State Commission on the Civil Service

The State Commission on the Civil Service was a Soviet agency established in 1935, attached to the Commissariat of Finance. Its primary role was to exercise general control over personnel practices within the civil service. This commission was responsible for formalizing administrative structures, reforming bureaucratic procedures, setting staffing levels, standardizing job classifications, and eliminating redundant functions and staff. The commission operated under the close supervision of the Council of People's Commissars to ensure adherence to Communist Party directives.1

Unlike civil service commissions in countries like Great Britain or the United States, the Soviet commission did not oversee the recruitment of civil servants. This function remained with individual ministries and agencies. Recruitment for higher administrative and technical staff was handled by each ministry, with training schools providing qualified candidates. Lower-level recruitment and placement were managed by the Commissariat of Labour Reserves. The Communist Party also made efforts to recruit civil servants into the party, which helped transform the party into an administrative and managerial elite and merge the party with state administration.1