Senior public service (Assistant Secretary) mobility, David Cagney, Chief Human Resources Officer for the Civil Service, Ireland, SIGMA webinar, 15 December 2020

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SENIOR PUBLIC SERVICE (ASSISTANT SECRETARY) MOBILITY
David Cagney,
Chief Human Resources Officer for the Civil Service, Ireland
Why? What was the problem, what did not work? Why there was a need for such a solution?
Mobility at senior (Assistant Secretary) levels was introduced in 2012 as a means of breaking down cultural
silos at Management Board level and providing an opportunity for talent across the system to be deployed
more effectively in pursuit of common Governmental and civil service goals and priorities.
What? Description of a tool/solution
Under the SPS Mobility Protocol, all vacancies at Assistant Secretary level must be considered for filling
through Senior Civil Service mobility in the first instance. The protocol is overseen by a mobility subgroup,
which comprises the Secretaries General of the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (chair), the
Department of the Taoiseach and one other member
As Assistant Secretary and equivalent posts are approved, the mobility subgroup decides in each case, in
consultation with the head of the Department in which the vacancy arises, whether the post is suitable for
mobility. If it is decided that a post is suitable, it is advertised on the SPS website and Assistant Secretaries
and equivalents are invited to apply.
SPS Mobility Process
• Filling of vacancy approved by DPER: Filling of vacancy sanctioned by Dept of Public Expenditure
and Reform (DPER) based on the business case from the Department in which the vacancy arises.
• Open Competition or Mobility?: SPS Mobility Subgroup decides based on job description and views
of SG in Department where vacancy arises.
• Advertise post to SPS: If Mobility agreed, job description is advertised to SPS members via website
and e-mail. 2 week deadline. Administered by SPS Secretariat, DPER.
• Applications sent to SG and Subgroup: CV and letter of application submitted by applicants.
Applications sent to SG and SPS Mobility Subgroup. SG meets applicants to discuss role. If no
applications, post filled through open competition
• Filling of Role: CV and letter of application submitted by applicants. Applications are also sent to SG
of Department in which the vacancy arises and SPS Mobility Subgroup. SG meets applicants to

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discuss role. The SG makes his/her recommendation on the filling of the post to the SPS Mobility
Subgroup. Timelines for the move are agreed between the giving and receiving organisations.
• If there are no applications under the mobility process, the post is filled through open competition.
What results: what were the benefits of the solution, how does it work in practice, lessons learnt
To date there have been 96 posts advertised from across 23 organisations. Of these posts, 27 have been
filled through mobility.