July 2010 Volume. 1 Number. 1

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1 July 2010 Volume. 1 Number. 1 Contents 1 Welcome 1 Meet the Public Service 1 Commission 1 Members Profiles section of our society. elcome to the inaugural issue of the PSC Speaks Out. Our publication is addressed to all public officers under the purview of the Public Service Commission, that is, those in the Civil Service, the Fire Service, the Prison Service and the public as a whole. The primary objective of PSC Speaks Out is to provide greater insight and transparency into the operations of the Public Service Commission (PSC) as well as boost awareness of the PSC, its role and key developments that affect the lives and well-being of a large cross 2 Role and Responsibilities 2 The Service Commissions Department In this first edition, we introduce the Commission. We also take a look at some of the issues before the Conlmission as it strives to streamline its operations. Meet the Public Service Commission Established in accordance with Section of the Constitution, membership of the PSC comprises: 2 Role and Responsibilities of the DPA 4 Unsolicited applications New recruitment policy for the manipulative class 5 Handling complaints in the Public Service 6 Filing of vacancies in the Public Service 7-8 Frequently Asked Questions r A Chairman A Deputy Chairman and not less than two nor more than four other Members Current members of the PSC are: Ambassador Christopher R. Thomas, C.M.T., L.L.D - Chairman Ambassador Christopher R. Thomas is a former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador to Venezuela, Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of American States, Chairman of the Management Committee of the United Nations, Chairman of the Management Committee of the Organisation of American States ( ) and Independent Senator in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. Ambassador Thomas has been Chairman of the Commission since Zaida Rajnauth, C.M.T. - Deputy Chairman Ms. Rajnauth has over 33 years' experience in the public service at various levels, including 13 years as a Permanent Secretary, and three as the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister and Flead of the Public Service. She has been Deputy Chairman of the Commission since Neil Rolingson - Member Mr. Rolingson has been a member of the Public Service Commission since Fie is the former CEO of the National Flour Mills Limited and has held positions in finance, agriculture, shipping and manufacturing sectors. Pamella Benson - M.O.M. - Member Mrs. Benson has been a member of the Commission since She was the first Executive Director of the National Library and Information Systems Authority and has had extensive experience in library administration and planning and in project management. Susheila Maharaj - Member An attorney-at-law Ms. Maharaj has held several positions in the public service before retiring to work in the private sector. She is currently the general manager of Employee Relations, Croup Human Resource at RBTT Limited. Ms Maharaj has been a member of the Commission since Jeanne Roseman - Member Ms. Jeanne Roseman was appointed to the Public Service Commission with effect from April 9, She is a former Director of Personnel Administration who is also proficient in the area of strategic management. A

2 Role of the PSC Role of the DPA The powers of the PSC are to: Appoint persons to hold or to act in public offices Make appointments on promotion Transfer officers Confirm appointments Remove individuals from office Exercise disciplinary control Responsibilities of the PSC To fill the manpower needs of Ministries and Departments in order to ensure the discharge of various services; To ensure neutrality in public service appointments; To protect public officers against acts of discrim ination by politicians; To protect public officers from other public officers; To prevent nepotism by ensuring fairness and transparency in the appointment and promotion of public officers; The Service Commissions Department (SCD) provides secretariat services for the Public Service Commission. The Service Commissions Department is headed by a Director of Personnel Administration (DPA) who is the principal adviser to the Service Commission. The present holder of the office of Director of Personnel Administration is Gloria Edwards-Joseph The SCD is structured along the functional areas indicated in the Appendix. Responsibilities of the DPA As administrative head of the SCD, the DPA is responsible for the efficient conduct and work of the entire Department and as such is responsible for: a. the recruitm ent of the best possible candidates for appointm ent to entry level offices in keeping with the principles, procedures and policies laid down by the respective Service Commissions. b. ensuring that: the Human Resource needs at the higher levels of the Service foiling under the constitutional responsibilities of the various Service Commissions are satisfied and; the legitimate career goals and expectations of officers are satisfied and monitoring the management activities attendant thereto. c. representing the Commissions in Court with respect to all Judicial Review matters.

