Catalonia’s proposed Professional Public Management (DPP) law, approved by the government in July and now under parliamentary review, is facing criticism for undermining its own purpose by including 423 deputy directorates, roles deemed incompatible with strategic leadership, while excluding major public research and regulatory bodies.

The DPP model aims to insulate senior public management from political patronage by ensuring leadership roles are filled based on expertise, not party affiliation. According to the government’s preliminary draft, DPP roles are defined as those exercising direct influence over public policy formulation and organisational governance. However, critics argue that including all 423 deputy director general positions, labelled as “operational management” roles, distorts the framework.

These deputy roles, assigned under departmental organic decrees, have narrowly defined technical functions with limited autonomy and indirect policy impact. They do not exercise decision-making powers that bind entire organisations, nor do they participate in high-level policy design. Including them means 54% of the 784 planned DPP positions would go to these mid-tier officials, diluting the reform’s intent.

Under Article 3.1 of the government’s draft, DPP status is granted to those who “execute public policies and participate directly in their formulation.” Yet the deputy directorates do not meet this standard, according to analysis published by VIA Empresa. Critics say the inclusion appears designed to fix a flawed appointment system rather than build a merit-based leadership tier.

Meanwhile, the law allows up to 20% of director general roles, 26 out of 130, to be excluded from DPP status if deemed “essentially political,” a legally vague criterion. Additionally, 49 high-level positions, including 16 secretaries general and 33 sectoral secretaries, remain outside the DPP framework, retaining political discretion over their appointment. This means 75 of the current 179 top roles, 42%, will stay under direct political control.

Exclusions Raise Transparency Concerns

The draft law omits DPP status for leadership roles in 37 key public institutions, including the Catalan Finance Institute (ICF), the Catalan Audiovisual Council, the Catalan Competition Authority (Acco), the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (Icrea), and the 30 Cerca research centres.

“The research sector has always enjoyed papal indulgence and patrons who keep it in the dark.”

These bodies, representing 18% of the 2,035 public entities with majority Generalitat involvement, are not listed in the public transparency portal. Their leadership structures are opaque, with no central record of salaries or appointments. Critics argue that reserving these roles for proven experts would enhance independence and accountability.

The Cerca network alone includes 21 foundations, eight consortia, and one public law entity, all with leadership appointments hidden from public scrutiny. Without mandatory professional criteria, appointments remain vulnerable to political influence.

Local and University Sectors Left Out

The reform also fails to extend DPP standards to local administrations and public universities, sectors where professional leadership could significantly improve governance. This omission, analysts note, limits the law’s transformative potential.

The original CETRA experts’ report, published by the Generalitat’s Office of Government Action, recommended a two-tier DPP model and the creation of an Institute for Professional Public Management within the School of Public Administration. This institute would assess qualifications and oversee transparent appointments. However, the current draft deviates from these recommendations.

President Salvador Illa, presenting the initiative in parliament, described it as part of broader efforts to strengthen public service integrity, alongside a new whistleblower protection law. But critics say the DPP reform, as drafted, risks being a cosmetic change, “painting the wall without rebuilding it”, by including roles that don’t belong and excluding those that should.

Primary sources: govern.cat, eb.gencat.cat. Reported by viaempresa.cat, parlament.cat, Redacció, cercledesalut.cat, president.cat, ca.wikipedia.org, VIA Empresa.