SearchArchives for September 2008
30 September, 2008NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand PS judged the least corrupt
New Zealand's Public Service has been rated the equal least corrupt in the world for the third consecutive year.
Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand scored 9.3 out of 10 to top Transparency International's Corruptions Perceptions Index, which rated 180 countries.
Australia scored 8.7, the United Kingdom 7.7 and the United States 7.3.
New Zealand’s State Services Minister David Parker applauded his Public Servants "for being amongst the most honest in the world’’ and said it wasn’t something they should “take for granted".
"As this study by Transparency International unfortunately shows, many other countries suffer from debilitating corruption, which blights their economies, hampers investment and destroys trust in the democratic process," Mr Parker said.
Somalia remained at the bottom the index, as in 2007, with Myanmar, Iraq and Haiti. Afghanistan slipped to 176th from 172nd.
Transparency International said the index "highlights the fatal link between poverty, failed institutions and graft".
The ranking measured perceived levels of public sector corruption and drew on surveys of businesses and experts.
"In the poorest countries, corruption levels can mean the difference between life and death, when money for hospitals or clean water is in play," TI chairwoman Huguette Labelle said.
A World Bank study earlier in September found New Zealand was ranked second in the world for ease of doing business.
"These studies confirm that New Zealand is an attractive place to do business, not only for the simplicity of our regulatory environment, but also because we offer the reassurance of a Public Service with integrity," Mr Parker said.
"This good result does not mean we can be complacent however.
“We must take tough and decisive action to deal with isolated cases of corruption when they do occur," he said.
30 September, 2008
CANADA
PS “muzzled’’ for election campaign
Canada’s Public Service has been slowed to a crawl in the lead-up to the nation’s Federal Election.
The Privy Council Office has put an unprecedented clamp on government business in a bid to prevent Public Servants making any gaffe, musing or comment that could spill into the election arena and affect an already heated campaign.
Public servants are pulling out of long-scheduled conferences, speaking engagements and meetings with everyone from consumer advocacy groups to industry representatives because, according to PCO spokeswoman Myriam Massabki, Public Servants were expected to maintain a low profile during an election and avoid public commentary on any matters that could potentially impact, or be perceived as impacting, on the election.
"The neutrality of the public service is a cornerstone of our democratic system, and heightened vigilance is appropriate during elections," Ms Massabki said.
According to one Public Servant, some departments have opted for a "no-risk strategy of doing nothing" rather than taking the risk of making a mistake.
The PCO edict put a temporary halt to some Defence Department equipment projects, but military leaders managed to prevent a move to shut down recruiting during the campaign.
An October meeting to consider a $500-million purchase of aerial drones was cancelled and rescheduled for after the election.
A trade show scheduled for 30 September to 1 October had to be cancelled when senior officials who were to talk at the event pulled out. Military equipment that was to be exhibited at the show was still on its way to Ottawa from Europe and other locations.
"This cancellation relates to the federal election currently under way and restrictions placed on senior government officials participating in public conferences," a press release from the organisers said.
In addition, eight events at the Canadian War Museum have been cancelled.
Military officers, former Public Servants and those who dealt with the Government on a regular basis say they have never seen such a sweeping ban.
John Lawford, a lawyer with the Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre said this “didn't happen during the last election".
"(Bureaucrats) were reticent in making promises but that didn't stop them from meeting," he said.
The President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, Michele Demers accused the conservative Canadian Government of ‘muzzling’ the Public Service when they didn’t even attend a conference on their own profession.
"It is becoming a sick paranoia," Ms Demers said.
"It's so ridiculous there is no word to describe it. Public Servants don't have the right to speak out at the best of times so this muzzling during an election campaign has been taken to the extreme.
“Now we can't even talk about Public Service renewal."
30 September, 2008
UNITED STATES
Tax law hits early PS retirement
Changes to taxation rules for pension plans in the United States threaten early retirement payments for Public Servants.
The changes proposed by the Internal Revenue Service would see retirement benefits for the PS frozen until staff reached 55 years of age, or 62 if a preferred option was adopted.
The changes could eliminate early retirement pay for Government employees, including teachers, police and city and State workers, in less than two years.
As an example, the Nevada Public Employees' Retirement System allowed most participants to retire and receive benefits at any age after 30 years of service – earlier for police and fire fighters.
As a result, public pension systems have been fighting the new IRS regulation since it was first proposed. The IRS has the ability to implement the rule because public pensions come with tax deferral status attached.
While unions and pension officials across the country took their case to Congress, some others were welcoming the proposal as a modest but necessary reform.
One briefing paper on the proposed regulation said it was needed because a normal retirement age younger than 55 was not reasonable and full benefits for workers covered under Social Security are not available until 67.
A number of national groups, from the Fraternal Order of Police to the National Education Association, asked for the regulation’s implementation to be pushed back from June 2010. The IRS had not responded to the request.
Managers of the Nevada State retirement system were questioning the new regulation as well.
Nevada PERS Operations Officer, Tina Leiss said the Agency was waiting for more information on how the regulation would affect the State’s retirement system.
She said any changes to benefits for current participants could provoke lawsuits from employees or their associations.
"It's just not clear yet how this would affect any of the public pension plans," Ms Leiss said.
She said the new rule would apply to public pension plans because they were tax qualified plans which provided tax benefits to participants who might otherwise have had to pay taxes on their retirement contributions.
An official with the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, Dave Kallas, said there was no immediate cause for alarm as the legislation that prompted the IRS rule had been aimed at private pensions and was not intended to apply to public pension plans.
The potential change to the nation's public pension systems came at the same time as other calls for reforms to the plans.
A Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce study released last month found Government support of the public retirement system had become a drain on State and Local Government resources and led to the underfunding of important programs such as education and transportation.
Chairman of the Chamber's Government Affairs Committee, Hugh Anderson said retirement age should better reflect today's demographic reality that people were living much longer.
It was conceivable a public employee could retire at 55 with 30 years of service and receive retirement benefits for longer than the years worked, Mr Anderson said.
"This whole demographic shift is here," he said. "It is no longer in the future. The baby boom generation is here and they are living a long time."
30 September, 2008
PHILLIPINES
War on red tape launched
Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this month launched a "War vs. Red Tape" in a bid to make frontline Government services more client-friendly.
The Civil Service Commission program was designed to make the Philippines more globally competitive.
"To be world-class for global competitiveness, we invest in reducing red tape in all Agencies to cut business cost," President Macapagal-Arroyo said during the launch, which coincided with the 108th Anniversary of Philippine Civil Service.
She said the World Bank defined “red tape’’ as the procedures through which regulations operate on a day-to-day basis. Unnecessary complexity of procedures and delays in implementing them created rolls of red tape.
To reduce red tape the World Bank recommended simplifying procedures and ensuring that they were fairly applied to all involved parties. Systematic assessment, periodic review, and the use of information technology would also reduce red tape.
The Republic Act 9485, or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, was signed into law by the President in June in an effort to reduce, if not eliminate, red tape.
Its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) were drafted through the joint efforts of the CSC, Development Academy of the Philippines, Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft commission.
The Civil Service Commission, a campaigner for more client-friendly bureaucracy, was tasked to lead the implementation.
The Act puts combined mechanisms, systems and programs to aid Government efforts stamp out inefficiency and corruption in Public Service.
Under the law whenever a Government office failed to act within the prescribed period to renew a licence, permit or authorisation, the document was automatically renewed.
The Asian Institute of Management has said that red tape was responsible for driving away investments and stifling business growth and job creation in the Philippines.
The World Bank rated the Philippines 133rd out of 178 countries in terms of the "ease of doing business".
30 September, 2008
ISRAEL
Controversy over women’s low pay
Israel’s Finance Ministry has rejected claims of a wage gap between male and female Public Servants.
In apparent contradiction of the Treasury's own records the Finance Ministry told a researcher that men and women in the public sector received the same pay.
"There is no discrimination in the salaries paid to men and women in the public sector," Deputy Director of Wages in the Finance Ministry Yossi Cohen said when questioned by Dr Anat Maor.
"Men and women in the same position are paid the same."
But a 2006 report, by Mr Cohen's office, showed women's pay in the public sector was 20 per cent lower than men's. The pension gap was even higher, at 26 per cent.
It said there was greater equality at higher levels but most women were employed at lower levels with lower salaries.
"The differences in wages are determined by the level of the position and the actual work done," Mr Cohen said. The Civil Service Commission provided similar answers.
Dr Maor said the two offices' replies were "a cynical and offensive answer that insults the public's intelligence in general and women's in particular".
According to Government data, women filled only three of 23 positions as directors of Government ministries.
She said in August 2007, the Civil Service employed 12,567 female employees in administration positions with an average gross monthly salary of NIS 6,573 (A$2,300).
She said the 6,390 men occupying the same positions averaged NIS 8,526 (A$2,990) and in a higher pay grade,women’s average monthly salary of NIS 9,219 (A$3225) compared with NIS 12,355 (A$4325) for men.
Dr Maor said the wage gap resulted from "indirect mechanisms of discrimination".
"The definition of the position is flexible," she said.
"For example, often men will be named 'senior consultants', while women carrying out the same job will be listed merely as 'consultants'. That's enough to justify a wage gap."
Dr Maor said men were sometimes classified as office administrators while women with identical responsibilities were listed as secretaries.
"Women are not always aware of the importance that these titles have in wages," she said. “Titles often came with perks such as company cars, overtime payment and bonuses.”
