Table of contents
African Civil Service Observatory (amended 2012)
African Civil Service Observatory (amended 2012)
Copyright Charters of Intergovernmental Organizations Project 2025 — Translated from French
STATUTES OF THE OBSERVATORY OF AFRICAN PUBLIC SERVICES (OFPA)
(Adopted by the 8th Conference of Ministers)
PREAMBLE
The stakeholders of the "Cotonou Initiative," based on the motion of 5 November 1991:
- Reaffirming their commitment to the fundamental principles of the Rule of Law;
- Mindful of the need to enhance the efficiency of their public services;
- Convinced of the value of regional dialogue among African States;
Have agreed to establish an Observatory of African Public Services (hereinafter referred to by the acronym OFPA), which shall operate under the following provisions.
TITLE I. MANDATES AND AREAS OF INTERVENTION
A. Mandates of the OFPA
Article 1
Within the scope of its primary vocation—namely, to contribute to ongoing discourse on the evolving role of the State in light of the imperatives of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, as well as the modernization of the State and public administration, and in strict observance of State sovereignty—the Observatory of African Public Services (OFPA) shall be entrusted with the following mandates:
- To collect, process, and disseminate information concerning the status of African public services, and to establish databases and a documentation repository;
- To identify issues common to African public services and to propose suitable solutions;
- To identify and implement regional programs or projects aimed at enhancing cooperation among public administrations and services, notably with respect to the improvement of public service organization and operations, training, harmonization of civil service statutes, and the valorization of experience and expertise;
- To execute service contracts, study mandates, diagnostic missions, organizational audits, and evaluations of public administrations and civil services;
- To actively participate in the Francophone Public Administration Network (EFAP) and in any other network furthering OFPA’s mission, in order to foster better exchange of information on studies, reforms, and data pertaining to African administrations and civil services;
- To initiate and participate in all support, study, research, and advisory activities relating to governance, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, public administrations, and civil services;
- To produce reports and publish periodicals, monographs, studies, and any other documents that facilitate improved information exchange;
- To strengthen the capacities of public administrations and civil services;
- To contribute to the modernization of the State and African public services with a view to reinforcing the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.
B. Areas of Intervention
Article 2
The competencies of OFPA shall extend, inter alia, to the following domains:
- Human resources and capacity building
- Promotion of social dialogue;
- Adaptation of civil service statutes;
- Recruitment and training;
- Management of public human resources;
- Adoption of information and communication technologies.
- Structures and organization
- Deconcentration;
- Decentralization;
- Internal organization;
- Internal communication;
- Development of standards and organizational methodologies, framework documents for reform, procedural manuals, and job classification frameworks.
- Public service mandates
- Quality of services rendered;
- Relations between public administration and service users;
- External communication;
- Evaluation of public policies.
- Cooperation missions with
- Sub-regional and regional partners;
- International partners;
- The African Union;
- Any network working toward the development and modernization of African administrations.
- Missions of observation, evaluation, and recommendations for corrective action relating to:
- The practice of good governance;
- The practice of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights;
- Compliance with ethical standards;
- The fight against corruption;
- Prevention and management of crises and conflicts in civil services;
- Support to States in difficulty.
TITLE II. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION
Article 3
The following shall be considered members of OFPA:
- African States that have signed the motion for its creation and any other African State wishing to acquire such status, subject to a written request and acceptance of their candidacy by the Conference of Ministers;
- Technical and financial partners who are signatories of the motion establishing OFPA and those who adhere to the present Statutes and whose candidacy is accepted by the Conference of Ministers.
Article 4
The bodies of the OFPA shall comprise Permanent Bodies and Non-Permanent Bodies.
A – Permanent Bodies
The Permanent Bodies are:
- The Conference of Ministers;
- The Executive Secretariat.
Chapter I. The Conference of Ministers
Section 1. Composition and Organization
Article 5
The Conference of Ministers shall constitute the principal body for political guidance and decision-making within the OFPA.
