February 2017

A guide forIMPACT

representativesand members

Health Service Job Evaluation Scheme

A guide forIMPACT

representativesand members

Health Service Job Evaluation Scheme

ContentsIntroduction ..........................................................................2

Eligibility to apply ................................................................4

Application and assessment process ................................5

How posts are evaluated ....................................................8

Factor one – professional and technical competence ..9Factor two – problem solving ......................................10Factor three – decision making ....................................11Factor four – responsibility and accountability ..........13Factor five – Communication........................................15

How long does the process take? ....................................17

Other questions and issues ..............................................18

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The job evaluation scheme for health service clerical, administrative andmanagement staff reopened in October 2016 after a successful IMPACT

campaign. This guide has been produced to help IMPACT represen -tatives assist members who are making an application under the

scheme, and those who are deciding whether to do so. You cancontact your IMPACT official if you need further advice on the

scheme or its application.

The purpose of job evaluation is to measure whether or not aspecific post is correctly graded. Job evaluation is not the

same as performance assessment. It assesses the skills andresponsibilities required of a particular post, rather than the

individual performing it.

It is a points-basedscheme which meas -ures the ‘size’ of a jobusing five specific ‘factors’(com pe tence, problem sol -ving, decision making,comm uni cations, and res pons -ibility and account ability). Itweights the factors, which meansmore points are awarded to the moreimportant factors.

You have to apply for an evaluationusing a specific HSE form. The evaluationawards each post a total number of pointsbased on the five factors assessed. Eachgrade in the clerical and adminis trativestructure has its own points range, and theevaluated job is matched to the correct grade.

The applicant and their managers both input into theprocess, and assessments are made by joint panelsof management and IMPACT representatives fromoutside the specific setting where the job holder works.

There is no guarantee that a job evaluation will lead to aregrading of a post. If it does not, the post holder can seeka review if they believe the process was flawed.

Introduction

“Job evaluation assesses

the post not the person.”

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The job evaluation scheme is currently open to clerical and administrativestaff in grades III to VI, as well as related (or ‘analogous’) grades.

To apply, a post holder must be in a post that has existed for at least twoyears. Once a post has been evaluated, it cannot be evaluated again foranother two years.

IMPACT wants the scheme to be extended to other administrative andmanagement grades, and to professional and technical staff. But, right now,it is only open to grades III to VI and related (analagous) grades.

Applicantsfor evaluationmust fill in theHSE form, which isavailable on the HSEand IMPACT web sites.The applic ation formmust be com pleted in fulland all required supportingdocu ments must be provided.

The form must be signed by theapplicant and their line manager(grade V or above), who must verifythat the description of duties expressedon the form is accurate. The form will thengo to a senior manager (grade VIII or above)who will forward it to the relevant nationaldirector for submission to the scheme.

IMPACT strongly advises applicants to seek advicefrom their local union representative before submittingan application form.

If an applicant’s position is split between two (or more)services, they should provide a complete list of duties of allelements of their post – not just those that relate to one of theservices they cover.

Who is eligible to apply for job evaluation?

The scheme currently gives priority to four groups:

3 Those who applied for job evaluation be-fore the scheme was suspended in 2008

3 Applicants whose posts have been referredfor job evaluation by a third-party process

3 Applicants referred to job evaluationthrough the process of regularising long-term acting positions

3 Grade III applicants.

The application and assessment procedure

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Once the form is submitted, independent evaluation teams (consisting of oneHSE representative and one IMPACT representative) undertake theevaluations, which are usually carried out using a combination of theapplication form and a face-to-face discussion with the post holder. In somecases the application form alone may suffice.

The evaluation team will gen erally certify the outcome of an evaluation, andconfirm this outcome to the employer, within a couple of weeks of theevaluation. A request for a review of the out come can be fac il i tated if theprocess was flawed or if important fac tors were over looked.

Applicants should:

3 Read the HSE’s job evaluation guidelines and related materials, which are available on the HSE website (http://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/Leadership_Education_Development/jobevaluation.html)

3 Be aware of what all the five ‘factors’ cover (see pages 9-15)

3 Read all the questions on the application form carefully

3 Answer all the questions (do not say certain questions are ‘not applicable’)

3 Present their role in the best possible light, but without exaggerating it (remember that your line manager will have to verify the accuracy of your answers)

3 Give full and consistent answers and avoid generalisations

3 Avoid ‘cutting and pasting’ answers

3 Give examples and descriptions of specific elements of their job that relate to the various factors and elaborate on them where possible

3 Use additional pages where more space is needed to make relevant points.

· Map out your internal and external reportingrelationships (this will help you to answerquestions on the form)

· Ask your line manager for an organisationalchart and a reporting relationship chart

· Review your working day each evening overtwo or three weeks, making a written noteof task duties, the people you dealt with,problems you solved and decisions youtook

· Get your original job description for the post

· Find out if the post has ever been adver-tised at a higher grade

· Find out if the post is graded higher in com-parable hospitals and health settings

· Gather any documents from line managersthat acknowledge the post is of a highergrade.

