The Minister of Territorial Policy and Public Function, Carolina Darias, has appealed to all public administrations and parliamentary groups, to seek the meeting through debate and dialogue, to make possible the governance model that requires the complexity of the transformations and the challenges that we have that our country has to face.
"My full dedication will be to seek and find as soon as possible a common minimum of understanding with all. We have a very broad base of understanding that is the Spanish Constitution. We have the obligation and the conviction to launch in our country a process of reflexive modernization , which should lead us towards public institutions oriented towards good governance, "he said in his appearance in Commission in Congress.
Darias stressed that the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Function will be "a space for dialogue, understanding and cooperation between our territories, at all levels of competence distribution, sharing proposals, concerns and giving answers and hopes. that improve and ensure people's lives. " And he added that "what happens in each of the corners of this country matters to us, because it is part of our daily life and our reason for being to achieve a socially, economically and territorially cohesive society."
Territorial policy: cooperation as the basis of understanding
Regarding the general lines of Territorial Policy, the Minister stressed that the territorial cooperation for social cohesion will act as the basis for understanding. "All our efforts, day by day, will be to understand and assess the current situation of our territories, to promote initiatives that contribute to the autonomous communities, local entities, councils, island councils, councils and autonomous cities, together with the General State Administration in the territory, collaborate in the improvement of people's living conditions ".
Conference of Presidents and Presidents
The minister said that the Conference of Presidents and Presidents already has a Regulation that provides operational capacity, but it is necessary to provide it, at the same time with instruments, an organizational support and, above all, a culture of participation that the strengthen permanently. Darias has pointed out that the purpose of the Government is that the seventh meeting can be held before the end of the year.
He also pointed out that territorial cooperation programs will be a fundamental instrument in our government action, so that the guidelines issued by the Conference of Presidents can have adequate support for their execution. "All voices will have the opportunity to be heard and taken into account in the search for solutions of common interest," he added.
Sector Conferences and Bilateral Relations
In his speech, Darias has assured that the Ministry will work intensely to identify and publicize the practical improvements that have been generated in each of the Sectorial Conferences to create a culture of institutional participation. As an example, he mentioned that during 2018 603 agreements or agreements were signed. "Our purpose is to continue advancing in cooperation, promoting the meeting, through these Conferences, to continue traveling the path together," he stressed.
Bilateral relations also occupy an important place in the action of the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Function, said the minister, who pointed out that, work has been done to reduce litigation and, from June 2018 to August 2019, they have initiated 85 negotiation procedures to agree on interpretations or modifications of questioned standards and 28 have already been resolved with agreement. In addition, it has withdrawn from resources brought by the previous government, withdrawals that have fundamentally affected social rights.
The minister has indicated that the Government will continue working with the autonomous communities for the statutory development, especially of the new Statutes recently approved and to boost the planned bilateral commissions. "We have created a climate of trust that will allow us to realize that our consensus and dissent can be constructive (…) Authentic dialogue is what we need most urgently in our country," said the minister who said that the Authentic dialogue is based on three essential principles: "truthfulness, loyalty and righteousness."
Strengthen the presence of the Government of Spain in the territory
Both the location map of the institutions, as well as the agenda of relevant events, has added, will be a prominent object of dialogue and consensus among all the administrations involved. The minister has shared the firm intention of guaranteeing the presence of the Government of Spain throughout the territory, by strengthening the coordination of the Government Delegations and Subdelegations and Insular Offices. Soon, he announced, he will convene the Interministerial Coordination Commission of the State Peripheral Administration (CICAPE).
Europe and Relations with local entities
In terms of territorial policy, it has also demonstrated the will to continue promoting the coordination and participation of the autonomous communities in European affairs through the Conference of Matters Related to the European Union (CARUE). Thus, he announced that on March 11 a meeting will be held to analyze and assess the situation created once the actual departure from the United Kingdom has occurred and the transition process has begun.
"The municipalities have been tremendously responsible in fulfilling their obligations with the successive deficit targets," said Minister Darias, who indicated the minister, who added that among the actions of the Ministry intends to do everything possible to ensure Respect for local autonomy through the processing of the preliminary bill amending Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the bases of local regime, for the recovery of local autonomy.
This reform, he added, is proposed as an urgent and minimum reform, notwithstanding that in parallel the institutional and dialogue channels necessary to address a global and scope reform of the Regulatory Law of Local Regime Bases are opened ( LBRL).
The minister has pointed out that the Government proposes in this Legislature to guarantee respect for local autonomy, intensify relations with the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, as a representative of local authorities, and protect and improve the co-official regime of the languages of Spain. Thus, he announced that he will convene in the shortest possible time, the Council of Official Languages of the General State Administration
Public function: at the service of good governance
Minister Carolina Darias is marked as a priority to advance in modernization to achieve a more open, transparent and effective Administration at the service of citizens. A modern and effective Administration, at the service of good governance and that adapts to the pace of new technologies and social networks, with the capacity to guarantee public services and respond to citizen demands.