It shall be composed of:
- All Ministers responsible for the Civil Service in the Member States, or their duly authorized representatives;
- May be invited as observers, when their portfolios are distinct from that of the civil service, Ministers in charge of:
- Administrative Reform or State Reform;
- Governance;
- Public Administration;
- Labour;
- Representatives of technical and financial partners.
Ministers responsible for the Civil Service and representatives of the technical partners may be accompanied by experts of their choosing during the meetings and sessions of the Conference.
Article 6
The organs of the Conference shall consist of:
- The Acting President of the Conference of Ministers;
- The Bureau of the Conference of Ministers;
- The Presidium of the Conference of Ministers.
Article 7
The Acting President of the Conference of Ministers shall be the Minister responsible for the Civil Service of the country hosting the ordinary session of the Conference.
He or she shall remain in office until the opening of the next ordinary session of the Conference.
Article 8
The Bureau of the Conference of Ministers, a permanent body operating between two sessions of the Conference, shall be composed of:
- President: The Acting President of the Conference of Ministers;
- First Vice-President: The Minister responsible for the Civil Service of the country where the Institution's headquarters is located;
- Second Vice-President: The Minister responsible for the Civil Service of the country designated to host the forthcoming ordinary session;
- Third Vice-President: The Minister responsible for the Civil Service of the country designated to host the session following the one mentioned under point c above.
Article 9
The Presidium of the Conference of Ministers shall be established to preside over the proceedings of the ordinary session of the Conference.
It shall be composed of:
- The Bureau of the Conference of Ministers;
- The General Rapporteur of the session, who shall be the Second Vice-President of the Conference of Ministers, i.e., the Minister of the country responsible for organizing the next Conference;
- The Executive Secretary, who shall act as secretary of the Conference proceedings;
- The Deputy General Rapporteur, who shall be an expert from the country hosting the Conference of Ministers.
Section 2. Functioning
Article 10
The Conference of Ministers shall convene in either ordinary or extraordinary sessions.
Article 11
The ordinary session of the Conference of Ministers shall be held once per year to deliberate on all matters relating to the strategic orientations and budget of the Institution, which it shall adopt.
Article 12
At the opening of each ordinary session, the newly acting President shall verify and submit for approval the updated composition of the Bureau of the Conference.
If the country scheduled to host the ordinary session is unable to do so, it shall be replaced by the next country in alphabetical order or, failing that, by any country willing to host said session.
The ordinary session shall be held in plenary and in camera.
The in camera session shall be restricted to Ministers in charge of the civil service and any duly authorized representative.
The Presidium of the ordinary session shall determine which matters are to be placed on the agenda of the in camera session.
Article 13
An extraordinary session of the Conference of Ministers may be convened in a member country on a specific agenda, either by the Acting President after consultation with the Bureau of the Conference, or at the request of one-third (1/3) of the Ministers present at the previous Conference.
Article 14
The extraordinary session of the Conference shall address specific issues, particularly the amendment of the statutes and the appointment of heads of the governing bodies.
Article 15
Every session of the Conference of Ministers shall be preceded by a meeting of Experts, with no more than three (3) per country.
Article 16
Experts shall meet to examine the dossiers prepared by the Executive Secretariat to be submitted to the Conference.
The Executive Secretary shall participate in the proceedings of the Experts' meeting.
The Experts shall designate from among themselves a rapporteur or may assign this responsibility to the Executive Secretary.
Article 17
- The Statutes of the OFPA may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Ministers responsible for the Civil Service who are present at the ordinary or extraordinary session of the Conference of Ministers;
- The Executive Secretary shall be appointed by a simple majority vote of the Ministers responsible for the Civil Service present at the ordinary or extraordinary session of the Conference of Ministers;
- Decisions concerning matters other than the amendment of the Statutes of the OFPA, duly included on the Conference agenda, shall be adopted by a simple majority of members present.