The Finance Ministry defended its pay structure saying the wage system was based on collective agreements with unions and was not decided by the employer.
30 September, 2008
NEW ZEALAND
Opposition sets out plan for PS
Leader of the NZ Opposition, John Key has announced a plan to make New Zealand’s public service leaner, meaner and more relevant if elected at this year’s national poll.
Speaking at the Public Service Association's annual congress, Mr Key spelt out his prescription for the public sector, including a promise that his Government would not cut services.
The visit to the PSA gathering was important for Mr Key as the union was expected to campaign against the National's plan to cap Public Service growth.
Mr Key told delegates his Public Sector plan included no wholesale restructuring of the PS; new funding to be channelled into frontline services; greater political neutrality; more professionalism in a "more focused" and relevant Public Service.
He said he would include Public Service officials more in Cabinet committee policy discussions.
Mr Key’s Party had already announced plans to slash the number of “irrelevant’’ reports and strategies being produced by policy analysts, which had grown at a faster rate than frontline services.
"We want to make sure that Cabinet Committees are operating with the best information available and that the work that is being undertaken by the Government Agencies on our behalf is absolutely in tune with the thinking," Mr Key said.
"So where appropriate we can see no reason why senior officials cannot sit in with Cabinet Committees.
"That way they will be in lock-step with what the Cabinet is actually thinking and so that the work they are producing is a lot more likely to hit the spot."
He said because most of the information discussed in Cabinet was produced by Public Servants there would be no security issues.
Mr Key said his Government would also improve political neutrality by taking a step back from the Labour-led administration's practice of using Department resources to promote policies and political objectives.
Departments would not become cheerleaders for political policies, Mr Key said.
30 September, 2008
CANADA
Execs’ pay hike angers union
Wage hikes of up to 21 per cent for Canada’s senior Government bureaucrats have angered a union representing 29,000 Provincial Government employees which recently agreed to a 2 per cent rise for its members.
British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) President Darryl Walker said the increases, and the way they were announced, "should be quite troubling to both taxpayers and frontline workers".
"We negotiated a collective agreement with the province which provides modest increases of 2 per cent this year for frontline staff and look at these increases," Mr Walker said.
He said the Government had misplaced priorities and was highly selective in its use of salary comparisons and recruitment and retention data.
"Future recruitment challenges in the senior bureaucracy is used to justify raises of as much as $77,000 a year," Mr Walker said.
"But we've been trying to negotiate recruitment and retention wage adjustments to solve staff shortages that we're facing right now in a number of key program areas."
Mr Walker said the public would rather see the Government work on solving the current shortage of childcare workers and community social service workers who care for people with developmental disabilities than granting big pay boosts for bureaucrats.
He said after the increase, a Deputy Minister would earn six times as much as the average Government employee.
"Attracting and keeping qualified employees in the Provincial Government will not succeed if workers see people at the top making huge pay increases," Mr Walker said.
The Provincial Government justified the pay rises as necessary to keep and recruit staff ahead of an upcoming decade of mass retirements.
A statement by the Office of the Premier said most Assistant Deputy Ministers would receive a 21 per cent raise to $157,608 (A$182,800) a year while the average salary of a Deputy Minister would go up more than 7 per cent to $218,000 (A$252,800).
“In a tight labour market, compensation levels are one key factor in ensuring the BC Public Service is able to recruit and retain suitably qualified senior professionals,” the statement said.
The senior executives’ wage increases were back dated to 1 August.
30 September, 2008
UNITED STATES
Security breach Officer pleads guilty
A former State Department Foreign Service Officer has pleaded guilty to illegally reading private passport files, including those of Presidential candidates, actors, athletes and media figures.
Both prosecutors and the defendant’s lawyer said in the Federal Court that the Officer had looked through the files of nearly 200 people as a matter of “idle curiosity”.
The State Department revealed six months ago that some of its employees and contractors who had access to its internal passport database had improperly looked into the files of three Senators in the running for President.
The employees had examined the files of Republican candidate Senator John McCain and then Democratic rivals Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice called all three candidates in March to apologise for the invasion into their private files.
The Officer who pleaded guilty had been with the Department for more than 20 years and was among five contract employees to be sacked after an internal investigation earlier this year.
Although the names of individuals whose files were viewed by the PS staff were not named by prosecutors, sources close to the case said the three Presidential candidates were among them. The Court filing also listed celebrities, game show contestants, business people and neighbours as people whose personal files were viewed. The files contained confidential information, including addresses, phone numbers, emergency contacts, spousal information and photographs, and were supposed to be viewed on a “need to know” basis.
According to the prosecution, the Officer’s “sole purpose in accessing and viewing the passport applications was idle curiosity”.
He did not copy, share or sell the information in all but two of the cases, prosecutors said. The exceptions involved a relative and an unnamed actor, whose photo he printed “for his own personal viewing”.
One of the man’s lawyers said there was nothing malevolent about his actions and he had taken full responsibility for them. “He’s eager to put the matter behind him,” they said.
“He’s fully prepared to cooperate with the Government.”
The former Officer pleaded guilty to exceeding his authorised access to State Department computers, an offence that carried a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Prosecutors agreed to a lower recommended sentence of six months or less if he continued to cooperate.
30 September, 2008
INDIA
PS fears for election work
Government employees in the Indian State of Srinigar were are concerned that their participation in election duty during State assembly elections would put them at risk of violence and generate public criticism of the Public Service.
The staff are fearful that because the elections could only go ahead if they worked on them, there would be far-reaching repercussions for their role.
Despite these fears, PS unions in the State seemed unlikely to take a stand on the issue despite the State Election Department requiring around 50,000 Government employees to work on election duty.
The Jammu Kashmir Employees Joint Action Committee (JKEJAC-K) said it would decide its stance after a meeting to discuss the issue.
Secretary of a faction within the Committee, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, said the entire election process had been carried by Government employees.
“Even though the Government employees cannot refuse their assistance in this process, conditions here are challenging for employees who have to be part of this process,” he said.
“No one at present can gauge the future course of the ongoing struggle, but if the Election Commission goes ahead with its plans it should guarantee the safety of all the election workers.
Srinigar has a long history or seeking independence from India.
“The employees have no role in the political process but there are apprehensions that we could face criticism,” Mr Bhat said.
He said the Committee would raise issues of employee safety with the General Administration Department.
“The main concern of the employees is that our participation could also be seen as anti- movement that could lead in our castigation from the society,” he said.
Mr Bhat said speeding up the election process would put the lives of employees at risk and make them more doubtful to carry forward the process.
“Even though SED enjoys all the major powers during the election period and can direct us to take part in this process, they should not create disorder by going for elections without ground preparation.’’
He said that the Election Commission could involve employees from other States to hold elections, as it had done in 1996.
30 September, 2008
UNITED STATES
Sex-change leads to guilty finding
The Library of Congress has been found guilty of illegal sex discrimination for refusing to hire a male applicant when it learned he was about to become a woman.
The man applied for a position of Terrorism Specialist with the Congressional Research Service and had already achieved the required security clearance. He had completed a 25-year career with the Army Special Forces, retiring as a Colonel.
The Court found the man was well qualified for the Library's position and was the first choice of the hiring official who told him he had been selected.
But he had met with the selecting official before the paperwork was completed that included the fact that he was a transsexual and was about to undergo gender transition.
He suggested he start the new job after becoming a woman because he believed it would be "less disruptive."
The Library then rescinded the job offer and selected another applicant.
The selecting official had several concerns, including that the new employee, with a new name, might not be able to retain the same security clearance.
The man waited until after the gender transition was finalised before suing the Library for sex discrimination.
A Judge of the US District Court for the District of Columbia found that the man (now woman) “was discriminated against because of sex".
He found that the Library's reasons for rescinding the hiring offer were pretexts for discrimination, and that the Library had engaged in sex stereotyping and discrimination.
"(This) case indeed rests on direct evidence, and compelling evidence, that the Library's hiring decision was infected by sex stereotypes," the Judge said.
He also found that the Library's refusal to hire the man after learning that he was about to undergo sex reassignment surgery "was literally discrimination ‘because of …sex'."
23 September, 2008
UNITED STATES
Absentee rates uncovered in report
A report into the US Federal Public Service has found a “staggering number” of hours for which employees were absent from work without leave or permission.
According to the author of the report, Senator Tom Coburn, the practice was costing the Government “thousands of work years”.
However, Senator Coburn’s report was criticised by some Federal employees and organisations that represented them.
They said the number of hours recorded as absent without leave or permission averaged just 1.11 hours per employee annually during the seven-year period examined by Senator Coburn and his staff.
A union representative described the report as “little more than a collection of numbers surrounded by innuendoes and loose extrapolations”.
Senator Coburn said the report, Missing in Action: AWOL in the Federal Government, was “an effort to identify the size of this problem in the hope that solutions can be found.
“In a time when consumers face rising energy and food prices, the Government needs to ensure efficient use of our own resources before turning to taxpayers and asking for more,” Senator Coburn said.
“No one who pays taxes likes to see his or her Government waste its resources. I believe the American taxpayer deserves better.”
The study analysed the time employees at 18 Federal Agencies were absent without leave between 2001 and 2007. It found employees had logged off 19.6 million hours, or 10,000 work years, during those seven years which Senator Coburn said was the equivalent of 316 employees skipping work every day during their 30-year careers.
He said the size of the problem was “staggering” and “growing worse over time” and taxpayers were losing $7 billion a year due to lost productivity and low worker morale because of employees who failed to show up at work without notice.
