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Human Resources |
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1998 Annual Report
|
 | Work relationships - particularly trust |
| Operational Performance |
| Organisational identity |
| Cultural diversity and political influence |
| Teams and teamwork |
| Personal and professional role of senior staff/managers. |
The assessment report stated that "the current CAREC work culture is filled with frustrating paradoxes". These are listed hereunder:
| Everyone interviewed believes in the need for change. However, a paradox exists in that only a few are willing to make the appropriate behaviour changes. |
| All interviewed believe in the importance of teamwork as part of the formal organisational structure. But only a few practice it and most teamwork at CAREC is informal. |
| Everyone believes in the vitality of Direction, Vision and Noble Purpose, but action
focused commitment is missing when it comes to applying it and there is little agreement. |
| While all interviewed agreed on the importance of managing client relationships and providing information and training support to the client, there are inadequate mechanisms and processes…". |
HRD will continue to seek ways to improve the quality of work as well as the quality of life of all staff members using new and creative methods to achieve our goals.
The recruitment and selection process continued to be very challenging for the department. Our ability to attract the best people was hampered by our inability to pay more attractive salaries, a shortage of required skills in the labour market and a shift in careers as a result of the technological revolution. As a result of this, we have been attempting to be more flexible in our approach including an increased use of the available technology and looking for qualified staff in what may be considered non-traditional areas.
Although selection is generally a predicting exercise, we have attempted to be much more systematic and careful in our approach, making greater use of reference checks to minimise the margin of error. In addition, our interviewing process has improved with more staff members becoming involved in this activity to select the best available candidates.
During 1998 sixteen vacant posts were advertised. Two appointments were made from among existing staff while fourteen persons were recruited from the labour market.
Our multi-source feedback performance appraisal model, which was introduced in 1997 continued to be a challenge for everyone involved in the process. Feedback to HRD resulted in several refinements and we continued to monitor and encourage constructive feedback to make the system more relevant and meaningful to the entire organisation. Generally speaking, it appears that most employees are of the view that the new system is definitely an improvement on the single-source model. However, there are still some concerns that require attention including the delay in completing and returning the instruments to HRD and the manner in which feedback is given and received. The system itself will not serve its intended purpose unless all feedback providers recognise the importance of the exercise and the need to give constructive feedback in a timely manner.
The introduction of the new system coincided with the appointment of all staff on probation for a period of six months. Table 1 compares the average ratings on a scale of 1 - 10 under the various sections at the end of the probationary period, and again at the end of the twelve-month (annual) period:
| Customer Satisfaction | Teamwork | Leadership & Management | Supervision | Communication | Values & Attitudes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probation | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.2 |
| Annual | 7.0 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
The average ratings have remained more or less consistent and we will continue to monitor these trends and alert Heads of Divisions and programmes on changing patterns of performance as they occur.
Most departments and domains showed small positive gains. The system will be used to assess training needs to inform the HRD training plan.
The first draft of this document was examined by the Personnel Department at PAHO Headquarters and returned for further amendments by CAREC. These amendments have been made and the final document returned to Washington for final approval. It is very disappointing that the revised staff rules continue to be delayed at Headquarters in spite of repeated attempts to expedite the approval. We continue to hope that final approval will be granted before the year 2000.
Our efforts to focus more on the advantages of the EAP, not only as an opportunity to receive counselling for personal and job related problems but emphasising the many other services available proved successful. There was an increase in the number of persons accessing the programme, indicating a greater appreciation of the usefulness and confidentiality of the service.
In the report for the third quarter of the 1998 contract year, the providers noted a "continued increase in the number of persons utilising the EAP counselling service, boosting the utilisation rate once again for two consecutive quarters". For that quarter, there were 10 new clients and 13 returning clients. Approximately 20% of employees have utilised the service since the inception of the EAP contract in January 1996.
In addition, there was an intervention in the Laboratory Division which was intended to provide opportunities for self evaluation, assess communication styles and identify managerial styles in order to build a more effective team. All members of the Laboratory Division participated in individual interview sessions with the EAP provider, followed by a group session to report on general findings and individual feedback sessions. Staff members in this Division are now working on using this feedback to find ways of working together more effectively. This intervention also helped to make staff members of this Division, and perhaps the organisation as a whole, more aware of the benefits of the EAP and remove the stigma often associated with EAP attendance.
