Putting more scientists in civil service ranks

The National Science and Technology Commission has announced that the government will provide more opportunities for advancement to people with science or engineering backgrounds. A significant transformation in the profiles of government employees is expected to occur, with the government merging examinations for “technocrats” and “administrative workers” and raising the recruitment rate of scientists and engineers to 50 percent for grade-5 positions and to 30 percent in the higher-level grade-3 positions until 2008. The plan is part of the government’s strategy to increase employment for people educated in a technical discipline. Many ideas on the plan have been floated. Joining the debate are Kim Kwang-woong, a professor at the Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Administration, Lee Ki-jun, the president of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, Rhee Shang-hi of the Grand National Party and Choue Chungwon, the president of Kyung Hee University. Mr. Kim: Hiring more people who majored in science or engineering is required but it will not be easy. These days, many kinds of social classes, such as women, the disabled and people from different regions demand their own quota system in government posts. The ministries, except for a few such as the Ministry of Construction and Transportation and the Ministry of Science and Technology, may resist hiring technocrats, insisting there are too few posts even for the administrative workers. Mr. Lee: These days, most issues in international relations are related to technology. The government should analyze the job descriptions for and hire the appropriate person. For example, in Japan, they found that more than 60 percent of government posts are suitable for people with a science or engineering background. In Korea, only 25 percent of civil servants have a science background. The government needs to change. We spent five times more than we should have because we did not have a technocrat on board when we made the contract for the high-speed rail project. Mr. Kim: There are some posts that are suitable for both administrators and technocrats in every ministry. But, only 38.8 percent of them are held by technocrats. There are nine such posts at the Board of Audit and Inspection, but only two are filled with people from a science or engineering background. Mr. Rhee: That is true. It is necessary to make the job specifications clear by law through a job analysis to prevent an unqualified person from taking the post. This will lead to a professional civil service. Only a few civil servants understand technical matters, and for those who learn on the job, they usually move to other posts after acquiring these skills. Mr. Choue: This is the government’s goal. The plan is unacceptable to the people who already hold power. If the government is not determined, the plan will fail. Mr. Lee: Some ministries said they will hire people with a science or engineering background after they finish a job analysis. But I think it is better to start employment and the job analysis at the same time. If we entrust each ministry with the job analysis, the process will never end. I suggest a third party do the analysis. Mr. Choue: The government said it will hire people who majored in science or engineering through special appointments. I insist they should be protected until the number of technocrats increases to a certain level. The government should develop a joint-education program for currently-employed civil servants and the newly hired to reduce the potential for conflict between them. Mr. Kim: We should develop various channels to the posts. For example, we should hire them through exams, internships, contracts, special appointments, and so on, depending on the posts. In the United States, there is something called “Potomac Fever,” which indicates that students love to be an intern for Senators and Representatives. When there is an opening in the civil service, the U.S. government sometimes hires a college graduate as an intern for two years and later appoints him as an official civil servant. We have to open the official positions more widely. Mr. Rhee: High-ranking officials should be professionals. Once I met the doyen of the environment at the White House, and he was an expert in that area. He had worked for a company that deals with environmental matters. The White House prescribes the specifications for top posts in order to hire the most qualified person. Some experts stay more than 12 years with as many as three presidents. We should hire high-ranking civil servants in the same way. Mr. Choue: A college education is also very important. When I visited the science and engineering colleges at Peking University last year, I was really surprised at their education. I thought that their education level was lower than ours, and it really was until the mid-1990s. But the Chinese government has been supporting colleges, realizing the importance of higher education. For example, the 10 most important officials in China attended the centennial anniversary of the science and engineering colleges at Peking University. The curriculum also surprised me. Many of the subjects that students majoring in science and engineering take were from the humanities, such as philosophy, literature and psychology. They think students should have broad viewpoints. This is worth emulating. Various ways of thinking are needed in this society. Mr. Lee: In order to reach the goal of a per capita national income of $20,000, we should build knowledge and information infrastructures. To do so, the government should cultivate and engage persons of ability, especially those who studied science and technology. This is needed for the future of the nation. Mr. Rhee: Korean society should consider people with a science or engineering background as part of the infrastructures for a highly developed technological society. I hope the Blue House establishes a goal to hire a certain percentage of people who have such a background to lead the government’s transformation. by Park Bang-ju