System Upgrade:  Retooling New Orleans’ Civil Service
BGR examines the health of the merit system in New Orleans’ City government. This report suggests a number of prescriptions to improve the management of human resources and reinforce merit principles. See links below for related information.

Click here for the Executive Summary report in a PDF format.
Click here for the Full Report in a PDF format.
Click here for the Press Release.

Click here to listen to the August 20, 2004 interview of BGR President Janet Howard on "The Bob Christopher Show" on Biz Radio 990. The interview is a thorough and thoughtful discussion of the issues raised by the report. (Approximately 41 minutes.)

During the course of the study BGR reviewed the system’s:

• legal authority;
• job classification procedures;
• recruitment and hiring processes;
• training programs; and
• disciplinary, dismissal, and appeals processes.

BGR staff interviewed managers and employees to solicit their observations on the operation of the system, researched best practices in other jurisdictions, and reviewed related literature. BGR also surveyed available salary studies which might be appropriate for New Orleans.

Related Information

New Orleans
Pay Plan
Rules of the Civil Service Commission of the
      City of New Orleans
Agenda and Minutes of Commission meetings

Louisiana
Louisiana Constitution, Article X

If you would like to receive e-mail on this subject and other BGR projects, please provide your e-mail address to mhogan@bgr.org.

The Bureau of Governmental Research is a member of the Governmental Research Association, a network of independent organizations studying government and public policies.

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