Before you start

6

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The evaluators will measure the competencies and knowledge required tocarry out the specific post, rather than the capabilities of the post holder. Theevaluators will assess the post by measuring five specific factors: pro -fessional and technical competence; problem solving; decision making;responsibility and accountability; and communications. The five factors are‘weighted,’ which means that some are worth more points than others. As aresult, the questions relating to the five factors (including sub-sections) onthe application form are worth between 8% and 11% of the total mark,depending on the weighting.

Each of the following factors and sub-sections is examined and scored:

· The assessors will assess precisely what is required to fulfil the roleincluding formal qualifications, training and skills

· The assessors will differentiate between what is routine andnon-routine (and applicants will score higher if specialistknowledge is required to fulfil the role)

· The assessors will outline the estimated time required toachieve the skills and qualifications necessary to perform therole.

You should read the definitions on the form carefully and provide a cleardescription of what professional and technical competence is required to dothe job. This should include formal qualifications, specialised training, on -going upskilling (eg for new technologies), any financial inputting andreporting, communications skills, statistical analysis, and so on.

Your assessors may not be familiar with the job at all, so your responsesshould be specific and detailed.

How is the post evaluated?

“Some factors are worth more

points than others.”

Professional and technical competenceFACTOR ONE

Problem solvingFACTOR TWO

Decision makingFACTOR THREE

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· The assessors will assess the level of initiative required (ie,the requirement to take action without being prompted by aline manager)

· The assessors will consider the level of innovation required(ie, the extent to which the post holder is required to find newand imaginative solutions to major issues and problems)

· The assessors will assess the frequency, variety and respon-sibility associated with the problem-solving aspects of thepost.

You should read the definitions on the form carefully and provide a clearpicture of the judgement that you bring to bear in your work. You will need tosay:

· Whether the problem-solving tasks you describe are routine,non-routine or specialised

· How often such tasks arise

· What scope you have to use your own initiative

· Whether (and the degree to which) you are involved in proj-ects that require input from your post

· Whether you participate in, or host, team meetings andwhether (and to what extent) your input is required to resolveproblems.

This factor has two sub-sections covering the type ofdecisions you are required tomake and the impact of yourwork on decision makers.

· The assessors will look atthe type of decisions the postholder is typically required tomake, and whether they requirethe approval of a higher grade

· The assessors will assess the type ofinformation provided by the post holderto supervisors and managers

· The assessors will assess the degree of in-fluence that the post holder’s decisions have.

When describing the type of decisions you are required tomake, consider:

· Typical decisions you make on a frequent basis

· Whether this requires the approval of a higher grade

· Whether the duties associated with the post are covered bystandard procedures

· Whether you sometimes have to use your own initiative andmake decisions based on the situation you are facing (eg,prioritising workloads, reallocating duties, dealing with dis-tressed service users, allocating appointments)

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· Whether your decisions impact on the work of others

· Whether you have financial responsibilities and, if so the levelof those responsibilities (eg, €5,000, €10,000, or more)

· Whether you approve TOIL, annual leave, flexi leave, etc, andensure that cover is provided.

These questions on the impact of your work on decision makers will seek toestablish what impact your role has within the organisation, including inplann ing, organising, suggesting courses of action, and so on. When des -cribing the impact of your work on decision makers, consider:

· The type of information you provide to supervisors and man-agement

· The degree of influence it has in your department or teamand across a wider area

· Where you sit within the organisation (within the team orboarder working area)

· Whether your work influences team decisions

· Whether you are part of, and responsible to, a broader work-ing area (eg, across multiple sites).

When filling in this section you should consider the internal and exter-nal teams and agencies you engage with. Read the definitions outlinedat the top of each page and link your answers to them. This factor hasthree subsections: leadership and team working; resource manage-ment; and impact on resources.

Under ‘leadership and team working’ you should explain:

· Where you fit within the team and organisation

· How you input into the team and its objectives

· Any responsibility you have for the team

· Whether you coach or lead others (eg, training others in theirposts)

· The level of responsibility and accountability associated withyour post

· Any responsibility you have for leading or mentoring others,including training.

Under ‘resource management’ you should:

· Outline your accountability for resources across your ownarea, immediate area, and boarder areas (see the definitionof resources at the top of the page on the application form)

· Include the level of responsibility for information systems, fi-nancial systems, data, intellectual property, and specific proj-ects

Responsibility and accountabilityFACTOR FOUR

“Read the definitions

on the form.”

