Draft Local Government Model Organisational Structure & Human Resource Manual

1. Draft Local GovernmentModel Organisational Structure & Human Resource Manual Therezine Filbert Sangu Director of Human Resource Development Ministry of Labour, Public Service & HRD

2. Overview • Local Services Support Agenda • LG HR Management: • Key challenges identified • Reforms in LSS Joint Plan of Action • LG Model Organisational Structures & HR Manual • Objectives • Progress so far • Implications for the health sector • CHD structure

3. Local Services Support Agenda • Strengthening and expanding local services such as education, health and rural water is a key priority for the government, as set out in the SSDP. • The Local Services Support agenda has been established to provide a multi-sector government framework for strengthening decentralised basic service delivery. • Weak HR management of local government service delivery staff, including health workers, was identified as a key constraint to improved service delivery in the LSS Joint Plan of Action.

4. Challenges in Local Government HR Management Weak human resource and payroll management: • unclear human resource management responsibilities • unclear staffing and grading norms • LG offices with little control over the placement and management of key staff who are seconded from the State level and have little scope for hiring and firing of locally-recruited staff. • in turn resulting in high staff turn-over, staff that are not well suited for their positions, and a lack of clarity about job responsibilities. • Attracting and retaining the right staff is further constrained by the inadequate skilled staff on the market to fill some of the specialized posts needed at county-level. leads to

5. HR reforms in LSS JPA • Review and provide guidance on local government human resource management practices: • review the current LG HR practices; • develop a Human Resource Management Framework for LGs offering guidance to LG officials on HR practices and clarifying the role of the State Ministry of Labour & Public Service in regulating LG human resource management. 1 The LSS Joint Plan of Action sets out the following actions to enhance human resource at LG and facility level: • Establish standard LG staffing structure and job descriptions: • review the current functions of LGs (the activities they perform and relationships among the departments) and the current HR levels of LGs (staffing levels/numbers, job descriptions, personnel specifications, grading and reporting); • develop a standard LG structure specifying the departments, functions, relationships, as well as human resource structure specifying the staffing levels, job descriptions, personnel specifications, reporting arrangements and grades. 2 3 • Strengthen pay and payroll management. • develop a single payroll for county staff; • support the implementation of the local government payroll system; and • develop a system for transitioning NGO health workers to government payroll.

6. Key objectives of the Model LG Organisational Structures and HR Manual • Model organisational structure: • correctly specify the departments, functions and relationships of the LG • specify a human resource structure: staffing levels, job descriptions, personnel specifications, reporting arrangements and grades that is realistically achievable within current resource constraints • LG HR Manual: • offer practical guidance for LG officials on HR practices (recruitment, management, promotion, etc) • clarify the roles of the State (Ministry of Labour & Public Service, State Ministry of Local Government and State sector Ministries) in regulating LG human resource management.

7. Progress so far • MoLPS&HRD & LGB requested support from the Capacity Building Trust Fund. • The consultants contracted by the CBTF report to LSS HR TWG, which includes MoH representation. • Draft documents now being prepared following: • consultations at national level • field trips to Western Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap • Consultation workshop with State Ministries of Labour, Public Service & HRD and with State Ministries of Local Government. • Awaiting final draft documents to be submitted to MoLPS&HRD & LGB following revisions based on the workshop. • Government will then carry out final review, including opportunity for feedback from the States, and formally issue for State and County use.

8. Key implications for health sector • Model Organisational Structures will provide standard guidance for all States and Local Governments on: • structure and function of County Health Departments • ideal establishment • model job descriptions for each post (still under development by MoH) • LG Human Resource Manual will provide standard guidance and procedures: • for Local Governments to recruit health workers based on a nominal roll approved by the State • for transferring staff from States to the Counties • for preparing county pay rolls

9. CHD Model Structure The model CHD structures is to provide standard guidance for all States and LGs on the structure of the County Health Departments.We would therefore like your feedback on the structure developed so far.

10. Thank you