On 29 June 2016, the State Ministry for Science and the Arts (SMWK), the chairperson of the Main Staff Council at the SMWK and the rectors of the Saxon universities signed the "Framework Code on Dealing with Temporary Employment and the Promotion of Career Perspectives at the Universities in the Free State of Saxony". One of the main objectives was to increase the attractiveness of Saxon universities in the international competition for highly qualified staff, especially for young academics. To this end, employment conditions and career paths were to be made more transparent and easier to plan. In this context, the framework code included statements on contract terms, work tasks and aspects of personnel development concerning various personnel categories.
The SMWK commissioned the DZHW to carry out an evaluation of the framework code in close cooperation with the ministry, the Saxon universities, the main staff council and the staff councils within the universities. This involved analysing the way in which the framework code is applied, the status of its implementation in the universities and the associated intended and possibly unintended effects. To this end, the current situation with regard to employment conditions and career planning opportunities recorded. In addition, implementation hurdles and regulatory gaps were identified and ideas for their handling and suggestions for improvement from the perspective of those involved at the universities were recorded. The resulting findings served as the basis for formulating approaches for a possible improvement and further development of the framework code.
Methodologically, relevant documents from the universities on the implementation and support of the framework code, in particular agreements with the staff councils and personnel development concepts, as well as existing data on fixed-term employment relationships were analysed. Then, as part of a large online survey, all fixed-term employees were invited to describe their experiences with the implementation of the framework code. The information was related to their professional position and ant their further career planning. As a fourth element, 27 guided qualitative interviews were conducted with the management of all universities, with staff councils, professors, academic and artistic staff and auxiliary staff.
A detailed final report and a separate summary of the results were produced and discussed with local stakeholders.
