External Training Guidelines

The Staff Development Organisation, as the central agency for staff training in the Public Service, is responsible for the issue of service-wide directives and guidelines as well as the monitoring of departmental and individual training initiatives.

Until some years ago, all training initiatives had to be cleared with SDO prior to implementation. However, by means of OPM Circular No 32/99 issued on the 26 August 1999, it was decided to decentralise the development aspect of human resources management to the Permanent Secretaries of the respective Ministries. This delegation exercise involves the Heads of line Departments from whom training initiatives originate and the Corporate Services Directors who are required to advice their Permanent Secretary about the benefits, cost effectiveness etc of such initiatives. In this respect, the circular mentions the importance that Ministries issue internal circulars, setting out priorities and, where necessary, guidelines insofar as areas or activities requiring external local or overseas training or specialisation are concerned. The priorities and guidelines should take into consideration ministry-wide strategy, operational requirements, staff shortages, career planning, individual and departmental performance as well as availability of funds.                                                          

Complementary to this Circular, the SDO issued a Manual on Staff Development in the Public Service with the aim of providing Departments with standard and service-wide guidelines. This manual incorporates and updates the provisions of Chapter 10 of Estacode as well as more recent directives and issues on staff development. The directives contained in this Manual which came into effect as from 1 October 1999, supersede the provisions of Estacode and Departments are required to adhere to this Manual when initiatives related to local and overseas external training programmes are taken in hand.

Scholarships by Foreign Governments & International Organisations

Government officials may avail themselves of scholarships and bursaries offered to Malta by foreign Governments and international organisations under the provisions of bilateral relations agreement between Malta and the respective countries as well as in terms of other arrangements and particular scholarship schemes. These awards are both of short-term and long-term duration and may be tenable for studies and research in various areas of specialisation.

The main source of information about these awards is the Scholarships Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from where updated details of available scholarships are available.

Other sources of financial funding for overseas studies and training is the Ministry of Education as well as the local representation [Embassy and/or Commission] of various countries.

The attention of Government officials is drawn to the fact that officers who apply and are granted scholarships under these arrangements are considered to have applied on their own initiative and facilities for the grant of study leave are granted according to the relevant provisions in the Manual for Staff Development in the Public Service, Paragraph 6.4