Nearly 2,000 courses by IPS for public officers in current academic year

Between last October and April this year, thousands of public officers attended 1,558 courses offered by the Institute for the Public Services. Moreover, 262 courses are scheduled from this month until July, with the participation of 5,035 people. This is a clear indication of the substantial investment by the Public Service in its workforce.

This was stated by Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar when addressing the second conference on the implementation of the Public Service strategy ‘ Achieving a Service of Excellence’ for the next five years. The conference was held as part of Public Service Week 2022 and focused on how the Public Service will be investing more in people, with discussions on different aspects of the topic among participants divided into cohorts.

Cutajar said that in the Public Service people are at the centre of all operations, and this is achieved on two fronts: the people receiving the service and the people providing it. That is why the Public Service designed the ‘People 360’ programme for public employees. The programme looks at the individual holistically and brings to life the concept that people are at the centre of all that is done.

“At its core, this programme shifts from personnel management to people management. Only in this way, and by strengthening such a programme, can we get the best out of the people, the talents of as many people as possible,” said Mr Cutajar.

Currently there are 18 students in the Institute for the Public Services’ Student Scheme and 353 participants in the Traineeship Scheme, the Principal Permanent Secretary also referred to the Employee Support Programme (ESP) within the Public Service. This programme provides a wide range of free confidential services for public officers experiencing difficulties in their personal life or at work. Over the past year, 615 public officers benefited from the assistance offered under this programme.

As part of Public Service Week, Cutajar also visited Ċentru Servizz Familja – servizz.gov, which is now operating from a central building in Valletta and which serves as a one-stop shop for those in need of social assistance, so that people are helped with respect to their privacy and without delay.

Ċentru Servizz Familja gives clients the opportunity to undergo a professional profiling exercise, whereby the social schemes and services for which they are eligible are identified. Clients are then given all necessary assistance to apply for these services successfully.

Cutajar said that this centre, which is the first of its kind, will also serve as a pilot project so that this process will subsequently be also adopted by the 23 regional servizz.gov community hubs. Government services are thus brought closer to people, as part of the Public Service’s full commitment to provide a service of excellence.