Michael Kelly from the American Federation of Government Employees said federal employees “take great pride in our work”.
“We, naturally, do take leave - annual leave, sick - and on rare occasions (leave without permission),” Mr Kelly said “But LWOP is granted on a case-by-case basis, and usually approved for different reasons.
“Many requests are a result of medical reasons, while some could be for military purposes.”
Senator Coburn said his report was aimed at managers who tolerated workers who failed to show up for work without notice or explanation and did not target individual workers.
“The vast majority of our Federal employees show up and do a good job - they are not the problem,” Senator Coburn said. “The problem is where management is not holding the employees (who fail to report without notice) accountable.”
23 September, 2008
INDIA
Six months maternity leave approved
India’s National Government has increased maternity leave for its employees to six months and also approved up to two years of paid leave to take care of children.
Effective as of this month, the order increased maternity leave of female employees from 135 days to 180 days for each of two children and meant women could now also take up to 730 days paid leave during their career for "taking care" of two children without affecting their seniority.
This "child care leave" was in addition to the maternity break.
According to the new rules, employees could use the child care leave in any combination till their two children were 18 years of age. The new leave regime meant that during their service with the Government women could take as much as three years paid leave, provided they did it only for two children.
The child care leave can be taken for any reason and could be in continuation of the six-month maternity break so an employee deciding to have only one child can be on paid leave for two-and-a-half continuous years.
Alternatively the employee had the option of saving some or all of her leave for emergencies and she could also continue to enjoy her share of regular leaves.
The Government believed the new regime would make Public Service jobs much more attractive to women.
It was expected that semi-Government organisations such as banks and insurance companies could also follow the Government’s lead and adopt the new women-friendly system.
23 September, 2008
CANADA
Poll reveals PS unpopularity
A new study of the attitudes of Canadians has shown they have a generally low opinion of most parts of the Federal Public Service except for the Armed Forces.
Data from Angus Reid Strategies showed citizens rated 28 of 29 Federal Departments mediocre or worse.
Former Federal Deputy Minister of both Industry and Indian Affairs, Harry Swain was not surprised by the results.
A research associate at the University of Victoria's Centre for Global Studies, Mr Swain said a Public Service propensity for sticking to the rules had been made worse by compulsive micro-management from the governing Conservatives.
"Nowadays we have an emphasis on rules, rules and more rules," Mr Swain said.
"Yet good Public Service demands that the agents who deal with people have some discretion, some ability to make things happen.
“When that's not there, it's very frustrating."
According to the researchers, the 29 agencies were rated and scored with a score in the 60s considered “outstanding’’, 50s “good’’ and 40s “not bad’’.
While only the Armed Forces were considered “good’’ nine other Agencies - Environment Canada, Health Canada, the RCMP (Mounties), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Tourism, Canadian Heritage, Public Safety, the Bank of Canada and National Defence – were described as "not bad."
The scoring system represented the percentage of people in an internet survey who had heard positive or negative information about each Agency as well as whether they thought Agencies or Departments worked in the public's interest; competently managed their responsibilities; effectively communicated their plans; spent taxpayers’ money wisely; exercised their responsibilities in an ethical way; contributed positively to the community; had a positive impact on citizens' lives; and demonstrated credibility.
All of the Departments were given low marks for effective communication and wise spending but received generally high marks for competence and credibility.
University of British Columbia's Head of Political Science, Allan Tupper, said ethical concerns may simply reflect “the transference of negative views about politicians to the operations they supervise’’.
Mr Tupper said data from other surveys suggested the public judged Government services more harshly when the general population was polled, rather than just people who'd had recent dealings with a given Agency or Department.
Angus Reid Vice-President, Catherine Rogers said another factor might have been that many Canadians expected a higher standard from Government employees than from the private sector.
23 September, 2008
PHILIPPINES
Christmas bonuses held up
The Philippines Department of Budget and Management has rejected as illegal a suggestion for the early release of year-end bonuses and Christmas cash gifts so Government employees would be cushioned against the effects of financial crisis.
Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr said that although the administration wanted to make an early release of the bonuses, they could not do so without breaking the law.
"The rules and regulations for Republic Act 6686, which authorises the grant of an annual Christmas bonus to national and local Government officials and employees, provide that said bonus shall be paid not earlier than November 15 of each year," he said.
Economist, and former Budget Secretary, Benjamin Diokno had suggested the move because the current economic turmoil could further affect local economic growth.
Mr Diokno said that if the crisis lasted until 2009 it could result in massive job lay-offs, less imports and fewer foreign investments.
If this happened, the initial reaction of consumers would have been to spend less, which would further weaken the local economy.
Mr Diokno said the Government should cushion the effects by ordering the early release of the Christmas bonus and implementing a salary increase so the people could enjoy their money while its value remained high.
Mr Andaya said the bonuses would be released eventually and those retiring before 31 October would receive their year-end benefits on a pro-rated basis.
"We assure everyone that the cash requirements for the year-end benefits are intact and will be released promptly on the day specified by law to help with additional cash requirements during the holiday season," Mr Andaya said.
He said a mid-year bonus had already been paid in May.
Mr Andaya said the Department had released funds for the salary adjustments of Public Servants this year.
"The salary adjustment is funded in the 2008 GAA (General Appropriations Act) under the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund,” he said.
“The initial release, in fact, that the Department made for the purpose covered the requirements for July to September this year. It is impossible that Government workers have not received the increase yet."
He said requirements for October to December 2008, however, had yet to be released.
23 September, 2008
UNITED STATES
Sex and kickback scandals uncovered
The Inspector General of the US Department of Interior has released a report charging Departmental staff with engaging in sex, drugs and gifts scandals.
The Inspector General, Earl E. Devaney, alleged in his report that Public Servants in the Department’s oil and royalties program helped rig bids, accepted gifts from energy company officials, had sex with subordinates and industry contacts, and used illegal drugs, including marijuana and cocaine.
According to Inspector Devaney, nine employees allegedly accepted drinks and meals, golf trips, snowboarding lessons, hotel rooms, and baseball and concert tickets from a number of the major oil companies but his investigators could show no explicit connection between the gifts and the manipulation of bidding.
Another report found that a lack of oversight and widespread inaccuracies in measurement meant the Department might not have been collecting all the royalties owed by the energy companies for the oil and natural gas they drew from Federal-owned properties.
The matter was drawn to the attention of the Congressional Committee on Natural Resources which heard that the charges could have implications for the possible expansion of offshore drilling along the US coast.
Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall II said they were serious issues.
"They are more serious now as we face the certain prospect that vast swaths of Federal waters will become open to oil and gas leasing in the very near future," Representative Rahall said.
Two employees of the Department were being prosecuted and others transferred, he said, and an attorney would be appointed as an advisor to ensure the program complied with ethics expectations in future.
The Department collected more than $8 billion a year in royalties from energy companies that leased Federal land and the income was the Government's biggest source of revenue after taxes.
Mr Devaney's report questioned the relationship between the energy industry and the Interior Department’s Agency
"I reiterate my belief that 99.9% of DOI employees are ethical, hard-working and well-intentioned,” Mr Devaney said.
"Unfortunately, the conduct of a few does cast a pall over the whole, at least for a time."
He said he was "at a loss to explain" the behaviour of energy company representatives who allegedly gave gifts to, and had sexual relationships with, the Government employees.
Under US Public service rules, Federal employees could not accept individual gifts worth more than $20 and no more than $50 worth each year.
Industry representatives denied that gifts were exchanged for preferential treatment.
23 September, 2008
CANADA
PS to be prominent in election
The Public Service Alliance of Canada is to ensure that Public Service issues were prominent in the upcoming Canadian Federal Election.
The PSAC said since the party that won the election would be their employer, Public Servants had a vested interest in knowing what they stood for.
The Alliance stressed that its activities were not political and that any candidate from any party could receive its endorsement.
PSAC Executive Regional Vice-President for the National Capital Region, Maria Fitzpatrick, said that more than half of the 100,000 people employed by the Federal Government in the region were PSAC members.
"Our members have the opportunity to vote for the party who, for many of them, will ultimately be their employer," Ms Fitzpatrick said.
"And as citizens, they know that government policies have a direct impact on the life of the people in the region. It's our duty to make sure candidates explain clearly what their parties intend to do if they form the next Federal Government."
Ms Fitzpatrick said it was an excellent opportunity for PSAC members and the public in general to participate actively in the democratic process.
"In Ottawa-Gatineau, the public service is by far the largest economic force and it's only fair that we ask the candidates for their views on the future of the public service," Ms Fitzpatrick said.
The assessment would be conducted by two committees of PSAC members who would meet with candidates and present them with a questionnaire relating to issues important to members, such as quality public services and workers' rights.
There would also be public debates during which the candidates would have an opportunity to express their views and answer questions from union members and the general public.
23 September, 2008
GHANA
Leadership training for top managers
A three-week accelerated training program for the leadership of Ghana’s Civil Service has opened with a call to improve service delivery and attain national development goals.
Minister for Public Sector Reform, Samuel Owusu-Agyei said this could be achieved through the continued training of civil servants who were capable of world-class service and could manage complex issues in both the public and private sector environments.
Mr Owusu-Agyei said education and training of civil servants would clearly serve the people and help manage public resources properly on a daily basis.
"The learning and training process must never end but (should) be considered and reconsidered continuously," he said.
He said the program was the fifth in a series and was oriented to help establish a new public administration system, as part of ongoing reforms across the Public Service.
