Building leadership in the Kazakh civil service

Leadership development is one of the highest priority areas of human resources (HR) reform in Kazakhstan and in OECD countries. This final chapter analyses how Kazakhstan is developing highly skilled leaders to create a performing civil service and learning culture in public administration. Kazakhstan’s separate HR practices for public leaders (civil servants for Corps A) include a special employment framework with a more centralised and vigorous recruitment process and performance management regime. In addition, like most OECD countries, Kazakhstan has a specific competency framework for its senior civil service (SCS). In this framework, Kazakhstan’s priorities are significantly aligned with those of OECD countries and include strategic thinking, people management, values and ethics. While Kazakhstan does not have specific programmes to recruit or develop young candidates, nor promising employees for SCS positions, it invests in the development of civil servants through special programmes like the Bolashak scholarships.