1. ATTENDANCE AT TRAINING COURSES:

Ministries/Departments should systematically analyze and determine their officers’ training needs to ensure that officers benefit from the courses they attend. Officers may be nominated again for the same or similar refresher course after five years to keep them abreast with existing and new developments.

Training opportunities should be equitably distributed to as many officers as possible within a Ministry/Department and all essential training records should be kept for each officer so trained.

2. PSC Circular Memorandum ref. PSC 5/55 (85) of 2.8.84

Prior approval of PSC must be sought before any officer is released to attend conferences, congress, seminars, workshops or other similar activities. This applies to local as well as overseas programs.

3. PSC Circular 29/89: 

The practice of making direct approaches to aid donors and foreign embassies for any training, scholarships and overseas travel grants is most unsatisfactory and must cease. All requests for overseas training or visits must first be cleared with the Public Service Commission to ensure that training activities are well coordinated and consistent with Government’s overall human resource development policy.

Informal enquiries however with potential donor agencies may be carried out, but no specific commitment as to the choice of candidates must be made, particularly where the officers concerned belong to the general administrative cadre.

B. BONDING:

The Government’s revised bonding policy is covered in the PSC circular No.19/90. Ministries/Departments will continue to be responsible for all bonding arrangements for their officers on training/studies either locally or abroad. The bonding policy requires that:

1. Any officer who proceeds on training under Government sponsorship or external sponsorship channeled through Government will continue to be bonded according to PSC Circular 19/1990;
2. Any officer who proceeds on training for eight (8) weeks or more must be bonded;
3. If the duration of training is between eight (8) weeks and one (1) year, the officer shall be bonded for a minimum period of one year;
4. If the period of training is more than one (1) year, the officer shall be bonded for the actual length of training but it shall not exceed a maximum period of six (6) years;
5. Six (6) bond forms are to be completed by the trainee of which two (2) are to be sent to PSC; one (1) to be retained by the Ministry/Department; the other three (3) to be retained each by the bondee and guarantors;
6. There shall be two (2) guarantors none of which shall be the spouse of the bondee;
7. Any bondee who does not complete serving  his/her bond shall be required to pay the outstanding amount of the bond.

COURSE REPORTS

GO 903 is relevant and provides that any officer who undertakes a course of instruction, attachment or visit, shall make a report in duplicate in accordance with the form prescribed by the PSC, copies of which may be obtained from that office. One copy shall be forwarded to the PSC and one retained by the Officer’s department

TPAF
REQUIREMENTS

All training activities in the Service should be systematically done in line with the requirements of the TPAF Levy & Grant Scheme. This will ensure effective training and maximum grant claim and refund to Government. Ministries/ Departments are to pay particular attention to the important requirements listed below and are to liaise closely with PSC Training Division on the issues.

PERSONAL
EMOLUMENTS
FIGURES

The Fiji National Training (FNT) Act requires that each employer shall pay to TPAF the amount equal to 1% of the total gross wages/salaries in respect of all employees occupying leviable posts.

The Public  Service Commission is responsible for the calculation and payment of TPAF Levy in this exercise by properly submitting accurate Personal
Emolument Figures in respect of all their leviable posts every year. Ministries and Departments are required to keep and update records for all leviable and non-leviable positions under their control and to produce to PSC when required.

TPAF GRANT
CLAIM

Under the same Act, PSC will claim training grants annually from TPAF for all training conducted in the Service. The assistance and support of every Ministry and Department in this vital exercise is needed in adhering to the following essential TPAF requirements:

(a) Registration of
Training Staff

Officers involved in training activities should be registered with the TPAF. Application for registration on the prescribed form should be submitted to PSC as soon as an officer assumes training responsibility. Ministries and Departments should keep a register for all registered  and unregistered Training Instructors and Training Officers.

(b) Training Needs
Analysis (TNA)

Ministries and Departments should submit an updated list of all registered training officers/instructors to PSC by January of each year.

Heads of Department should ensure that a Training Nomination/Selection and Analysis form is properly completed for each officer and kept in the officer’s file. The forms should list in advance all aspects of training the officer needs in that particular post. CTD and TPAF staff will inspect these completed forms regularly. Specimen form is at Appendix I. The needs analysis should also relate to Section  V of the officer’s annual confidential report.

(c) Departmental Training Plan

All Ministries/Departments conducting their own inhouse programmes (on-the-job/off-the-job) are required to submit their Training Plans to PSC (CTD) by 15th February each year. PSC will then forward to TPAF a Master Training Plan for the Service for their approval.

(d) Training Facilities

Ministries and Departments should develop, maintain and keep records of all departmental training facilities and equipments. An updated list of these to be submitted to PSC by 31 January every year.

(e) Formal Selection

All training should be based on identified needs and officers selected for any training must have those needs listed in their Training Nomination/Selection and Analysis Sheet.

All nominations for in-service training should always be accompanied by fully completed Training Nomination/ Selection and Analysis form. It should be noted that training opportunities are limited due to scarcity of funds and staff constraints; therefore selection of trainees will be based on the most meritorious and urgent needs.

(f) Training Records

Ministries and Departments should keep accurate records of all training activities executed to include names of trainees, positions, course, location, dates, and training officer/instructor.

Each Ministry/Department is required to submit monthly returns of all in-house training activities (on-the-job and off-the-job).

(g) Special Courses

Ministries and Departments should note and give special emphasis in the training of their departmental officers on Induction, Occupational
Health and Safety (OHS), Employee Relations and Management and Supervisory Development courses. CTD training officers have been assigned certain Ministries and Departments to look after and they will assist in the conducting of these courses.

(h) Dress Code

All training personnel and course participants are reminded that no multi-coloured shirt (Bula), Jeans, flip-flops, etc. for males and multi-coloured tops or dresses and mini skirts for females are to be worn
during courses. It is preferred that males wear light plain white or coloured shirts with trousers or sulu and for females plain white or coloured tops, dresses, long skirts etc. during courses.

Training Programmes
for Government Wage
Earners. (GWE)

CTD has scheduled a number of courses for GWE staff because of their role in contributing to the attainment of the Outputs in the Corporate Plan of their Ministries and Departments. CTD will not be able to train all of them and Ministries and Departments are requested to assist in other areas of training.

IN COUNTRY
TRAINING
PROGRAMMES

This programme is currently on hold as the donor countries have withdrawn funding.