In all, 45 directors from across the country were participating in the program under the theme Positioning Directors to Deliver Professional Service at the Divisional Levels to Enhance Co-ordination of Work for Attainment of Higher Productivity in Various Sectors of the Economy.
The program was organised jointly by the Ministry of Public Sector Reform, the Office of the Head of Civil Service and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
Mr. Owusu-Agyei said the participants would practice technical leadership and management of policy related to their sectors.
They would also learn to produce programs and projects to help national institutions use the resources made available by the Government and development partners.
"They would also be expected to exercise effectiveness and efficiency in the utilisation of development resources resulting from improved policy-programming and evaluation systems and develop capacity for accounting for the impact of public policies," he said.
The Ghana Institute’s Professor Stephen Adei said the program targeted Chief Directors as topmost professionals, as well as Directors, Heads of Departments and similar grades in the Civil Service.
He said competent and visionary leadership was needed for the Ministry’s reforms so the program would introduce Civil Service leadership skills needed in their roles delivering services to the public.
Head of the Civil Service, Joe D. Isaachar said the program would present the opportunity to share ideas and experiences to push the country forward.
The participants would be shown Ghana’s deficiencies in leadership, strategic planning, management decision making, problem solving and public policy making.
23 September, 2008
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Consultant to overhaul PS
The Public Service of Abu Dhabi has called in an international business consultant to improve and strengthen it leadership capabilities.
The Government has signed an agreement to collaborate with executive education and leadership college Wharton Executive Education to further reform and strengthen the Civil Service and other Government Departments.
It is Wharton’s first such international agreement and its first collaboration outside the USA.
The company has built a reputation for working with multi-national corporations and believed the international experience it had gained would allow it to devise programs for the region that would help develop and educate the Emirate's future leaders.
Public Service Undersecretary Ali Al Ketbi said the Government’s association with Wharton would help it fast-track talented Emiratis to positions of seniority and responsibility in Government Departments.
He said the company would work closely with the Department of Civil Service’s Centre of Excellence to co-design and implement a variety of programs with some of the programs tailored to the Department's specific personnel development requirements, such as a focus on women and leadership.
Senior Director at Wharton Executive Programs, Sandhya Karpe said the company was excited by the the scale and scope of the changes taking place within Abu Dhabi's public sector.
“The leadership's ambitious plans to put in place a world-class administration by 2012 creates some specific educational challenges,” Ms Karpe said.
She said the Public Service/Wharton programs were expected to involve about 200 public sector high fliers who would have long-term assignments in the US and ongoing networking opportunities.
Mr Al Ketbi said the partnership was part of the Department of Civil Service's five-year strategic plan to deliver a world-class system of governance.
He said the Department now had access to a range of industry leading and academic resources and programs through links with a number of global educational institutions.
23 September, 2008
HAWAII
Budget projections prompt cuts
A projected Budget deficit has prompted the Government of Hawaii to review and prioritise its spending program.
Governor Laura Lingle stopped short of describing the situation as a crisis but said if spending wasn’t reined in, the $162 million shortfall this year could balloon to $584 million in 2010 and $903 million in 2011.
She said although the State was fundamentally on the right track it would review all spending as it managed the projected deficit.
The Department of Budget and Finance expected the situation to improve sometime next year but the projections were a warning to the State to change its spending pattern.
"Everything has to be under consideration when you're chasing $900 million over a three-year period," Governor Lingle said.
"Everything is under consideration."
She said she would tell the unions there was no money for pay raises and that spending restrictions of up to 20 percent would be required from State Department Directors. There would be a general hiring freeze and a 4 per cent cut had already been implemented at State Departments this fiscal year. The Governor's office would also be required to authorise any out-of-State travel and all sizeable new contracts or orders.
Governor Lingle also said money might not be released for programs approved by the Legislature.
She said however that spending on bond-financed capital improvement projects, which economists say could help the construction sector of the economy, would be approved.
She said she would try to guide the State towards an economy less reliant on land development and more on innovation by continuing investments in science and technology education, workforce development and alternative energy.
She has until December to explain how she planned to address the deficit.
Governor Lingle said the administration would try not to layoff State employees but it was too early to provide specifics about program cuts.
"That's a last resort for me, because a layoff means a lack of service," she said. "However, we are asking every Department to review every program and to prioritise them, from the most important to the least important."
23 September, 2008
UNITED STATES
Best Public Servants rewarded
Awards to some of the United States’ most talented Public Servants have been presented in Washington by the Partnership for Public Service.
The Partnership presented eight “Service to America” Medals to outstanding public servants at a gala presentation held in their honour in Washington, DC
The Medals are among the most prestigious awards for America's Public Servants.
USAID's Richard Greene was awarded Federal Employee of the Year for his work leading the President's Malaria Initiative, which had provided potentially life-saving services to more than 25 million vulnerable women and children in 15 African countries.
Additional Service to America Medals were presented to Federal workers who recorded achievements in renewable energy, patient care, foreign affairs, law enforcement, homeland security, and combating climate change.
President of the Partnership for Public Service, Max Stier said the recipients of the Service to America Medal exemplified the very best of the nation’s Public Servants.
"The work that they do touches our lives each and every day - from securing our homeland to international affairs,” Mr Stier said.
The 2008 Service to America Medal recipients are:
- Career Achievement Medal:
Dr Stephen Andersen, Director, Strategic Climate Projects at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C.
For leading current federal efforts to combat climate change. - Homeland Security Medal:
Dr Eddie Bernard, Director, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Seattle.
Created a tsunami detection system that increased warning times. - Call to Service Medal:
Alain David Carballeyra, Director of Stereolithography at the Department of the Air Force, 59th Medical Wing, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
Introduced cutting edge 3-D technology to improve medical care and rehabilitation. - Science and Environment Medal:
Steven Chalk, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C.
Leading many Federal Government efforts to expand the development and use of renewable energy. - National Security and International Affairs Medal:
Mary Katherine Friedrich, Special Advisor to the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs at the Department of State in Washington, D.C.
Leading the US-Afghan Women's Council. - Citizen Services Medal:
Dr Rajiv Jain, Chief of Staff and MRSA Program Director at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Pittsburgh Healthcare System in Pittsburgh.
Developing and leading an initiative that is reducing a type of life-threatening, hospital-acquired infections. - Justice and Law Enforcement Medal:
Mark Pletcher, Trial Attorney at the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, National Criminal Enforcement Section in Washington, D.C.
Leading the efforts to stop bid-rigging, fraud and corruption involving U.S. officials and defence contractors in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
16 September, 2008
IRELAND
Review of Irish PS ‘toned down’
The author of an independent review of the Irish Public Service has admitted that pressure from senior Public Servants had forced him to tone down the review’s findings and comments.
According to Edwin Lau who worked on a report on the Irish PS by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2007 said ome of the more “hard-hitting” language in the report had been softened after intervention by Public Servants who sat on a group that liaised with the OECD during the review.
The OECD review was aimed at comparing the Irish Public Service with comparable countries and to make recommendations for reform.
“It’s not so much an effort on the part of the Irish senior Civil Servants to cover things up but, when you get a bunch of bureaucrats in the room, that’s the language which comes out at the end,” Mr Lau said.
“We make a statement and they come back with 10 exceptions where that wasn’t true and then you have to tone it down a bit.”
A spokesman for the Irish Department of Finance defended the liaison group’s role saying its function was to ensure the report was “factually correct” not to tone it down.
The spokesman said any requests for changes to the report would have been made to correct errors.
According to other reports, the OECD review rejected calls from some of the Civil Servants to suggest a reduction of the 33,000-strong Service by 8000 to promote greater efficiency.
16 September, 2008
UNITED KINDOM
PS strike could attract a million
British public services and schools could be thrown into chaos by more than a million striking Public Servants and teachers this UK winter.
The Civil Service Union is to ballot its 270,000 members for strike action as it puts pressure on the Government with demands for radical action on the economy.
The Union told the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown that he was out of touch with core Labour voters and would lose the next election unless there was significant change. It was prepared to mount a series of strikes for three months, starting in November, across all Government Departments and frontline Public Service jobs.
The union said the PS could be joined by 250,000 members of the National Union of Teachers, more than 30,000 college lecturers in the University and College Union and 600,000 Local Government workers.
General Secretary of the Civil Service Union, Mark Serwotka, said civil servants faced severe financial pressure because of a lack of pay increases as household bills increased rapidly.
He said the Government didn’t have the “faintest idea about the reality of life in the Public Services”.
The unions wanted better public pay but the Government wanted to cap increases at about two per cent in an effort to limit inflation.
The fresh prospect of industrial action comes after coordinated action across many public service Departments and Agencies earlier this year led to one of the worst periods of industrial unrest for many years.
Mr Serwotka said any policy that treated well-paid Public Service executives the same as workers on minimum wage was “morally bankrupt”.
The general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Brendan Barber said the idea that public sector pay was driving inflation was flawed.
“Ministers should show that they are on the side of ordinary people with fairness as their watchword,’’ Mr Barber said.
He said trade unions were not soft on inflation.
“Our members are its victims. The big threat is now recession. It is economic masochism to try to choke off external inflation by depressing the domestic economy, especially when the credit crunch is already biting hard,” he said.
16 September, 2008
SOUTH AFRICA
Job creation scheme robs PS
A South African program to expand public works by giving the work to the unemployed might be creating jobs that should be in the Public service, a seminar has found.