3 The PSC Speaks O u t In this first issue, we will deal with select topical matters and will broaden the range of issues in subsequent publications. H u m a n Reso u r c e S er ies The Commission is pleased to advise, that with the recent lifting of the freeze by Cabinet on appointments and promotions to positions in the Human Resource series, the PSC is now in a position to make appointments and promotions to the positions of Human Resource Officers I, II, and III, Senior Human Resource Officer, Director, Human Resource Services and Director Human Resources. There are at present 266 vacancies in the human resource series. It is imperative for this exercise to be expedited, that up to date performance appraisal reports be available on all eligible officers. C ler k T y p is t /St e n o g r a p h e r s I/ll There are at present 510 vacancies in the Clerk Typist, Stenographer I/ll series. The Commission is aware that there are numerous officers holding temporary or acting positions of Clerk Typist/Stenographers I/ll who have not been able to gain permanent appointment because of the condition of employment that they should sit and pass the civil service entrance examination. Although the Cabinet agreed in 1989 that this condition of employment should be discontinued, the PSC is awaiting the necessary amending legislation to be effected by the Executive before it can take action. The PSC continues to urge the Executive to take urgent action in this matter. This is an example of the constraints under which the PSC operates because of the fragmentation of the human resource management function in the Public Service. C l e r ic a l/a d m in is t r a t iv e p o s it io n s The PSC is aware that there are numerous clerical officers below the level of Clerk IV who have gained the CPA or a degree and are acting in administrative positions, some for lengthy periods. The PSC is unable to promote these officers to the Administrative level because of the requirement of the Executive that promotion to the Administrative level can only be made from the Clerk IV level. It is to be noted that there are few vacancies at the Clerk IV level and vacancies cannot be created at the Clerk IV level to allow for upward mobility because many of the present Clerks IV do not have the required qualifications for promotion to Administrative Assistant. The PSC has brought this issue to the attention of the Executive with the hope that a solution could be found to this undesirable situation.

4 U n s o l ic it e d A p p l ic a t io n s In 2007, the Public Service Commission decided that with effect from April of that year, it would no longer accept unsolicited applications. This was due to the large number of unsolicited applications (69,791) which were received by the Department. Members of the public and public servants were advised in a press release and by circular memorandum to submit applications in response to advertised positions only. Officers are reminded however, to keep forwarding to the Service Commissions Department, updates on their qualifications to be inputted in its database. N e w R e c r u it m e n t Po lic y fo r t h e M a n ip u l a t iv e C lass The Public Service Commission has decided to undertake a review of its recruitment policy for the Manipulative Class. The following measures have gone into effect from June 1, 2009: Applications of all unqualified applicants were removed from the records of the Service Commission Department; Lists of all qualified applicants in alphabetical order indicating the status of their applications are posted at the Service Commissions Department; Arrangements are being made to publish the list at other areas in Trinidad and Tobago and the public would be subsequently informed; The Lists are categorised as follows: a. Regular - persons who are employed interm ittently and b. Casual - persons who have never been employed The Commission's new recruitment policy will be as follows: The Commission would first consider qualified officers within Ministries/Departments for temporary/acting appointment, in accordance with its Regulations; Applicants on the Regular List will continue to be employed intermittently when vacancies arise; Applicants on the Casual List will be selected when no persons are available from within the Public Service or on the Regular List; Persons employed from the Regular List w ill be considered for permanent appointm ent when vacancies arise. It is to be noted however, that in accordance with existing Civil Service Regulations the Commission cannot employ persons once they have attained the age of 50 years. However, a person who has attained the age of fifty years and who has previous service, whether pensionable or non-pensionable which under section 10 (2) of the Pensions Act may be deemed to count for pension purposes may, notwithstanding his age, be recruited to or re-employed in the Civil Service if upon attaining the age of compulsory retirement he would qualify, in terms of length of service, for a pension. 04

5 H a n d l in g c o m p l a in t s in t h e P u b l ic S e r v ic e (C o m p l a in t s a n d Fr e e d o m o f In f o r m a t io n U n it ) When an officer is aggrieved with regard to a decision made by the Commission, Permanent Secretary or Head of Department, the officer can make representation to the Commission for review of the decision. Officers can submit letters of representations to the Director of Personnel Administration through their Permanent Secretary or Head of Department. Recognized Associations, the Ombudsman or an Attorney-at-Law, can also submit letters of representations on behalf of officers. The procedure following the receipt of letters of representations in the Complaints/Freedom of Information Unit is as indicated hereunder: - The letter of representations is registered in the Complaints Unit 1. The letter is then acknowledged 2. The matter is researched 3. The m atter is then submitted for consideration by the Public Service Commission 4. A letter is issued to the complainant regarding the Commission's decision in the matter. The five (5) major areas of complaint are: Request for permanent appointm ent Clarification of seniority Backdating of appointments Request for promotion Being bypassed for acting appointment. The PSC is aware that much improvement is required in handling representations in a speedier manner and has urged the SCD to attempt to bring resolution to the many outstanding matters. 05