Section 3. Mandates and Powers
Article 18
The Conference of Ministers shall:
- determine the strategic orientations of the OFPA;
- define its policy and take the necessary decisions for its implementation;
- set the contribution rate of the OFPA Member States;
- adopt the triennial strategic orientation plan and the annual action plan;
- amend statutory provisions at the request of the Bureau of the Conference of Ministers or one-third of the Member States current with their contributions;
- decide on the admission of any new member to the OFPA;
- select and propose for appointment the Executive Secretary, in accordance with the applicable procedure;
- adopt the budget for the upcoming fiscal year after review and approval by the Bureau of the Conference;
- approve the administrative and financial accounts;
- review and approve the activity reports of the Executive Secretary;
- and may, at its discretion, consider any matter pertaining to the purpose of the OFPA.
Each member of the Conference of Ministers is entrusted with a mission to promote and raise awareness of the various OFPA networks and to promote the Institution.
Article 19
The President-in-Office of the Conference of Ministers is the political, administrative, and moral authority of the OFPA. As such:
- he appoints the Executive Secretary selected by the Conference, as well as the Directors;
- he takes any initiatives necessary to safeguard the Institution's interests and provides the Executive Secretary with all directives required to ensure the proper preparation and conduct of the Conference sessions, as well as the follow-up of its decisions.
Chapter 2. The Executive Secretariat
Section 1. Powers and Appointment of the Executive Secretariat
Article 20
The administration of the OFPA is carried out by an Executive Secretariat headed by an Executive Secretary.
Article 21
The Executive Secretary shall be recruited from among African professionals with at least the rank of Administrator or equivalent, possessing substantial professional experience in their national civil service and a proven reputation in one of the OFPA’s areas of operation.
The candidate may be an active or retired civil servant, or any other State agent who meets the qualifications and standards listed above.
The candidate must be a national of a Member State other than the host country of the OFPA headquarters. He or she holds expatriate staff status and enjoys all related entitlements.
The application must be submitted to the President-in-Office of the Conference of Ministers by the Minister in charge of Public Service of the candidate’s country.
Article 22
The mandate of the Executive Secretary shall be three (03) years, renewable once. Should the incumbent wish to seek a second term, he or she must inform the President of the Conference fifteen (15) months before the expiration of the current term. The President, after consulting the Bureau of the Conference, shall shortlist the candidacy to be submitted to the Conference of Ministers.
Article 23
One (01) year before the expiration of the Executive Secretary’s term, if that term is not renewable, the President-in-Office of the Conference of Ministers shall declare the post vacant, issue a call for applications, and specify the recruitment procedures.
Article 24
Based on the outcome of the call for applications, the Executive Secretary shall be selected by the Conference of Ministers meeting in ordinary or extraordinary session, by a majority vote of the Ministers in charge of Public Service who are present.
Article 25
The handover between the outgoing and incoming Executive Secretaries shall occur within thirty (30) days following the Conference of Ministers during which the new Executive Secretary was appointed.
The handover shall take place in the presence and under the authority of the President-in-Office of the Conference or one of the Vice-Presidents delegated by him.
Article 26
Where the call for applications has proven unsuccessful or where, for various reasons, no such procedure took place, the President of the Conference, in agreement with the First Vice-President, shall organize the interim management of the Executive Secretariat.
The same applies when the post of Executive Secretary is vacated for any other reason.
Article 27
The Executive Secretary is the principal officer responsible for implementing the strategic orientations, decisions, and instructions of the Conference of Ministers.
He manages the Executive Secretariat of the Institution, executes the Organization’s budget, coordinates the expert network, and acts as secretary to the Conference of Ministers.
In addition, he has a general mandate of representation by delegation from the President of the Conference.
Article 28
The Executive Secretary may not engage in any private consulting or expert activity.
Section 2. Organization and Functioning
Article 29
The Executive Secretariat consists of:
- the Directorate of Projects and Operations (DPO);
- the Directorate of Research and Publications (DRP);
- the Directorate of General Services and Logistics (DGSL).
Article 30
The directorates are managed by Directors who operate under the authority of the Executive Secretary.
Article 31
The Directorate of Projects and Operations (DPO) is responsible for the design and management of studies and project activities.