The Public Works Department said the program had delivered more than a million work opportunities for less-skilled workers in its first four years, better than its initial target of a million jobs over five years. However, opportunities had been shorter than anticipated, and provided less income and training.
But the Public Service minimum pay, including benefits, of R60,000 a year (A$9,040) was well above the national average and more than five times the R50 a day (A$7.50) or about R12000 a year (A$18,080) standard EPWP pay.
Heavily unionised as it was, the Government had priced itself out of the market for low-skilled labour.
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) said that while Public Service employment had shrunk by 9 per cent between 1995 and 2005, the decline in low skilled jobs was 34 per cent.
It said South Africa’s small civil service, accounting for less than 10 per cent of the workforce, should play a role in expanding employment, to complement private sector job creation and enhance service delivery.
The Council said the creation of a new lower wage grade was needed for unskilled workers.
Trade unions seemed willing to discuss the creation of a “grade zero” to pave the way for new types of public sector jobs.
The Council estimates that in a middle-road scenario, with average economic growth of 4.5 per cent, the Government would need to create about 1.5 million EPWP jobs, at a cost of R25bn, (A$3.77Bn) in order to halve unemployment by 2014.
16 September, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM
PS union extends coverage
The union for senior managers in the UK Public Service - the FDA - has extended its coverage to include security personnel.
Staff associations in the Security Service (MI5) have reached an agreement with the for it to provide professional industrial relations support to staff and builds on the successful arrangements the FDA has negotiated in other sensitive areas of the British Government.
Under the arrangement, the staff of MI5 would not become full members of the FDA, but it would work closely with the Service staff association on issues that affected their interests.
According to the FDA, new arrangement was designed to improve the access of the security staff association to support and advice, whilst protecting personal anonymity and national security.
Announcing the agreement, the General Secretary of the FDA, Jonathan Baume said it was “really good news” for the Security Service and its staff.
“This vital public service needs to recruit and retain the very best people,” Mr Baume said, “ and will only do so by offering competitive remuneration packages as well as providing staff with the confidence that the organisation values and respects their contribution.
“Creating a stronger staff voice in this way will go a long way to achieving that objective.”
He said the agreement was a vote of confidence in the FDA, which was formally known as the First Division Association, and recognised the valuable and constructive role trade unions played in workplaces across the UK these days.Mr Baume said the FDA represented 18,000 of the UK’s senior civil and public servants and included among its members policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, diplomats, crown prosecutors and NHS managers.
16 September, 2008
PHILIPPINES
Civil Service month continues
Civil Service Month continues in the Philippines celebrating the 108th year of the nation’s Public Service.
A motorcade which included representatives of local and national Agencies kicked off proceedings, taking in the Civil Service Commission and ending at the Capitol building for the formal opening of the program.
As the central personnel agency of the Government, the Civil Service Commission was leading the nationwide observance of Philippine Civil Service Month which was staged every September.
Focusing on the theme "Republic Service” the month of celebrations would emphasise the role played by civil servants in development and nation building and would highlight their individual and collective efforts responding to the community’s needs.
Delivering a welcome message to the participants in the motorcade, the Governor of Sultan Kudarat, Teng Mangudadatu said the theme served as reminder to Public Servants to instill the value of servanthood in their work.
Governor Mangudadatu urged the Public Servants to provide the best services with a smile to those in need.
Director of the Civil Service Commission, Ms. Maria Josefina Gepte-Buenbrazo said new leadership at the Civil Service Commission would lead to new challenges.
She said one new challenge would be achieving a civil service that was full of “M-E-R-C-I” which was an acronym for Morale, Efficiency, Responsiveness, Courtesy and Integrity.
16 September, 2008
CANADA
Recruitment priority in BC
The Canadian Province of British Columbia’s Government has used its second term to promote the Public Service as an employer to counter the upcoming retirement of baby boomers.
Premier Gordon Campbell described it as "a strategy to reinvent the Public Service as a competitive and attractive employer”.
Deputy Minister to the Premier and Head of the Public Service, Jessica McDonald said the Service faced losing a whole generation of career employees and was “now in the position of needing to aggressively recruit new talent for the first time”.
She said as a third of Public Service positions could need to be filled in the next 10 years - including a half to two-thirds of senior management and other specialised positions - as well as an average retirement age below 58 and dropping, two out of every three departures was a resignation.
She said resignations were increasing by more than 10 per cent a year with resignees leaving at an average age of 40, just as their experience was needed to fill senior positions.
A review revealed that two out of three departing employees were taking jobs in the public sector outside of British Columbia‘s service.
Ms McDonald said other jurisdictions - Alberta, Ontario, the Federal Government - had commonly made a practice of paying more, particularly for the most-in-demand positions.
She said British Columbia’s Government had acknowledged pay disparities but had counted on other incentives, such as lifestyle, to hold on to Provincial Government employees.
However, the analysis of the growing number of resignations from the Public Service found many of those leaving were remaining in British Columbia, just not working for the Central Ministries of Government.
16 September, 2008
FIJI
PM urges people to pressure PS
The interim Prime Minister of the Philippines, Commodore Frank Bainimarama has urged there Fijian community to demand better and more efficient services from the Government to keep it on its toes.
Commodore Bainimarama said the private sector should not be shy about coming forward and providing the Government with candid feedback, both publicly and transparently.
The Prime Minister was speaking at the end of a two-day Economic Summit at the Tradewinds Convention.
"This is the beginning of a new way forward, Commodore Bainimarama said, “in forging a stronger and mutually beneficial partnering relationship between the private sector and the Government.
He called for the private sector input, saying it should be done within the broader framework of enhancing development and the national interest.
Mr Bainimarama said Fiji needed to adopt a much more business-like approach to the management of the public service.
"In getting the Public Service to be more performance oriented, there is merit in re-introducing the Service Excellence Awards,” he said.
“This will be done."
16 September, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM
Chancellor defends pay offer
British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling planned to face down demands for public sector pay rises by saying he would not take unnecessary risks with the economy.
Mr Darling was to urge the Trades Union Congress not to forget the support Labour had given to workers over the past 11 years.
Mr Darling and Prime Minister Gordon Brown had expected a frosty reception at the Congress after union delegates had vented their anger over workers’ rights and rising prices.
Unions had denounced the Government's insistence that public sector pay rises would remain below two per cent. Union representative Keith Sonnet said that nurses, teachers, cleaners and other Public Servants “deserve better than the shabby treatment they are getting from a Government that appears to listen more to the voices of their fair-weather friends in business than it does to its core supporters”.
Mr Darling was to pledge the Government would do “what it can” to help through this difficult period but insist the Government must keep inflation under control.
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne has said his party's values were shared among union members.
“Social justice is at the heart of the modern Conservative message. If you share these values, and want to see them embodied by a new progressive government, you are welcome in the Conservative Party,” Mr Osborne said.
The conference pledged to campaign across the public services for higher pay.
9 September, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM
Public Service urged to drop outmoded systems
A report calling for sweeping changes and new decision-making processes in the UK Public Service has been published by the New Local Government Network.
The report, entitled Managing Delivery - New Public Service Architecture for the 21st Century was produced by NLGN Director, Chris Leslie and called on Ministers and senior Public Service managers to move away from old-style models and Departmental hierarchies which Mr Leslie said were “outmoded and incapable of meeting new challenges”.
Mr Leslie argued there were four core pillars of modern Public Service management but they were not yet fully appreciated across the public sector:
“First, the factors that drive improvement differ from service to service,” he said, “and new methods must now go beyond the ‘choice’ and ‘contestability’ models.
“Other factors can be equally important, such as citizen and political power, professional influence and the Public Service ethos, and the power of new substitute technologies and products replacing existing activities.
He said Government must analyse each line of Public Service activity and recognise that sometimes greater consumer choice would be needed, but in other cases tapping into professional goodwill might be a better means of achieving improvement.
“Second, we are entering a new era of networked governance and decision-making by partnerships, yet the skills to build productive alliances are not recognised or rewarded adequately,” Mr Leslie said.
“Third, a fresh approach to risk management is needed to encourage creativity - and stronger messages about understanding risk and boldness need to be sent from the top.
“Fourth, greater advantage needs to be taken from new commissioning approaches, whether analysing public need more acutely, prioritising resources more effectively or contracting more cleverly on behalf of the taxpayer.
He said the Public Service had rested on its “withered” laurels for too long.
“Defending closed procedures for those employed in senior positions and artificially insisting on outdated lines of vertical accountability are practices that have had their day. “What is required is a different model that drives performance and delivery with the same power that bureaucracy drove delivery in the industrial era.”
The report, which featured a foreword by the Tony Travers from the London School of Economics and supported by Mouchel Business Services, recommended a revived role for localism and local governance, constitutional reform to support new ways of working, and a Whitehall based on project working rather than Departmental silos.
The report could be purchased from www.nlgn.org.uk for £15 hardcopy of £12 PDF.
9 September, 2008
FRANCE
Bid to sell Post Office causes stir
Plans to sell part of the French Post Office to the private sector have sparked controversy with public sector unions gearing up for industrial action on the issue and at least one influential source calling for a national referendum.
The unions are planning a nationwide postal strike on 23 September.
According to the left-wing newspaper Liberation, the sale would be unconstitutional without a public vote.
"The idea of public service holds a special place in public sentiment, especially when that service is enshrined in the constitution," the newspaper said.
