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Office support

Staff

The Commissioners are supported by a team of eight (not all working full time for the Commissioners).

Our Office performs a wide range of functions and activities on behalf of the Commissioners including:

• planning competitions
• providing secretarial support to the most senior appointment competitions
• the collection and analysis of statistics from competitions
• audits of departments’ compliance with our Recruitment Code
• the administration of appeals under the Commissioners’ Recruitment Code and the Civil Service Code
• communication of our role and responsibilities in a variety of forums and media
• drafting policy papers and providing policy advice
• briefing on a wide variety of issues relating to our roles for our liaison meetings with the Cabinet Secretary and other senior civil servants
• preparation of briefings for appearances before parliamentary committee

During 2007/08 among many activities our staff:

• delivered seminars to the staff of 17 departments about our role
• contributed to a number of training  seminars for civil servants organised by Westminster Explained
• discussed with departments a wide range of issues and queries relating to the implications of our recruitment principles in particular circumstances and their effective application

Without their significant help and support, it would be impossible to handle our responsibilities effectively or efficiently.

Secretary to the Civil Service Commissioners

We would like to pay an especial tribute to Jim Barron who has served as the Secretary to the Commissioners for the last ten years. Jim announced his intention to move to a new job in the Cabinet Office after the end of the 2007-08 reporting year; but we felt it appropriate to record here the Commissioners enormous thanks and gratitude for the excellent work he has done.

Jim skilfully led and guided the staff that provide the Commissioners with their day to day and strategic support. He also personally made his knowledge, experience and judgement available to the Commissioners as a group and individually. He takes the thanks and best wishes of Commissioners, past and present, to his new role.

Northern Ireland Civil Service Commissioners

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