1998 continued with a focus on training and development in keeping with the Centre's
vision of a learning organisation. The H. R. Department continued its ongoing assessment
of training needs utilising the feedback received via the performance appraisal
instruments, discussions with supervisors and staff members. However in 1998, we were
constrained for space to conduct training programmes. This was due to the displacement
off-campus of the entire block housing HRD, Epidemiology, PHI and GTZ due to required work
to replace the roof, and the consequent use of the Lecture Theatre to compensate for lack
of staff centre facilities. Two programmes- Customer Service Training and Training for
Supervisors were postponed due to this and the fact that it was difficult for staff to
take time away from their work schedules to attend group training sess-
ions. The department therefore focused on the training that was immediately required. The
programmes conducted during 1998 were:
The Co-ordinator - Training and Development was invited to serve on the Laboratory Division's Quality Assurance Sub-Committee on Continuing Education. One of this committee's initiatives during the year was to hold a seminar to emphasise the need for staff members to take responsibility for their own development and encourage them to do so. Those who attended were given an overview of the organisation's position on training and development. In addition, other staff members who are currently pursuing training on their own initiative gave insight into their experiences and how they had benefited.
Persons who attended this seminar also received advice on how they could access the Internet for information on available courses of training. The Committee and HRD will continue to source and post information for all staff on training available at various institutions.
Orientation was held in June for 15 staff members who had joined the organisation during the previous six-month period. The group was given an organisational orientation, which included information on policies and procedures, the work of the divisional and programmatic areas, a tour of the laboratories and the physical plant.
As part of its response to a renewed commitment to providing improved service to our internal and external customers, the organisation embarked on a training programme in Customer Service in 1997. The programme, entitled quality customer service - the way forward, continued in 1998 with a new group of participants who were exposed to the concepts of teamwork, customer-supplier chains, values, ethics, qualities and standards, appearance/image - first impressions, employee's role in quality customer service, communications skills, identifying customer needs, handling complaints, etc. An approach to viewing, processing and looking at complaints as a source of information for improving service was also taken. The programme will be repeated again in 1999 with a group from the Laboratory Division who were unable to participate in 1998 due to other commitments. New staff members will also be included to ensure that all staff participate in this programme.
Microsoft Exchange: This training became necessary because of PAHO's decision to migrate to a new messaging system which would incorporate features such as full internet e-mail addressing. All staff who use the system were scheduled to attend training, which consisted of two half-day morning sessions. 64 staff members received training.
This training was conducted by Netserv Ltd., the company contracted to provide web site services to the Centre. 60 staff members received an introduction to the Internet and learned how to use Internet tools.
Other aspects of the computer-training programme to be pursued in 1999 include basic computer literacy, basic trouble shooting, Windows '95, Microsoft Office, OMIS and EPI Info. The challenge will be related to the method used for this training since we experienced much difficulty in getting staff members to stay with their schedules. Many of them were unable to take the time from their busy schedules to attend a classroom training session or were frequently away on duty travel. In addition, the physical facilities in the computer lab were limited. There were only four workstations necessitating some sharing of computers. An alternative was discussed with the Information Systems Department, which will utilise the training materials from CD-ROM to enable staff members to access training from their workstations via the Local Area Network (LAN). The materials include a pre- and post-course assessment, which the trainee will complete and submit to the HR Department. The department will also explore Microsoft certification for those who complete the Office training modules.
In our continuing efforts to provide quality service to our non-English speaking customers and stakeholders, the Centre took a deliberate decision to enhance the capability of its personnel to communicate in the Spanish language. An assessment was made of those members of staff most likely to be required to communicate with our Spanish speaking customers and stakeholders. Divisional managers were asked to review this list and indicate their agreement. The Academia Venezolana de Idiomas was asked to submit a proposal for delivering Spanish language training. This school was chosen because of their many years of teaching experience and also their experience within the UN system in preparing staff for the language proficiency examinations. One class for beginners and one intermediate class began in July 1998 and another class for beginners in September. Classes met twice per week for the beginners and for the intermediate class.
Each course comprises 60 contact hours with a proficiency exam administered at the end of the period. Individuals will also be given the opportunity to prepare for and sit the United Nations Language Proficiency Exams, which are scheduled at various intervals throughout the year. On successful completion of the examination, staff may move on to the next level.
Again we experienced the difficulty of staff members not being able to keep to their class schedules due to work and duty travel commitments. The HR Department will examine a report on attendance and progress before scheduling classes for 1999.
The objective of this seminar was to demonstrate the proper set-up and use of the slide and overhead projectors to staff members who undertake frequent presentations using this equipment. The seminar also covered equipment handling and tips for effective use of the equip-ment. All staff were invited to attend. Those who actually attended were support staff from all divisional areas.
Seminars to recognise and celebrate the festivals of Eid Ul Fitr, Emancipation Day and Divali - the Festival of Lights - were held to bring employees together and to emphasise the concept of religious and ethnic tolerance and unity throughout the organisation.
