HR Standard Data Dictionary

Overview

This article describes a standard dictionary for human resource management information system (HRMIS) data, organized into three main modules: Establishment, Personnel, and Contract. These modules are designed to organize and standardize information about public sector personnel across different countries and administrative levels.

Module 1: Establishment

The Establishment module captures information about public sector institutions, including ministries, departments, and agencies.

Fields

Field Name	Variable Name	Description
Establishment ID	est_id	Unique identifier for the establishment
Establishment Name (Native)	est_name_native	Official establishment name in local language
Establishment Name (English)	est_name_en	Establishment name translated to English
Reference Date	ref_date	Latest date when the establishment had that name
Establishment Type	est_type	Type of establishment (Ministry/Department/Agency)
Parent Establishment	est_parent	Identifier for parent establishment in hierarchy
Child Establishment	est_child	Identifier for child establishments in hierarchy
Country Code	country_code	Official World Bank ISO-3 country code
Country Name	country_name	Official World Bank country name
Administration 1 Name	adm1_name	First-level administrative division name
Administration 1 Code	adm1_code	First-level administrative division code

Notes

• Establishment Type: Indicates the hierarchical level of the institution within the government structure. Ideally, this would support parent-child relationships, though such data may be rare in practice.
• Administration Level: Refers to the geographic/administrative level of government (e.g., national, state/provincial, local).
• Reference Date: Critical for tracking establishmental changes, mergers, or renaming over time.

Module 2: Personnel

The Personnel module contains demographic and employment information about individual public sector employees.

Fields

Field Name	Variable Name	Description
Personnel ID	personnel_id	Unique identifier for the personnel
Establishment ID	est_id	Foreign key linking to Establishment module
Establishment Name	est_name_native	Foreign key linking to the Establishment module
Reference Date	ref_date	Timestamp for the personnel record
Date of Birth	birth_date	Personnel’s date of birth
Gender	gender	Personnel’s gender
Education Attainment (7 categories)	educat7	Education level using 10-category classification
Tribe	tribe	Tribal affiliation
Race	race	Racial/ethnic classification
Country Code	country_code	Official World Bank ISO-3 country code
Country Name	country_name	Official World Bank country name
Administration 1 Name	adm1_name	First-level administrative division name
Administration 1 Code	adm1_code	First-level administrative division code

Notes

• Education Categories: Multiple classification systems are provided to allow for cross-country comparisons and mapping to international standards.
• Geographic Information: While personnels are linked to establishments, separate geographic fields allow for tracking mobility and remote work arrangements.
• Privacy Considerations: This module contains sensitive personal information and should be handled according to applicable data protection regulations.

Module 3: Contract

The Contract module captures details about employment contracts, compensation, and job characteristics.

Fields

Field Name	Variable Name	Description
Contract ID	contract_id	Unique identifier for the contract
Personnel ID	personnel_id	Foreign key linking to Personnel module
Establishment ID	est_id	Foreign key linking to Establishment module
Establishment Name	est_name_native	Foreign key linking to Establishment module
Reference Date	ref_date	Timestamp for the contract record
Base Salary (LCU)	base_salary_lcu	Base compensation in local currency units
Base Salary (PPP)	base_salary_ppp	Base compensation in constant 2021 international dollars
Gross Salary (LCU)	gross_salary_lcu	Total compensation before deductions in local currency units
Gross Salary (PPP)	gross_salary_ppp	Total compensation before deductions in constant 2021 international dollars
Net Salary (LCU)	net_salary_lcu	Compensation after deductions in local currency units
Net Salary (PPP)	net_salary_ppp	Compensation after deductions in constant 2021 international dollars
Allowances (LCU)	allowance_lcu	Allowances in local currency units
Allowances (PPP)	allowance_ppp Allowances in constant 2021 international dollars
Contract Type	contract_type	Contract modality (short-term/open-term/permanent/inactive/retired)
Occupation (Native)	occupation_native	Job title in local language
Occupation (English)	occupation_english	Job title translated to English
Occupation (ISCO Name)	occupation_isconame	ISCO standard occupation name
Occupation (ISCO Code)	occupation_iscocode	ISCO standard occupation code
Start Date	start_date	Contract start date
End Date	end_date	Contract end date (if applicable)
Country Code	country_code	Official World Bank ISO-3 country code
Country Name	country_name	Official World Bank country name
Administration 1 Name	adm1_name	First-level administrative division name
Administration 1 Code	adm1_code	First-level administrative division code
Hours Worked	whours	Standard or actual hours worked
Pay Grade	paygrade	Salary scale or grade level
Seniority	seniority	Years of service or seniority level

Notes

• Compensation Fields: Multiple salary measures allow for analysis of gross-to-net ratios, taxation effects, and allowances.
• Occupation Coding: Both native and standardized (ISCO) classifications enable within-country detail and cross-country comparability.
• Contract Duration: The combination of contract_type, start_date, and end_date provides comprehensive information about employment stability and temporary arrangements.

Relationship between modules

The three modules are related as follows:

Establishment (1) ←→ (N) Personnel
Establishment (1) ←→ (N) Contract
Personnel (1) ←→ (N) Contract

• One establishment can have many workers
• One establishment can have many contracts
• One worker can have multiple contracts (over time or concurrent)
• One worker can have multiple establishments

Data Quality Considerations

1. Temporal Consistency: Ensure ref_date fields are properly maintained across all modules
2. Geographic Consistency: Country and administration codes should be consistent across all modules
3. Unique Identifiers: All ID fields should be globally unique and persistent
4. Missing Data: Document conventions for handling missing or unavailable data
5. Historical Records: Consider versioning strategy for tracking changes over time