6 Fil l in g o f v a c a n c ie s in t h e P u blic Service (PRACT U n it) As of February 28, 2010 there were approximately 4,755 vacancies in the public service. In 2009, the Commission made 973 promotions/appointments. There were a number of challenges faced by the Commission in filling vacancies, namely: 1. Difficulty in the identification of vacancies. 2. Late receipt of recommendations from Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Department. 3. Absence of Performance Appraisal Reports from Permanent Secretaries for officers to be promoted. 4. Need for consultation with the Chief Personnel Officer to assess the qualification of officers to be promoted. 5. Awaiting classification of some positions by the Chief Personnel Officer. The Commission is pleased to advise that with respect to the Fire Service, promotions were recently made to Chief Fire Officer, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Divisional Fire Officer, Assistant Divisional Fire Officer and steps will now be taken to fill other vacancies. 06

7 F re q u e n tly Asked Q u estio n s (FAQs) Recruitment Q : How can I get a job in the Public Sector? A : Vacancies are routinely advertised in the newspaper and on the Government Human Resource Services (ghrs.gov.tt) website as required. You can only apply for a position when a vacancy is advertised. The Service Commissions Department no longer accepts unsolicited applications as this contributes to a tremendous backlog of applicants. This policy has been in effect since April 17,2007. Appointments/Confirmation Q : I am a temporary officer. appointed? How soon will I be permanently A : This depends on several factors: - The availability of permanent vacancies - Your position on the Seniority List / Order of Merit List of the particular office - Satisfactory Performance Appraisal Reports. Q : I was appointed subject to medical fitness and on two years' probation. My probationary period has expired but my appointment is yet to be confirmed. When will my appointment be confirmed? A : If your probationary period expired before 1st June, 2006, and providing that the Permanent Secretary has submitted - all probationary reports on your work and conduct - a medical certificate of fitness for permanent employment in the public service - blood test results - a recommendation for the confirmation of your appointment - and, where necessary, any other documents relating to conditions of your employment the matter will be submitted to the Public Service Commission as soon as possible for your appointment to be confirmed. However if your probationary period expired on or after 1st June, 2006, the Permanent Secretary is required to pursue the confirmation of your appointment in accordance with the powers delegated to him/her by the Public Service Commission. In this case, your enquiry should be directed to the Human Resource Management Unit of the Ministry. 07

8 F re q u e n tly Asked Q u estio n s (FAQs) Complaints Q l How can an officer make a complaint? A c Letters of complaints should be submitted through their Permanent Secretary/Head of Department and copied to the Service Commissions Department. Transfers Q : I wish to be transferred to another Ministry. How do I get a transfer? At You are required to state your request in writing giving the reasons for your request and indicating the Ministry to which you wish to be transferred. Your letter should be submitted through the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department of your Ministry. When received in the Service Commissions Department, your letter will be placed on file and recorded in a request for transfer and your request will be considered along with those of other officers who requested transfers, on the occurrence of a suitable vacancy. Q l I am a temporary officer. How do I get a transfer? A : Temporary officers are not transferred. However, you can submit a letter requesting a new temporary appointment in another Ministry/Department through your Permanent Secretary/Head of Department (Human Resource Unit). Your Permanent Secretary/Head of Department must then forward the original letter of request to the Service Commissions Department along with their necessary comments. Upon receipt, your letter of request will be acknowledged and recorded in the Request for New Appointment Register. On occurrence of a suitable vacancy in the requested Ministry/Department your letter of request will be considered. NEXT ISSUE Some of the issues which will be discussed in the next issue of the PSC speaks out are F u r t h e r d e l e g a t io n D o c u m e n t M a n a g e m e n t Sy s t e m P ro p o sed a m e n d m e n t t o t h e PSC REGULATIONS Appendix Business Units of the SCD The Service Commissions Department is structured along the following functional areas: Recruitment and Selection Temporary Appointment Acting Appointment Promotions/Release on Secondment/ Appointments/ Confirmation Transfers (PRACT) Discipline Policy and Research Complaints and Freedom of Information Examinations Monitoring and Oversight 08