In 2010, it was agreed that spending on external hiring should not exceed 10% of total personnel expenses; the so-called Roemer norm. In recent years, this limit has been exceeded, and the cabinet wants to reduce external hiring in the coming time.
This starts with the simple question of whether external hiring is really necessary for a specific task. Additionally, tasks that are currently performed externally could be assigned internally, where the government employs the external staff. This bureaucratization increases the number of FTEs, but it does provide financial savings. Moreover, it contributes to more internal knowledge and expertise, which is important for the future viability of the national government. The cabinet also wants to look at more flexible staffing, through pools and for work that crosses departmental boundaries.
Research into Causes
These initial plans stem from research by the Audit Office and ABDTopConsult (specifically regarding ICT). It showed that total spending on external hiring in the period 2018-2023 was 13%. Within that, categories can be distinguished between which there are large differences. For instance, hiring at core departments is usually below 10%, while for ICT tasks it is 43%.
Reasons for external hiring include temporary and unforeseen peak loads. Think of deployment around COVID, recovery from the benefits affair, and damage handling in Groningen. In the case of ICT, it is mainly about the demand for specialized knowledge, while the labor market is tightening. External hiring is therefore necessary to effectively carry out the governments tasks, but attention must be paid to the optimal use of it.
Progress
Each ministry is responsible for reducing external hiring; they can best assess whether external hiring is necessary for task execution and social services. The Annual Report on Government Management, which is published every year in May, reports on the progress.