OPW: Office of Public Works
Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí
Corporate Services
Corporate Services covers the administrative arm of the OPW and deals with the day to day running of the Office from a HR, Financial, and Legal/Freedom of Information perspective.
It also provides a wide variety of services to staff from their IT requirements, Training requirements, Library facilities to a confidential Employee Assistance Service. All areas relating to Health and Safety are also catered for here.
The public face of the Office (Public Relations Department) is also incorporated under Support service.
Corporate Services comprises of the following sections and units:
Access Officer:
In accordance with section 26(2) of the Disability Act 2005, the Office of Public Works appointed an Access Officer. The Access Officer is responsible for providing or arranging for, and co-ordinating assistance and guidance, to persons with disabilities accessing services provided by the offices and generally to act as a point of contact for people with disabilities wishing to access such services.
Employee Assistance Service:
The Employee Assistance Service (EAS) provides a confidential service offering short-term counselling, referral and support to OPW employees and retired staff who may be experiencing personal and or work - related difficulties.
It is also a resource for managers and supervisors who have a responsibility for staff.
Equality Unit:
The Equality Unit provides a service to all OPW staff, by engaging in a range of equality issues including Disability Liaison, promotion of Dignity at Work and management of complaints of Bullying and Harassment in accordance with the Civil Service and Joint Industrial Council policies "A Positive Working Environment".
A Positive Working Environment 2011 version (State Industrial Employees)
Positive Working Environment July 2005 (Civil Servants)
IT Unit:
The role of Information Technology Services is to provide a range of IT services to the OPW which support its operational and strategic business functions. These services include arranging for the supply, installation and maintenance of office equipment, and the provision of a telecommunications infrastructure for the OPW that supports its communications needs, both voice and data.
Internal Audit:
Internal Audit's role is to examine and evaluate, at the direction of the OPW Board, specified activities of the Office to ascertain whether the systems, procedures and controls being operated by management in the area under review are complied with and are capable of achieving the policy objectives in the most economic, efficient and effective way.
Personnel and Development Services:
The role of Personnel and Development Services is to facilitate the management of human resources in the OPW.
Training Unit:
Large numbers of staff availed of the training opportunities provided in 2007.
Training was provided in computer and competency skills together with ongoing professional development courses for professional and technical staff.
A very successful programme of pre-retirement training courses was run which were very well attended. Courses were held in various locations around the country and such was the positive feedback that further courses are being planned for centres outside Dublin for 2008.
A further addition to the Training programme has been a series of Health and Well-Being classes and the feedback from staff has been very positive.
Procurement training for all staff is being rolled out at present and is based on the Office Notices issued by the Office.
Training Unit has sourced a provider to strengthen the ongoing interaction with the PMDS system. This endeavour will incorporate Workshops and Focus Groups from each section and will start early 2008.
M.I.F.:
The OPW MIF Team is responsible for development of a Management Information Framework (MIF) in OPW.
The MIF which is an important part of the Strategic Management Initiative is aimed at ensuring that Government Departments and Offices have in place systems that give comprehensive information on the use of resources, and enable them to account fully for the resources used and to focus on the outcomes achieved. Key elements of MIF are:
- the provision of modern Financial Management Systems (to provide quicker, clearer and more comprehensive information on actual and committed expenditure);
- the development of non-financial performance indicators which are used in the assessment of outcomes;
- costing systems to provide information on the full true costs of programmes and activities
new style management reports providing timely, relevant and accurate information, both financial and non-financial.