An outline on Contracted Employees in the Public Service

Nov 11, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,

I hope that you will exercise patience in allowing the following commentary on an issue made topical by the former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran, in your papers.

As someone who has monitored the governance structure and operations of the 10 Administrative Regions over the years, there are related issues regarding the substantive implications in the transition of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Administration to that of Ministry of Communities, and consequently of changes in organisational structures and accountability relationships.

Admittedly, the information contained in the submission following will be regarded by some as dated. On the other hand it can be contended that it provides for a deeper and wider appreciation of the intractability of the context in which contracted employment flourishes, and moreso in the Regions. It is in fact an extract from a review titled “Compensation Management in the Public Sector” dated July 2013, presented to the Commission of Inquiry. Notwithstanding its length, I hope that you will consider it worthy of publication. It will be obvious that actual salaries would have changed. The Job Grades, and therefore relativities, would have remained the same, however.

Regional Distribution of Contracted Employees

It would be reasonable for any one, if not all, of the above specialist post-holders to enquire of the professional qualifications and related experience criteria utilised for selection to manage the multifaceted breadth of responsibilities assigned to the Regional Executive Officer.

For what it is worth the following (sample) comparisons may also be of interest:

Reporting Personnel

The range of senior personnel reporting to the Regional Executive Officer of each Administration includes the following:

Administration and Finance

Deputy Regional Executive Officer
Principal Assistant Secretary (Finance)
Principal Personnel Officer
Assistant Regional Executive Officer
Chief Accountant

Public Works

Engineer
Senior Superintendent of Works

Education Delivery

Regional Education Officer
Education Officer
Senior Schools Welfare Officer

Health Services

Medical Superintendent
Hospital Administrator
Regional Health Officer
Matron

Questions which need to be asked should concern:

The substantive status of the Regional Executive Officer who sits at the top of a uniquely multifaceted organisation.

It is clear that the position is not pensionable. It must therefore be presumed that REO is an employee contracted at an undisclosed level that appears to preclude publication of salary and benefits attributable to the position.

More importantly perhaps is the total lack of knowledge of the educational and experience criteria to be satisfied in order to earn such an appointment; and

Of course the recruitment and selection process invites explanation.

Given the substantial budgets the REO is authorized to manage there should be particular interest, if not concern, regarding the financial management capability in the respective Regions see Exhibit below:

Exhibit Financial Management in the Regions

It was instructive to note that the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly had been reported not long ago as focusing on the financial performance (and performers) of the Regional Administrations.

One is not certain however whether its examination took into account the ‘established capability of the respective Regions to discharge the statutory responsibilities that would have been assigned.

In the meantime some preliminary questions arise, e.g.

Why is there no specialist financial management presence in Region 8? Are the REO and Deputy REO therefore routinely responsible for processing transactions – without any explicit system of checks and balances? There is no provision for ‘Field Auditor’ in Region 10.
Region 9 is served by one (1) Accountant only.
Regions 2, 3, 4 and 6 only appear to be fully staffed.

A substantive issue which should invite continual examination concerns the effective oversight arrangements in place – in the notable absence of any auditing capability in any of the Regions. Is there not a case for the Minister to be at least curious about accountability procedures and performance effectiveness?

E.B. John

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