SearchArchives for May 2008
26 May, 2009UNITED KINGDOM
Unions alarmed by ‘Mystery Shopping’
The practice of using ‘mystery shoppers’ to test the standard of public service in some Government Agencies in Britain has created concern among PS unions.
Justified as being in the interests of the organisation and/or good customer care, the practice involves using someone to pretend they are a client or customer to see how staff behave and then reporting the findings to management.
Usually a practice confined to the private sector, it was recently reported as standard and “all the rage” in the National Health Service (NHS) where customer service such as face-to-face encounters, emails, telephone calls and letters were all measured by ‘unobtrusive testing,’ as it is termed.
According to the unions, sweeping changes in the NHS recently had resulted in patients and service users being reclassified as ‘customers.’ They said this approach had led to private-sector practices being adopted in the public sector, among them ‘mystery shopping’.
The unions said there were even protocols on the subject, with best practice stipulating that staff groups and their trade unions should be notified when ‘unobtrusive testing’, was t
26 May, 2009
UNITED STATES
Survey shows leadership beats payrises
A survey of 212,000 Federal Public Servants in the United States has found that the majority valued strong leadership and straight answers from their supervisors more than they did their salary or conditions.
The study places the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at the top of a list of best places to work in the Federal Public Service. Other top performers among large Federal Agencies include the Government Accountability Office, NASA, the intelligence community and the State Department.
At the NRC, officials said the top ranking was earned because senior management takes the time to listen to the staff.
Director of Human Resources for the Commission, Jim McDermott said the senior managers were the real human resources managers.
"I lead a lazy life," Mr McDermott said.
Agencies that received the lowest ratings included the Transportation Department, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Homeland Security Department and the Education Department.
The survey found the attitudes of senior leadership - how well or poorly it shared information with subordinates, and the training and opportunities it provided workers – was crucial.
The Partnership for Public Service, a non-partisan group devoted to improving the Public Service, said the challenge for Government managers was to do a better job of communicating.
It said that despite a general rise in Federal workers' job satisfaction over the past two years, the survey conducted last summer found that the Government consistently lagged behind the private sector in several important measures of worker contentment -- most significantly, superiors' leadership skills, openness and willingness to help their employees advance their careers.
Fewer than half the Federal workers (48 per cent) were satisfied with the information they receive from superiors about what was happening in their organizations. A number that is 18 percentage points below the equivalent finding in the private sector.
Overall, 66 per cent of Federal workers think their immediate supervisors are doing a good job, eight points less than in the private sector.
26 May, 2009
INDIA
PS careers losing favour
Over 50 per cent of candidates for India’s latest Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination failed to show up for the test, prompting commentators to say the normally prestigious Public Service may be falling out of favour with the country’s youth.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which runs the examinations, reported that attendances at the examinations was down across the country – in some cases well below 50 per cent of those who had shown initial interest.
Head of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Chhattisgarh State, Prateek Pandey, said there was no doubt the figures showed a major shift in the career options of the students.
“The lucrative packages and incentives, besides the prospect of a bright future, are drawing youths towards corporate sectors,” Mr Pandey said.
Referring to conversations he had had with management students, Mr Pandey said that many considered a Public Service career had too many limitations.
“The students feel that as an Indian Administrative Service or Indian Police Service official, they can stay in the same post for five or six years,” he said.
“Once promoted, it is not certain that they will enjoy the cream postings.”
A student who did take the examination, Vinod Kumar Paswan, said youths preferred professional courses that would secure them a job in the corporate sector.
Even though he had taken the examination, he still preferred the corporate world.
“Compared to the corporate sector, Civil Service is no longer alluring to young people,” he said.
He said the handsome packages and facilities bestowed by corporations were the sole reason for the diversion from the once prestigious Public Service.
26 May, 2009
NIGERIA
PS to be ‘sensitised’
The Federal Civil Service Commission in Nigeria has embarked on a process of “sensitising” the Nigerian Public Service so that it becomes more result-oriented, customer-driven, investor-friendly and technologically-sensitive in its dealings with stakeholders.
Commission Chairman, Ahmed Al Gazali opened a ‘sensitisation workshop’ on the reforms, staying that they were necessary if the Public Service was to adequately perform its function in the 21st century.
The Commissioner in charge of Jigawa and Kano States, Alhaji Lebiaru Mahmood, said that Public Service reform was one of the main elements of the Federal Government’s entire reform agenda.
“It is geared towards establishing a performance and result-oriented, customer-friendly, investor-friendly, professional and technologically sensitive Public Service, committed to a continuous improvement in Government business and the enhancement of overall national productivity,” Mr Mahmood said.
He stressed that reform had become necessary in view of the fact that over the years, Government had witnessed and done nothing about the “inconsistent and shoddy implementation of policies, programs and projects”.
“This has been the bane of the Nigerian developmental efforts since independence in 1960,” he said.
Among many problems that Nigeria has faced over the years is its inability to distribute revenue from its oil and mineral wealth evenly.
This has been exacerbated by endemic corruption within the Public Service.
26 May, 2009
THAILAND
Secretary of Finance sacked
The Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Department of Finance has been sacked for appointing senior officials in violation of the rules of the country’s Public Service.
Finance Minister, Korn Chatikavanij said Permanent Secretary, Suparat Kawatkul had abused his authority by making the appointments in 2001.
Mr Korn said the decision to sack Mr Suparat had been made by the Finance Ministry's Civil Service Committee after the country’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) stood firm on a ruling the official had abused his authority.
In January, the anti-corruption Agency found the Permanent Secretary guilty of serious disciplinary and criminal violations over the appointment of four Deputy Directors General at the Revenue Department when he was the Secretary there.
A statement from the NACC said Mr Suparat had changed the criteria under which the Department's deputy DGs were selected.
Mr Korn said the Committee decided to dismiss Mr Suparat from Government service to uphold its standards.
“It had two choices: to sack him from the Service or dismiss him from his post,” Mr Korn said.
Given its previous decision to sack the former head of the Revenue Department, Sirote Swasdipanich from Government service when he was found guilty of serious disciplinary breaches by the NACC, Mr Korn said the Committee had no other choice.
26 May, 2009
FIJI
PS facing tough times ahead
The Chairman of the Fijian Public Service Commission has announced that spending controls and right-sizing of the PS would be two of the key issues to face the Commission in the coming year.
Commission Chairman, Josefa Serulagilagi said he had decided to “take the bull by the horns” to try and ensure that Government resources and finances were used efficiently.
“Over the years this has never been addressed properly and there are things in which quite a lot Ministries have been spending lavishly and there hasn’t been anything done like this,” Mr Serulagilagi said.
“So we want to re-streamline the operation of the Public Service and not only that, but also try right-sizing the whole manpower in the Public Service.”
He said that if this can be done, the money saved from the various Ministries could be diverted to other critical areas.
“So we will look at particular areas that need Government funding,” he said.
Mr Serulagilagi said the Commission had already directed Government Ministries to try and cut spending in their budgets by at least 20 per cent and to rid themselves of irrelevant posts.
