Civil Service of the Kingdom of Italy

The Civil Service of the Kingdom of Italy, formally the Civil Service of the Duce (Italian: Servizio Civile del Duce) is the set of officials and employees working for the Italian government.

Not all employees of the State and public institutions or corporations are civil servants. For instance, most employees of State-owned enterprises are not civil servants. The Civil Service is also sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Public Administration, but, properly speaking, the Public Administration is the complex of employees and their activities carried out by the State-

The State civilian careers are reserved for certain categories of people possessing some minimum requirements: Italian citizenship or nationality or Colonial Citizenship (for some administrations), age not less than 18 years and not more than 32 (unless exempted), good conduct, political reliability and physical fitness for employment.

Those who have been expelled from the National Fascist Party and those who have been dismissed or laid off from Public Administration do not have access to employment. The recruitment to employment is carried out by public competitive examination for entry grades. The competition is organized by the Minister to be published in the Official Gazette.

Divisions

The Civil Service is divided into:

• the central civil service (overseen by the relevant Ministry and recruited under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Administration);
• the judiciary (overseen and recruited by the Ministry of Grace and Justice);
• the civil service of public hospitals (overseen by the Ministry of Health and partly recruited under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Administration);

Concepts of both Public Administration and Civil Service do not include the militar nor the P.N.F. personnel.

Corps and ranks

Civil servants of the State are divided into corps (administration), which may themselves be divided into ranks (grades) (called classes in certain corps). Corps are grouped in 4 categories named A to D, in decreasing order of educational knowledge theoretically required. Generally, to avoid rank inflation, the number of civil servants in the higher ranks is constrained by a maximal percentage of the total number of civil servants of the corps. Each corps has a set of possible job or task descriptions and may have its own particular statutes.

Hierarchy

The administrative hierarchy is the legal relationship between a higher-level body and a subordinate body.

Among the relationships between a plurality of bodies, the hierarchy has the highest degree of intensity: the body in position of supremacy is recognized a number of specific powers, such as the power to give orders and be subject to the control of the subordinate body, to revoke the inappropriate acts may be adopted by this, to delegate the exercise of functions, withdraw powers.

The hierarchy is expressed also in the ability to exercise real powers of substitution in the case of inertia organ subordinate. The administrative hierarchy acts, moreover, as principle of distribution of powers within the administrative organization. It is a typical feature of the ministerial bureaucracy.

The hierarchy also finds application in the system of administrative protection: there is, in fact, the possibility of appeal to a higher authority hierarchical body that has adopted an administrative act. That action, possible precisely because of the position of supremacy, it is recognized to the recipient of the administrative act that is considered spoiled, which can request its annulment, both for reasons of legitimacy and merit.

Organization of public services

The careers of civil servants in state administrations are divided into four groups:

• Group A: directive careers (officials);
• Group B: concept careers;
• Group C: executive careers;
• Group D: auxiliary personnel careers

Officials career

The officials career (A Group) is the top echelon of the Public Administration, and as a whole they retain a managerial responsibility. As a rule, the higher the rank, the wider the autonomy; however, specific tasks can vary according the specific rank and assignment.

High-level administrative positions are typically paid much less than the equivalent positions in private industries; occasionally, people from a ministry supervising some industry would later go to work in that same industry. The cozyness between some industrial, political and administrative circles is sometimes frowned upon and denounced. Members of the administrative corps are well represented in politics; this is facilitated by civil servants (of any level) being able to exercise elected office on a temporary leave from government.

The Directors-General perform the functions that are directly attributed to them by laws and regulations and act in matters delegated to them by the Minister. They assist the Minister in the performance of administrative and propose to the Minister the general measures in the areas of competence. The Directors General, finally, the head office activities, ensuring its consistency with the public interest and the best possible operation. In their capacity as heads of their administrative branches, they enact directly the mandatory acts and provide the penultimate end to hierarchical recourse.

Inspectors General, in accordance with the directives of the Minister and the competent Director General, oversee the bodies and offices of their Directorate General through inspections and other means permitted by law. After completing the required inspections, they report the results of inspections or investigations entrusted to them, pointing out all the deficiencies noted and formulating proposals on the measures to be taken. In urgent cases they may take some administrative measures, and may receive special assignments or positions of substitution. Finally, the inspectors general may be responsible for particularly important individual offices of the central and peripheral Public Administration.

Personnel in the ranks of Sectional Director and Divisional Director carries out legislation, coordination, propulsion and control activities. They take care of the technical-scientific organization of the work of offices and services. They look forward to the tasks of study and research, and participate in collegial bodies, commissions or committees operating within the Administration. They are generally responsible for the management of the various branches of the central and peripheral organs.

Councillors collaborate with superiors within the services which they are assigned to. They prepare bureaucratic practices assigned to them and report about them to their supervisors; finally, they notify those concerned of the action taken by the Administration and issue certifications. During the period of overall stay on ranks of Councillor, the personnel must be assigned at least to three different areas of activity. This requirement is necessary for the purpose of promotion to Sectional Director.

