布政司署
RESTRICTED
香港下亞畢道
* OUR REF :
AP 293/61/3-(C)(92) HKA_233/5
來函檔號 YOUR REF:
RY
20 APR 1993
DESK OF :X
Auction Tuken
To: All HMOCs officers at AOSGC
and SAO level
Dear Colleague,
HMOCS Officers
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
PERSONAL
26 March 1993
в
13/4.
Transfer into the Diplomatic Service
The
FCO has agreed that HMOCS officers, at the appropriate level in the Hong Kong Administrative Service, may apply
direct transfer into the Diplomatic Service as set out in the attached circular. Insofar as HMOCS AOS serving in Hong Kong are concerned this means application for transfer to DS levels 5 (First Secretary) and possibly 7 (Second Secretary) for the youngest officers.
I should stress that the Diplomatic Service intake at these two levels is only likely to be two a year, including any who may come across from the Home Civil Service. Opportunities are therefore very limited. Recent transferees have all had previous involvement with, or at least some experience of, the Diplomatic Service/FCO.
Anyone wishing to apply should forward a written application to Recruitment Section, Personnel Policy Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH, with a copy to me. Copies of annual confidential reports for the last three years will then be provided by CSB to the FCO.
Anyone seriously interested is invited telephone me for a discussion in the first instance.
to
your
هسیده
phite Alalin
(M JC Waters )
for Secretary for the Civil Service
7
Distribution:
All Posts
(including Dependent Territories)
All Departments
FCO Circular No: 51/93 Date: 8 February 1993
For information: DHM's Overseas and Loaned or
Seconded Officers
All HCS officers of FCO
APPLICATIONS FROM MEMBERS OF OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND THE FCO'S HOME CIVIL SERVICE CADRE TO TRANSFER INTO THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE
1.
Staff are sometimes approached by colleagues from other Government Departments (including those on loan) who wish to transfer to the Diplomatic Service. Such transfers are and will remain extremely difficult to arrange, because the Service can meet all its staffing requirements through open recruitment or internal promotion. But DHMS overseas and line managers at home should be aware of the procedures for processing applications.
2.
Until last year, most transfers into the DS were considered on a 'head for head' basis. This was cumbersome to administer and unsatisfactory to prospective transferees, who often had to wait a considerable length of time for final acceptance. system of 'head for head' was last year replaced by strict annual ceilings for unrequited inward transfer at each grade. The ceilings remain very low and will be adjusted periodically to keep pace with the recruitment targets. 'Head for head' transfers will be considered only on rare occasions when sending departments themselves insist on 'head for head' transfer in respect of a serving DS officer whom they have already agreed in principle to accept.
3.
The first step for any loaned officer, member of another Government Department or the FCO's own Home Civil Service cadre who wishes to transfer into the Diplomatic Service is to consider one of the Open Competitions for direct entry. Open competitions are run periodically for DS9, DS8/7D and Secretarial Grades. Full details can be obtained from PPD.
4.
Prospective transferees may apply through the open competitions and concurrently apply for direct transfer if they so wish by following the procedure in paragraph 6 below. They should bear in mind that the ceilings for direct transfer are very low and that the open competition may offer a better chance of success. We regret that we are unable to consider in 1993 applications from members of other Government Departments for transfer into DS9, although applications will be considered at this level from members of the FCO's own Home Civil Service cadre. No applications will be considered for transfer into DS10. Applications for transfer into the Secretarial grades are processed on receipt and not subject to an annual ceiling.
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5. Prospective transferees into grades DS7M, DS6 and DS5, for which there are no open competitions, must apply for transfer as below.
6.
Procedure for application to transfer into the DS
Applicants should approach their own departmental Establishment Officer and request that copies of their last three appraisal reports and sick leave records be sent to Recruitment Section, PPD, King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH. At the same time they should write to PPD before 31 July 1993 requesting transfer and confirming that they have already been in touch with their departmental Establishment Officer. PPD will not consider applications received after 31 July for inclusion in the 1993 scheme. All eligible applications will be considered in September/October in any one year. From the initial sift a small number of applicants may be invited to attend interviews in London or perhaps none at all. This will depend entirely on the quality of the candidates. Travelling expenses to return to the UK for interview cannot be borne by the FCO (though related in-country travelling costs will be met). Any successful candidates will be assigned to the DS on a date convenient to both the sending department and the FCO, if possible within the financial year in which their application has been considered.
7.
Bids to transfer into the Diplomatic Service at DS4 will very rarely succeed because of the structural constraints at that level. Anyone interested in bidding should contact the Deputy Head of PMD for a steer.
8.
The established procedure for transfer into the Home Civil Service (HCS) cadre of the FCO remains unchanged.
J Poston
Personnel Policy Department
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