12

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· Give some examples, such as patient records, databases,patient information systems, accounts, payroll systems, andso on.

Under ‘impact on resources’ you should:

· Outline the level to which the post has responsibility for themaintenance and support of resources

· Explain the consequences for the team or organisation of afailure on the part of the post holder.

· The assessors will consider your primary contacts inside andoutside the organisation, taking account of how often suchcontacts are required and the types of information involved(eg, sensitive, confidential, legal, complex).

· The assessors will assess the level of interpersonal skills re-quired of the post holder including listening, tact, sensitivity,assertiveness, problem-solving, self-management and self-awareness, and ensuring dignity and respect.

CommunicationFACTOR FIVE

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“There’s no guarantee that

evaluations will lead to

upgradings.”

3 Take your time in answering each question. Readeach one carefully, paying particular notice to theguidance given at the top of each page

3 Give consistent answers. Evaluators will noticethese discrepancies across different sections of theform

3 Be clear and concise in your answers, giving fulldetails where necessary (for example don’t just sayyou have knowledge of the SAP system – be clearabout the level of the SAP system you have accessto)

3 Avoid copying and pasting your answers

3 Every section is relevant, so answer every questionon the form. Don’t say some bits are ‘not applicable’

3 Include examples and supporting evidence when -ever possible

3 Describe the post as it is – not as it should or couldbe

3 Use additional pages if necessary

3 Get someone else to read your form before yousubmit it.

Final check

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There’s a significantbacklog because thescheme has been closedsince 2008. Therefore, it’simpossible to assess howlong the process of evaluatinga particular job will take. IMPACThas provided a number of trainedassessors for the evaluation teamsin order to clear the backlog as quicklyas possible.

Initially, priority will be given to applicationswhich were in the system at the time thescheme closed in 2008, applications whichwere referred to job evaluation by a third partyprocess (eg the Labour Court), applications thatwere referred to job evaluation through the processof regularising long-term acting positions, and applic -ations from clerical officers.

How long does the process take?

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The evaluation assessment awards a post a total number of points based onthe five factors assessed. Each grade in the clerical and administrativestructure has its own points range, and the evaluated job is matched to thecorrect grade.

Some job evaluations will result in no upgrading. Where upgradings occur,they will most commonly move a job up one grade. But it is possible to moveit up two grades if sufficient points are awarded.

Yes. Appointment to an upgraded post is treated as a promotion. The salarywould increase, but any red-circled conditions (like annual leave and workinghours) would be set aside and replaced by the new standard conditionsunder the public service agreements. For example, in some circumstancesa post holder could end up working longer hours or having less leave if theirpost is upgraded.

By how much can a post be upgraded?

How will post be filled if they are upgradedthrough job evaluation?Staff who have been in post for four years or more at the time of a jobevaluation will stay in the pos ition if the post is up graded. The post will befilled by competition if the post holder has been in the position for less thanfour years.

Do terms and conditions change when apost is upgraded?

Is there any back pay for upgraded posts? Not usually. The effective date for upgrading is generally the date when theevaluation team certifies that the post should be upgraded. There would beno back pay in such cases. However, the effective date can be the subjectof negotiation and agreement if an evaluation has taken place as a result ofa referral by a third party.

Can applications still be considered if thepost holder moves? No. An evaluation can only be processed for an existing post holder.

“Upgradings are like promotions in that

post holders could end up with longer

hours or less leave.”

Can I apply if I’m in a temporary post?People on temporary appointments can apply for evaluation of theirsubstantive post (that’s the post they anticipate returning to when thetemporary appointment is over). Those in temporary posts can apply for theirsubstantive post to be evaluated if they have been out of the substantivepost for less than 12 months.

Further informationThere is a ‘frequently asked questions’document and other information on theIMPACT website (www.impact.ie).

The HSE website carries applicationforms, a guidance document and ‘fre -quently asked questions’ document.

Your local branch representative orIMPACT official should be able to helpyou with queries about whether and howto apply for a job evaluation.

IMPACT Trade Union

@IMPACTTU

www.impact.ie

IMPACT Trade Union

@IMPACTTU

www.impact.ie

DUBLIN Nerney’s Court, Dublin, D01 R2C5. Tel: 01-817-1500

CORK Father Matthew Quay, Cork, T12 EWV0. Tel: 021-425-5210

GALWAY Unit 23, Sean Mulvoy Business Park, Sean Mulvoy Road, Galway, H91 HT27.Tel: 091-778-031

LIMERICK Roxborough Road, Limerick, V94 YY31. Tel: 061-319-177

SLIGO Ice House, Fish Quay, Sligo, F91 HHX4. Tel: 071-914-2400