In Ethiopia, a country of diversified people with their own distinct cultures, administrativernSystems, religious and political ideologies which had fallen under the administration ofrnaristocracy, no attempts were made to develop, nurture and adopt an indigenous nationalrnideology and system of administration. Abuses of authority, inefficiency, corruption andrnIrresponsiveness were the main vices which still prevail in the political and administrativernstructure at all levels of governments in Ethiopia.rnEthiopia's civil service system, therefore, is in urgent need of in-depth analysis of problemsrnin specific contexts rather than prescribing western models as panacea for all evils in therncivil service. In this thesis, efforts have been made to critically examine the publicrnpersonnel administration system in federal Ethiopia with a focus on Oromo staternGovernment.rnThe scope of the research was limited to the assessment of the civil service administrationrnwhich is under the direct regulation of the Federal and Oromia Civil Service Commissions.rnThe Federal and the Oromia Civil Service Commissions were, therefore, the prime sourcesrnof information on the overall national and regional pubic service systems.rnThe term public personnel is often used interchangeably with such terminologies as the civilrnservice, civil servants, government employees, public sector employees and the like.rnNowadays the idiom 'human resources administration' (HRA) is becoming popular insteadrnof personnel administration, personnel management or manpower administration.rnWhichever idiom preferred, in its modern sense public personnel administration refers tornthe administration or management of the human resources through systematic, pragmaticrnand flexible approach towards the planning, attracting, developing, maintaining,rncoordinating, motivating them in such a way that enhances employees' quality of life and