BAC accredited

Public service commissions
Professionalism, performance - excellence

One-week study programme
15 to 19 November 2010

About the programme

Impartiality, integrity, professionalism, but above all effectiveness. These should be the hallmarks, throughout the world, of a modern civil and public service. It is usually the responsibility of a Public Service Commission to be the guardian of these principles and to ensure that appointments are made based solely on merit, following open and fair competition. It may also be the responsibility of a Public Service Commission to bring about a subtle change in the overall objectives of the civil service, its raison d’être. Of course, public servants must continue to serve Ministers and other governing bodies, but there must be an increasing focus on their ability to deliver services to citizens.

It is now more than 150 years since the publication of the Northcote Trevelyan Report in the UK. That Report established the basic principles of the UK civil service, principles that still apply today. In 1855, immediately after the publication of that report, the first Civil Service Commissioners were appointed to run entrance examinations and to give approval for the appointment of those duly qualified. In the UK the civil service, and the wider public service, has continued to evolve since then, and is still subject to institutional change and development. In 1994 a Committee on Standards in Public Life was set up, and a year later the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments was established. There has been a vigorous debate on the need for a Civil Service Law in the UK.

Our study programme, which is held in London, uses the experience in the UK and internationally to focus on:

  • The role and functions of Civil and Public Service Commissioners<
  • Modernising the civil service and improving its effectiveness
  • The need for and content of legislation covering the civil and public service.

    • In previous years our participants have discussed these issues directly with the First Civil Service Commissioner, representatives of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, the House of Commons Select Committee on Public Administration and the Civil Service Appeal Board. We hope to repeat these sessions this year. The practical issues surrounding the recruitment, selection, appointment and development of civil and public servants will be dealt with, as will the main themes being addressed in the UK Government’s programme of reforming and modernising the UK civil service. The relationship between Public Service Commissions and Ministries and government agencies will be explored.

    Who is it for?

    The programme is designed to meet the needs of Public Service Commissioners and their senior staff; parliamentarians and others involved in the preparation or implementation of a Civil Service Law; and senior policy-makers and managers concerned with improving the effectiveness of public officials.

    How participants will benefit

    The programme will:

    • Enable participants to consider in depth the role of Public Service Commissioners, study the evolution of that role in the UK, and discuss topical issues facing Commissioners today
    • Give participants an opportunity to see at first hand the work of Commissions, Ministries and Agencies in the civil and public service appointment process
    • Provide a forum for participants to review approaches to drafting and implementing a Civil Service Law
    • Enable participants to study the UK approach to modernising the civil and public services and improving their effectiveness
    • Encourage participants to share their own experiences, review their own challenges, and prepare an action plan to meet those challenges.

    What the programme will cover

    The programme will include presentations and discussions, and involve sessions with the Commissions, parliamentarians and others concerned with the governance of the civil and public service in the UK. The programme will also include visits to the key relevant UK institutions, and will provide ample opportunity for participants to share their own experiences and to speak directly to those responsible for policies and decisions in those institutions. Participants will be asked to work on a relevant case study in small groups and present their conclusions. It will also be helpful if participants prepare brief informal presentations of their work and bring with them any relevant legislation or documentation from their country.

    Proposed programme outline

     

    AM

    PM

    Day 1

    Welcome and introductions
    - General introduction
    - Overview of institutional framework

    Participants’ presentations

    Visit to the Civil Service Commission
    - Role and functions
    - Senior recruitment and monitoring delegated powers
    - Upholding core values

    Day 2

    Visit to the Institute for Government
    - The changing public sector reform agenda

    The Committee on Standards in Public Life
    - Overview of the work of the Committee

    Day 3

    Recruitment in the UK Civil Service
    - principles
    - processes

    Public Service Commissions: international comparisons

    The cast study
    - Introduction

    Visit to Westminster Parliament
    - The House of Commons Select Committee on Public Administration
    - Discussion on a Civil Service Law

     

    Day 4

    Civil service HR Policies: a practical viewpoint

    The case study
    Further work by participants

    Visit to the UK Cabinet Office Corporate Development Group
    - Developing the effectiveness of civil servants and Government Departments

    Day 5

    The Civil Service Appeal Board
    - Meeting with Deputy Chair
    - Casework and procedures

    The case study
    - Presentations by participants

    Review and closure
    - Concluding discussions
    - Participants’ action planning
    - Review, feedback and scope for follow-up
    - Presentation of certificates of attendance

     

    We reserve the right to change the programme as necessary.

