AN ORIENTATION MANUAL has been prepared to facilitate the smoother transition of employees into the Barbados Public Service.
This publication – Guidelines for Orientation of Public Sector Employees – was produced by the Office of Public Sector Reform (OPSR) to, according to its director Michael Archer, raise the level of professionalism in the service.
While presenting a copy of the manual recently to acting Head of the Civil Service, Lucene Wharton-Isaac, Archer explained that it provided a comprehensive overview of the public service, and was therefore a useful reference document.
He said: “The purpose of these guidelines is to sensitise new or newly re-assigned public officers to the job, work unit or department. They provide an overview of the key ministries and departments of Government and their underlying legislation. Additionally, the manual seeks to assist the employee with his or her transition into his or her new role, and to become familiar with the programmes, services, procedures and rules related to their job.”
He stressed, however, that the guidelines would serve as useful pointers and did not replace, amend or function as an extension of any legislation, regulations or policies related to conditions of service or the functioning of the Public Service.
“They should be used as a discretionary tool and do not replace any policies or procedures which may be relevant to the Ministry, Division or Department to which employees have been assigned,” he underscored.
Describing the manual as “an important and useful tool”, Wharton-Isaac urged public servants to familiarise themselves with it. “This document is very extensive and it gives information on critical areas such as the structure of Government, and the roles of the Cabinet, the Minister, the director of finance and economic affairs, the Auditor General, etc. These are areas that members of the public are also interested in, and public servants should share this knowledge with them when queries are made at government offices,” she said.
Guidelines for Orientation of Public Sector Employees will soon be available in all Government agencies or it can be accessed at www.reform.gov.bb. (BGIS)
