The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRC) aims to better serve the public with its new team-based structure starting from Jan. 2, 2006.
Specifically, the structure has been transformed from one that was bureau-division-based to one that is department-team-based in order to respond to human rights issues in a quicker and more professional and systemized manner. The reorganization also reinforces the NHRC’s close 「hands-on」 involvement in human rights issues.
Recently, a growing number of public institutions have adopted the team-based structure. For the NHRC, the reorganization is not merely a formality, but a chance to be reborn as an organization with greater performance, autonomy, responsibility, and expertise, achieved through the strengthening of teamwork and the sharing of experience and knowledge within the organization.
Over the past year, and through the establishment of the Innovation Team for Organization, the Commission has examined its organization and shaped its new structure. It also hosted a series of meetings with employees and conducted public hearings and workshops related to innovation. As a result, the NHRC finally decided on the course of its restructuring plans, transforming the organization from five bureaus and 19 divisions to five departments and 22 teams.
Other key changes in the Commission include establishing a Violation Rectification Department based on subject and a Discrimination Remedy Department based on reasons of discrimination. These changes allow for a more integrated approach and serve to strengthen the Commission’s expertise on main human rights issues. As well, each department and team is now expected to not only investigate its cases in each sector (including complaints and direct investigations), but also to improve laws and practices in relation to complaints, and work with related institutions and organizations in a cooperative manner.
This new integrated process is expected to fortify the expertise of the NHRC in major human rights fields. In addition, the role of the Human Rights Counseling Center has been expanded and strengthened. The Center is now capable of better dealing with complaints through enhanced basic investigation, quicker settlement of rejected cases, active use of the conciliation system, and one-to-one interviews in detention facilities, thus creating better conditions for the Violation Rectification and the Discrimination Remedy departments to handle cases in earnest.
The reorganization also enables the Commission to reinforce the functions of education and public relations. Previously, only one division was in charge of education and public relations, but now three teams—including the School Education Team, Public Servant Education Team, and Civil Education Team—will take charge, thereby carrying out processes in a more systemized and multi-faceted way.
An Innovation Team for Personnel, in charge of personnel, organization and reform, has been established to develop and manage personnel in a professional manner. This team will also develop in-house education and training programs and enhance the expertise of employees based on systemized performance management.
Through an open recruitment process, the Commission assigned personnel suitable for each task. In this process, large-scale promotions were made from the perspective of innovation. For example, the Commission promoted deputy directors to team leaders after it received performance plans from applicants, and collected multi-dimensional evaluations from supervisors and their subordinates.
The core purpose of innovation is to 「better serve the public with efficient operations and expertise.」 To translate purpose into action, the NHRC has detailed the divisions under the new structure, prepared guidelines for team operations, completed personnel replacements and built new spaces for each team. In 2006, the Commission will do its best to quickly and professionally respond to human rights issues and continue its conscientious involvement in the human rights field.
* The revision of the Ordinance on the Office Organization of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea was passed on Dec. 27, 2005 and opened to the public.