France's post office announced last month that it was looking at selling off of a minority of its capital aimed at raising 2-3 billion euros (A$3.4 -$5.2 billion) to prepare for European competition.
Post Office chairman, Jean-Paul Bailly, said the postal service would remain under majority State control and would not be opened up to outside investors before 2010.
However it was one of France’s largest employers with 280,000 staff and the unions have called for the national postal strike to protest.
The Opposition Socialists have condemned the scheme, calling it "harmful" for the public postal service and staff.
The French Post Office dates back to Louis XVI and survived the French Revolution. In addition, under the latest constitution, activities defined as a "national public service" must be majority state-owned.
An aide to President Nicolas Sarkozy has already warned that France's mail could end up being distributed by German or Dutch competitors if the country failed to come to grips with European Union rules which require most mail markets, including France, to be open to competition from the start of 2011.
9 September, 2008
UNITED STATES
Terror database falling short
The United States computerised database of terror suspects around the world looks to have run into trouble with controversy erupting over management issues and its ability to service the counter intelligence community effectively.
The Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, or TIDE system, held data on 400,000 suspected terrorists and delivered daily updates to programs that screened people travelling into the United States as well as providing an information service to intelligence analysts in the Government.
Authorities have defended TIDE saying it improved many national security tasks but because it was put together quickly after the 11 September attacks of 2001 they agreed it lacked many features needed by the intelligence community. It also suffered power outages.
Now, a contractor whistleblower has claimed the system was on the “brink of collapse," and could possibly threaten national security.
The claims have been branded as “untrue and irresponsible” by staff of the counterterrorism Centre.
They said a new system to replace TIDE was well on the way although it had suffered a few ‘speed bumps” since it was launched in 2006.
According to the Chief of the project, Vicki Jo McBee, the hurdles have been overcome and the scheme was making progress.
She said the project was on track with a pilot project offering improved access and a wider array of features would be launched in coming weeks.
"The users are going to be more than satisfied," she said,
The controversy has fanned fears that tens of billions of dollars had been spent on the war on terror in recent years with very little public oversight despite repeated reports of acute shortages of contracting expertise in the classified world.
According to counterterrorism staff however, TIDE had been available for counterterrorism work for more than 99 per cent of the time it was needed despite its outages. They said it had not missed any deadlines for supplying terrorist information to watch-list systems.
It would still be replaced however.
9 September, 2008
CANADA
Ex-PS Staffer fights to save name
A former Canadian Public Servant is fighting the Public Service Commission to stop it posting his name on the internet.
The man – known only as Mr X at this time – was the subject of a fraud investigation while employed by the PS and is also hoping to stop the Commission making public certain personal details it uncovered during that investigation.
The man has taken his case to the Federal Court but first is seeking a confidentiality order that would allow him to use the pseudonym Mr. X, file some evidence in secret and have a partially closed court hearing.
The man was investigated in April 2007 for alleged wrongdoings in the staffing of positions in the Public Service.
According to the man’s lawyer and privacy expert, Kris Klein, without the confidentiality order, publication of the man’s name in the Commission's Annual Report would be moot. The PSC rarely uses pseudonyms except in sensitive cases to protect the identity of minors or witnesses.
Mr Klein said his client was not challenging the publishing of the investigation's findings, just the personal information and the name.
The case highlights a growing debate in Canada over whether posting tribunal rulings and decisions on the Internet violated individuals’ privacy rights.
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart has joined the debate telling members of the Canadian Bar Association that it was time to find the "right balance" between privacy rights and the principle of an "open Court" in the age of Google.
Mr. X's case was one of over 20 complaints about tribunals' release of personal information that Ms. Stoddart was investigating, but it is the first to be taken to Court.
Mr. Klein said Mr. X's case went beyond the Privacy Act and violated his rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as it would cause him "irreparable" damage.
During its investigation into Mr X, the Public Service Commission found he committed fraud in several appointment processes and had an accomplice for one of them. It found he wilfully used false language test results; provided résumés containing false information and had an accomplice who provided references about him while pretending to be employed by the Department of Human Resources.
The Commission decided to publish a summary of its investigation, including Mr. X's name, as part of its annual report to Parliament which was due in October and which is also posted online.
While the Commission rarely published the names of the PS staff it investigated, it did have the power to revealing their identity if it was in the public interest.
Mr. X has argued that the Commission never told him that his name and his family's personal information could be publicly revealed when it explained the consequences of its investigation
9 September, 2008
NEW ZEALAND
Opposition accused of using PS in election
The New Zealand Opposition has been accused of planning to use the NZ Public Service as a ‘political tool’ in the upcoming election campaign.
Labour candidate in Wellington, Grant Robertson, laid the charge saying a National Party billboard calling for ‘less bureaucrats’ was evidence the party intended exploiting the PS.
The National party has instead claimed their target was the Government’s ‘core bureaucracy’ which would be cut back to release funds for spending on frontline services.
The election is due for October or November with experts predicting 18 October the most likely date.
Mr Robertson accused Nationals leader John Key of planning to slash the PS if he was elected.
“ John Key has been on for several years about wanting to slash the number of public servants as a way of paying for tax cuts for the wealthy,” Mr Robertson said.
“This billboard shows that agenda is alive and well.”
He said National candidates in Wellington had been “tying themselves in knots” trying to explain the party’s position on the PS, claiming there will no job losses.
“Yet today we see the message National wants the rest of the country to hear is that there will be fewer public servants. They can’t have it both ways”.
Mr Robertson said the Public Servants he met in Wellington worked hard for the Government of the day, whoever it was, and deserved better than to be used for political capital.
Mr Key said however he was committed to halting the growth in the “core bureaucracy” so that frontline services could make a real difference in people’s lives.
“The fastest growing sector of the economy since 2000 has been Government administration,” Mr Key said.
“Under National, there will be a cap on the number of core bureaucrats.”
He said this meant resources would be redirected from the bureaucracy to frontline doctors and nurses, for example.
“I believe New Zealanders want to see scarce resources ploughed into the health sector’s front line, not the back office.”
9 September, 2008
BARBADOS
PS warned to expect change
The Prime Minister of Barbados, David Thompson has warned his Public Service that major changes were needed in the way the PS functioned if Barbados was to cope with the challenges it faced.
Mr Thompson said a revamping of PS functions was on the cards.
He said a higher premium needed to be placed on a strategy that modernised Public Service systems and practices to ensure they could continue to meet the needs of citizens.
Speaking at the 67th Annual Delegates Conference of the Barbados Workers’ Union, Mr Thompson said that while the PS institutions has given and continued to give very good service to their clients, they needed to move beyond excellence.
“More specifically, we need to ensure that such a strategy delivers improvements, responds to shifting and complex societal needs and supports business in gaining competitive advantages,” Mr Thompson said.
He said organisations would need to interact more with one another and with stakeholders at the national and international levels.
“The Public Service can maximise effectiveness if it is an integrated system,” he said.
“We must move towards a performance focus, which means that instead of focusing mainly on inputs and processes, more information will need to be gathered on outputs and outcomes and what has actually been achieved.”
He said public sector organisations also needed to embrace technology to aid citizens. “We must also use e-Government to deliver integrated and citizen-focused services.” He said the Public Service needed to consider increased flexibility and mobility for workers because limited mobility created challenges in sharing skills and competencies and in re-allocating resources to those areas most in need.
The Prime Minister said that once the commitment and will to change were there, it would propel Public Service institutions to perform at a higher level of excellence.
9 September, 2008
SOUTH AFRICA
Conference to address challenges
A two-day conference of senior managers in the South African Public Service was expected to address priority issues facing the Public Service and the challenges ahead.
The Senior Management Service Conference was themed Delivering on the People's Contract through a Seamless Public Service and wouldfocus on learning and comprehensive consultation on Performance Management, Training and Development and Development Assessment Centres, among other things.
According to the Department of Public Service and Administration, the conference would seek to understand the role and commitment of members of the SMS to achieve seamless service delivery.
It would also consider the service delivery obligations of SMS members and would discuss the draft Public Administration and Management Bill.
Minister for Public Service and Administration, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi was to deliver the keynote speech titled Strengthening the Three Spheres of Government through a Seamless Public Service.
Ms Fraser-Moleketi would then launch the Leadership Development Management Strategic Framework at a gala dinner.
"This conference will attempt to provide solutions to the challenges of transformation, poverty relief and public participation in governance," Ms Fraser-Moleketi said.
The SMS conference, which has been an annual event since 2001, would see over 400 senior managers from all three spheres of government attending.
9 September, 2008
COOK ISLANDS
PS urged to recognise business
The Cook Islands’ Public Service has been called on to recognise the importance of the private sector in providing a healthy and growing economy.
Former President of the Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce, Teresa Manarangi Trott made the call in an address to the 6th Pacific Public Service Commissioners’ Conference.
Ms Manarangi Trott said the other challenge was for the Public Sector to ensure that taxpayer dollars were not being misappropriated.
“We hear a lot of rhetoric about private sector being the engine of growth but see little evidence in support of this,” she said.
“The challenge for all the public sector and especially the Commissioners here today is to understand your role in relation to what each of your economies can afford.”
She said managers and heads of Ministry were needed who could assess what was happening in the economy and what was necessary to support essential services.
Ms Manarangi Trott said a clear separation of Administrative and Political arms of Government was needed and the Commissioner ought to be appointed by a Committee and responsible to Parliament similar to the Public Service Review Committee and Audit.
