Taiwan

Abstract

Taiwan’s civil service is a career-based system that inherits some basic features from imperial China, especially its rank-in-person system and civil service examination. The system in the current setting is separately administered under the examination branch that is independent of the executive branch and organizes open and competitive civil service entrance examinations (CSEEs) to recruit and select career civil servants for the state. All civil servants in central and local governments are managed in a single uniform system. Career civil servants are legally protected as permanent officials, pursing a lifelong career. All positions with grade and rank are only open to those who have been qualified by the CSEEs. Fixed-term contract employees that are directly hired by government agencies will never become permanent staff unless they pass the CSEEs.