Pep Budí, new deputy director of Digital Transformation at the AOC, selected following a professional public management process
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The AOC has appointed Pep Budí as the new Deputy Director of Digital Transformation, after a selection process based on the principles of transparència, merit and capacity. This appointment reinforces the AOC's commitment to professionalized public management to attract talent and aligned with the recommendations of the Commission of Experts for the Transformation of the Administration of the Generalitat de Catalunya (CETRA) and the best practices of the most advanced countries in good governance.
With more than 25 years of experience in the public sector, Pep Budí He defines himself as an intrapreneur and a strong promoter of digital transformation. He has led innovative projects in areas such as digital government, open government and smart cities, with national recognition. He is a computer engineer from the URV and has completed his training with studies in information systems management, data governance, public management, smart cities and innovation strategies.
Until now he was the director of information and communication technologies at the City Council of Tarragona and previously he had been head of new technologies at the City Council of Cambrils. He is part of the advisory committee of the Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia for the deployment of the cybersecurity model in the Local Administration, and collaborates as an external advisor to the Localret Consortium on digital cities.
A key sub-directorate to drive change management in AOC services
The new Digital Transformation sub-directorate will play a key role in defining and executing strategies for deployment, change management, promotion of use and support of AOC services. It will co-lead, coordinate and plan initiatives to drive continuous improvement and innovation, responding to the challenges of Catalan administrations. It will also participate in the Local World Data Space project to ensure that all local entities take advantage of the potential of analytics and artificial intelligence technologies.
A rigorous selection process based on merit and capabilities
The position of deputy director of the AOC is freely designated and the appointment is a discretionary decision of the Management. Inspired by the impetus of the Government of the Generalitat, the recommendations of the Commission of Experts for the definition of the strategy for the transformation of the Administration of the Generalitat of Catalonia and the improvement of public services (CETRA) have been followed, which propose a new model of professional public management comparable to the best European practices. The procedure carried out has been based on the rigorous application of the principles of transparència, equal opportunities, merit, ability, and suitabilityThe key elements of the process have been:
Clear job description: a detailed description of the mission, functions, responsibilities and requirements of the professional profile has been drawn up in terms of the specific training and experience required. Specifically, extensive experience in management positions leading digital transformation projects and in the field of local administration was required. In addition, specialized training in public management and management, project and change management was required. And, also, knowledge of administrative procedures, public procurement and digital productivity tools was necessary.
Definition of the required management skills: based on the 'Dictionary of skills for managerial and command positions of the School of Public Administration of Catalonia', the call has defined the set of key managerial skills for this job. Specifically, a high level has been required in terms of digital strategic vision, commitment to service and organization, flexibility, change management, teamwork and orientation to results and quality.
Establishment of a technical evaluation committeeformed by experts who have been responsible for the impartial evaluation and assessment of the candidacies and tests. It has been made up of four members: two deputy directors of the AOC and two external people with extensive management experience in the public sector. They have carried out the following tasks:
Analysis of candidates' resumes and requirements
Evaluation of management skills by a specialized company with the support of the EAPC, through an evaluation of seven dimensions, motivation at work, leadership capacity, interaction, activity, work style, temperament and ability to subordinate, and practical cases and competency interviews.
Assessment of the digital transformation project presented by each candidacy in the field of digital transformation.
Conducting a structured interview
Proposal to the AOC Management Board the three candidacies that best fit the requirements, profile and skills of the job.
Finally, the AOC Management proposed, in a motivated manner, the appointment of the ideal candidacy, among the three people suitable to carry out the exercise of the functions.
The AOC committed to professional public management
With this appointment, the AOC reaffirms its commitment to:
The professionalization of public management.
Attracting and retaining talent through objective criteria.
Alignment with public service values.
The promotion of a management function capable of leading digital transformation and innovation in Catalan administrations.
Government and entities agree to begin processing the Professional Public Management Law
The Government has approved the preliminary report of the Law on Professional Public ManagementThe general objective of this regulatory initiative is to strengthen the institutional quality and management capacity of the Administration of the Generalitat of Catalonia by promoting a specific model of professional public management oriented towards the exercise of the function with managerial responsibility and the achievement of objectives.
In this sense, the Government considers that the political space must define the strategic objectives and priorities while the professional public management must manage the resources, processes and activities to achieve the objectives efficiently. This model, which follows the recommendations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), must allow the administration of the Generalitat to provide robust governance with a stable, coherent and results-oriented architecture in the management area.
For all of this, the Government is now promoting a specific regulatory framework with these objectives:
Establish an institutional model of stable professional public management, unlinked from exclusively political or civil service logic, which allows for the recognition and structuring of a specific space for the exercise of managerial functions with managerial responsibility and orientation towards the achievement of objectives.
Improve impartiality, transparència and the quality of the selection processes for managerial positions, through homogeneous requirements and objective assessment criteria that guarantee the suitability of the designated profiles.
Increase institutional responsibility and the culture of accountability, associating the exercise of managerial functions with the achievement of measurable results and the periodic evaluation of performance.
Strengthen coherence and organizational rationality within the administrative structure of the Generalitat and its institutional public sector, with a clear classification of management positions, an adequate functional delimitation and a common legal regime that ensures legal certainty.
Consolidate a public management culture oriented towards results, excellence and service to citizens, which allows for strengthening trust in public institutions and their operational leadership capacity.
The new regulations will include:
The legal definition of the figure of the professional public manager.
A clear classification of management positions
The implementation of a specific selection system based on merit, ability, publicity and suitability, through an open and objective procedure.
The creation of an independent qualification committee, as a mechanism for impartial evaluation of candidacies.
The establishment of temporary, time-limited mandates linked to management proposals with quantified and qualifiable objectives.
The incorporation of periodic performance evaluation systems with an impact on continuity and variable remuneration.
The establishment of its own legal regime.
A transitional regime to guarantee institutional continuity until the full deployment of the new model.