“Unless the PSC is given independence and authority to carry out its legal mandate the employment numbers will continue to increase and inefficiencies will further exacerbate public service effectiveness,” she said.
“A stronger and better resourced PSC can ensure tighter controls on the appointment of the head of Ministries in order to curb political influence”.
She said the Public Service Commissioner should be the overarching and key role in the Public Service that provided a view on all aspects of public service employment and operations.
“The PSC requires a group of very talented and highly skilled personnel, well educated including policy analysts with exceptional communication skills that can support all Ministries in implementing their responsibilities.
A case study by economist Vaine Wichman titled Revamping the Public Sector showed that an important dimension of capacity development required strong institutional networks.
It indicated that training and capacity development alone would not be enough because consistent leadership and organisational and informal incentives were also needed to sustain the change process.
“Effective performance monitoring systems for the Ministries and their heads and the report of the Budget Committee could be released publicly thereby providing important information to the community on the use of their funds and enhancing public accountability,” Ms Manarangi Trott said.
“The management system established for Ministries requires a regular review by the PSC of progress in delivering these outputs but no such review is undertaken.
“This means that performance appraisal can only be superficial and will add no value to improving standards in subsequent years or improving service delivery,” she said.
9 September, 2008
PHILIPPINES
Public Service Month celebrated
September is Civil Service Month in the Philippines and employees of the national Government have held a tree-planting drive in Maasin City
The Provincial Director of the Civil Service Commission, Rowin Rinos, said that joining in the planting were members and leaders of the Council of Personnel Officers, representing various Local Government units from the entire province.
Mr Rinos estimated that about a thousand tree seedlings had been planted by 100 public sector employees.
The Governor of Southern Leyte, Damian Mercado attended a short ceremony after the weekly flag-raising with provincial employees and officials and in a message delivered in front of the Governor, Mr Rinos stressed the need for Public Servants to adhere to the highest ideals of effective public service while working in government, observe political neutrality, and live a simple lifestyle.
The Council of Personnel Officers gave a commendation to the tree-planting staff in recognition of their coordination and support of the Civil Service Office and the good relationship they had with its respective offices.
2008 was the 108th annual celebration of the Philippines Civil Service nationwide and a presentation ceremony on 19 September would honour outstanding public servants at Malacanang.
The month had already been marked with a flag raising ceremony conducted by the city government of Roxas at the City Hall Grounds to kick off its local observance of the Philippine Civil Service celebration.
The celebratiosn were led by Roxas City Mayor Vicente Bermejo who told Public Servants: "You are the power house of the government, and as such, you should take your responsibilities very seriously for the sake of nation-building and the emergence of a government that responds well to the needs of the public at large.”
Mr Bermejo was named the Most Outstanding Local Chief Executive in Western Visayas during his term as Capiz governor.
The month would continue with a reporting session on the outputs of a series of PS workshops on Service Vision and Service Values, Service Audit Workshops, Basic Customer Service Skills Training and Service Improvement Recommendations for all Department heads of the city government.
The activity was part of the city government's Public Service Excellence Program.
9 September, 2008
TANZANIA
PS Act changes to improve efficiency
Proposed amendments to the Tanzanian Public Service Act would improve efficiency and improve working conditions in the PS according to the Secretary of the Public Service Commission, Thecla Shangali.
Opening a two-day seminar on the proposed amendments Ms Shangali said that because supervisors in the Public Service enforced the law and discipline they were duty-bound to protect their workers’ rights.
She said as disciplinary officers and law enforcers, they were required to protect workers’ rights by abiding by professional ethics and maintaining equity.
She said that as strategic leaders, the supervisors must remain a positive link between the public and Government and called on participants to make workers aware of the purpose of the amendments to the Public Service Act and of other laws relating to the Public Service.
The seminar attracted participants from the Public Service Commission, the local district, from town and municipal Councils, and representatives of the regional and District Commissioners in Mtwara and Lindi.
The topics to be covered included prosecution and discipline in the Public Service, the importance of natural justice, challenges resulting from implementing the Public Service Act and the amendments to the Public Service Act.
2 September, 2008
KENYA
Private sector to run PS recruitment
The Kenyan Government is to call in private sector specialists to decide who should be hired and fired in its Public Service.
The measures have been designed to overhaul the Service, with the private sector set to recommend promotions, enhancements, demotions, and pay rises.
Minister for Public Service, Dalmas Otieno, said the salaries of top Civil Servants would be revised to match those in similar jobs in the private sector and the retirement age would be raised to 60 by the end of the year.
Mr Otieno said a sessional paper, Towards a More Responsive Public Service, would be tabled in Cabinet seeking to extend working days to midday Saturday, introduce flexible service time and ensure the public was looked after beyond normal working times, including lunch and after hours.
“We cannot have a 24 hour economy without extended working hours for Civil Servants,” a senior Director at the Ministry said.
Mr Otieno said the paper aimed to introduce private sector management practices in service delivery and highlighted the need to match the private sector in all areas while remaining focuses on service rather than profit.
The paper criticised the performance of the Civil Service and said even the recent United Nations award was practically an accident.
It said the award did not indicate an improved Public Service but was a gift to a reform-oriented Government.
“We have done so little, we have improved so little, the job has just begun,” Mr Otieno said, “and all I can say is not that we have come this far, we have not made it, but at least we have started well.”
He also planned to introduce a fund to encourage Public Servants to take study loans with low interest rates to enhance their skills and said he would like to reform the Government’s pension scheme in a bid to open competition between the private and Public Sectors.
“We have the best brains and we want to keep them,” the paper said.
“In the past we have been training them only for the private sector… that is going to change. We are creating an environment where people will start running from the private sector to Government.”
The paper proposed Public Servants willing to leave the Service should be eligible to access their benefits within a month and when they returned, should be able to go with a friendly contributory scheme.
“It does not make sense to have employees who are just in Government waiting for their pension maturity,” the paper said.
If the policy is approved by Cabinet, each Ministry would have to hire an IT expert to update their website.
2 September, 2008
SRI LANKA
PS retirement age to go up to 63
A proposal to raise the Public Service retirement age from 55 to 63 is being considered by the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The country’s Pensions Director, K. A. Thilakaratne announced the proposal saying it would be in keeping with worldwide trends and reflected the increased life expectancy of Sri Lankans. He said it would impact on the nation’s 1.1 million Public Servants.
Mr Thilakaratne said the move aimed to prevent officials from drawing double salaries by retiring at 55 and then rejoining to do State jobs, getting a State salary and a pension.
He said President Rajapaksa had studied the proposals and called for comment from trade unions before making a final decision.
Current regulations set the retirement age at 55, with officials able to extend their service to 57 without seeking annual extensions. The compulsory retirement age is 60.
Some officials told Sri Lanka’s The Sunday Times, that increasing the retirement age would block job opportunities of new recruits and the promotion of junior officers.
Mr Thilakaratne said the positive and negative aspects of the proposal would be considered with unemployment issues being given priority.
He said there were cases where retirees rejoined the Public Service in various positions, including as Secretaries to Ministries, to draw two big salaries.
President Rajapaksa has also given himself the power to extend the compulsory retirement age of any public officer appointed by him, such as the Attorney General, the Auditor General, the Ombudsman, the Inspector General of Police, Service Commanders, Ministry Secretaries and Provincial Chief Secretaries.
The move would not apply to the Chief Justice and judges of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and High Courts as their age of retirement is specified in the Constitution
He amended the Public and Judicial Officers (Retirement) Ordinance through an Extraordinary Gazette notification.
2 September, 2008
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PS declining as training ignored
The Minister for Public Service in the Papua New Guinea Government has admitted the nation’s public services were declining and the Government needed to train its PS better.
The Minister, Peter O’Neil, said while the Government had a strong commitment to national development with core services accessible to people in every district, inadequate training of Public Servants was hampering the successful implementation of that policy.
Mr O’Neil said the problem faced by the Government was how to implement policies and national visions to bring National, Provincial and Local Government services up to scratch.
He raised his concerns at the launch of the Public Service Graduate Development Program (GDP) at the Papua New Guinea Institute of Public Administration in Port Moresby.
He said Public Sector training needed to cover the issues facing workers on a daily basis and should include teaching based on interactive learning.
“We need programs that combine practical lessons from the Government with the educational rigor of universities,” he said.
“It is worrying to see Public Servants not taking on further training in our State run universities and it is already having an adverse impact on timely delivery of goods and services to the rural people.”
He said the GDP was designed to provide PS agencies in the country with a motivated, productive and skilled workforce.
He said it was a major Government priority that was specifically targeted toward reforming the human resources sector.
The GDP was funded under the Public Service Workforce Development Program with substantial donor assistance.
Mr O’Neil said Public Servants should have continuous development and qualifications upgrades included in their career path.
“We are looking now at developing graduates for the public service,” he said.
The Minister said while there were considerable teaching strengths in the PS administration from the University of Papua New Guinea, University of Vudal, and Divine Word University there was still more work to be done.
“Their offerings are nowhere coordinated,” Mr O’Neil said.
He said the lack of available data made it difficult to discern just far the quality of Government services had declined.
2 September, 2008
KOREA
Job restrictions on retired PS staff
The Government of Korea is set to revise its Public Service Ethics Act to restrict senior Government officials from getting jobs with private businesses after they have retired.
The Ministry of Public Administration and Security said the creation of stricter rules would mean Government officials who were Grade 4 and above would be banned from joining a private company for two years after retirement.
It said the ban would be enforced provided the company was related to the Public Service job the employee had held for the last five years.
