Message-ID: <199505151033.GAA37907@atlanta.american.edu> Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 06:32:09 EDT From: mailto:LANFRAN@VM1.YORKU.CA> Subject: Public Service Human Resource Management To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L
Subject: Re: Admin reform user groups To: mailto:LANFRAN@VM1.YorkU.CA Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 10:56:21 +0100 (BST) From: Sajda Qureshi - Commonwealth Secretariate <mailto:qureshi@mhs-relay.ac.uk>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Managing human resources for results in the public service: the strategic options
A strategic conference organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat
Ministers and senior officials from 8 Commonwealth countries will be meeting in Malta from 15 - 17 May to discuss how best to prepare public servants to meet the challenges of rapid change within government, and increasing expectations from citizens for quality public services. Mauritius, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados are represented together with Malta.
The meeting will be looking in particular detail at the technical question of recruitment to the public service, asking whether this is best undertaken by the Public Service Commissions or whether this should be delegated to managers within line ministries. In most Commonwealth countries, Public Service Commissions have a constitutional base, and a very clear role to prevent patronage in appointments and promotion.
The specific points which the conference will address include: - In a changing public service, must managers now take more responsibility for recruitment, retention and development of their staff? - How should safeguards against abuse be maintained if personnel management is delegated? - How are core standards best set and managed within a delegated system? What sort of regulatory frameworks should be developed? - Commissions and personnel management units are designed to have different perspectives; how can dialogue be maintained?
Details of the debate are available on the COMNET-IT Notice Board. In order to access this you need to TELNET to `clus1.ulcc.ac.uk' and type `commdemo' at the login prompt, password `hellothere' and then `guest1' (or guest2....), the password is `guest'.
If you have senior responsibilities within the public service which are affected by this topical debate, or have extensive experience of these issues, you are welcome to share your views with the senior officials at the meeting by:
1. registering your intention to join the debate by sending an email to comsec or mailto:qureshi@mhs-relay.ac.uk, informing the Secretariat of your name and current position - by 12 noon on 16 May.
2. accessing the bulletin board at 4:15 p.m. on 16 May.
A full conference report will subsequently be available on the COMNET-IT Notice Board.
Please note the the above times are European (Malta Local Time). For further information please contact:
Sajda Qureshi
Development Coordinator, COMNET-IT Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall London SW1 4HX, Tel: 071 747 6342 Fax: 071 747 6335 email: mailto:qureshi@uk.ac.mhs-relay