State Chancellery director contest draws 18 applications

Latvia’s open competition for director of the State Chancellery, the government institution, has received 18 applications, LSM reported, citing the State Chancellery.

Candidates could apply until Wednesday, August 19. The selection process will take place in three stages.

First, the commission will assess the submitted documents and whether candidates meet the education and experience requirements. Those who advance will explain their motivation, answer questions and present their vision for the future development of public administration and public administration human resources policy, including the main challenges and priorities.

The final stage will assess candidates’ leadership competencies, including strategic vision, decision-making and responsibility, focus on achieving results, change management and team leadership.

At the end of the competition, the candidate or candidates receiving the highest evaluations will be recommended to the prime minister for nomination to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval. The State Chancellery director is appointed for a five-year term.

The evaluation commission is chaired by Justice Ministry State Secretary Mihails Papsujevičs. Its members include Finance Ministry State Secretary Baiba Bāne; Inese Gailīte, acting director of the State Chancellery, deputy director for legal affairs and head of the Legal Department; State Security Service chief Normunds Mežviets; and Foreign Ministry State Secretary Andžejs Viļumsons.

Background

The State Chancellery announced a repeat competition for the director’s post in early August, substantially reducing the requirements, according to a notice in the official publication Latvijas Vēstnesis.

Previously, candidates were required to have a master’s degree, preferably in law or management. In the repeat competition, a higher academic degree or second-level professional higher education is sufficient, while a master’s degree is listed only as desirable. The requirements for management experience were also reduced.

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs of the United List had previously been unable to find a suitable candidate outside the competition. In late June, Latvia’s parliament, the Saeima, amended the State Civil Service Law to allow agency heads to be appointed without an open competition in certain cases. The amendments also allow the prime minister to appoint the head of the State Chancellery without a competition.