The Officials careers of State Administration include the following ranks:

• Rank IV: Director General (Dirigente Generale) or equivalent;
• Rank V: Inspector General (Ispettore Generale) or equivalent;
• Rank VI: Sectional Director (Direttore di Sezione) or equivalent;
• Rank VII: Deputy Sectional Director (Vice Direttore di Sezione) or equivalent;
• Rank VIII: Councillor 1st Class (Consigliere di Prima Classe) or equivalent;
• Rank IX: Councillor 2nd Class (Consigliere di Seconda Classe) or equivalent;
• Rank X: Councillor 3rd Class (Consigliere di Terza Classe) or equivalent;
• Rank XI: Councillor 4th Class (Consigliere di Quarta Classe) or equivalent.

Ranks above the Director General enjoy of their own regulations.

All Officials Careers have as a minimum requirement the four-year degree. Careers of directive personnel for access to which is required to hold at least five-year graduation or other degree followed by university specialization courses, begin from the rank of Councillor of 2nd class or equivalent; careers which require an university-level education, begin from the rank of Councillor 4th Class or equivalent while on training.

Direttore Generale and Dirigente Generale

Although both translated in English as "Director General", the title of "Direttore Generale" is clearly distinct from "Dirigente Generale"; the former is a title related to the position (usually the highest official) in an administration (e.g. Director General of a Ministry Directorate or of the administrative services of a Municipality and so on), while the latter is merely a rank of the civil service.

Concept careers

The concept careers personnel (B Group) performs tasks of administrative, accounting and technical support as senior clerks. In carrying out their duties, they are responsible for the proper implementation of laws and regulations. The concept careers include the following ranks:

• Rank VI: Chief Secretary (Segretario Capo) or equivalent;
• Rank VII: Principal Secretary (Segretario Principale) or equivalent;
• Rank VIII: First Secretary (Primo Segretario) or equivalent;
• Rank IX: Secretary (Segretario) or equivalent;
• Rank X: Additional Secretary (Segretario Aggiunto) or equivalent;
• Rank XI: Deputy Secretary (Vicesegretario) or equivalent.

The appointment as Deputy Secretary is achieved through public competitive examination for which they are eligible to participate in the Italian citizens bearing high school diploma. It is to note that Rank VI (B Group) is subordinate to all A-Group Ranks but the A-Group Rank XI (Councillor 4th Class or equivalent).

Executive careers

The executive careers personnel (C Group) is in charge of keeping records, headings and the protocol, in order to ensure preservation of the section records, performs tasks of accounting and statistics. Lastly, the contacts with the public and can be used for other tasks, if service requirements dictate it. The executive careers include the following ranks:

• Rank VIII: Higher Archivist (Archivista Superiore) or equivalent;
• Rank IX: Chief Archivist (Archivista Capo) or equivalent;
• Rank X: First Archivist (Primo Archivista) or equivalent;
• Rank XI: Archivist (Archivista) or equivalent;
• Rank XII Applied (Applicato) or equivalent;
• Rank XIII: Additional Applied (Applicato Aggiunto) or equivalent.

It is to note that Rank VIII (C Group) is subordinate to all A-Group and B-Group Ranks but the A-Group Rank XI (Councillor 4th Class or equivalent). The Public Security Administration, alongside with Royal Police Corps and Royal Carabinieri troops, employs some civilian C-group personnel, in order to keep archives, databases and records, as well as deal with the administrative and routine clerk work which does not involve public security-related decision-making.

Auxiliary careers

The auxiliary personnel careers (D-Group) are those careers which are tasked with general or technical support to the administrative action of the Public Administration which employs them. The general support includes rooms general cleaning and low-profile maintenance, as well as non-specialistic technical maintenance, file and material transport, access surveillance and antechamber service; on the other hand, the technical support includes specialistic technical maintenance (usually for vehicles and other high-value instruments). The fatigue work are performed by the two lowest ranks. The auxiliary personnel careers include the following ranks:

• Rank X: First Clerk (Primo Commesso) or Chief Technical Agent (Agente Tecnico Capo) or equivalent;
• Rank XI: Chief Clerk (Commesso Capo) or Technical Agent (Agente Tecnico) or equivalent;
• Rank XII: Clerk (Commesso) or equivalent;
• Rank XIII: Chief Usher (Usciere Capo) or equivalent;
• Rank XIV: Usher (Usciere) or equivalent;
• Rank XV: Janitor (Inserviente) or equivalent.

It is to note that Rank X (D Group) is subordinate to all A-Group, B-Group and C-Group Ranks but the A-Group Rank XI (Councillor 4th Class or equivalent).

Civil service uniform

All civilian employees of the ministries (of all ranks) must wear the appropriate uniform. The ordinary uniform consists of black trousers, black jacket and black tie, with a white shirt. A black cap (with the white top for summer uniforms) is also worn. On the left breast, a special pin is worn in order to show the individual's own rank.

