Staff and Budget

The priorities for HR management in OLAF focus on fully implementing the new working conditions decided at corporate level and the recruitment of specialised staff laureates of OLAF competitions in customs, direct expenditure, forensics and analysis. HR actions and recruitment have been implemented to ensure the operational capability of OLAF in new assignments (Ukraine and sanctions against Russia and Belarus related matters).

Achievements and challenges ahead

OLAF completed its senior management team in 2023 with the recruitment of the first ever Deputy Director-General of OLAF and a Principal Advisor to the Director-General.

In 2023, OLAF further redeployed posts and specialists to strengthen its performance. Adjustments required after the cuts of posts that were transferred to the EPPO continue to be managed.

To achieve this, OLAF worked in close cooperation with DG HR to ensure that all HR processes run in a diligent and timely manner, including:

• Selection and on boarding of Officials, Temporary Agents, Contract Agents, Seconded National Experts, trainees and interims to meet OLAF’s needs;
• Coordination of performance management, including promotion, certification, appraisal and reclassification exercises;
• Management and delivery of training sessions and events.

OLAF is constantly adapting to reflect the reallocation of resources, the new domains of activity and the reality of transnational fraudsters’ activities. This led to redeployment of middle managers after the summer 2023, better matching background and skills with the needs of the Office.

In 2023, OLAF transferred 12 establishment plan posts to EPPO. At the end of 2023, OLAF had 371 staff (316 establishment plan posts and 55 external staff).

The challenge for OLAF will be to maintain its high level of performance despite fewer resources and increasing workload. The vacancy rate decreased at the end of 2023, when OLAF had 19 vacant posts compared to 23 posts at the end of 2022.

Local HR strategy

In 2023, OLAF continued the implementation of the action plans accompanying the Local HR Strategy, the Local Learning and Development Strategy and the Diversity and Inclusion Plan.

In 2023, OLAF reviewed its welcome package as part of its induction procedures. On boarding has been improved by a combination of mentoring in the receiving structures, compulsory training on arrival and learning on the spot. OLAF has put in place a combination of internal and external coaching opportunities for its staff, junior and middle managers. Internal certified coaches, corporate coaches and external coaches have contributed to support talent amongst executive staff.

In 2023 OLAF revamped its internal investigative training path (the induction of 18-month training path) aimed at newly appointed investigators.

Wellbeing

OLAF increased its staff engagement rate by 5 percentage points, resumed wellbeing activities and team events. OLAF continued to invest in the professional development of its staff, with a broad offer of learning and development programmes and adopted its local Learning &Development strategy 2022-2026.

79 specialised training sessions were organised and provided to OLAF staff in 2023, including training for OLAF investigators, legal, policy and IT experts, forensic experts and analysts. OLAF staff participated in additional training courses organised by other EC departments and services, other EU institutions and other EU or national public or private bodies. OLAF supported its managers with specialised external training, coaching and support. Classroom and online training as well as group and individual coaching was organised successfully and in accordance with OLAF’s needs.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in OLAF

The Office remains committed to building a diverse and inclusive working environment, in line with the overall priorities of the European Commission.

Two OLAF staff members were selected to take part in the 2023-2024 Corporate Female Talent Development Programme and ten have completed the second session of the OLAF Female Talent Development Programme, fully designed and managed by OLAF. The OLAF Female Talent Development programme aims at preparing the next generation of managers for OLAF and for the EU Institutions.

The share of women in middle management positions in OLAF continued to improve in 2023, with 52.6 % of all middle management posts held by women, compared with just 10.5 % in 2013. The overall share of women working for OLAF increased to 45 % in 2023.