One of the most controversial Public Service reforms already undertaken by the military-backed Government led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama was the forced retirement of all Public Servants at the age of 55.
26 May, 2009
UNITED STATES
White House immune
from FOI
A Federal Appeals Court in the United States has ruled that a key White House Office was immune from Freedom of Information laws.
The ruling resulted from the internal investigation into the potential disappearance of emails during the previous Administration of President George W. Bush.
The Court ruled that the White House Office of Administration does not have to make public internal documents dealing with the investigation.
It was upholding a 2008 decision by a Federal Judge in a lawsuit brought by the watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). In doing so the Appeals Court found that the Office of Administration was not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
CREW filed the lawsuit seeking to force the White House Office to comply with a 2007 request for documents related to the retention of e-mails between 2001 and 2005, a period that included the lead-up to and start of the Iraq war.
The Office of Administration, which performs a variety of administrative services for the Executive Office of the President, had complied with similar requests for many years, but officials changed the policy after CREW's request, arguing that the Office did not exercise enough independent authority to be subject to open-records laws.
Government Agencies and Offices generally must do more than advise and assist the President or his immediate staff to be subject to the laws.
Judge Thomas B. Griffith, writing for the Appeals Court Bench, said that because the Office of Administration did not perform “tasks other than operational and administrative support for the President and his staff”, the Court had decided it lacked substantial independent authority and was therefore not an Agency under the Freedom of Information Act.
Executive Director of CREW, Melanie Sloan said her organisation was unlikely to appeal against the ruling.
She said her group and others like it recently sent a letter to the Administration of President Barack Obama urging it to apply Freedom of Information laws to the Office of Administration.
"Transparency and accountability start at home," Ms Sloan said.
26 May, 2009
UNITED STATES
New regulator for financial markets
A Financial Regulatory Commission with the power to protect consumers buying financial products such as mortgages, credit cards and other loans is being considered by the US Federal Administration.
The proposed Commission would be one of the Administration's most significant steps yet to overhaul the financial regulatory system. It would also be one of its first proposals to address causes of the financial crisis such as predatory mortgage lending.
According to informed sources, the plans for the new body were yet to be finalised but it could be granted broad powers to make sure the terms and marketing of a wide range of loans and other financial products are in the interests of ordinary consumers.
The sources said talks had begun with industry officials, lawmakers and other financial experts about the proposal, which would require legislation.
Responsibility for the regulation of consumer financial products is currently distributed across a number of Federal Agencies, some of which regard consumer protection as a low priority and some financial products not being regulated at all.
One goal of the proposal could be to centralise enforcement of existing laws and create a vehicle for imposing tougher rules.
Industry groups have yet to respond to the plan but are likely to oppose it, arguing that stricter regulation would limit the availability of financial products to consumers.
If the new Commission is established, other banking regulators and Agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates mutual funds, could lose powers, personnel and funding.
Those Agencies are already arguing that they are positioned to protect consumers because they oversee the financial firms directly and have experience writing and enforcing rules governing financial products.
The proposal for the FRC is part of the Obama Administration's broader plan to improve financial regulation which also includes the creation of a systemic risk regulator whose job would be to spot threats to the health of the overall financial system.
Senior Government officials have also identified tighter regulation of individual financial firms and markets as a high priority, including new rules governing hedge funds and derivatives.
26 May, 2009
GHANA
Focus on ethical leadership for PS
Twenty-five middle-level Public Servants in Ghana have been selected for a two-week training course on ethical leadership organised by the Office of the Head of Civil Service and the Japan International Co-operation Agency.
This is the fourth time the course has been held and this year’s theme was “Ethical Leadership.”
Secretary of the Office of the Head of Civil Service, Joe D. Issachar, who opened the workshop, said teaching the principles of leadership would help the Public Service move in the right direction.
He said the OHCS was committed to ensuring that good leaders were produced in the Public Service so people could have confidence in its actions.
Mr Issachar said that ethical leadership training was all the more necessary after a survey had revealed the Public Service was generally held in low esteem.
“Undue delay, poor customer care and discrimination were the major issues raised during the survey,” Mr Issachar said. “However, I believe this can be attributed to poor supervision and weak leadership; good leadership ought to ensure that the goals set for the organisation are achieved.”
He said that at the end of the training, participants would provide a work plan for interventions that would help improve the conditions in their various offices.
He urged participants to take all they could from the program.
26 May, 2009
ZAMBIA
PS urged to do more
Zambia’s Public Servants have been urged to grasp the importance and urgency of the challenges the country is facing at the hands of the global financial crisis, rather than simply implement policy changes.
Speaking at the sixth Zambia International Business Advisory Council (ZIBAC) conference, the Chief Executive of the Zambia Business Forum, Reginald Mfula said the Public Service had to move beyond simply implementing Government policies.
He said implementation of solutions already identified and those yet to be agreed upon between Government and the private sector would result in poverty reduction, job creation, more domestic and foreign investment and food security among others.
The implementation of these programs in a timely manner would be a key factor in attaining sustainable economic development, Mr Mfula said.
Opening the conference, President Rupiah Banda said there was a need to respond to the global economic crisis in a manner that did not just mitigate its effects but positioned the country to move forward and sustain its economic gains.
“The country’s response to the global financial crisis has to ensure that there is an adequate safety net to protect the vulnerable in society in a bid to moderate their suffering due to job losses,” President Banda said.
The President said the Government had put in place a framework for monitoring the implementation of all agreed policies, programs and projects on a monthly basis to ensure bottlenecks in the implementation process were easily identified.
19 May, 2009
CANADA
PS survey reveals positive attitudes
A new survey of staff in the Canadian Public Service has found that employees were ‘generally positive’ about the work they did.
The triennial Public Service Employee Survey is the fourth report of its kind. It covers more Departments and topics than the previous one, in 2005.
The survey shows that the exodus of retiring Public Servants is subsiding as six per cent of respondents planned to retire in the next two years compared to the 15 per cent who were eligible for retirement.
Only 19 per cent of employees indicated they intended to leave in the next five years for various reasons -- not necessarily retirement -- compared with the 25 per cent who were eligible. Three years ago, the survey showed 30 per cent of participants planned on leaving the Public Service within five years.
In other findings, 16 per cent of respondents had experienced workplace harassment once or twice in the past two years.
Respondents however, took a positive view of their employer's efforts to rectify the problem.
In a separate development, members of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada's Audit, Financial and Scientific Group rejected a tentative pay agreement with their employer, Revenue Canada.
The Union, which represents auditors, computer analysts and other professionals, said the proposed agreement "brought few improvements to their remuneration or other working conditions".
19 May, 2009
UNITED STATES
Terminal decline: Social Security and Medicare
Warning bells have been rung on the financial viability of the United States Social Security System as the global economic crisis chews up scarce funds.
A report from the Trustees of the two main US funds set up to provide help for the elderly shows that Medicare was at risk of fiscal collapse within eight years and the Social Security scheme was on track to run out of funds by 2037.
The findings underline the damage done to the two programs by the global economic crisis and have highlighted the debate over how President Barack Obama should address the problem.
Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner said the President has rejected the widely held notion that Social Security was untouchable politically.
"Still, the Administration intends to work to build a bipartisan consensus to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security," he said
He said only three times in the past 15 years had the Trustees predicted that Social Security would run out of money sooner than previously expected.
He said last year they forecast no change from the 2007 prediction, and in 2007, they predicted that the fund would last a year longer than previously thought.
The latest report said the Social Security Trust Fund would begin to spend more money than it takes in through tax revenue in 2016, one year sooner than predicted a year ago.
Medicare's financial health, the report showed, deteriorated less sharply in the past year than Social Security's, but it remains the more urgent problem.
The trust fund that pays for hospital care under Medicare is now predicted to run out of money in 2017, two years earlier than forecast a year ago. That fund does not involve the parts of Medicare that cover doctor's visits or coverage for prescription drugs.
According to the report, the economic downturn has added to the fragility of Medicare and Social Security because worsening unemployment means that fewer workers are contributing to the trust funds through payroll taxes. Since the recession began in December 2007, the country has lost 5.7 million jobs.
The report said however, that even if the economy was stronger, the programs would be facing pressure in the coming years as the large baby-boomer generation reaches old age and people were living longer and leaving comparatively fewer workers to pay benefits for a large cadre of retirees.
Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius hopes to use the report to build momentum for health-care reform, supporting the President’s view that the best way to strengthen Medicare's finances would be to "fix what's broken in the rest of the health-care system".
Other plans being considered to keep the retirement programs solvent include increasing the retirement age, means-testing pension payments and bringing in new revenue.
19 May, 2009
NEW ZEALAND
PS pay equity under threat
Disbanding the New Zealand Department of Labour’s Pay and Employment Equity Unit has supposedly put an end to pay equity for women, according to the NZ Public Service Association.
A day after the Ministry of Social Development said up to 200 jobs could be lost in a restructure, the Labour Department announced the disbanding of the Pay and Employment Equity Unit as well as the Labour Market Knowledge Management Unit.
Minister for Labour, Kate Wilkinson said the changes were part of the "re-prioritising" of Government spending.
"Achieving the goal of closing the [pay] gap can't be realised by having a singular focus on the State sector," Ms Wilkinson said.
But the National Secretary of the PSA, Richard Wagstaff said the Unit had been working to address a major injustice in New Zealand - the fact that women were paid on average 12 per cent less than men primarily because they were women.
"By scrapping the Unit, the Government is turning its back on women in New Zealand and saying 'we don't care that you're not being fairly rewarded for the work you do'," he said.
Seven jobs are to go in the Pay and Employment Equity Unit and a further 18 would be lost in the Labour Market Knowledge Management Unit, which would affect employers' needs.
"These managers work with employers, industry groups, institutions providing skills training and Local Government in 12 regions, so that each region has the workers it needs to keep its economy running," Mr Wagstaff said.
“For instance, identifying that Marlborough’s vineyards currently need 3,500 workers to prune their vines and that 1,700 of these workers will have to be brought in from overseas.”
He said the skills and knowledge these managers had about their regions’ workforces were needed now more than ever in the face of the global recession.
“They’re on the frontline in the battle to keep New Zealanders in work and yet the Government has cut their jobs. What happened to its commitment to keep New Zealanders in work? ” Mr Wagstaff asked.
19 May, 2009
PHILIPPINES
Senior appointments
held up
Sixty two senior Public Servants and four Cabinet-level managers have yet to be approved for appointment by the Philippine Commission on Appointments (CA), among them the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and the Commissioner for Elections.
MP Eduardo Gullas (Cebu), who heads the Lower House’s contingent to the Commission, said its target was now for the CA Committees to screen as many executives as possible over the next two weeks.
“This way, those endorsed by the Committees may be confirmed through plenary action two or three days before Congress adjourns sine die on June 5," he said.
The appointees or nominees that still do not have the CA's consent include Civil Service Commission Chairman, Ricardo Saludo and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Members Leonardo Leonida and Elias Yusoph.
Also pending confirmation are a group of 33 diplomats led by Ambassadors Alexander Yano (to Brunei); Corazon Yap-Bahjin (to the Kingdom of Bahrain); and Alejandro Del Rosario (to Poland).
Twenty six senior military officers were also pending approval.
According to Mr Gullas, the Constitution vests the CA with the power to approve or reject presidential appointments as part of the checks and balances established to ensure that all Government Departments function in a manner beneficial to the public welfare.
He said among those subject to CA confirmation were the Heads of Departments, Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, military officers from the rank of colonel or naval captain, and the heads and members of Constitutional Commissions and offices.
19 May, 2009
UNITED KINGDOM
Training cuts ground parachute regiment
Cuts in training programs have resulted in nearly a third of the soldiers in the British Parachute Regiment’s 16 Air Assault Brigade not being qualified in parachuting.
As a result of the cuts, large numbers of new recruits had not been qualified and a number of current members of the Brigade had not been able to renew their parachuting qualifications.
According to Ministry of Defence statistics, 293 new members of the Brigade had not qualified in the basic parachuting course.
In addition, a further 445 soldiers had not been able to renew their qualification. Renewal was necessary only if someone had not completed a jump in the past two years.
In total, 738 out of the 2,434 members of the Brigade, or 30.8 per cent of the Unit's total strength, were not qualified in parachuting.
Defence experts are alarmed at the situation, saying the lack of qualified parachutists was of considerable concern since the 16 Air Assault Brigade was frequently deployed on combat operations and although parachute jumps were not used in operations on a regular basis, it was still a capability that commanders liked to have at their disposal.
The lack of qualified personnel was attributed to the suspension of a number of parachuting training exercises.
Over the last year, 11 courses had been cancelled due to a lack of aircraft available for training. These included eight basic parachute training courses and three specialists’ courses for the Special Forces.
19 May, 2009
SOUTH KOREA
Corruption spreading
in the PS
The number of corruption cases involving Public Servants in South Korea is on the rise with the Police Service topping the list.
A Parliamentary report by ruling Grand National Party MP, Shim Jae-chul, revealed that the number of case rose from 1,584 in 2006 to 1,643 in 2007, and to 1,741 last year. This represented an 18.5 per cent rise over the period.
The most serious cases, resulting in dismissal, rose from 51 to 79 over the same period.
Among Government Departments, the National Police Agency topped the list of punishment cases, with 780. It was followed by the Education Ministry with 425, the Justice Ministry with 164, and the Knowledge Ministry with 150.
The National Tax Service, the Prosecutor's Office, and the Land Ministry also featured on the list with 67, 23, and 20 cases involving punishment respectively.
The Police also came out worst in the categories of individual punishment including dismissal, suspension, salary reduction, and official reprimands.
The detected cases included those involving Police who colluded with the sex industry or other illegal enterprises in return for bribes, or Officers who practised violence against suspects under investigation.
"The moral standards turned out to be the weakest in the Police who, in fact, should be guardians of social justice," Mr Shim said.
