Presentation of Expertise France
As the French agency for international technical cooperation, Expertise France is committed to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. Complementary to financial resources for development, technical cooperation lies at the heart of France’s response to the environmental, health, social, economic, and security challenges faced by partner states.
To this end, Expertise France works closely with French public institutions as well as with the European Union to respond to the requests of partner countries seeking to strengthen the quality of their public policies in order to address these challenges. More specifically, the agency designs, coordinates, and implements large-scale national or regional projects in the main fields of public action:
- Democratic, economic, and financial governance
- Peace, stability, and security
- Climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development
- Health and human development
Expertise France office in Jordan
As of January 1st, 2025, Expertise France (EF) has established a bi-country Country Direction for Lebanon and Jordan, based in Amman. This new structure coordinates the agency’s portfolio of projects in both countries and represents Expertise France towards national authorities, donors, and regional partners. On the field, the Project Support Unit (PSU), embedded within the Country Direction, provides cross-cutting support to projects on administrative, contractual, financial, and logistical matters, as well as assistance with communication and visibility activities.
This shift toward a Country Direction structure is part of Expertise France’s broader decentralization strategy, aiming to professionalize key functions in the field, improve responsiveness, and harmonize practices across projects. Since initiating its interventions in Jordan in 2018, Expertise France has supported governance reforms, social cohesion initiatives, green economy programs, and public sector modernization. A distinctive added value lies in the agency’s integration of gender equality into public policies and project design. In close collaboration with Jordanian institutions, Expertise France has enhanced services targeting vulnerable populations, with a strong focus on empowering women and youth through local Community Development Centers in governorates such as Karak, Jerash, and East Amman. This evolving structure combines strategic leadership and operational support, reinforcing the agency’s role as a trusted technical partner in the region.
Context of the Inclusive Reforms project
The Civil Service Human Resources Strategy 2023-2027 constitutes a foundation for supporting the implementation of the Public Sector Modernization Roadmap (PSMR) as approved by the Jordanian government in 2022. If the comprehensive work on the PSMR began at the end of 2021 when the Public Sector Modernization Committee was established, it is a continuation of the modernization approach for the second centenary of the Jordanian state in line with political, economic and administrative reform plans.
The human resources pillar is considered a key element for implementing the Public Sector Modernization Plan (comprises government services, procedures and digitization, organizational structure and governance, policymaking and decision-making, legislation) in line with other reform paths (economic and political). The aim of the HR management reforms is to increase the productivity and efficiency of the civil service, in the interests of a stronger and more effective public service. The main changes presented in the two regulations taking effect from July 1, 2024 are (1) the selection of civil servants based on the principles of merit, competition, transparency and equal opportunity, (2) the provision of an attractive working environment for talent, (3) the promotion of a culture of accountability and performance-related motivation, and (4) the ongoing training of employees to enhance their skills.
In line with AFD-funded DPL, the aim of this technical assistance project is to support key Jordanian institutions in designing and adopting the measures needed to successfully modernize the Public Sector - in particular those introduced by the new legal framework adopted in 2024, with a focus on HR management and on integrating professional equality into the public human resources management cycle. This approach aligns with 33 PSMR’s objective which is the “[promotion of] the role of women and their participation in various government departments and institutions, and increasing the percentage of women occupying leadership positions in the public sector ”[1]. Indeed, despite a relatively high proportion of women working in the civil service (50%[2]), gender inequalities are structural in the public sector, as illustrated by the proportion of women in managerial positions in senior administration (10 %[3]). The government's strategy clearly states its ambition to promote equal access for women, young people and people with disabilities to management positions.
A joint pre-identification mission carried out in February 2025 with the AFD and the French General Directorate for Administration and Public Service (DGAFP) provided a clearer picture of the priorities and expectations of the Jordanian authorities. This mission helped to refine the positioning of technical assistance, so that it responds in a targeted way to the needs identified.
In line with the objectives of the DPL and Jordan's commitment to Public Sector Modernization, this technical assistance aims to strengthen the capacity of the relevant institutions, in particular the Service and Public Administration Commission (SPAC), alongside the Prime Minister’s Public Sector Modernisation Project Management and Implementing Office (PMIO) and the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), to mainstream the principle of professional equality in HR policies and practices, while contributing to the structuring of the tools needed to make the reform a reality. This approach will support the implementation of certain indicators in the public policy matrix.
Overall Objective of the project
The main Jordanian authorities will efficaciously implement the Public sector modernization reforms, focusing on the PSMR and the HRM by-law, taking into account the promotion of effective women and men equality into the State's human resources.
Project Components
- Component 1: Strengthening the institutional and strategic capacities of leading public institutions coordinating the implementation of the roadmap for modernizing Jordan's public sector
- Component 2: Supporting an inclusive and efficient civil service through the effective implementation of human resources reform that integrates professional equality
Description of the assignment