Expert review of legislation, interviews with the staff of the civil service central co-ordination unit and with heads of HRM units, supplemented by assessment of the two most recent examples of vertical promotion files in five central government bodies from the latest full calendar year. The situation is analysed for five central government bodies, which include two ministries (the same in all assessed countries) and the three central government bodies with the highest number of civil servants reporting to the government, CoM or the prime minister. Adequate safeguards against political interference in vertical promotions are considered to exist when political appointees are not able to directly promote non-senior civil servants to higher hierarchical positions (analysis of legislation and cases of practice); are not members of promotion panels; do not appoint members of promotion panels; and provisions define a minimum requirement of qualification and experience for members of promotion panels. Political appointees should not make the decisions on the promotion of non-senior civil servants. Political interference will also be considered to exist where political appointees are members of promotion panels or they appoint members of promotion panels. Provisions should ensure that the members are qualified and experienced. Senior-level positions are excluded from the analysis.