The audio-visual library acquired the following new resources in 1998:
| Project Management |
| Destinos - An introduction to Spanish (video, audio and CD ROM |
| Presentation Skills |
The existing policy on training and development has been reviewed and revised in order to differentiate between the organisation's policy on training and development and the procedure that will guide the training and development function. The final document will be submitted to the Management team for discussion and approval before circulation to all staff for their information and guidance. In addition to the above activities, 12 staff members were given financial assistance and some fully supported for training in the following areas:
Funding assistance of approximately US$5,600 for training and development was received from PAHO and will be utilised in 1999. In spite of this, more resources must be devoted to this activity to ensure that the competencies required are available when needed.
AREA OF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT |
NAME/POSITION |
DIVISION/PROGRAMME |
|---|---|---|
| Train the Trainer - Good Management Practices in Refrigeration - EMA, UNEP, HRAI | Iain George, Air Condition/Refrigeration Technician, Maintenance Dept. |
Administration |
| Contemporary Issues in HR -- Maximising the returns on the
organisation's HR Investment - UWI Institute of Business/HRMATT HR Forum IPMA International Training Conference, Florida |
Patrick Grell, Human Resource Manager |
Human Resource Department |
| Global Congress on Lung Health - 29th World Conference of the IUTALD – Caring for TB/HIV Individuals | Marlene Francis, Epidemiologist |
Epidemiology |
| Management Skills for Office Professionals – Grace
Talma Associates. Spanish Immersion in Margarita, Venezuela – Academia Venezolana de Idiomas |
Christine Philip Administrative Secretary |
Epidemiology |
| Business Etiquette & Protocol - National Secretaries Association |
Judith Dyer-Braveboy Agnes Thomas Catherine Eastman |
Epidemiology SPSTD Administration |
| QA Management Methods for Developing Countries - Johns Hopkins Univ. Dept. of Health | Valerie Wilson, Laboratory Manager Wendy Kitson Piggott, Laboratory Advisor |
Laboratory Division SPSTD |
| High Performance Business Writing - ROYTEC | Salef Ali, Clerk I, Office Services |
Administration |
| Individual training and development cont'd Introduction to H. R. Management - Cipriani Labour College |
Sumatee Seetaram, Human Resource Assistant |
Human Resource Department |
| Developing the Training Plan; Training the Trainer UWI Institute of Business/HRMATT HR Forum |
Jocelyn Chandler, H. R. Coordinator - Training and Development |
Human Resource Department |
| International Purchasing & Materials Management UNCTAD Trainmar Inter-Regional Programme |
Debra Banfield-Roach, Snr. Technologist, MRFTT |
Laboratory Division |
| Dale Carnegie Leadership Training Institute – Personal Development | Cecile Goddard, Technologist, NCI |
Laboratory Division |
| National Quality Forum -- Tomorrow's Strategies for Success | Lisa Boisson, Technical Coordinator, Customer Services/Information Cameile Ali, Laboratory Advisor - Microbiology |
Laboratory Division |
Office accommodation has become an emerging challenge for the Centre as a whole. At
present, several staff members have been without adequate accommodation, affecting their
ability to carry out work efficiently. Also, new projects requiring new staff have placed
immense pressure on the Centre to provide additional accommodation. Our current financial
constraints make it extremely difficult to plan for an improvement in the present
situation. Nevertheless, because of the age of the buildings and the growth trends
anticipated, serious consideration has to be given to this matter.
This award programme was repeated in 1998. The team award is intended to reinforce our commitment to teamwork and results. The award was given to the team which, in the opinion of staff, best demonstrated the team spirit and teamwork necessary for greater made a significant contribution to the organisation through its achievements during the year. The individual of the year was awarded to the person who, in the opinion of staff, had made a significant contribution by virtue of outstanding performance in their sphere of competence.
The selections were made by ballot allowing for full participation by all members of staff.
At the Annual Christmas Luncheon held on 17th December, 1998 the Maintenance Department was announced Team of the Year for the second time and Mr. Edwin Thompson also of the Maintenance Department was Employee of the Year also for the second consecutive year.
While the staff response to this programme was fair, feedback received suggested that there needed to be more information given to staff in terms of identification of the existing teams and their achievements so that staff decisions could be more informed.
Other activities to promote team building, increase morale and encourage greater participation by staff were held during the year. These included coffee mornings to which all staff members were invited to take a break and join their colleagues for coffee and refreshments, an after work get together to play board games and card games and our annual Calypso and Ole Mas competition.
There were four resignations and 14 new appointments during the year.
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Caribbean Epidemiology Centre Page last modified 09 August, 2000 |