In this capacity, it is tasked with:
- identifying, designing, and monitoring projects;
- researching and launching study topics;
- designing and organizing seminars, symposia, and training activities;
- implementing and monitoring tools for reform, modernization, and performance improvement in public administrations;
- providing institutional support to Member States upon request;
- cooperating with training institutions in all Member States.
Article 32
The Director of Projects and Operations (DPO) must be a national of one of the OFPA Member States.
He must be, or have been, a civil servant at the rank of Administrator or equivalent, with thorough knowledge of public service regulations and proven experience in human resources management.
He must also have demonstrated expertise in consulting, project management, research activities, training engineering, and monitoring and evaluation.
Article 33
The Director of Projects and Operations (DPO) holds expatriate staff status and benefits from all related entitlements.
The position is filled through a call for applications.
Article 34
The Directorate of Research and Publications (DRP) is responsible for the design and management of research and publication activities.
To this end, it is tasked with:
- Research on Public Administration and the Civil Service, including:
- streamlining of organizational structures;
- work organization;
- staff motivation;
- remuneration, disciplinary regime, social protection, and pension systems in public services;
- Applied research on:
- good governance;
- capacity building;
- social dialogue, social mediation, and public service restructuring plans;
- draft charter for African civil services;
- the new role of the State: public/private/civil society/decentralized local government partnerships;
- Collection and analysis of statistical data;
- Publications, including:
- annual report on African civil services;
- publication of periodicals, compilations of texts, monographs, and statistical yearbooks;
- Physical and digital archiving, including:
- documentation;
- various modern information media.
Article 35
The Director of Research and Publications (DRP) must be a national of one of the OFPA Member States.
He or she must be, or must have been, a civil servant in the Administrator grade or equivalent, with thorough knowledge of public service regulations and expertise in information and documentation science and technology.
He or she must have experience in research, database use, and publishing, along with proficiency in advanced word processing software.
Article 36
The Director of Research and Publications (DRP) holds expatriate staff status and benefits from all related entitlements.
The position is filled through a call for applications.
Article 37
The Directorate of General Services and Logistics (DGSL) is responsible for the management and administration of the Institution’s resources.
To this end, it is in charge of:
- General administration, including:
- implementation of applicable regulations;
- support in organizing missions, seminars, and other events;
- Financial and accounting management, including:
- budget preparation and preparation of financial statements;
- monitoring budget execution;
- bookkeeping and inventory management;
- management and maintenance of the Institution’s infrastructure;
- logistics for activities;
- Human resources management, including:
- management of staff (both expatriate and local);
- social protection.
Article 38
The Director of General Services and Logistics (DGSL) must be a national of one of the OFPA Member States.
He or she must be, or must have been, a civil servant in the Administrator grade or equivalent, with knowledge of the public service and experience in financial and accounting management. He or she must also possess sound knowledge of human resources and logistics management.
Article 39
The Director of General Services and Logistics (DGSL) holds expatriate staff status and benefits from all related entitlements.
The position is filled through a call for applications.
Article 40
Each technical directorate of the Executive Secretariat is subdivided into departments, the number of which depends on the nature of the activities to be carried out.
C. Non-Permanent Bodies
These are the external bodies of OFPA. They include:
- oversight bodies;
- the Scientific Committee.
Chapter 3. Oversight Bodies
Article 41
The oversight bodies are appointed by the Conference of Ministers and report exclusively to that supreme body. They consist of:
- the Financial Controller;
- the Auditor;
- the Auditors.
Financial Controller. Article 42
A Financial Controller is established within the OFPA. The status and duties of the Financial Controller are defined in the OFPA Financial Regulations.
Auditor. Article 43
The Auditor shall prepare an annual audit report on the accounting and financial operations of OFPA and present it at the meeting of the Conference of Ministers.
The status and duties of the Auditor are defined in the OFPA Financial Regulations.
Audit. Article 44
An audit of OFPA shall be conducted, on average, every three (03) years, by one or more Auditors recruited by the President-in-Office of the Conference of Ministers, following an international call for applications among Member States that are current with their contributions.