19 May, 2009
NORTHERN IRELAND
Back pay row simmers on
The Secretary of Northern Ireland’s Department of Finance has been asked to explain why an estimated £100 million ($A200 million) in Public Service back pay had not been paid despite First Minister, Peter Robinson promising to resolve the long-running claim a year ago when he was Finance Minister.
Northern Ireland Assembly Member, Declan O’Loan made the request, saying the delays in settling the matter were “wholly unreasonable” and needed to be dealt with urgently.
Around 10,000 current and former Public Servants, mostly female clerical workers, are demanding payments, some stretching back more than 35 years, under equality legislation.
The staff members are entitled to claim pay if at any time in the past their jobs were not afforded the same salary as equivalent posts held by men within the Public Service.
Government officials are still locked in negotiations with union officials over the level of the final payout and about half of the affected workers have also launched a legal bid for the money through a tribunal process.
Mr O'Loan called for action.
"I think there is a fundamental duty on the employers’ side to ensure that this gets resolved because these are workers who for many years were not being paid at the rate to which they were legally entitled,” he said.
"In that circumstance I think there is an absolute imperative on the employer to redress that situation urgently and I do not see that urgency coming from the employer's side, that is the Civil Service."
Northern Ireland Ministers had been urging the British Treasury to stump up the cash to settle any outstanding bill, but have only been given permission to borrow £100 million of additional funds to cope with the back pay issue.
Permanent Secretary of the Department of Finance, Leo O'Reilly said while he and his officials were committed to settling the dispute, many matters were still outstanding.
He said there was disagreement between unions and the Public Service as to what pay grades were actually entitled to money and that was stalling progress.
"We have a very wide and diverse workforce doing a vast range of tasks, everything from bridge inspectors to lawyers and administrators," he said.
“It is essential that we get this right, that we don't rush in and do something quickly, discover it has enormous implications and perhaps later discover that we got it wrong.”
19 May, 2009
UNITED KINGDOM
Liverpool to fight for
PS jobs
A business lobby group has launched a campaign to attract more Public Service jobs to the north-western city of Liverpool.
The campaign follows local dismay at the news the Government was looking at creating a “Whitehall of the North” in nearby Manchester.
Campaigners said it was time the private sector “stepped up” to support Liverpool and help make it more confident about attracting inward investment.
Liverpool Council Leader, Warren Bradley endorsed the Think Big Liverpool, campaign, saying there was a need to send a message “loud and clear” to Government that Public Service Departments should be relocated to the city.
Campaigners are to invite the Minister for the North West, Beverley Hughes and Shadow Minister for Merseyside, Chris Grayling to visit Liverpool to see how it was better placed than Manchester to accommodate large-scale Public Service relocations.
One of the leaders of the campaign, Frank McKenna said Think Big Liverpool was an initiative to get businesses and other civic partners more engaged in the process of imagining a more visionary and exciting future for the city.
“This is not a single-issue campaign,” Mr McKenna said.
“The future of major Civil Service relocations to the region has become an important focal point for a debate about civic ambition and the need for all sectors to work together effectively to promote the city and fight in Liverpool’s corner,” he said.
Another major figure in the campaign, Jon Egan said it was ironic that Liverpool was much further down the road in being able to accommodate a large-scale relocation than Manchester.
19 May, 2009
BERMUDA
PS needs ‘leaders’ not ‘bosses’
The Head of Bermuda’s Public Service has called on “bossy” bosses within the Service to treat their staff better.
According to PS chief, Major Kenneth Dill, Public Servants should be accountable, impartial and treated with respect.
In his address to the Hamilton Rotary Club, Major Dill made no reference to the unsuccessful attempt by Premier, Ewart Brown to remove him from his job two years before his scheduled retirement.
The Premier's move prompted criticism from the Opposition and a letter of support for Major Dill from Public Service chiefs.
Bermuda's Constitution allows only the Governor, on the recommendation of the Public Service Commission, to fire the head of the Public Service.
Major Dill told the audience that the Government had more than 6,000 employees, 1,800 of them classified as Public Servants, working in 10 Ministries and Departments.
A recent initiative to promote leadership within the Public Service involved 15 high-ranking Public Servants undergoing an "arduous" training program to prepare them for executive level positions.
"It is said that ultimately, leadership in a culture of change will be judged as effective or ineffective, not by who you are as a leader, but by what leadership you produce in others," he said.
"Leadership, as opposed to 'bossmanship', is now my clarion call."
Major Dill quoted former United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell's contention that great leaders are almost always great simplifiers.
"We can get on with our jobs without unnecessary complications," he said.
"If we are to sustain a viable and effective Public Service, and indeed maintain a quality Public Service, we must reaffirm our role and core function, which is to provide an open and impartial Service, which must always put people's interests first."
He said mindsets needed to be changed, including the mindset that accountability was non-existent.
Major Dill, whose Public Service career has spanned almost 40 years, spoke of the benefits of becoming a Public Servant.
"There is job security for hard working, disciplined, determined and dedicated Public Servants," he said.
"We must value our employees; treat them with dignity and respect; listen to and when practical, act upon their recommendations."
19 May, 2009
ZAMBIA
Provincial staff act for payrise
Public Servants in the southern Zambian city of Monze have decided to launch industrial action to back a pay claim of 25 per cent and improvements in their conditions of service.
The 350 Public Servants involved have rejected a Government offer of an 11 per cent pay increase and say they will now start a week of ‘go-slow’ action even if national union leaders agree to the 11 per cent deal.
Monze Public Service leaders said their Unions must persuade the Government to offer a minimum increase of 25 per cent in their salary and a housing allowance of not less than 450,000 Kwacha ($112.90) in order to enable them to obtain decent accommodation.
The workers also resolved that if the go-slow didn’t have the required effect, they would extend it for another week then go on strike.
The Monze Public Servants said Union leaders at the national level must ensure that the reactions of Public Servants to the 11 per cent pay increase were presented to the Government.
They warned Union leaders against endorsing the 11 per cent offer, saying they would withdraw their contributions to all the unions involved in the negotiations.
The meeting was called by Southern Province and Monze District Union leaders who were concerned at the direction the negotiations were taking.
12 May, 2009
ISRAEL
Call for crackdown on PS nepotism
The Israeli Civil Service Commission has been criticised for failing to introduce guidelines for dealing with nepotism in the Public Service.
A report from the State Comptroller and Ombudsman condemned the practice two years ago when it found that members of the same family could find themselves working together and even auditing or supervising each other.
“There are simply no regulations in place to prevent conflict of interests or employment of related persons,” the Ombudsman, Micha Lindenstrauss said.
The Ombudsman’s 2007 review found that senior Public Servants were authorised to supervise relatives employed in other Government offices, and even decide their employment terms and advancement.
Despite the very real concern of conflict of interest within the top echelons of the Public Service, the Ombudsman found that State workers have never been required to even report when relatives were employed in other offices, and as a result, data on the phenomenon was sketchy.
In addition, the Civil Service Commission has no procedure in place to prevent it.
The State Control Committee of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) has recommended that Public Servants be required to disclose any connections to other State workers and potential conflicts of interest.