The Ministry said the new rules would make it more difficult for retired Public Servants to get jobs at large accounting and law firms.
It said in the past, Korean law had not stated retiring Public Servants were prohibited from hiring their services out to private law or accounting firms, as long as they had a capital of less than 5 billion won (A$5.32 million) or a sales revenue of under 15 billion won (A$15.95 million).
2 September, 2008
UNITED STATES
Defence search for Pentagon media manager
The United States Department of Defence has taken the next step in beefing up its newly-formed media unit by advertising for an executive to head its 2,400 staff.
The new unit, which was established in January, combined three separate Pentagon Agencies - the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, the Stars and Stripes newspaper, and the Pentagon Channel on television.
It also included the DefenseLink Website and the military services’ websites, the Bloggers Roundtable, and the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine magazines.
A US$68 million (A$80 million) headquarters covering186,000-square-feet is to be constructed on the grounds of Fort Meade by 2011 and was expected to house around one-quarter of DMA's staff.
The executive, who would earn up to US$170,000 (A$199,000) would oversee the Defence Media Activity unit and its US$225 million (A$263 million) budget.
According to the Directive that set up DMA, its primary mission was to “provide a wide variety of information products to the entire DoD family”, which included active National Guard and Reserve service members and their dependents, retirees, Defence civilian and contract employees; and external audiences.
DMA is to communicate messages and themes from Senior Defence officials and provide radio and television news and entertainment programming.
The Directive, which was signed by Deputy Defence Secretary, Gordon England, said DMA aimed to provide, “high quality visual information products, including Combat Camera imagery depicting U.S. military activities and operations” to the Department of Defence and the public.
No other Department in Government has such a large internal communications operation whose work has been designed for public consumption.
The Department and the separate military services would continue to use their own media operations to deal with civilian reporters and producers.
The Directive also created a Defence Media Oversight Board, which is chaired by the Assistant Defence Secretary for Public Affairs and includes the DMA Director, the Services' information chiefs and the public affairs assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
According to the Directive, the board ensures DMA “policies, priorities, and programs properly reflect DoD-wide and Military Service-unique messages and strategic communications requirements.”
2 September, 2008
SASKATCHEWAN
Commission overturns PS sacking
The Public Service Commission in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan has overturned a decision by its Government to sack a senior Public Servant.
In a 19-page ruling, the PSC said the new Government did not have sufficient cause to fire the career employee and that he should be put on a list to be rehired as a senior manager and compensated for his loss of wages.
The Commission overturned the Government of Saskatchewan’s decision to fire former Assistant Deputy Minister of Labour, Allan Walker, who had been in the service for 34 years.
The PSC found the new Government had followed a “familiar script of political interference”, mirroring a former Government which hired a loyal party insider to recommend people to be sacked.
However, it said such practices destroyed trust and created a environment of intimidation that was bad for the Government, the Public Service and the public.
The PSC criticised the Government’s general practice of firing classified Public Servants simply because there was a change in Government.
“To arbitrarily end the careers of competent public leaders without cause based on political direction sends a message to the remaining and prospective employees that a Public Service career is at best a matter of who you know rather than what you know or what you are capable of accomplishing,” the Commission said.
The firing of Mr Walker and dozens of other employees followed the introduction of two anti-labour bills which were made a priority by the Government after coming to power, and have been criticised as being pay-offs to the private sector for financial and ideological support.
Amendments to the Essential Services Act, and the Trade Union Act, have given employers the power to designate essential employees and make it easier for them to “coerce and intimidate” employees during organising drives.
The National Union of Public and General Employees has filed a complaint with the International Labour Organisation on behalf of its Saskatchewan Component.
NUPGE president James Clancy said he thought the Government was in violation of ILO Conventions that had been ratified by federal, provincial and territorial Governments in Canada.
“These international Conventions commit all governments in Canada to adhere to the international human rights standards which give meaning to freedom of association and the right to join a union and engage in collective bargaining,” Mr Clancy said.
He said the new Bills “simply don’t comply with these standards.”
2 September, 2008
SRI LANKA
Language a barrier to PS success
The failure of the Sri Lankan Public Service to speak Tamil threatened the efficient delivery of public services to people in the north and east of the country according to the Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Karu Jayasuriya.
Mr Jayasuriya said the problem could affect the resettlement and rehabilitation programs in the North following its liberation.
'”All communities should have the right to get their needs and requirements looked into in their mother tongue,” Mr Jayasuriya said.
“Failure to do so could impede the smooth functioning of the State administration and affect development.”
Mr Jayasuriya said Sinhala and Tamil Public officers should have to learn both languages and get their required proficiency within five years of joining the Service.
He told a group of 830 new recruits the Government would provide training facilities that would offer great results in language proficiency.
“It is more advantageous for new recruits to get an opportunity to learn an alternative language,” Mr Jayasuriya said.
“Try to learn it and provide a better service.”
Home Affairs Minister, Chandrasiri Gadjadheera, said a qualitative enhancement was vital for the public sector to provide better services.
Mr Gadjadheera said it had been confirmed by the present Government which was recruiting officers to the Public Service via competitive examinations.
He appealed to new recruits to select the difficult areas from their first appointment and try to gain new experiences.
2 September, 2008
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Recruitment drive to beat expected PS shortages
The Government of the Canadian province of British Columbia has launched a proactive recruitment drive in a bid to head off expected staff shortages in the next five to 10 years.
Hiring consultant with the B.C. Public Service Agency, Dorothy Grady, said representatives from the Victoria Crown counsel’s office had met with a group of administrative students and members of the public to sell the ‘we want you’ message
“The Civil Service will lose a lot of people, and the Ministries are very aware of it,” Ms Grady said.
“This is the Provincial Government being very proactive.”
She said the interaction with students wouldn’t have happened years ago, but was now necessary in order to compete for talent.
“I'm not sure I would describe [the labour situation] as a crisis, although if we are not proactive, it could become that,” she said.
Ms Grady said the Government was moving people into jobs that would challenge them and keep them interested in the Service as well as trying to draw new talent.
She said attraction and retention had become important as baby boomers started to retire and fewer young people entered the workforce.
Figures from the B.C. Public Service Agency showed the PS expected 16 per cent of its staff to retire over the next five years, and over 65 per cent of Assistant Deputy Ministers and 51 per cent of Deputy Ministers to retire within 10 years.
This year, the Service is set to lose two per cent of its staff to retirement, a rate expected increase to over three per cent by 2012.
Ms Grady said this meant Government hiring practices had become more flexible and often looked at finding someone with the right personality who could learn some required skills on the job.
She said the Government has undertaken new marketing and recruitment programs, created more entry-level positions, opened all job competitions to external candidates and established more competitive employment packages to attract employees.
“I used to be an employment counsellor, and I used to have to fight to find people jobs (in government); it's totally the opposite now,” Ms Grady said.
2 September, 2008
UGANDA
Service Commission reinstated
The Public Service Commission of Uganda has reinstated a district service commission which was sacked three months ago for allegedly botching a recruitment exercise in the district.
Public Service Commission Secretary, Rose Kafeero, told the Adjumani commission it could resume its activities under close supervision from Public Service officials.
Adjumani had been without a functional district service commission for almost five years, leading to staff shortages in most Departments as many medical officers, teachers and other professionals left.
The Commission was disbanded after a petition by Resident District Commissioner Baker Dudu accused it of mismanaging the short listing exercise for jobs advertised in the district
The petition came on the heels of protests by dissatisfied people including unemployed youth.
The concerned citizens took to the streets calling for the cancellation of interviews over the alleged corruption and influence peddling occurring.
According to online news site, Daily Monitor, applicants whose names did not appear in the first shortlist were called to appear for interviews, while other names had later been added to the list using pen.
The District Service Commission (DSC) members denied there were gross malpractices involved in short listing candidates but admitted there could have been some minor discrepancies in the exercise.
However, the Public Service Commission said more information regarding the allegations needed to be reviewed.
Ms Kafeero also ordered the Secretary of DSC, Julius Okudra, be banned to pave the way for an investigation into allegations he embezzled Shs13million (A$9,300) during his tenure as acting Chief of Adropi Sub County.
“Mr Okudra is not fit to be the secretary of the district service commission following the corruption allegations against him,” she said.
2 September, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM
Report exposes problems with Local Government
The United Kingdom’s Department of Communities and Local Government has published a report that found the impact on service performance of Local Public Service Agreements was not as powerful a driver of organisational change as the system which replaced it.
The report assessed the impact of the LPSA targets on local service performance and found it was not as effective as its successor, the Comprehensive Performance Assessment.
The report uncovered unexpected aspects of the relationship between Central and Local Governments and of target setting regimes in general, and cast light on barriers that had prevented improvement at the local level.
Contrary to the common belief that the barrier to improvement in Local Government was a lack of will and capacity to improve, it found that the actual cause was a lack of focus combined with difficulties allocating sustained resources and an absence of clarity in desired outcomes.
It said while Central Government had blamed the LPSA policy for the problems, Local Government had blamed “Central Government red tape”.
The report found that difficulties in understanding why problems were caused and how to tackle them also effected improvement and organisational change in Local Government.
It reported that some of the key barriers that were in the way of improving partnership targets were difficulties in getting partners to agree on priorities and getting them to work together to achieve objectives.
It said partners were too focused on solo-driven priorities that often overtook prioritising the need to follow changes made in their parent Departments.
The report could be accessed for more information at www.communities.gov.uk