Chapter 4. The Scientific Committee
Article 45
The Scientific Committee is an advisory body attached to the Conference of Ministers. It may only be convened by the President-in-Office of the Conference of Ministers, who appoints its members based on proposals by the Executive Secretary.
Members are selected for their contributions—particularly intellectual—as well as the support and opportunities they may offer to OFPA.
Without limitation, members may include:
- Ministers responsible for sectors other than the Civil Service, appointed intuitu personae as experts;
- former Ministers, notably of the Civil Service;
- high-level experts and researchers;
- international organizations;
- technical and financial partners or their experts.
The following may also be members of the Scientific Committee:
- former Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Conference of Ministers;
- former Chairpersons of the Board of Directors;
- former Permanent or Executive Secretaries of OFPA;
- the current Executive Secretary;
- Directors-General of the Civil Service of OFPA Member States.
The Scientific Committee shall be composed in such a way as to ensure balanced coverage of the five main areas of OFPA’s mandate:
- human resources and capacity building;
- organizational structures;
- public service missions;
- cooperation missions;
- monitoring and evaluation missions.
The function of Scientific Committee member is unpaid. Members are, where necessary, entitled to reimbursement of international travel and accommodation expenses.
Article 46
The Scientific Committee, among other tasks:
- may initiate high-level reflection on African public administrations in general, and on the objectives and missions of OFPA in particular;
- gives opinions, upon request by the President-in-Office of the Conference of Ministers, on matters submitted to it;
- makes recommendations to the President-in-Office of the Conference of Ministers regarding strategies to be pursued for promoting OFPA;
- acts as the editorial board for OFPA publications;
- adopts its own Rules of Procedure.
TITLE III. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Article 47
OFPA is a regional intergovernmental institution endowed with legal personality. As such, it possesses full legal capacity.
The headquarters of OFPA is located in Cotonou, Republic of Benin. A Headquarters Agreement governs the relations between the Republic of Benin and OFPA.
This Headquarters Agreement sets out the tax regime and various immunities enjoyed by OFPA.
Article 48
For its operations, and in addition to its staff holding expatriate status, OFPA makes use of personnel who are either locally recruited or seconded by the Civil Service of the host country, in accordance with the positions provided for in the institution’s organizational framework.
Article 49
OFPA personnel are remunerated based on the pay scale that defines the institution’s grades, positions, functions, and salaries.
As for seconded personnel, they receive, at the expense of OFPA, indemnity-related benefits tied to their position, in addition to their base salary and related entitlements, which remain the responsibility of their parent administration.
Article 50
The Conference of Ministers, duly convened by its President, may pronounce the dissolution of OFPA.
In such a case, the matter may only be validly deliberated upon at the request of two-thirds (2/3) of the Member States that are up to date with their financial contributions and are represented.
In the event of dissolution, the President of the Conference of Ministers shall oversee the liquidation of OFPA's assets, which shall be allocated in accordance with the decision of the Conference.
An ad hoc committee shall assist the Executive Secretary in this process. The committee shall comprise:
- one representative of the host State;
- two representatives of the technical and financial partners;
- two representatives of Member States that are up to date with their contributions;
- the Financial Controller.
Article 51
The Conference of Ministers shall decide on any amendments to the statutory provisions.
A qualified majority of two-thirds (2/3) of the representatives of Member States present at the Conference of Ministers is required for any amendment to the Statutes.
Article 52
Any application for membership in OFPA shall be addressed to the President of the Conference of Ministers, who shall forward it to the Executive Secretary.
Where necessary, certain States may commit to ratifying these Statutes if required to do so by their national constitutional, legislative, or regulatory provisions.
Article 53
The French language is the working language of OFPA.
However, the proceedings of the Conference of Ministers shall be translated into the languages of non-Francophone States that are represented at its meetings.
Article 54
These Statutes shall enter into force upon their adoption by the Conference of Ministers.
Done at Bissau, on 24 February 2012