Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1984 > Committee on Public Expenditure > Interim Report No. 01 - Recruitment by the Civil Service Commission and the Local Appointments Commission

Preface

The Committee on Public Expenditure decided that it will operate principally on two levels:

(i)detailed consideration and evaluation of major policy areas of public expenditure of each Department/Office and non-commerical State-sponsored body insofar as possible, judging such expenditure on rational and consistent criteria,

(ii)consideration of specific expenditure items or policies which would be suggested for review, such items could be brought up for inclusion on the agenda at short notice if considered sufficiently urgent by Members.

This Report of the Committee, on Recruitment by the Civil Service Commission and the Local Appointments Commission, falls into the second category and is being laid before the Dáil in accordance with paragraph (5) of the Orders of Reference of the Committee on Public Expenditure.

Report

1 Introduction

1.1At its meeting of 19 October 1983 the Committee decided to invite the Secretary of the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commissions to appear before the Committee to discuss

(i) the existing recruitment procedures because the Committee was concerned that in the case of the post office clerk competition in 1982 (p.19 of the Commission’s 1982 Report), 12,088 candidates were admitted to a written examination but only six candidates had been considered for employment by the end of 1982 and (ii) the general question of recruitment procedures and the costs and implications involved.

2 Role of the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commissions

2.1The Civil Service Commission operates under the Civil Service Commissioners Act 1956 which is an Act “to make further and better provision in relation to the selection of persons for appointment to certain positions in the Civil Service and for this purpose to establish a body to be called the Civil Service Commissioners to select persons for appointment to those positions and to fulfil certain other functions, and to provide for other related matters”. Prior to 1956 the Commission operated under the Civil Service (Regulations) Acts 1924 and 1926.

2.2The Local Appointments Commission was set up under the Local Authorities (Officers and Employees) Act 1926. Legislative provisions relating to the Local Appointments Commission appears in various other Acts e.g. Local Authorities (Officers and Employees) Act 1940, Local Government Acts, Health Acts, the County Management Act 1940, the Harbours Acts 1946 and 1947 and in the Local Authorities (Officers and Employees) Act 1983 which came into operation on 1st January 1984. The function of the Local Appointments Commission is the selection and recommendation of persons for appointment to professional, technical and senior management posts unde local authorities, health boards, harbour authorities etc.

3 Procedures of the Commissions

3.1The Commission must hold competitions once they are announced and specific tests must be laid down in advance. Competitions are held and persons are selected for appointment on the basis of certain tests and interviews. Competitions may be divided into two categories, one of those being the annual competition, usually a written examination such as that for clerical officers and executive officer and the other being the competitive interview.

3.2While there is some liaison with the National Manpower Service in the process of recruitment the Commissioners are not required to avail exclusively of persons registered with the National Manpower Service. The Commissions’ advice is that open competitions must be held and advertised nationally.

3.3In relation to competitions generally it is quite common to hold competitions for a large number of candidates to fill a relatively small number of vacancies. If the number applying is very large the Commission stated that “the number called for interview is reduced by requiring people before being called for interview to have a higher standard than the minimum”.

4 Recruitment problems identified by the Committee

4.1While the Commissioners have a statutory obligation to hold competitions regardless of the level of grade or the number of vacancies, far more applicants are put through Civil Service Commission written examinations than seems justified to get suitable people to fill vacancies.

4.2Seventy five per cent of those who go through the examination process successfully do not take up the offer of employment and evidently sat the competitions for exam practice or other reasons.

4.3It is understood that decisions on methods of recruitment are taken as a result of consultation between the employing Department (except in the case of the junior general service grades), the Civil Service Commission and the Department of the Public Service. It would be desirable to reappraise the responsibilities of each of them in connection with the achievement of economies.

4.4The process of Civil Service recruitment is divorced from general placement policy operated by the National Manpower Service.

4.5As recruitment has fallen off in the public service in recent years, the cost per appointment has grown from £325 in 1980 to £700 in 1982 (at constant 1982 prices) - figures supplied by the Civil Service Commission.

5 Public Service Recruitment

5.1The Committee was advised by the Secretary of the Commissions that the Department of the Public Service decides the recruitment policy for the Civil Service and monitors the recruitment process generally while the Civil Service Commission implements policy.