The minister has reviewed objectives on which she will work during this term, including approving a Public Function Law in the General State Administration, to develop the Basic Statute of Public Employees, their defense of public employees and social dialogue with unions, public employment and supply reform or directing the INAP and IEPP as organizations for the modernization of the Administration and the recruitment of young talent in the face of the current aging of the workforce, and also the reform of the law on transparency, access to information and good governance.
- Reform of the Public Function in the AGE: The Government will present the draft Law on Public Function, which will develop the Basic Statute of the Public Employee. A structural reform, a process of transformation of public employment and a boost to the "rationalization of the Administration, to improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency and guarantee the provision of public services in an open, plural and diverse society".
- Defense of public servants and employees.- Defender of their work and the service they provide: "They and we entrust the education of our sons and daughters, the health and well-being of our elders, the safety of our streets. They have been guarantors of equity, solidarity and the dignity of our society. Public employees have demonstrated a generosity and dedication worthy of praise, and have done so in difficult conditions, fighting against unfair stereotypes of public service " .
- Public Employment Offer. The provision of public services requires adequate templates. During the crisis, except for some sectors, they were frozen. In 2018 the turn began and in 2019 the Government promoted the largest offer of the last 11 years, with 33,793 seats. "The rejuvenation of the templates will be the focus of the offer, as it will be oriented to the most needy personnel sectors." The negative cash balances, several years, have accelerated the aging of the staff, with an average age of 52 years today, almost ten more than that of the active population as a whole (42.5): "The first consequence affects the foreseeable reduction of staff due to the impact of retirement In the next ten years, more than 51% of the staff is going to retire, a problem that may affect the functioning of the Administration and the provision of public services, if we do not respond and face the situation".
- Stabilization: The objective is to reduce temporary employment and strengthen stability. Temporary employment must be below 8% after the agreements reached with the unions. The General Table of Negotiation, two days ago, has promoted the selective processes for 5,390 people, in the AGE, with a temporary rate of less than 8%.
- Remuneration increase: One of the first measures has been the 2% increase in salaries of public employees effective January 1, 2020. The Royal Decree-Law was validated "without any vote against."
- Negotiation with the unions: The social dialogue has begun. First, meeting with the union representatives, and two days ago, the General Negotiating Table. And the firm will of the Government to approve a new wide-ranging agreement, "to continue advancing in the improvement of public employment and working conditions."
- Public Employment Reform in the General State Administration (AGE): Improved access to the Public Function and consider the public employee as the main asset. At the local level, update of the Law on Local Regime Bases or the Consolidated Text of the current legal provisions. The minister has expressed the need to improve access to public service, respecting the principles of equality, merit and capacity, "we work on measures to modernize access: requirements, selective processes and rationalization of bodies."
- INAP and IEPP. An Administration at the service of 'good governance' needs agencies that contribute to modernization. They will strengthen the Public Administration Institute (INAP) and the Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (IEPP). "We need a talent acquisition plan that contributes to curbing the aging problem of the General State Administration and the INAP and the IEPP will be our best instruments to move in that direction. With a training and evaluation effort, we will modernize and adapt the systems of access to public employment, in this way all the pieces that will allow us to renew the Administration would be embedded ".
- Good Governance: Transparency and good governance are two fundamental principles on which public management should revolve. "We want good governance," which is substantiated in the legal framework of the current Law on Transparency and Good Governance (2013), which "we will reform, deepening the issues that citizens demand the most", for which the minister requests the support and collaboration of parliamentary forces.
- Open Government: Promotion with the approval of the IV Plan. Spain is a member of the Open Government Alliance, of which 79 countries are part, with the aim of "promoting the values of transparency, accountability, integrity, citizen participation and social and institutional collaboration". The third Plan, concluded in 2019, involves the AGE in promoting the values of transparency and accountability, collaboration and participation, and resulted in 223 actions. "95% of the initiatives and actions have been totally or partially completed." The IV Open Government Plan it will have all public administrations and civil society organizations, "with the objective of being approved by the Open Government Forum in the first half of 2020".
- Equality men-women. A fundamental right and a strategic value in the Administration, that is why measures will be adopted, such as "training itineraries in Equality in the Public Function, support for the reconciliation of personal, family and work life and co-responsibility, removing obstacles that limit the full equality in the development of the professional career and measures for the early detection and comprehensive approach of vulnerable situations in administrations, such as sexual harassment.
- Social and labor inclusion. An inclusive Administration, with opportunities and without leaving anyone behind, especially those who need it most. Integration of people with disabilities in public employment, which has already registered an increase in recent years.
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Muface: The modernization of the organization will continue with the development of the Strategic Plan and the development of another Strategic Plan 2020-2023 will begin, incorporating digitalization.
The minister has highlighted the objective of all these measures that she has presented in the Committee on Territorial Policy and Public Function of the Congress: "Improve and modernize the public function, as an essential instrument of good governance."
The minister has highlighted the objective of all these measures that she has presented in the Committee on Territorial Policy and Public Function of the Congress: "Improve and modernize the public function, as an essential instrument of good governance."
