In an open or closed competition, a candidate's path can end at the very first stage: the application is found non-compliant with the basic formal requirements, and admission to the next stage of the competition becomes impossible. It is precisely for this situation that the re-check mechanism before the Bureau exists — the right to apply to the Civil Service Bureau, which gives the candidate the opportunity to have the negative first-stage decision re-examined. This page explains in detail what the first stage is, who checks the application and within what deadline, how the notification of non-compliance must be communicated, and how the two short re-check windows before the Bureau work.
What the first stage of the competition is and who conducts the check
The first stage of an open and closed competition is the determination of the candidate's application's compliance with the basic formal requirements. This means checking the documentation submitted by the candidate against the basic, special and additional requirements established for the announced vacancy. It is not the commission itself that performs this: the determination of the applications' compliance with the basic formal requirements is carried out, on the commission's assignment, by the human resources management unit of the public institution. That unit also has a legally defined deadline: from the expiry of the deadline set for the submission of applications, the human resources management unit determines the applications' compliance within 10 working days. The results are presented to the commission, formalised in an appropriate official record and confirmed by the signatures of the commission members. This means the first-stage decision leaves a documentary trail and can be verified.
The notification of non-compliance and the indication of the reason
If the application does not comply with the basic formal requirements, the candidate must be informed of this in the prescribed manner: no later than 7 working days before the next stage of the open and closed competition, the commission is obliged to notify the candidate electronically and/or in writing of the non-compliance of the submitted application with the basic formal requirements. Moreover, upon the candidate's request, the commission is obliged to indicate in the decision sent to the candidate the reason for the application's non-compliance. This guarantee is decisive: without a reason, the candidate cannot know what was established against him or her and what can be re-checked by the Bureau — so requesting the reason is the first practical step.
Applying to the Bureau: deadlines and form
A candidate who has failed the first stage of the open or closed competition has the right, within 2 working days of receiving the notification of non-compliance, to apply to the Bureau by written application with a demand to re-check the application's compliance with the basic formal requirements. Two details are decisive here. First, the application must be in written form — an oral request is not provided for by the rule. Second, the deadline runs from the receipt of the notification, so fixing the date of receipt is in the candidate's interest. The Bureau, for its part, has a strict deadline for the answer: within 2 working days of the candidate's application, the Bureau is obliged to adopt a decision on the application's compliance with the basic formal requirements and to communicate the results immediately to the respective commission and the candidate. And finally, the most important point: if the Bureau establishes the candidate's compliance with the basic formal requirements of the application, the commission is obliged to admit the candidate to the next stage of the competition. The Bureau's positive conclusion binds the commission.
The Bureau's role in the conduct of competitions
The right to a re-check is not isolated — it fits within the whole range of the Bureau's functions. The Bureau's rights and duties in connection with competitions include the following:
- checking the compliance of the requirements established for the vacancy to be announced with the legislation of Georgia;
- upon a candidate's application, adopting a decision on the application's compliance with the basic formal requirements;
- requesting information about the participation in the commission of the representative of the sectoral professional union of servants and of the independent invited specialist and/or specialist of the respective field;
- monitoring the process of open and closed competitions in public institutions;
- involving its representative in the open and closed competition of any public institution for the purpose of monitoring;
- ensuring the statistical analysis of the information submitted in connection with competitions;
- reflecting information on the conduct of competitions in the report to be submitted to the Prime Minister of Georgia and the Public Service Council;
- providing methodological assistance to human resources management units in order to establish uniform practice.
Of these functions, the second matters most to the candidate: it is the Bureau that decides the re-check issue, and its decision is recorded within clear deadlines. The Bureau's monitoring function, in turn, serves a uniform practice of competitions, which increases the reliability of the re-check mechanism.
What is decisive in practice
After a negative first-stage decision, managing time decides the matter. The candidate's deadline for applying — 2 working days from receipt of the notification — and the Bureau's deadline for answering — 2 working days from the application — together mean that the entire re-check cycle fits into a few days, and the documentation to be prepared must be thought through in advance. The application must reflect which decision is being re-checked, and it is advisable to formulate a position of responsibility regarding the reason indicated by the commission. If the Bureau establishes compliance, the candidate is admitted to the next stage of the competition — and that is already the commission's obligation, not a gesture of goodwill. If the Bureau confirms the non-compliance, the candidate retains the right to appeal the results of the competition in the manner established by the legislation of Georgia, the detailed regulation of which belongs to other provisions of the rule.