Multi-skilled workers soon in state sector
View(s):Concerned about public discontent over the delivery of services, the Government is undertaking an immediate review of public sector staff in government offices.
The focus of the study is to see how public delivery services could be improved under the current staff strength which, according to government data, has a ratio of one officer per 15 persons in the total population. According to the database of the Finance Ministry’s Department of Management Services, the total approved cadre for the entire public sector including public enterprises is 1,496,392 as at June 30, 2016.
This information is contained in a new circular issued last month by Treasury Secretary Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga to Secretaries to Ministries, heads of government departments and other related state agencies including universities, saying it has been decided to conduct a cadre review of the government institutions in terms of the Budget Proposals 2017.
He has said that despite the financial allocations made for the public institutions, “it is observed that the majority of the institutions have not been able to achieve the expected targets within the relevant financial year. As a result there is a discontent about public service delivery among people at present”.
The circular noted that although decrease of the cadre requirement was expected in line with the introduction of new methods and procedures of modern technology, an increasing trend has been shown in requesting new cadre positions. It said a dearth of public servants is apparent in rural and remote areas due to the fact that employees have not been deployed properly by public institutions, resulting in delays and shortages of delivering services to the public at rural level.
“Cadre information for the year 2016 depicts that the staff at primary level is higher in number compared to the number of senior and tertiary staff and the classification of employees indicates that action has not been taken by each institute to ascertain service requirements in designing the organising structure,” the circular notes.
All heads of institutions have been directed to ensure that state services are discharged in compliance with the duties “authorised to the said institutes and identify the minimum cadre required to maintain the function of the institution to the optimum, having properly assessed the process that required to achieving the goals, objectives, mission and vision set out accordingly”.
The circular number 1/2017 has said that at the time of preparation of the annual action plan, every institute should assess its work separately as the duties to fulfil the objectives of the action plan and based on the said assessment, the institution should determine the minimum cadre required to achieve the relevant targets. Accordingly, work should be planned so as to obtain the maximum utilisation and performance of the cadre.
Heads of institutions have also been directed to fulfill the service requirements in the most effective manner, by recruiting multi-skilled employees for the primary level positions, the circular added.