Frequently Asked Questions

The Civil Service Reform

The Civil Service Reform is an initiative of the Government of Puerto Rico that focuses on transforming the public servant experience, supporting them in their professional growth in a transparent and continuous manner, in order to create a government that provides services of excellence and quality.
Designing and implementing a reform in over 60 central government agencies at the same time is very difficult. The Public Service Reform Pilot was established to validate the models that will be used for the implementation of the Reform in the central government. In other words, our success in the Pilot will help expand the Reform to the rest of the agencies.
The Civil Service Reform Pilot focuses on the government’s finance, budget, information technology, and central accounting functions that are managed by the Department of the Treasury (Hacienda) and the Office of Management and Budget (OGP).
As part of the Pilot, we will:
  1. Evaluate the organizational structures of the agencies participating in the Pilot so that they are aligned with the vision and future objectives of the government.
  2. Review compensation to ensure uniformity and competitive salaries.
  3. Modernize and digitize the recruitment process to attract and retain talent in the government.
  4. Design an employee evaluation system to support the development of skills and competencies to promote professional growth and advancement.
The pilot includes the following areas of Hacienda: Economic and Financial Affairs, Information Technology, Central Accounting and Treasury. The pilot also includes the following areas of OGP: Budget Directorate, Public Management Directorate, Information Technology (ATI) and Fiscal Compliance.
The Civil Service Reform seeks to provide each employee with the tools and opportunities for professional development throughout their career and whatever they obtain, in addition to the necessary skills to perform the responsibilities of their role with excellence and thus offer the residents of Puerto Rico quality services.
Uniform system that establishes salary scales to remunerate career and trust employees in the central government.
Pending government compliance with the implementation requirements established in the 2022 Certified Fiscal Plan, the Uniform Job Classification and Remuneration Plan for career employees of the Central Government will come in effect in January 2023.
We have completed the first phase of the CSR Pilot in the agencies. Once the organizational changes and salary adjustments are completed, we will continue with the implementation of the other components of the Reform, represented below in this image. The CSR Pilot is estimated to be completed in June 2022.

To read more about the Reform, you can refer to the website here. To read more about the methodology of organizational changes and salary adjustments, you can refer to the essay here.

Organizational Changes and Salary Adjustments

It is important to continually update the way agencies and their workforces operate to ensure that their structures are aligned with the skills of their employees and with the future vision of government. In addition, it is important to ensure that each employee has a competitive salary, depending on the type of position held in the agency.
The changes in the organizational structure are intended to improve the functioning of the areas through new approaches and modern practices, to develop a government culture aimed at results and efficient service. Similarly, the proposed new organizational structures will allow the pilot agencies to evolve and adapt their operations to the emerging demands of the citizens.

The main objective of the salary adjustments of the Reform is to ensure that every employee receives a competitive salary and that there is salary equity within each agency. It is important to clarify that the Reform does not reduce salaries. Using public and private labor market data, we can ensure that government salaries are competitive and equitable for all positions.

With the compensation analysis, each pilot employee was assigned a new job classification using the Uniform Classification Plan developed by OATRH, which is now available on the agency’s website. Each job specification was reviewed and compared to job descriptions in surveys with compensation information of all industries in the Puerto Rico labor market.

The adjustment for pilot employees was made as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the new job classification and the corresponding market rate for the job. Employees who are part of the CSR Pilot within Hacienda and OGP who earn a salary below the competitive benchmark received a salary adjustment.
Employees who are part of the Civil Service Reform Pilot received a communication from their agency’s Human Resources Department with the new classification and salary adjustment information the week of April 12, 2022.
First, it is recommended to go to the Human Resources (HR) department. HR can support you in presenting your case to the Review Committee to make a decision on the appeal. If the employee does not agree with this decision, then they can appeal to the Public Service Appeals Commission (CASP).
Human Resources within your agencies will be the primary point of contact with any questions or concerns regarding salary and organizational changes.

To read more about the Reform, you can refer to the website here. To read more about the methodology used for organizational changes and salary adjustments, you can refer here.