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Personnel
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| Status & Conditions of Service |
| 6.1 The agency’s staff are civil
servants with Northern Ireland Civil Service terms and conditions of service and remain
employees of the Department. |
| 6.2 The Chief Executive is responsible for
the personnel management of agency staff as set out in this Framework Document and may,
within these parameters, introduce such changes as are necessary to maximise the
agency’s efficiency and effectiveness. The Chief Executive may seek the agreement of
the core of the Department to increase or amend the scope of personnel management
flexibilities available in the light of the developing needs of the agency. |
| Grading and Pay |
| 6.3 The Chief Executive has delegated
responsibility for grading arrangements and pay bargaining for staff below the Senior
Civil Service cadre. The Chief Executive will review these arrangements in consultation
with the core of the Department and, subject to the terms of the delegation, will put in
place structures which best meet the business needs of the agency. |
| Staffing Levels |
| 6.4 The Chief Executive is responsible for
establishing and keeping under review the agency’s staff complement. Where this
involves posts falling within the Senior Civil Service these must be agreed with the
Permanent Secretary. |
| Recruitment |
| 6.5 The Chief Executive has the authority
to recruit permanent and period appointment, non-industrial staff, excluding members of
the Senior Civil Service, through the Northern Ireland Civil Service Commission. The Chief
Executive will consult the core of the Department prior to commencing recruitment
procedures. The Chief Executive also has the authority to recruit non-industrial casual
staff direct to the agency. |
| Promotions and Transfers |
| 6.6 The Chief Executive is responsible for
the assignment or transfer of all staff within the agency (subject, in the case of the
Senior Civil Service, to consultation with the core of the Department). The Chief
Executive has full responsibility for all promotion arrangements for the agency’s
Professional & Technology staff having regard to any policy guidelines which may be
relevant and may organise and conduct promotion and trawl boards for these staff. Staff in
the general service grades will come within the Department’s arrangements for
promotion. In the event of redundancy situations occurring in the agency or across NICS
Departments, consultation will take place between the Chief Executive and the NICS
Departments as to how the redundancies should be managed. |
| Staff Appraisal |
| 6.7 The agency operates the performance
appraisal system currently in use in the rest of the Department. The Chief Executive in
consultation with the core of the Department may adapt this system to meet the
requirements of the agency. |
| Working Patterns |
| 6.8 The Chief Executive may develop new
working arrangements to suit the needs of the agency. |
| Training and Career Development |
| 6.9 The Chief Executive is responsible for
the training and development of agency staff and will prepare a training and development
strategy which meets the needs of the agency and its staff and, where possible, takes
account of the broader needs of the Department. |
| Discipline and Inefficiency |
| 6.10 The Chief Executive has delegated
powers relating to discipline and inefficiency in respect of staff up to and including
Grade 6 and may terminate the services of agency staff subject to prior consultation with
the core of the Department. Staff have the right of appeal to the Chief Executive on all
such matters. Permanent staff retain the right of appeal to the Permanent Secretary on a
personal matter. |
| Industrial Relations |
| 6.11 The Chief Executive is responsible
for industrial relations within the agency. The Chief Executive is committed to fostering
good industrial relations as an important aid to the achievement of the agency’s
objectives and will ensure effective communication and consultation with all staff and
with their recognised trade union representatives. Existing arrangements for staff
consultation will continue but the Chief Executive will decide, after consultation with
staff and their trade union representatives, if these should be developed in a more
appropriate way. Appropriate consultation on matters wholly or primarily affecting the
agency will be a matter for the agency. |
| Equal Opportunities |
| 6.12 The agency adheres to and positively
seeks to promote the equal opportunity policies of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. |
| Health and Safety |
| 6.13 The agency is committed to complying
with the Health and Safety at Work (NI) Order 1978. The agency will consult with staff and
their recognised trade union representatives on health and safety matters. |
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