Atkins: Evaluation exercise won’t put public sector workers on breadline

overnment is conducting a public sector job evaluation exercise to ensure that the public sector keeps pace with rapid developments in the global arena.

The exercise, being conducted by the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management, is designed to develop and implement a modernised, harmonised, and equitable job-grading structure for civil servants and employees.

Director General (Governance) Gail Atkins, during a recent interview with the Barbados Government Information Service, stressed that no jobs will be lost. She said job information will be collected and consultants from the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management will employ systematic and analytical processes to determine the worth of each job.

The first job evaluation exercise was undertaken 23 years ago, and since then, several jobs in the public service have evolved due to the advancement of information technology, digitisation, and other technological enhancements.

Atkins said this second job evaluation exercise would address the scarcity of skills in certain areas, for example in nursing and the police services, among others, as the government must be able to attract and retain talent.

She pointed out that environmental and societal developments had also brought changes in risk factors, in areas such as health and security.

“We are facing these challenges and we know that we need to do an assessment or reassessment of where we are to determine how jobs have evolved, and consequently, how they are compensated at the end of the day. So, I would say this exercise is important so that we can review the public service to ensure that it is fit for purpose, that it has the right jobs in place, and that we can identify the kinds of duties and responsibilities, the working conditions, the correct traits that we require for jobs in the public service.”

Atkins added: “We know that in this economic environment that we need to be as competitive as possible. We know that there is often a fight out there for available resources. So, we want to ensure that we have, first of all, the correct jobs to provide the various services that are required within this economy and then that will help us to resource these jobs at attractive salaries and to deliver services in a very efficient and effective way.”

The senior government official encouraged all employees in the public service and in statutory corporations that receive funding from the Consolidated Fund to participate in the job evaluation exercise.

“It is about their jobs and only the incumbent knows that job…. It is therefore important that we get information from them because information on jobs is a critical building block of any job evaluation exercise, and that is so important,” she said, assuring that public officers and employees will in no way be disadvantaged by the job evaluation exercise.

Meanwhile, a number of engagements were held with heads of departments, trade unions, and other senior and key stakeholders, where they were given an overview of the process by the consultants and the opportunity to provide input on the likely compensable factors, which can be used to score jobs to establish job worth.

Additionally, human resources personnel, managers, supervisors and other administrative staff have been attending training sessions on the preparation and writing of job descriptions.

The Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management has also been collecting information on jobs through an online questionnaire and interviews with ancillary, infrastructural and other workers.

(BGIS)