The Committee also recommended that Public Servants declare on regular occasions, or at least when they were promoted, whether they had connections to senior officials or institutions related to their work.
Mr Lindenstrauss did find that the Commissioner had introduced new rules making it harder for Government Ministries to hire workers who had relatives in the same Ministry.
A spokesman for the Civil Service Commission said the issues raised by the Ombudsman were already addressed by the civil service rules and regulations with senior officers responsible for implementing them.
He described the recommendations as "sweeping and very difficult to implement" however.
12 May, 2009
UNITED KINGDOM
Women’s pay gap
worst in PS
Figures from the Office of National Statistics obtained by the Financial Times newspaper show that the pay gap between male and female Public Servants is wider than in the private sector.
In some State institutions they found it was as much as 25 per cent.
The Government has made it a priority to address pay differences and has unveiled plans to require companies with 250 or more staff to give details of the average hourly pay of male and female workers.
However, the official figures show the pay differences among Government employees.
They show that median earnings in the Public Service for full-time male employees were 14 per cent higher than for women in 2008. The figure for the overall economy was 12.8 per cent.
When Public Servants’ grades are taken into account, the aggregate pay gap in the Public Service drops to about five per cent, suggesting there are far fewer women in the highest grades.
Even so, according to the newspaper, unpublished Departmental data for each pay grade show that in some cases men are paid much more than women at the same level.
The Public and Commercial Services Union has launched a case at the Employment Tribunal alleging that women at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency earned £5,000 ($A9,900) less than male colleagues doing similar jobs at the Driving Standards Agency - a 21 per cent pay gap. Both Agencies are part of the Department for Transport.
The Government has admitted that while the gap continues to reduce “there is still much further to go”.
12 May, 2009
GHANA
Political appointments to PS criticised
The appointment of senior staff to the Ghanian Public Service on the basis of their political leanings has been criticised.
Dean of the Faculty of Social Studies at the University of Ghana (Legon), Joseph Atsu Aryee has called for a return to the traditional process of career progression through Public Service ranks.
He drew a distinction between junior and senior Public Servants, saying that while those lower down the scale could dabble in partisan politics, Chief Directors (the equivalent of First Assistant Secretaries) were supposed to be neutral.
Professor Aryee said the original plan was to make Chief Directors progress through the Service to become Principal Secretaries.
Originally, appointment to the position of Chief Director was based solely on merit but currently there are two criteria, based on merit and partisan leaning.
Professor Aryee referred to a number of times when Chief Directors had mounted political platforms to campaign for certain political parties and said this had manifested in the change of Chief Directors when the Government changed.
“That situation has led to conflict of interests as some of them are either into politics or nursing such ambitions,” he said.
“Politicians have the penchant for taking decisions which are political and irrational; the Senior Public Service must play a moderate role over politicians,” he said.
Professor Aryee also criticised the lack of action on corruption saying that fighting corruption “has only been a public relations hoax”.
12 May, 2009
UNITED STATES
Paid parental leave being considered
Federal Public Servants in the United States could soon be entitled to paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child if a new law is passed by Congress.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is considering the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act which would entitle the employees to four weeks leave on top of the 12 weeks of unpaid leave they already receive.
The House approved an identical Bill during the previous Congress, but it was not endorsed by the Senate.
Several of the Committee's Republican members considered the Bill a wasteful Government expense amid the national economic slump.
Californian Republican, Darrel Issa said responsible American families were cutting costs and dealing with job loss and the destruction of their savings and retirement accounts.
"It is simply not the right time to ask taxpayers to pay for a new benefit for Federal employees," he said.
But members of the ruling Democrat Party called the Bill "a strategic investment" that would provide indirect benefits to taxpayers by reducing turnover costs in Government and not have a direct impact on Federal spending.
The Bill's co-sponsors, New York Democrats Edolphus Towns and Caroline B. Maloney, and Stephen F. Lynch (Democrat Massachusetts), said new benefits would help the Government attract and retain younger workers to replace an ageing workforce set to retire in droves in the next decade.
Federal employee unions also argue that while their members can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, many cannot afford to do so.
The measure would help establish a stronger work-life balance for Federal workers, a stated goal of the Administration of President Barack Obama, they said.
12 May, 2009
ZIMBABWE
‘Ghost workers’ inflate PS payroll
Auditors in Zimbabwe claim to have uncovered thousands of ‘ghost workers’ on the Public Service payroll who are draining Government reserves of its foreign currency.
The weekly Financial Gazette newspaper has revealed that an audit was started last month by the Inspector General at the Public Service Commission, Clifford Matorera.
It says it has turned up nurses, soldiers and other Public Servants in various Ministries who were paid salaries up to five times each month, resulting in hundreds of Public Servants reportedly having their salaries ‘frozen’ while others have had their contracts terminated.
Minister for the Public Service, Eliphas Mukonoweshuro told the Financial Gazette he has started his own review.
"We are going to institute our own audit to eliminate possible irregularities that might be in existence," he said.
"We expect the audit to be on the ground in 30 days."
SW Radio Africa reported in April that two months into Zimbabwe's coalition Government, an estimated 29,000 youth militia members, loyal to the ZANU-PF Party of President Robert Mugabe, were still being paid by the Government as Public Servants.
With inflation in Zimbabwe reaching into the multi-millions, the Zimbabwe dollar is worthless, and to compensate the Government has been paying its Public Servants a token amount in American dollars.
Now, however, it is in danger of running out of the US currency it holds in its reserves.
12 May, 2009
MALAYSIA
PS urged to adopt Islamic principles
Leaders in the Malaysian Public Service have been urged to use the principles of Islam to improve the standard of their service delivery.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Major General (Retired) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom, made the suggestion saying that "musyaratah" or “fulfilling the criteria for success”, was among six principles in Islam which could be applied in everyday administration.
"With vision and clear, timeless thinking, we can make the Prophet's traits and skills the foundation in administration to provide quality service,” Major General Jamil Khir said.
"The 'musyaratah' principle requires leaders with outstanding qualities so that they can lead organisations to excellence.
Major General Jamil Khir was opening a seminar on "Leadership Integration: Issues and Challenges in the Public Service" at the National Institute of Public Administration in Kuala Lumpur.
He said other Islamic principles and approaches that could be applied in public administration were "mua'tabah", which means ridding oneself of bad traits, "mu'aqabah" (maintaining right actions), "muroqobah" (exercising self-control), "muhasabah" (self-interrogation) and "mujahadah" (working earnestly).
“If these six M principles were observed, Department heads would be able to provide good leadership to always bring their organisations to excellence,” he said.
"Indirectly, this will control us from being greedy and too materialistic and from going against the law as such negative tendencies will only bring us to destruction.”
He said the people of Malaysia had placed high hopes in the Public Service, hence there must be diligence on the part of Public Servants in carrying out all tasks for efficient service delivery. “I also hope for continuous improvements to the Public Service because as a developing nation, Malaysia needs a dynamic, responsive and receptive public administration so that it does not lag behind but remain relevant in an increasingly complex and challenging environment,” he said.
