Annual Report 2013 Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security OFFICE OF THE PERMANENT SECRETARY DIRECTORATE GENERAL (STRATEGY AND SUPPORT) The Directorate General (Strategy and Support) manages and provides central corporate support services to the Permanent Secretary and to the various directorates, departments, entities and organisations within the Ministry on corporate issues such as financial planning and management, public procurement, human resources, operations and office management. The Directorate ensures the timely and accurate preparation and production of all control and management information and the provision of the full range of support services to the Permanent Secretary and operational management. The Directorate also coordinates and ensures uniformity and compliance in implementation of the policies and guidelines laid down by the Office of the Prime Minister (including the Public Administration Human Resources Offices) and Ministry of Finance (particularly the Budget Office and the Department of Contracts). It also strives to provide the required resources to the various Directorates making up the Office of the Permanent Secretary so as to ensure their effective and efficient functioning, and contributes to the collective management of the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security. FINANCE AND OFFICE MANAGEMENT The Directorate General Strategy and Support handles all financial and procurement matters related to the Minister’s Secretariat, the Office of the Permanent Secretary, EU Affairs Directorate, Programme Implementation Directorate, Policy Development Directorate, Manager Airport Security, Detention Services Unit, Office of the Commissioner for Refugees, the Third Country Nationals Unit, Central Visa Unit and the Directorate of Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs. The Directorate General is also responsible for effecting payment in tranches to the Public Broadcasting Services Ltd, Agency for Welfare of Asylum Seekers, Emigrants Commission, Identity Malta Agency, Malta Film Commission and Malta Broadcasting Authority. Monthly Revised Estimates were drawn up for the Ministry’s vote, its Cost Centres, and Responsibility Centres, whilst the monthly financial returns of the other departments which form part of this Ministry were also evaluated and monitored prior to onward transmission to the Ministry of Finance. Drafting and consolidation of the 2013 Financial Estimates in respect of the departments which fall under the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security, were also carried out. It was ensured that any excess expenditure was offset under other items of expenditure within the Ministry’s Votes. The Finance and Administration Section performed the following functions during the year under review: drawing up the relative payrolls of personnel deployed at the various cost centres and units falling under the Ministry, after taking into account adjustments, increases, allowances and overtime; receiving requisitions for works and services, drawing up the necessary purchase orders, carrying out purchase and then processing requests for payment by creditors; 1 taking care of transport - recording and issuing of fuel requisitions to government owned vehicles while keeping a proper records of vehicle maintenance through the Fleet Management System; approving advance payments made by the various departments falling under the Ministry; keeping of inventory records of all fixed assets procured by this Office and making the necessary information available to the departments in order to update their respective assets records; drawing up of quarterly returns of suppliers who do not provide the Office with a fiscal receipt; processing a number of payments in respect of EU related projects mainly: European Refugee Funds, European Border Funds, European Return Funds, European Migration Network and EUREMA. keeping records of bank accounts related to the above projects and reconciling these with the relevant bank statements. These are reported annually to the Treasury Department. compiling and monitoring of financial returns as requested by the Ministry of Finance; drawing up on a quarterly basis the accrual accounting financial statements; compiling and consolidating information related to replies to parliamentary questions. compiling and consolidating the Ministry’s and line departments’ annual returns regarding: bank accounts, cash losses & stores written off and arrears of revenue; preparing the necessary documentation and closing of advances related to delegations proceeding abroad on official duties. During the year under review, the Finance and Administration section processed 146 advances made to officers proceeding abroad on official duties and other Ministerial missions. Claims were submitted to the Ministry of Finance for reimbursement of expenditure incurred in connection with travel related to attendance during EU Commission and Council meetings. The Directorate was also involved in a number of public procurement activities, both to service the Permanent Secretariat and the Ministry, and to assist various Departments and Entities in their respective procurement activities. Of particular note was the support given to various organisations who were procuring goods, services and works that were co-financed through EU Emergency Funds. The Directorate also carried out the monitoring role on departmental tenders as defined by the Public Procurement Regulations, and the Departmental Contracts Committee met twenty-seven times during the year and discussed 114 recommendations for clarifications, cancellation, or awards. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT The role of the Human Resources is twofold: Development – responsibilities of learning, training, coaching, mentoring, team building, motivation, employee engagement and benefits management. Administration – responsibilities like collective bargaining, discipline management, dispute management, grievance handling, severance management & compliance management. During the year under review, the Human Resource Management (HRM) provided general direction and support related to but not limited to HR matters to various sections and its line departments/units/agencies, coordinated meetings and liaised with Assistant 2 Directors for better coordination and smooth running of the various branches. The HRM worked jointly with HR Managers, particularly in the drafting of a good number of various calls for applications as a result of the capacity building exercise for the year 2013. This included verification of the draft calls. Functions of Human Resource Management The broad functions of the office can be summarised as follows: Attendance . Performance Management Programmes (PMPs) . Progressions and promotions: . Recruitment Portal . Personal Information Database (Perinfo) . Other Administrative Work: Staff progressions, confirmation of appointments, Increment Warrants and pension papers. Monitoring the implementation of performance appraisal schemes; Notifying all employees with vacation leave balance to be carried forward to the following year. Issuing Service and Leave Record (GP47) Forms whenever requested. Skills Profiling Exercise Call for Applications Liaising with HR Line Managers, in order to identify any vacant posts/positions within the line departments, so as to satisfy the requirements of their organisational structures. This exercise also included the creation of new posts/positions to specifically reflect the desired staff complement. Occupational Health and Safety Courses During 2013, the HRM continued to encourage more employees to attend courses in connection with health and safety as offered on regular basis by OHSA. The Health and Safety Representative of the Ministry assisted this Office on OHS issues. Shared Networking System The Shared Networking System has been updated during the year under review to facilitate smooth operation of the system. 2013 saw the introduction of electronic calculation of vacation leave entitlement of employees on regular working hours, on reduced hours or on unpaid leave for part of the calendar year, in order to reduce manual errors. 3 Other Tasks The staff of the Human Resource Sections within the Departments falling under the Ministry’s remit continued to receive the necessary training on the compilation of Performance Management Reports. Such reports in respect of the General Service Grades were also drawn up on quarterly, six monthly and annual basis. The unit has also handled various requests from officers to perform tele-working in line with the recently introduced government policy. JOHN SANT Director General (Strategy and Support) 4 POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION DIRECTORATE International Affairs Bilateral Relations The Policy Development Directorate contributed to negotiations conducted with the authorities of Burkina Faso, which led to the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding on Migration Matters between the Government of Malta and the Government of Burkina Faso. The MOU was signed on 27th February 2013. The Directorate also contributed to the drafting of the Agreement and Protocol between Malta and Kosovo on the Readmission of Persons residing without Authorisation, which came into force on 1st April 2013. It participated in discussions relating to a readmission MOU with a Ghanaian delegation which visited Malta on 7-9th May 2013. The Policy Development Directorate also participated in discussions relating to a readmission MOU with a Gambian delegation which visited Malta on