XN000022-1983-02-10 — Page 7

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1983

FIRST STAFF MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE PLANNED

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THE GOVERNMENT IS ORGANISING FOR THE FIRST TIME A STAFF MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE TO FURTHER ITS AIM OF IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY

IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.

THE CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 21 AND 22 AT THE SHERATON HOTEL, IT WILL BE CHAIRED BY MR MARTIN ROWLANDS, SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE AND OPENED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE.

THE DIRECTOR OF THE CIVIL SERVICE TRAINING CENTRE,

MR A.R.B. KITCHELL, SAID TODAY THAT THE CONFERENCE WAS ORGANISED IN RESPONSE TO A RECOMMENDATION BY THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE IN ITS NO. 4 REPORT FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF GOVERNMENT STAFF RESOURCES.

THE CENTRE HAS BEEN PROVIDING PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT COURSES FOR CIVIL SERVANTS ON A REGULAR BASIS BUT THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT MEMBERS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, LOCAL AND OVERSEAS TERTIARY TEACHING INSTITUTIONS AND THE CIVIL SERVICE ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER TO SHARE THEIR WEALTH OF MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE.

+AT THE END OF THE TWO-DAY CONFERENCE, PARTICIPANTS SHOULD HAVE A CLEARER IDEA OF THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON STAFF MANAGEMENT AND THE DIRECTION IT IS TAKING AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MACHINERY SET UP TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY.

*THEY SHOULD ALSO HAVE ACQUIRED SOME OF THE LEADERSHIP SKILLS NEEDED TO GET THE BEST FROM THEIR STAFF AND TO DIAGNOSE THE TYPE OF TRAINING THEIR STAFF NEED,+ MR KITCHELL SAID.

SOME 200 PARTICIPANTS FROM A WIDE CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE CONFERENCE. THERE WILL BE REPRESENTATIVES FROM GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, FROM THE STAFF UNIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS, THE STANDING COMMISSION, THE UNIVERSITIES, THE POLYTECHNIC AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

THE PROGRAMME WILL BE MADE UP MAINLY OF PANEL SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS, COVERING DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, STAFF MANAGEMENT AND DISCIPLINE, STAFF RELATIONS, MANPOWER PLANNING AND STAFF RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, STAFF APPRAISAL SYSTEMS EFFECTIVE USE OF INFLUENCE, MANAGEMENT OF ORGANISATIONAL CONFLICT, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND COUNSELLING SKILLS.

EACH PANEL WILL BE LED BY AN EXPERIENCED GOVERNMENT STAFF MANAGER, A SENIOR MANAGER FROM PRIVATE BUSINESS AND A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE UNIVERSITIES. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THERE WILL BE A USEFUL CROSS-FERTILISATION OF IDEAS.

THE CIVIL SERVICE TRAINING CENTRE HAS BEEN PROVIDING COURSES ON THE SUBJECTS COVERED IN THE CONFERENCE. THE CONFERENCE WILL HELP THE CENTRE TO EVALUATE THEIR EXISTING COURSES AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ON THEM IF REQUIRED. THESE COURSES ARE OPEN TO MIDDLE AND SENIOR MANAGERS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.

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