12 May, 2009
RUSSIA
Survey shows PS corruption fears
Corruption in the Police Force, Army and Public Service was the most pressing issue that should be addressed in Russia according to a survey taken by the European Union.
Conducted by the EU-Russia Centre, the survey also revealed that 89 per cent of those polled thought this should be a priority for President Dimitry Medvedev as he begins his second year in office.
However, only nine per cent believed that anything would change.
Other priority areas for the Russian President’s attention included ensuring independence of the judiciary (88 per cent) with 11 per cent believing that there would be a change, and the need to diversify the Russian economy away from its base of oil and gas (85 per cent).
The introduction of jury trials in Russia was lower down the list of priorities although 58 per cent of respondents ranked it as important or very important.
Director of the EU-Russia Centre, Fraser Cameron said the results demonstrated that after a year in the office, President Medvedev did not appear to have won the confidence of either Russians or Europeans to effect major changes on the issues that they see as the most important.
“There remains a huge gap between the rhetoric and the reality,” he said.
“However, it is encouraging that over half of Russians and a third of European respondents believe that Russia and the EU will work together to tackle the global economic crisis.”
Russians tended to be more optimistic than Europeans in their estimates of what measures were likely to be implemented.
The only point where the survey found they were less optimistic was on the diversification of the Russian economy from oil and gas: 12 per cent of Russians considered it likely against 14 per cent of non-Russians.
Members of Parliament, academics, officials, from non-Government Organisations, journalists, businesspeople, Public Servants, students and citizens from 34 countries responded to the survey.
12 May, 2009
NEW ZEALAND
Tough times keeping
PS staff
A survey of Government Departments in New Zealand has revealed a growing trend among staff to stay in the Public Service rather than leave and try to get a job in the private sector.
Chief Executive of the Human Resources Institute, Beverley Main said the worsening economy and rising unemployment meant people who were used to picking and choosing where they worked were now staying put.
"If you move on, you could be last on, first off,” she said.
“People are saying, 'I'd rather have security around tenure, because I've got a track record with this organisation'."
A survey by polling company UMR showed unemployment had risen to second place among issues concerning New Zealanders the most. The economy was still No 1.
Police, the Social Development Ministry, the Defence Force and Inland Revenue have all confirmed that staff turnover had dropped.
Ms Main said this was adding pressure to budgets that were already under strain as the ratio of older, more highly paid staff rose.
Turnover within the Police Force has dropped so fast that the organisation will be over its projected numbers by 100 sworn officers by June.
General Manager of Human Resources with the Police, Wayne Annan said the trend began about a year ago.
"Each week turnover has been plummeting - there is no question it's economic,” he said.
"Any likelihood of us recruiting heavily is nil. In some parts of the country there will be a long waiting period to join the Police Force."
The Defence Force is also reporting a big change in staff turnover with the Army reporting 350 more staff than a year ago, the Navy 105 and the Air Force 207.
The Social Development Ministry confirmed annual turnover had dropped from 14.3 per cent of staff in 2008 to 10.3 per cent this year.
12 May, 2009
UNITED STATES
Obama crackdown on tax avoiders
Up to 800 new tax inspectors are likely to be recruited in the United States to crack down on businesses and rich people who park assets and cash overseas to avoid paying US taxes.
US President Barack Obama announced the tax crackdown as a “major offensive” which he said would be fought with new tax laws, new reporting requirements and the 800-strong army of inspectors.
The President said his proposal would raise $210 billion ($A277 billion) over the next decade and make good on his campaign pledge to eliminate tax advantages for companies that move jobs abroad.
"I want to see our companies remain the most competitive in the world, but the way to make sure that happens is not to reward them for moving jobs off our shores or transferring profits to overseas tax havens," he said.
The nation's largest business groups attacked the plan, saying it would subject them to higher taxes than their foreign competitors and ultimately endanger American jobs.
Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Max Baucus (Democrat Montana) said further study was needed to assess the impact of the proposal on American businesses.
"I want to make certain that our tax policies are fair and support the global competitiveness of US businesses," he said.
President Obama said his plan could serve as "a down payment on the larger tax reform we need to make our tax system simpler and fairer."
Under current law, US companies can avoid paying taxes on foreign profits until they bring the money home.
A US company doing business in Ireland, for example, must pay the Irish tax of 12.5 per cent, like every other company doing business in Ireland. But the firm would owe an additional 22.5 per cent to the US Treasury (the difference between Ireland's tax rate and the 35 per cent US tax rate) unless it reinvests the money overseas.
If it changes its law, the United States would be among the last major economic powers to tax overseas profits of locally headquartered companies. Other nations, including most recently Japan and Britain, are moving to a territorial system that taxes only corporate profits earned within their borders.
According to the White House, in the most recent year for which statistics are available, 2004, American multinationals paid an effective US tax rate of just 2.3 per cent on $700 billion ($A923 billion) in foreign profits.
"It's a tax code that says you should pay lower taxes if you create a job in Bangalore, India, than if you create one in Buffalo, New York," the President said.
12 May, 2009
GHANA
Public broadcasting labeled ‘crucial’
Stakeholders in a new national broadcasting service in Ghana have been told that a Public Service broadcaster was “crucial” for the consolidation of a democratic culture.
The stakeholders were meeting in response to plans by the Ghanaian Government to transform its Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) into a Public Service Broadcaster (PSB).
Broadcasting Consultant, Berifi Apenteng said Public Service broadcasting held the key to the country's overall development process in view of its unique role in disseminating information, knowledge and providing a forum for society to express its opinions.
Mr Apenteng said the changing media landscape, with over 130 public and private radio stations and about 10 television channels, made it imperative to find the capital and political will for the national broadcaster’s transformation.
“Greater commercialisation of the structure and program of broadcasting will erode the principles of public broadcasting,” he said.
“The tenets of PSB include universal access, diversity in programming, national and community identity focus and quality programming which should be above the issues of the mass audience.”
Mr Apenteng suggested the country should introduce a special tax.
“A public broadcaster acquires funds to produce programs while a commercial broadcaster produces programs to generate funds,” he said.
“The enabling statutes of GBC should be repealed and replaced by a law that defines the Public Service broadcasting mandate of the Corporation in a comprehensive manner.”
Director General of GBC, William Ampem Darko denied the Corporation was under some form of Governmental control.
“No Government official has ever called me or interfered with the editorial policy directions of the Corporation,” he said.
“I don't even have the contact telephone numbers of the Government officials.”
The points raised at the meeting will be presented to the Vice President of the National Media Commission, John Dramani Mahama, and the Ministry of Information.
5 May, 2009
IRELAND
Early retirements prompt warning
Fears that a wave of early retirements from the Irish Public Service will lead to service delivery problems have prompted a warning to the Secretaries of Government Departments that they must advise their Ministers if they see “significant unavoidable impacts” ahead.
The warning, from the Department of Finance, follows the introduction of an incentivised early retirement scheme for Public Servants aged over 50.
The Department said vacancies arising from the scheme may not be filled without its specific sanction and that Secretaries will be expected to reorganise or restructure work or business units in order to protect service levels as far as possible.
