Dr. Alikhan Baimenov is a distinguished and well-known professional in public administration, renowned for his contributions to civil service reform, strategic partnerships, and governance modernization. With decades of experience at both national and international levels, he has been a driving force in fostering global knowledge exchange and innovation in public administration, spearheading partnerships and networks that enhance institutional reforms, human resource development in civil service, and the digital transformation of public service delivery.

As the Chairman of the Astana Civil Service Hub (ACSH), he has led efforts to enhance governance effectiveness across 43 participating countries and built strategic collaborations with over 90 global organizations, UN entities, regional institutions and professional associations across the world. Through his leadership, ACSH continues to maximize global partnerships, drive institutional innovation, and expand knowledge-sharing networks to advance effective and sustainable governance solutions.

His efforts have strengthened and expanded collaboration with United Nations (UN) entities, including the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the South-South Network for Public Service Innovation (SSN4PSI), the South-Asian Network for Public Administration (SANPA), as well as leading international organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank GovTech, the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), the Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA), the Eastern Regional Organisation for Public Administration (EROPA), the Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe (NISPAcee), the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM), the Association for Middle Eastern Public Policy and Administration (AMEPPA), the Latin American Center for Development Administration (CLAD), the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), the African Training and Research Center in Administration for Development (CAFRAD), and the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) among others.

Through his leadership, the ACSH has significantly advanced South-South and Triangular Cooperation, actively fostering regional and interregional collaboration in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) and Goal 17 (global partnerships).

His ability to connect policymakers, institutions, and experts has driven transformative initiatives, including international workshops on public service innovation, global networking events and regional forums on South-South and Triangular Cooperation held in UN HQ, Central Asia, Caucasus, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa. He has also contributed to diplomatic capacity-building efforts, engaging high-ranking officials from multiple countries and international organizations to strengthen bilateral and multilateral collaboration for sustainable development.

Dr. Baimenov has been a key supporter and facilitator of thematic Peer-to-Peer Learning Alliances, enabling practitioners to develop best-fit solutions to public administration challenges.

His thought leadership is reflected in his extensive research, publications, and books on public governance, civil service, and social protection. Under his guidance, ACSH has produced over 80 knowledge products, including case studies, journals, and research papers, further solidifying its role as a global hub for excellence in governance, institutional capacity-building, and sustainable development.

His candidacy for the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) reflects his commitment to strengthening fair, transparent, and efficient international civil service while promoting global cooperation for sustainable governance.

Developing and Transforming Kazakhstan’s Civil Service Model

Dr. Baimenov has played a pivotal role in shaping Kazakhstan’s modern civil service system. He headed two major stages of civil service reform in Kazakhstan. In 1999 – 2000 he led the development and adoption of the Law on “Civil Service”, which first among CIS countries that introduced mandatory competition-based recruitment, and separated political appointees and career civil servants, as well as established the first authorized Agency for Civil Service Affairs. This landmark law on civil service and institutional foundation had a significant influence on civil service reforms in CIS countries.

In 2011-2014, under Dr. Baimenov’s leadership a New Law on “Civil Service” was developed, through which the Senior Executive Service (Corps “A”) was created in Kazakhstan, and political positions reduced by eight times. He also led professionalisation of HR departments and implementation of the institution of ethics officers in government agencies; as well as developed the foundation of the information system “E-kyzmet”, a digital platform enhancing transparency and efficiency in HR management.

Developing Kazakhstan’s Social Protection Model

In his capacity of Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population, Dr. Baimenov led development of a three-level social protection model, including social insurance systems and the insurance of employers’ liability for damage to workers, making Kazakhstan the first CIS country to implement such measures. His reforms have been widely recognized for advancing public sector efficiency, transparency, and meritocracy.

As Chairman of ACSH, Dr. Baimenov has transformed the ACSH into an internationally recognized platform for knowledge exchange, capacity-building, and institutional collaboration. Under his leadership:

• The geographical scope of ACSH's participating countries (43 countries) extends from the countries of America through Europe and Africa to CIS, ASEAN region and Asia. The ACSH has built partnerships with 90+ institutions.
• The ACSH successfully facilitates Peer-to-Peer Learning Alliances, helping countries develop tailored governance solutions. Since the establishment, the ACSH has launched 4 P2P Alliances: on public service delivery; on government development; on transformation and innovations in governance; on AI and new technologies, that includes following countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, as well as international organisations such as AAPA, UNDP Oslo Governance Centre, OECD, World Bank and others.
• In addition, during the pandemic the ACSH has launched a Virtual Alliance of Practitioners contains more than 40 practical materials and useful resources reflecting the experience of several countries and international organizations in the fight against COVID-19 in the field of public administration, provision of public services, education, health and the economy.
• Over 80 research publications and case studies have been produced, providing cutting-edge insights into public administration and governance.
• The ACSH organized over 200 capacity-building events that participated by 12 800 civil servants, experts, and academics from 126 countries, and from more 200 organizations.

Dr. Baimenov’s leadership and ACSH’s impactful contributions to global governance and public administration have been widely recognized through numerous prestigious awards and acknowledgments, including:

• Special prize from the UNOSSC for strengthening regionaland interregionalcooperation, 2014
• The International Public Administration Award of the ASPA for a greatcontribution to both practice and scholarship of public administration, 2022
• ACSH was recognized as a GovTech Global Partner of the World Bank, 2023
• Several Government Awards and Social Recognition

Dr. Baimenov has been a key architect of South-South and Triangular initiatives, leveraging international partnerships to drive sustainable development, policy innovation, and institutional capacity-building, digital transformation and modernisation.

Notably, under Dr. Baimenov’s leadership, the ACSH in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Korea and UNDP has launched a comprehensive interregional project aimed at enhancing the capacity of civil servants and practitioners working on advancing digital transformation and public governance targeting 12 countries across Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Asia-Pacific regions.
• Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
• Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
• Asia-Pacific: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, and the Philippines

Building on the successes of the previous phase of the project, this three-year project (2024–2026) encompasses several key components:
• Capacity Building: Conducting workshops and training sessions to enhance the digital competencies of civil servants, ensuring they are equipped to implement and manage digital tools effectively.
• Study Visits: Organizing study tours to the Republic of Korea for government officials, allowing them to observe and learn from Korea's advanced digital government practices and innovations.
• Needs Assessment: Performing comprehensive studies to identify the specific digital transformation requirements of each participating country, tailoring support to their unique contexts and challenges.

By facilitating such collaborative efforts, the project seeks to foster innovative public administration solutions, promote data-driven decision-making, and improve the accessibility and efficiency of public services. This initiative not only strengthens the digital infrastructure of the involved nations but also reinforces south-south and interregional cooperation and knowledge exchange in digital governance.

Dr. Baimenov actively contributes to various international and national organizations,
reinforcing his commitment to public administration excellence, South-South
cooperation, and strategic governance reforms:

• Board Member, Asian Association for Public Administration
• Honorary Member, South Asian Network of Public Administration
• Esteemed Member, American Society for Public Administration
• Member, Advisory Board, South-South Network for Public Service Innovations
• Member, National Kurultai under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Chairman, Public Council of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms, Kazakhstan
• Member, Commission on the Return of Illegally Acquired Assets to the State
• Chairman, General Meeting of the Association of HR Managers in Kazakhstan
• Honorary Professor at several universities and academies of public administration
• President, World Federation of the Intellectual Game Togyzqumalaq