee has examined the appeals, the appointing authority will publish a list – amended if necessary – of the officials pre selected.
   
   2.3. Classification, in priority order, of the officials pre selected
   
   What are the criteria for this classification?
   
   In accordance with Article 4(3) of the Commission Decision of 22 June 2005, the criteria are: experience acquired in the institutions and the level of professional training in the priority areas identified by the appointing authority; the merit marks in the most recent career development reports.
   
   http://www.cc.cec/pers_admin/promotions/cdr/certification_2_leg_en.html
   
   The value and weighting of the criteria have been detailed in an appointing authority decision after consulting the Joint Certification Committee. See http://www.cc.cec/guide/publications/infoadm/2005/ia05078_en.html
   
   How can you check your classification?
   
   The appointing authority will publish a list of the officials authorised to take part in the training programme given by the European Administrative School in 2006.
   
   Once that list has been published, DG ADMIN will invite each official admitted to consult their certification file in Sysper2 (“Calculation” tab, “Classification” subtab) in order to see their classification in the chosen field, the number of points obtained under the classification criteria referred to above, and the method of calculation.
   
   How can you appeal?
   
   If you have been pre selected but are not on the draft list of officials authorised to take part in the training programme, you may challenge that list by lodging a substantiated appeal before the Joint Certification Committee. You will have 10 working days within which to do this following publication of the draft list.
   
   The appeal will have to be lodged via your certification file in Sysper2, subject to the same conditions as for the pre selection phase (see point 2.2).
   
   Once the Joint Certification Committee has given its opinion, the appointing authority will decide on the response to each appeal and then adopt and publish the definitive list of officials authorised to take part in the training programme in 2006.
    

3. SELECTION TIMETABLE
    
   • Deadline for the receipt of applications: 23^rd November 2005
      
   • Publication of the draft list of officials pre selected: end November 2005
      
   • Meeting of the Joint Certification Committee: mid December 2005
      
   • Publication of the list of officials pre selected and the draft list of officials authorised to take part in the training programme: mid January 2006
      
   • Meeting of the Joint Certification Committee: beginning of February 2006
      
   • Publication of the list of officials authorised to take part in the training programme given by the European Administrative School: end of February 2006

   The training programme is due to start at the end of March 2006. Its content was the subject of a Commission information note on 20 July 2005: http://www.cc.cec/pers_admin/promotions/cdr/certification_2_leg_en.html
    

ANNEX I

Table giving examples of university qualifications awarded
on completion of a full university course of at least three years’ duration
 

ANNEX II

Application
FOR THE CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE
 

Annex III

SPECIMEN   OF A CERTIFICATE TO BE SIGNED BY THE HEAD OF THE HUMAN
RESOURCES UNIT IN THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL WHERE YOU HAVE HELD POSTS RELATING TO THE PRIORITY AREAS

(one certificate for each Directorate-General)