BRIEF ON HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

The HRM Department is the Department in charge of human capital development and management. It is also saddled with the responsibility of staff career progression, appointment, posting and discipline, establishment matters of staff and record keeping also fall under the preview of the Department

Vision
The vision of the Department is to guarantee for the Ministry within Government policy, through quality human and material resources, regular manpower development and effective performance for the attainment of the overall goal of the Ministry and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Mission
To provide pro-active support and machinery for smooth operation of all the Departments through highly motivated and vibrant staff; and to ensure that a sustainable quality workforce is put in place at all times for achieving the overall objectives of the Government in Education.

Functions
The main mandate/function of the Department of Human Resource Management is to manage the Ministry’s human resources to ensure the optimum accomplishment of its statutory objectives. The functions include;

Appointment of Staff;
Deployment of Staff;
Transfers;
Promotions;
Discipline and Appeals;
Staff Welfare Matters;
Staff Training;
Establishment Matters;
Pensions and gratuity Administration;
Manpower Budget;
Records and Registries; and
Insurance Matters.
Structure
For ease of operation, the Department is structured into three Divisions to manage its core responsibilities. These are:-

Appointment, Promotion and Discipline,
Promotions, and
Training and Staff Welfare
Each of the two Divisions is headed by a Deputy Director. The Divisions are likewise sub-divided into Branches which are headed by Assistant Directors. Below the Branches are Sections which are headed by Chief Administrative Officers. The Department has a staff strength of 392.

Appointment, Promotion and Discipline
The Division handles all matters concerning Posting, New Appointments, Regularisation of Appointment, Confirmation and Gazetting of Appointment, Conversion and Upgrading, Transfer and Secondment, Promotion as well as staff Discipline.

Posting Committees I & II

Two Posting Committees were constituted in the Ministry for the purpose of deployment of staff including Principals of Unity Colleges. Posting Committee I, is made up of the Permanent Secretary as Chairman with all Directors as members.

Posting Committee II which is under the chairmanship of the Director of Human Resource Management has members drawn from all the Departments. The Committee is responsible for the posting of staff on GLs.13 and below. I

Discipline
The duties of this branch include:

i. Handling of disciplinary matters;
ii. Preparation of briefs for Junior and Senior Staff (Disciplinary) Committees;
iii. Secretariat of the Senior and Junior Staff Committee when in session;
iv. Processing of appeals and petitions arising from previous disciplinary action.

Promotion
The Division is responsible, among others for the conduct of promotion interviews for all professional cadres in the Ministry and the facilitation of the promotion exercise for Pool Staff in conjunction with the Officers of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and that of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF).

Training And Staff Welfare
The Division is responsible for staff development through organization of training programmes both locally and overseas. It is also in charge of all welfare issues of staff including Pension and security matters.

Staff Welfare

The Branch undertakes all matters relating to Staff Welfare such as:

Issuance of Identity Cards;
Liaising with Health Management Organizations;
Processing of allowances such as 1st 28 days in lieu of hotel local accommodation, burial expenses, refund of medical expenses, secretarial allowances, Health professional allowances;
Acknowledgment of notice of retirement;
Identification of bona-fide staff to Federal Housing Loans Board and other relevant bodies.
The Branch processes terminal benefits and pension for retirees; it also includes death benefits to families of deceased officers. The branch also processes variation arising from promotion of officers.

Pension Administration
Pension administration revolves round the processing of terminal benefits and pension of retirees. It also includes the processing of death benefits to the families of deceased officers.

Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)
The Ministry is one of the six (6) pilot MDAs using the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for centralized salary payment under the control of the Accountant General of the Federation. Consequently, the Ministry no longer receives personnel emolument. The Personnel Records of staff are being updated through the system towards providing a credible Nominal Roll for the Ministry. The scheme is encountering some challenges. These include double payment of salary to some staff who completed two IPPIS forms contrary to the extant regulations. Some staff also indicated grade levels that are higher than their actual levels. It is hoped that the staff verification exercise nationwide will correct these lapses. The exercise ended in October 2009. Another associated problem is the inability of the system to promptly stop salaries of staff when advised to do so mostly on disciplinary grounds.