A governmental uniform's distinctive feature is the ministerial Eagle as cap frieze. The Eagle is in different materials and colours for the different categories and is located above a cloth bearing the colour of the relevant Ministry. The ministerial Eagles are with curved wings, as if they were inscripted in an oval. They are placed on a relatively short Fasces with a central blade facing down. Finally, the Eagle's head is turned to the left.

Duties

Civil servants have duties; failure to carry them out may result in disciplinary action, up to discharge. The main duties are:

• Hierarchical obedience: A civil servant must accomplish the orders given by his hierarchical superior, unless those orders are evidently illegal and seriously contrary to public interest.
• Full commitment to professional activity: a civil servant must devote his full professional activity to his appointed task. By exception, a civil servant may in addition to his regular activities write books; he may also accomplish certain tasks (especially teaching...) with the permission of his hierarchical superior.
• Morality: one cannot be a civil servant if one has been convicted of a crime incompatible with one's functions. In some cases, certain aspects of the private life of a civil servant may be termed incompatible with his functions. For instance, it is inappropriate for a member of the police or the judiciary to live with a delinquent partner or a prostitute. Appreciation of what is appropriate or not is largely a matter of case law.
• Political Alignment: a civil servant must be in line with political requirements of full loyality to the Fascist regime. A civil servant must not, by his actions and especially by his declarations, cause harm to institutions nor to the Fascist dominance. Generally speaking, a civil servant must always refrain from enunciating personal opinions in a manner that can be construed as expressing the official opinion of the government or a public institution, especially if these opinions counterdict the official line. The academic freedom of university professors is a principle partly recognized by law, but they face considerable limits.
• Professional discretion: Civil servants must not reveal private or secret information that they have gained in the course of their duties. Depending on a civil servant's corps, this obligation may be of varying intensity.
• Integrity: Civil servants must not use the means at their professional disposal for private gain.

Recruitment and career

As an exception to the general rules concerning workers, civil servants do not sign contracts; their situation is defined by statutory and regulatory dispositions, most notably the General Statute of the Civil Servants. The general rule is that civil servants are recruited through competitive exams, either:

• external, reserved to competitors fulfilling certain conditions of diplomas and age;
• internal, reserved to civil servants in certain positions;
• external, reserved to competitors having certain professional experience and age.

The most common method is to organize written and/or oral exams in subjects pertaining to the tasks to be accomplished. In all cases, a committee ranks candidates by order of preference; the positions are filled by the candidates accepting them called in that order of preference. For managerial positions, nominations are at the discretion of the government.
High level nominations are made by the Duce. The rest are by the head of the agency they belong to, or by a minister; in fact, they are in general appointed by some person who has received from the head of agency or minister the authority to do so.

Pay

The pay of a civil servant is composed of:

• a base pay known as traitement
• possible overtime pay
• possible bonuses, which depend on the particular job assignment and possibly of the individual worker.

The treatment is for most civil servants fixed by multiply an index by the value of the index point in Liras. The value of the index point is set by the executive and is raised regularly to compensate for inflation. The index depends on the corps, rank and seniority in rank.

Ministry of Public Administration

The Ministry of Public Administration (Ministero della Pubblica Amministrazione) coordinates activities relating to the organization and functioning of public administrations and in the field of employment in public administrations.

In particular, the Ministry carries out tasks relating to the analysis of staff needs and planning of recruitments in public administrations, the legal status, the economic and social security of staff, monitoring of the absence of public employees, training concerning public administrations, general assessment, monitoring of public administration assessment systems. The Ministry also monitors and verifies the implementation of public administration reforms and carries out research and monitoring activities,

The Minister directs the organization and functioning of the Ministry and responds to his activity and the results achieved. The Minister is assisted by a Secretariat to support the carrying out of current activities.

Organization

The Ministry is divided into six Directorates General and the Inspectorate for the public administration.

• Directorate General for General Affairs;
• Directorate General for Innovation;
• Directorate General for organization and public work;
• Directorate General for Performance Evaluation;
• Directorate General for administrative management;
• Central Office for Communication;
• Inspectorate for the public administration.

Directorate General for General Affairs

The Directorate General for General Affairs takes care of the general relative issues of the Ministry, manages relations with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, with the Office for internal control and coordination of the activities of the offices in matters of transparency and prevention of the corruption, strategic and operational planning, assessment of managers; preparation of the annual report to the Parliament on the state of public administration; support to the supervisory functions on bodies, delegated to the Minister or assigned to the Department, in collaboration with the offices of the Department responsible for the matter.
In particular, the Directorate General for General Affairs of the Ministry of the Public Administration closely cooperates with the Directorate General for the General Affairs and Civlian Personnel of the Ministry of Interior and with the Directorate General for the Administrative coordination of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Central Office for Communication

The Central Office for Communication deals with propaganda activities, takes care of the press review and of the video-photographic documentation on the institutional activities of the Ministry, designs and implements integrated communication campaigns and promotional initiatives and provides organizational support for events and events useful to promote the activities of the Ministry.

See also

• Government of the Kingdom of Italy