Core Values

Civil servants shall be guided in the discharge of their duties and professional conduct by a framework of values relevant to the Civil Service.

These core values are the centerpiece of the development and implementation of human resources programs and services. They are:

  1. Service – The effectiveness of Government is often measured by the quality of its service to the people. The civil servant must, therefore, accept this principle as his/her primary responsibility and motivation. Being a civil servant is a privilege, not a right. The service is citizen-centered.

Anticipation, understanding, and response in a timely manner help bring about effective and efficient service delivery to the people. Feedback is welcomed and can be relied on to help identify improvements in the management of human resources.

  1. Competence – Effective and efficient service delivery is largely dependent upon knowledge, skills, and experience. As such, continuous capacity building and human resources development shall be important elements of the Service.
  2. Integrity – Activities of the Service shall at all times be characterized by honor, respect, and justice. Fundamental to this Service will be respected for the dignity of every member of the populace and professional impartiality to all persons being provided public service.
  3. Transparency and Accountability – Public resources belong to the people of Liberia. Civil servants are stewards, caretakers, and agents of the people. Civil servants, therefore, have a moral and legal responsibility to the people to be transparent and accountable in the use of public resources.

Transparency refers to clear and accessible service delivery that is free from deceit and encompasses the principles of access to information embodied in the Freedom of Information Act.

  1. Independence – In keeping with the law as outlined in the Civil Service

Act of 1973, freedom to think and work without undue influence from politics is a distinctive feature of the service. The Service will be depoliticized as employment is not based on partisanship. It is therefore important that civil servants be protected from undue political influence in appointments and in the discharge of their duties at all times.

  1. Merit – The principle of merit means that decisions about appointments and payments are based on an unbiased and non-partisan assessment of a person’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is the cornerstone of the work in the service and is derived from the Act which created the Civil Service:

“The Civil Service Agency […] is responsible for ensuring that a merit-Based Oriented System is applied throughout the Civil Service”- Section 1.1.2 of the Standing Orders of the Civil Service.

  1. Fairness – Exhibiting conduct that is unbiased in the interaction with and treatment of employees and in the application of Civil Service policies and regulations as enshrined in Section 66.2 of the Act Creating the Civil Service Agency:

“….To secure for deserving employees a responsible tenure of office and an opportunity for advancement according to merit and seniority …. .”

Section 5 – Human Resources Objectives

The objective of this policy is to guide the current human resources practices and future civil service reforms which define the responsibilities, accountabilities, and authorities associated with the management of human resources within the Government of Liberia.

As such, the policy is to serve as a guide to:

  1. Reforming the governance structure overseeing the management of human resources at the center in Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions;
  2. Reforming the human resources structure responsible for human resources programs and services;
  3. Reforming regulations and making changes relevant to the management of human resources in Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions;
  4. Establishing planning cycles and other management linkages within

Ministries, Agencies and Commissions in order to facilitate workforce planning and the management of human resources;

  1. Establishing delegations of authority which reflect government priorities in the management of human resources;
  2. Establishing automated human resources processes and reporting mechanism;
  3. Building capacity within the Liberian Civil Service human resource community to move from a transitional to an operational work environment; and
  4. Building capacity within the leadership cadre so that they can model human resources values and promote the human resources policy objectives.

Section 11 – Definition of Terminology

Some Terminology and Definition

Civil Servant:  A person of Liberian citizenship, above the age of 17 years who has gone, through the merit-based employment system and passed the civil service examination, been employed in a position in the Civil Service.

Classification: The placing of an employee in a group with an assigned grade according to his/her qualifications and the job to be performed commensurate with the grade.

Governance: The management of a political unit and its people according to predetermined (and generally accepted) regulations and policies.

Public Servant: A person employed and compensated by the Liberian Government, with the exception of one subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Public Service:  Service of any kind in, for, or on behalf of the Government.

Selection: The choosing of an employee from among many for a specific position based on qualifications.

Recruitment: The process by which a person becomes a member/employee of an organization/government.