UNCLASSIFIED
SCR(13) 1st
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
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STANDING COMMITTEE: RECRUITMENT
Tuesday 12th February 2013
Room G11, 1 Horse Guards Road
13.30pm-4pm
Attendees: Eliza Hermann (chair), Peter Blausten, Moira Gibb
Present: Terry Willows, Sandra Campbell, Sharon Foster-King and Sean Edwards-Playne. Mervyn Thomas, Linda McKendrick (Civil Service Resourcing) , Tamas Wood and Susan Haddrell (KPMG)
Note of the meeting:
1. Apologies and welcome
Apologies were received from Wanda Goldwag, Christine Hallett and Angela Sarkis. Eliza welcomed Mervyn Thomas and Linda McKendrick from Civil Service Resourcing (CSR), Tamas Wood and Susan Haddrell from KPMG to the meeting.
2. Minutes from SCR(12) 2nd and matters arising
The minutes were approved.
3. Update of Recruitment Breach cases
Sharon reported that there had been 30 cases so far during 12/13, which was a similar figure to the previous year. Departments were generally now more knowledgeable about the Recruitment Principles and these breaches illustrated that they were looking more carefully into their processes and declaring historic cases to CSC.
Action points:
Elaine- Specific departmental breaches to be added to the link Commissioner briefing
Sandra-The secretariat to provide KPMG with intelligence relating to departmental breaches to help define risk indicators
Sharon to give an oral update on recruitment breaches at each RSC meeting.
4. Update of Employment Tribunal cases
Sharon discussed the role of the CSC secretariat as an expert witness at tribunal hearings and explained that any evidential statements that were provided were cleared by the Commission’s legal advisers before submission to the hearing. Sharon gave an update of the current cases and expected tribunal hearing dates.
Action point:
Sharon to give an update on current tribunal cases at each RSC meeting.
5. Review of Link Commissioner role RSC (13)02
Sharon introduced the Link Commissioner paper and outlined the proposals to amend both the Framework and the Standard Briefing.
The committee agreed to make a recommendation to the Board that material relating to Public Appointments is to be included in the link Commissioner briefing. Also, that the briefing template be amended to include a prompt for the link Commissioner to include the CSC Business Plan in their Departmental discussions.
6. Oral report from Mervyn Thomas, head of Civil Service Resourcing
Mervyn provided an overview of the CSR structure and an update on its progress in delivering recruitment on behalf of departments. 80% of recruitment below SCS level is being dealt with by CSR either using a full recruitment service or just the jobs portal. SCS and exception recruitment (other than volume exercises) are not serviced by CSR at this stage.
CSR has been commissioned by the HR Board to work up a proposition to support SCS recruitment across departments. The new service could be up and running by the end of the year.
Mervyn Thomas and Chris Last were meeting with HRDs from those departments that received High or Medium risk ratings from DLA piper in the last compliance monitoring round.
Areas of work for the future included introduction of a new framework contract for executive search consultants, and a possible role for CSR in Public Appointments recruitment.
Action points:
Terry- Secretariat to provide Commissioners with mechanism to feed into the new tender exercise for search consultants being run by CSR.
Sharon- Secretariat to include an update of the CSR proposal to HR Board regarding handling of SCS recruitment at next HRD/Commission meeting
Mervyn- CSR to share the Capability Plan, part of Civil Service Reform Plan, with Commissioners once published.
Sandra- Mervyn Thomas to be invited to attend a future RSC meeting to discuss talent management strategy, Fast Stream and compliance/capability monitoring.
7. Delivery of the Compliance and Capability contract
Tamas and Susan from KPMG provided an update on the development phase of the new contract that is due to start 1 April 2013:-
· final proposals for the process timeline and structure are to be put to the CSC Board meeting on 12 March and guidance material to be disseminated to departments by 1 April.
· meetings with departmental contacts, Commissioners, PAAs and secretariat staff had taken place to inform the new process
KMPG discussed the draft potential risk indicators and invited the Committee to review the inclusion of these in the initial risk assessment of department’s compliance.
The Committee suggested a range of issues which should also factor in any risk assessment and also made a range of suggestions around the proposed process (and ensuring it stayed effective but proportionate). The Committee discussed the differences between CS recruitment and public appointments compliance which would entail keeping the reporting data quite separate but, where possible, combining any departmental visits to lessen the burden on staff.
8. Update of CSC recruitment complaints RSC (13)01
Sean provided an update on 30 cases that had been received by CSC since May 2011. Most of the cases fell outside of the CSC’s investigative remit. There had been a significant percentage increase in the last twelve months compared with the preceding twelve months. This was mainly attributable to a single competition which gave rise to nine complaints, but in view of the fact that the competition attracted 60 000 online applications, this figure was not considered excessive. Also of note were two complaints received by the Commission but not elevated to a Commissioner. They involved the use of online selection tests in which the complainants had been withdrawn from the recruitment process due to a technical fault when the tests had to be reset. Commission staff contacted the Department directly advising them that they may be in breach of the RP and as a result the candidates were allowed to resit their test.
Action Point:
Diane- Secretariat to circulate detailed complaints data at six monthly intervals to Standing Committee members.
UNCLASSIFIED