5.2It was also stated by the Secretary that panels of interviewers are drawn up by the Commissions. In the case of civil servants they are usually experienced in interviewing or have undertaken formal courses in interviewing. Care is taken to ensure that, as far as possible, interview board members have no direct connection with the candidates or the post advertised.

6 Post Office Clerk Competition

6.1In relation to the post office clerk competition there were no particular qualifications laid down other than a limit of between 15½ and 17½ years of age. A written examination in Irish, English and Arithmetic (pre-imtermediate examination standard) was held.

6.2Following are details of the cost and candidature of the 1982 competition.

7 Views of the Committee

7.1The Committee considers the cost per capita of recruitment to be excessive and is concerned at the use of cumbersome procedures which result in a waste of public funds.

7.2New measures should be introduced to improve cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the recruitment process generally.

7.3There is provision in existing regulations for the Commission to short-list candidates. The Committee feels that such a method could be used for competitions such as the post office clerk examination.

7.4Due to the present economic situation large numbers of people apply for public service jobs and a high proportion of those tend to be over-qualified.

7.5The Committee is concerned that a large number of applicants is sitting for examinations with only a minimal chance of being appointed to a post. The Committee questions whether it is worthwhile or necessary to go through an elaborate process for an uncertain result.

7.5It is clear that, for various reasons, a large number of people applies for several different competitions. The Committee is of the view that, if possible, a single examination should be designed for this type of situation in order to avoid duplication of costs to the applicants and the Commission.

8 Recommendations

8.1 The Committee’s main findings are

(i)that there appears to be a lack of any clear policy on efficiency or cost-effectiveness in the area of public service recruitment.

(ii)that there is an urgent need for improved procedures for recruitment generally and that action on the matter should be taken as quickly as possible in collaboration with the Department of the Public Service and/or other appropriate Government Departments/Offices.

8.2Advertisements in respect of competitions should contain a reference to the probable number of vacancies to be filled within a specified time limit and the qualities sought in prospective appointees. This would give candidates some idea of their chance of success.

8.3The Committee believe that the assessment of applicants by the National Manpower Service could facilitate an easier screening or short-listing process by the Commissions.

8.4A sensible short-listing mechanism should be devised, but should not be done by setting academic standards above those necessary for the position. Such a short listing mechanism should avoid the necessity of holding detailed examinations by the Civil Service Commission for enormous numbers of candidates. The Commission should institute such procedures immediately where large numbers of applicants are expected to apply.

8.5The Commission should consider that the statutory obligation on them to hold “competitions” does not preclude a flexible interpretation on how such competition should be defined, and that, in this context, new or improved measures could be introduced to avoid unnecessary formal examination.

8.6The functions of the Commissions vis-a-vis the National Manpower Service should be examined critically with a view to greater cost-effectiveness in public service recruitment generally.

8.7In the Annual Report of the Commissions, figures should be published not just for the “Number of candidates selected for appointment” but also for the actual number of vacancies filled.

8.8Each year as part of the “Comprehensive Public Expenditure Programmes”,(P1 1637), a publication first introduced in 1983, there should be published an analysis of recruitment policy including details on

(a) Total cost at constant prices of the Commission

(b) Total number of applicants for positions

(c) Total number called for detailed competition/interview

(d) Total number of vacancies filled

8.9The Committee would welcome an extension of the use of computerisation in the area of recruitment and examinations with a view to effecting greater cost saving

9 General

9.1It should be noted that this Report forms part of the on-going work of the Committee. Since the original review was undertaken the Committee has initiated consideration of further cost savings in the selection and appointment of staff, including the possible institution of a centralised agency which would provide a service for persons registered for, or offering, employment/ training facilities.

9.2The Committee will submit its Final Report to the Dáil in the near future.

Acknowledgement

The Committee wishes to acknowledge the assistance it received from Mr S De Buitléar, Secretary, Civil Service Commission and Local Appointments Commission and his colleagues, Mr B Lannon and Mr K. Nolan, in examining the area of recruitment policy and procedures and also Mr. T. Dwan who was acting Clerk to the Committee, when the present review was initiated in October, 1983.

Signed

Michael Keating T.D.

Chairman of the Committee

7 February, 1984.