    Location and arrival arrangements

    The study programme will be based in central London. On request, PAI can assist in finding suitable hotel accommodation and can arrange travel to and from the airport.

    Language

    The programme will be conducted in English.  Participants will be expected to have a good working knowledge of the language.

    Fees and other costs

    The fee for this one-week study programme will be £1,895.  This includes tuition, travel to and from the airport, site visits (provided at cost) and documentation.  UK Valued Added Tax (VAT) will not be charged if applicants can provide written confirmation from their Government, or its accredited representative, that they are employed by their Government in furtherance of its sovereign activities.  In all other cases, VAT (currently 17.5%) will be charged in addition to the fee.  Payment in full must be received by PAI no later than 15 November 2010.  Cheques should be made payable to Public Administration International.  Alternatively, PAI is able to invoice individuals, or government agencies.  Payment by bank transfer is also acceptable.

    If participants cancel their booking within 21 calendar days of the start of the programme we will charge £250 to cover administration costs. Alternatively, fees already received can be held as a credit towards the cost of future PAI study programmes.

    Airfares, accommodation costs, daily travel (other than on visits scheduled in the programme), meals and living expenses are not included. We suggest that approximately £120 per person per day should be allowed for a modest standard of accommodation, local travel in the UK, meals and other incidental expenses. Participants requiring a higher standard of accommodation (for example a 4 star hotel) will need to allow approximately £175 per person per day.

    Discount

    We offer a 10% discount on the tuition fee if a funding organisation sponsors more than three participants in any one calendar year. Please ensure that when you book your fourth participant (in any one calendar year) you let us know so that we can apply the discount.

    Insurance

    Participants are advised to arrange travel and health insurance cover before leaving their home country.

    Public Administration International (PAI)

    PAI specialises in management consultancy and development services for organisations in and associated with the public sector worldwide. We provide advice and support for governments undergoing political, economic, structural and legislative change. Our extensive network of associates includes practitioners, academics and independent consultants. The promotion of good governance and best practice are our key objectives. This programme is one of a number of specialist UK-based study programmes designed to meet the needs of public services worldwide.

    Director of Studies

    The Programme Director is Dennis Battle. Dennis had a long and distinguished career in the UK civil service and gained a great deal of practical experience of public sector and human resource management reform. His last eight years in the civil service were spent as a Commissioner of HM Customs & Excise (now HM Revenue and Customs), firstly as Director Personnel, and then as Director Personnel and Finance. Since retiring from the civil service, consultancy and speaking engagements have taken him to over 20 countries. For a number of years he was Director of Studies for a programme on the modernisation agenda at the UK Civil Service College (now the National School of Government) for senior civil servants. He is also a Director of a social housing group and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

    How to apply

    Please follow the link to complete an online application form, alternatively you can download the brochure for this study programme and complete the attached application form. Please post or fax it to:

    Clare Walters
    Programme Manager
    Public Administration International
    10 Bayley Street
    London, WC1B 3HB
    UK

    T +44 (0)20 7580 3590
    F +44 (0)20 7580 4746
    pai@public-admin.co.uk

    How to contact us

    If you would like to discuss the programme or to find out more about Public Administration International and our services, please contact:

    Claire Cameron
    Director
    Public Administration International
    10 Bayley Street
    London, WC1B 3HB
    UK

    T +44 (0)20 7580 3590
    F +44 (0)20 7580 4746
    pai@public-admin.co.uk
    www.public-admin.co.uk

    We also have extensive experience of designing tailor-made programmes which can be run in-country or in the UK to meet the specific needs of groups or individuals.  Please contact us if you would like further information.

    Public Administration
    International Ltd
    10 Bayley Street London WC1B 3HB
    Registered in Cardiff Number 2687571
    Vat number 668 071 711

    © 2009 Public Administration International
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