Macro-Trends in the Performance Management of International Civil Servants and Their Legal Implications

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to explore three performance management trends within international organizations and evaluate their legal implications. It seeks to identify different ways of combining well-settled principles of international civil service law, including the principle of ‘acquired rights’ and the right to appeal, with career systems increasingly focused on promoting meritocracy (the ‘what’), continuous feedback and feedforward (the ‘how’) and people managers (the ‘who’). Drawing on their experi-ences as legal practitioners and on a selection of jurisprudence from international administrative tribunals, the authors attempt to identify the balance between the legal features specific to managing the performance of international civil servants with the demands for accountability and sustainability in the delivery of a public service mission. The goal is not to provide a comprehensive study but rather to foster discussion and contribute to the overall debate on how to enhance the functioning of international organizations whilst allowing them to best achieve their mission. The authors wish for an outcome where this public service mission can emerge strengthened.