Trade unions were in discussions with Public Service management over the operation of the early retirement scheme which has begun accepting applications.
The scheme allows an eligible Public Servant aged 50 or over to retire without actuarial reduction of pension entitlements.
Ten per cent of the relevant lump sum is payable immediately, with the balance paid later at the normal retirement age of 60 or 65. However, for those who apply now, the full lump sum will not be taxed, even if the Government introduces such a measure in future years.
The Department of Finance said that the purpose of the early retirement scheme was “to facilitate the permanent structural reduction in the numbers of staff serving in the Civil Service, local authorities, Health Service Executive and non-commercial State bodies with associated restructuring of organisations and operations in as timely a manner as possible”.
However, the scheme will not apply to gardaí (police) or teachers.
The Department said staff members had no absolute right to avail themselves of the scheme.
“In general, Departments would be expected to facilitate the early release of personnel, with priority given to those with the longest service,” it said
“In all cases, officers must be given a decision in writing no later than six weeks after their application is made.”
The Department said that in cases where the immediate loss of a particular group or member of staff would give rise to difficulties of a substantial nature in the management of their Department, in supporting the Minister and the Government or in safeguarding exchequer resources, an application to retire early could be postponed for a year or even refused in exceptional cases.
5 May, 2009
UNITED STATES
Health unprepared for flu pandemic
The US Health Department is faced with implementing a never-before tested swine flu pandemic plan while dozens of key positions within the Department remain unfilled.
According to the Washington Post, President Barack Obama has yet to fill 15 top positions at the Department or name a full-time director for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Five more nominations -- including that of former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) - are waiting to be confirmed by the Senate.
The top post at the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) remains open but is being filled by an Acting Director. At the Department of Homeland Security, which is leading the Federal Government's response to the swine flu outbreak, the functions of nearly 20 senior-level posts are being temporarily performed by career Public Servants.
The Government's medical response is being coordinated by a temporary team including Acting CDC Director, Richard E. Besser, acting HHS secretary, Charles Johnson, who was appointed by the previous Bush Administration as Assistant Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Rear Admiral W. Craig Vanderwagen, another Bush appointee.
HSS Secretary under President Bush, Michael Leavitt said having the top 20 positions in the Department unfilled was a significant problem for the long term.
He praised the work of the Public Servants, but said the Obama administration needed to give the appointments priority.
“Vetted people need to be sent to the Senate and the Senate needs to respond,” he said.
“An immediate pandemic outbreak would pose immense challenges to a team operating without much experience and without a long-standing plan.”
A National Pandemic Strategy and Implementation Plan was developed in 2005 and 2006, but has never been fully tested.
Mr Leavitt, who led the Government's development of the plan following an avian flu outbreak in 2005, said the crisis needed to be managed at the Federal level by health professionals, not homeland security officials.
"Without a Secretary of HHS, this will begin to be managed in ways that will be inconsistent with its nature," he said.
"If you were managing this out of the Commerce Department, it would all be about trade. If it were Treasury, it would all be about the flow of money."
White House officials dismissed questions about the team confronting the potential pandemic. Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs told reporters he was confident the Administration was ready to handle the crisis.
"Our response is in no way hindered or hampered by not having a permanent Secretary at HHS right now," he said.
"Dr. Besser and thousands of people both at CDC and throughout HHS are responding to this… We feel confident with the team that is there now."
5 May, 2009
MALAYSIA
Call to overhaul
‘bloated’ PS
A major Opposition party in Malaysia has called for a total overhaul of the nation’s Public Service.
The Democratic Action Party (DAP) made the call because of what it claimed was low productivity among the nation’s Public Servants.
It pointed to studies by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development which revealed that Malaysia had the highest Public Servant-to-population ratio in the Asia-Pacific.
DAP National Publicity Secretary, Tony Pua said the Public Service had more than twice the ratio of Indonesia, Korea and Thailand.
“The bloated Civil Service problem has been further exacerbated by the Government’s policy of making our Civil Service a dumping ground for unemployed graduates over the past few years,” he said.
“To overhaul the Civil Service sector, we must first stop treating the sector as an employer of last resort.”
Mr Pua was commenting on the proposal by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that top posts in the public sector – apart from the Administrative and Diplomatic services, should be opened to talented individuals from the private sector and Government-linked companies.
The DAP official said the Public Service had increased by 23.5 per cent in the past six years.
“Najin himself is contributing to the problem by adding to the workforce,” he said.
Meanwhile Human Resources Minister, Datuk S. Subramaniam said improved salary and pension schemes were attracting recruits to the Public Service. "The salary and benefits for drivers and clerks in the public sector, for example, are better compared with the private sector,” he said
"Hence, public sector employees should appreciate these advantages and they should serve better.”
5 May, 2009
UNITED KINGDOM
Study shows scope for savings
A year-long study of operational expenditure in the UK Public Service has revealed scope for saving up to £15 billion ($A31 billion) by improving efficiency.
The Operational Efficiency Program (OEP) reported that the savings could be achieved from back-office operations and IT, collaborative procurement, asset management and sales, property and local incentives and empowerment.
Its assessment was that around £6 billion ($A12.3 billion) would be delivered as a result of proposals in the current spending review period, contributing to the £35 billion ($A72 billion) efficiency target, with the rest being delivered by the end of the next spending period.
The OEP’s assessment said it would be possible to deliver efficiency savings while continuing to increase investment in front-line services.
“The delivery of the full £15 billion of savings will take time to achieve, due to the nature of the areas being considered,” the OEP’s report said.
“Procurement contracts will need to be renegotiated, back office functions merged, and market conditions considered before property sales are undertaken.”
The Government said these savings would follow a significant overachievement in its efficiency targets from the previous spending review.
The Gershon Efficiency Program, which considered spending between 2004-05 and 2007-08, delivered £26.5 billion ($A54.4 billion) of efficiencies when its target was £21.5 billion ($A44 billion).
The Government will next announce an increased target for relocations of Public Service posts from London and the South-East. It said it was already significantly ahead of schedule in meeting its current target of 20,000 relocations.
In a foreword to their report, the five OEP advisers said the private sector never stopped seeking greater efficiency in the ways it purchased and provided services, and neither should the Government.
“There is scope to go further and increase the value for money the public sector achieves from both its activities and from some of its most valuable assets – the insight and energy of its people - as well as its bricks and mortar,” the foreword said.
5 May, 2009
FIJI
Forced retirements for 2,300
Over 2,300 Fijian Public Servants have been forced to retire following the reduction of the retirement age from 60 to 55.
A Presidential decree instructed all Public Servants over 55 to leave their jobs by 30 April.
Permanent Secretary to the Public Service Commission (PSC), Pramesh Chand said the 30,000-strong Public Service was “way too big and chews through a great deal of the Government’s Budget”.
“It has meant that funds are not available for spending on areas such as health and infrastructure,” he said.
“We do feel for [the forced retirees] because all of a sudden their stream of income will be affected…but the fact remains this is an area of reform that the Civil Service needs and the country needs and we need to move ahead with this.”
