Career development

Coordinator: Carlos Carrión Crespo
Members: Leillah Abdallah, Havey Addo-Yobo, Fabio Toma

Personal promotions and reclassification

Objective:

To ensure that the personal promotion machinery is transparent and equitable. Push for clarification regarding the eligibility of staff who are being unlawfully excluded from the exercise, such as colleagues in the ILO Administrative Tribunal, former precarious colleagues, and all others who, according to the applicable rules and GB decisions should be eligible.
To ensure that the global reclassification exercise in the field is launched without further delay and Independent Review Groups are established and active in the field for the examination of job grade review appeals.

Means of action

Participation in the joint group on personal promotions, and legal action where appropriate.

Training policy and performance management

Objective: To ensure that staff concerns are taken into account in the ILO training policy and in the performance management system of the ILO and that policies are implemented in a fair and transparent manner.

Means of action

Training policy:

Negotiate a training policy in line with the needs of staff at all levels and categories
Reactivate the Joint Training Council and update its terms of reference based on the Collective Agreement on Personal Development Plans, so that mechanisms can be put in place for the Staff Union to be consulted on the use of staff development funds, the impact of training expenditure and assessing how proposed training programmes satisfy staff members’ needs and requests

Performance management:

Survey the staff regarding the implementation of the performance management system and assess how the introduction of a new system has responded to staff needs.
Negotiate improvements suggested as a result of this consultation process with staff.
Negotiate specific performance management procedures for staff working under TC projects and programmes.

How do personnal promotions work ?

What is it ?

The Personal promotion is a change in grade within the category (GS, NPO, or P) – based on record of service (1)
It can apply only once during an offîcial’s career
Two possible tracks:

First track:
Service in the current grade has been especially meritorious (limited to a quota of 5% of established RB posts)

Second track:
Service in the current grade has been satisfactory

How to find more information?

Staff régulation – article 6.8.2
Office procedure – IGDS Number 125, 2009

To whom does the first track apply ?

GS. NPO and P categories
Not in the highest grade in their category
On a contract financed from the Regular Budget
13 years of service at the ILO in the current grade (2)
Ps should hâve served in at least one duty station other than Geneva (3)

To whom does the second track apply?

GS, NPO and P categories
Not in the highest grade in their category
On a contract financed from the Regular Budget
25 years of service at the ILO, the United Nations, or another specialized agency, including at least 13 years in their current grade

How does it work?

First track

Second track

DG sets the quota for
GS, and the quota for
NPO and P (4)

HRD draws up a list of eligible officiais who meet the contractual and seniority requirements as at 31 December of the previous year

The draft list is broadcasted and if eligible to both tracks. officiais décidé to apply to both, or to the second track only

Official and Responsible
Chief fill dedicated form

JNC panels to check eligibility and assess merit of the first track candidates, then of the second track (5)

Recommendation for promotion (and effective date) (6)

Propose a delay before the file can be re-examined

DG examines the recommendations and decides

HRD informs the official through the Responsible Chief (with a short explanation in case of refusai)

(1) It does not change the grade of the occupied post in the Program and Budget.
(2) Including secondment in another UN agency. Accelerated rate of accumulation applies for officiais aged 59-65, and service in different duty stations (1 years counts for 18 months).
(3) Exceptions may be decided by the DG/JNC.
(4) Each year. in proportion to the number of staff employed in regular budget posts in these two category groups.
(5)One joint panel is installed for GSs and another one for NPOs and Ps.
HRD informs the official through the Responsible Chief (with a short explanation in case of refusai)
(6) For the first track, the merit is comparative: only the most deserving candidate of the year will be awarded a Personal promotion.

Training Policy

Objectives:

To ensure that staff concerns are taken into account in the ILO training policy in the current environment of funding cuts, and in the performance management system of the ILO;
To ensure that training and performance management policies are implemented in a fair and transparent manner, including a review of the Reports Board;
To promote career development through the training policy;
To promote transparency in merit increments so that it reflects performance evaluation results;
To ensure that the implementation of the new job descriptions in the field is fair to all staff; and
To ensure that the proposed review of job descriptions in headquarters is fair to all staff.

Means of action:

Training policy:

Implementing the training policy in line with the needs of staff at all levels and categories in an equitable manner, in the context of the JNC
Participating in the Joint Training Council so that the Staff Union has a voice in the use of staff development funds, the impact of training expenditure and the assessment of how proposed training programmes satisfy staff members’ needs and requests

Performance management:

Addressing the staff’s concerns regarding the implementation of the performance management system and assessing how the introduction of a new cycle has responded to staff needs
Ensuring that the PMF supports the career progression of staff; and
Negotiating improvements through the

Titularization and Personal Promotions

The Staff Union is determined that the two processes should remain a permanent feature of the Organization because, failing any better system, they are today the only way to guarantee the staff’s career development and long-term security in employment.

As with the merit increment exercise, Personal Promotions were deliberately designed to respond to the ILO’s unique structure, whereby many locally-recruited staff, in particular in field offices, have limited opportunities for promotion.

The recognition afforded by merit increments and personal promotions are valued by the staff, and while improvements can be made regarding the procedures for awarding them and for extending them to TC staff, the Union will ensure that the policies themselves continue to serve the purpose for which they were intended.

As a member of the two joint bodies, the Staff Union will do everything to ensure that the machinery that is eventually introduced is even more transparent and equitable.

It will push for clarification regarding the eligibility of PSI staff (who are being unlawfully excluded from the exercise), colleagues in the Tribunal, former precarious colleagues, and all others who, according to the applicable rules and GB decisions should be eligible.

It is time the “ONE ILO” slogan was applied in practice.