New controls to help restrict the growth of the public service and the Isle of Man Government’s employee costs have been implemented.
The new Recruitment Control Framework has been developed to increase scrutiny around recruitment, ensuring it only takes place where absolutely necessary. It will also aid departments and offices to:
- Find ways to change and improve how they deliver services and to make them more efficient and cost-effective, without hiring more staff
- Swiftly adopt new technologies to boost productivity, where such opportunity exists
This approach aligns with the Government’s objective of delivering £10 million in savings and efficiencies in 2025/26 announced by the Chief Minister in September.
The Chief Minister will make a statement in Tynwald today, providing an update on the government’s efforts to improve efficiency across the public service.
The Recruitment Control Framework covers the recruitment of all employed roles - permanent, interim, limited term appointments, and individual contracts - across all departments and offices. Statutory Boards, including Manx Care, are excluded. The framework does not apply to consultancy or contracted services or to casual, bank and agency staff.
Each department must create a Recruitment Authority Panel to support Accounting Officers in controlling recruitment. These panels will review vacant roles below a certain seniority level that do not meet specific exemptions, as well as roles above that level.
Exempt roles are those critical to delivering frontline services such as teaching and emergency services, responsible for national security such as warranted Police Officers, and crucial for the maintenance of critical internal/external infrastructure. They also include roles required by statute or to meet a legal requirement and responsible for income generation.
As well as the new recruitment controls, the first in a series of quarterly reports detailing the number of people employed within the Island’s public service was published last week. It provides valuable insights into the composition of the workforce and the contributions made by employees across various departments, boards, and offices.
Accounting Officers will have to approve the creation of any new roles and quarterly reports on recruitment activity will be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer (Isle of Man Government).