He said this would mean a leaner Public Service.
“I assure the general public that the delivery of Government services will in no way be compromised,” Mr Chand said.
He said some highly experienced Public Servants or those in areas where shortages were significant might be re-employed on contract if approved by the Public Service Commission.
A number of sectors have already reported that Government services will suffer from the huge drain of experience.
A report on the moves said 776 teachers, 331 Health Ministry Officers and 300 from the Works, Public Utilities and Energy Ministry have lost their jobs.
Retiring School Principals would be immediately replaced by teachers who had had experience acting in those positions.
The Health Ministry said it was liaising with the PSC on the employment of graduate nurses to replace those retiring.
5 May, 2009
UNITED STATES
Women closing the PS
pay gap
A report from the Government Accountability Office shows women in the Public Service were closer in average pay to their male counterparts than they were two decades ago.
The report says this results from women closing the gap in education and experience, resulting in them holding more senior positions over the past 20 years.
The report showed women in the Public Service earned 89c for every dollar earned by their male co-workers in 2007, the latest year from which figures are available. This was up from 72c in 1988.
The GAO said about half the remaining gap resulted from men still having increased years of experience and higher levels of education than women. However, it could not fully account for the remainder of the disparity.
The report said the gap had narrowed as both genders had shifted away from clerical or blue-collar jobs, including typists, clerks and foremen, to more professional or administrative positions including accountants, engineers and human resources managers.
It said the shift over two decades was tied to the end of the Cold War and an increased use of technology and Government contracting.
The full findings of the report have been released by the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, which held a hearing to mark Equal Pay Day, an annual observance organised by women's rights groups.
5 May, 2009
NEW ZEALAND
Jobs-cut criticism continues
The New Zealand Government continues to face criticism for cutting jobs in the Public Service.
A spokeswoman at the Social Development Ministry refused to be drawn on suggestions that as many as 180 redundancies were coming at this, one of the largest Public Service Departments, but Labour MP, Annette King said the job losses had been outlined in a confidential briefing paper.
She refused to issue the briefing paper, but told Parliament it threatened front-line services.
A Ministry spokeswoman said a "variety of measures" had been outlined in a briefing last year with the aim of achieving a five per cent saving in the Ministry’s budget.
Ms King said the five per cent cut in costs was broadly equivalent to up to 500 job losses.
The spokeswoman said front-line services were not affected and front-line staff numbers in Auckland, where demand was rising, were being increased.
Government Departments have been told to make savings of five per cent or more as the Government looks to rein in costs before its impending Budget.
Leader of the Opposition, Phil Goff said more than 800 Public Servants had lost their jobs and accused the Government of going back on its promise not to slash the Public Service.
Job cuts have been announced at the Inland Revenue Department, the Environment Ministry, the Tertiary Education Commission and the Justice Ministry, with more expected at most Government Departments.
Finance Minister, Bill English said the Government had made it clear it wanted to move resources to the front line. In the case of the Social Development Ministry, that was "particularly important" because of the growth in unemployment.
5 May, 2009
ALBANIA
EU bid promises PS reform
The establishment of an independent, efficient, and merit-based Public Service in Albania has taken a step forward with the country’s Prime Minister officially submitting an application to join the European Union.
A corruption-free, professional Public Service is a pre-condition for entry into the EU.
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, in thanking Czech Premier Mirel Topolanek for inviting his country to file its candidacy during the Czech Republic’s presidency of the EU, said it would take seriously the associated obligations.
However Mr Topolanek said Albania would need to do more in terms of reforms in order to progress in the EU application process.
The last EU progress report for Albania acknowledged that the country had continued to make progress in the areas of democracy and the rule of law, but the fight against corruption and organised crime remained a major priority.
“Fighting corruption in the judiciary system remains a key issue,” the report said.
“Much work is needed on all aspects of the issue, including judicial accountability and transparency of political party funding.”
The report said Albania lacked an adequate Court infrastructure while a comprehensive reform strategy for the judiciary system was still missing.
It called for greater efforts to complete the establishment of an independent, efficient, and merit-based Public Service.
Albania has made progress in aligning its legislation, policies, and capacities with European standards. However, in the field of justice, freedom, and security, the country has progressed “unevenly”; therefore, the report recommended a further need for overall improvement.
Albania joins Turkey, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro as countries that have applied for EU membership.
5 May, 2009
NIGERIA
PS crucial to 2020 goals
Nigeria’s national Vision 2020 infrastructure development program is going to require major reforms to the country’s Public Service if it is to be successfully implemented, according to the Chairman of the Vision’s Business Support Group, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab.
Mr Mutallab said the country needed a robust, experienced and efficient Public Service in order to ensure that the ground was set for the success of the Vision 2020 initiative.
“The Public Service must be properly positioned to effectively implement policy decisions,” he said.
He admitted there was a lot of scepticism as to whether the country would achieve the Vision 2020 objectives.
“Yes, we have problems, but I believe that the idea is for us to start getting our steps right,” he said.
“If this country gets itself together, it can achieve the Vision 2020.”
He agreed many commentators had doubts that Nigeria could achieve the overall objective of being among the world’s top 20 economies in 11 years, but said a number of countries had made tremendous achievements within the same time frame.
“It is not out of place for Nigeria to aspire that high,” he said.
Responding to a question on what would come first if the group was to prioritise the implementation of the 2020 project, Mr Mutallab said there needed to be consultation on this.
“It is only after that kind of very exhaustive discussion that we can prioritise what to do to jump-start the implementation of Vision 2020 in the short, medium and long-term,” he said.
A member of Vision 2020, Eniola Fadayonmi, said that President Umaru Yar’adua had given the Vision 2020 groups a September deadline to submit their reports.
5 May, 2009
HONG KONG
Transport plan hits the web
The Public Transport Enquiry Service (PTES) developed by the Transport Department and the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been launched
This new service, still in the pilot stage, will provide users with free public transport point-to-point route searches on the internet.
Acting Assistant Commissioner for Transport/Technical Services, Tsang King-man said the new system would be a major convenience to the more than 11 million passengers who used the Hong Kong public transport system every day.
He said the PTES would offer a single internet portal for all public transport point-to-point route searches.
“It means people will be able to make more appropriate choices for pre-trip planning with comprehensive information,” he said.
"We hope that the PTES can provide motorists with useful information and encourage them to make use of public transport instead of driving, with the aim of creating an environment with less emissions."
The public transport services include the Mass Transit Railway system, light rail transit, franchised bus, green minibus, tram, the Victoria Peak tram, ferry, the cross-boundary coach service to Lok Ma Chau and Huanggang and the bus service to Ma Wan and Discovery Bay.
Previously, travellers had had to access different internet sites for each service
Mr Tsang said the Transport Department and Hong Kong Polytechnic University would keep updating the system to ensure the reliability of information.
“However, the public transport networks of Hong Kong are highly complex with a variety of services, fares and concessions,” he said.
“I believe there is still room for improvements and users should pay attention to the news section on the website and check the service details so the selected route options meet their requirements.”
The website is http://ptes.td.gov.hk