Job Evaluation and Salary Structures: Getting into the depths of job evaluation By Naomi Gateri

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) organised virtual job evaluation (JE) sensitisation fora for several public service institutions. The informative sessions familiarised attendees with the intricacies of JE, while emphasising the significance of aligning remunerations within the public service.

The virtual fora detailed a step-by-step process in conducting JE, further highlighting the focal actors operating at the institutional level, and emphasising on the importance of streamlining allowances for both State and public officers. The JE clinics, which also provided insights into the role of SRC, were presided over by the Commission.

The following institutions were sensitised: Water Service Board and water companies on 25 September 2023; Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions on 5 October 2023; Warehouse Receipt System Council and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund on 7 October 2023; Independent Policing Oversight Authority on 7 and 25 October 2023; and Mombasa Investment Corporation and the Society of Clerks at the Table in Kenya Legislatures on 26 October 2023.

Others included: Chuka University, South Eastern Kenya University, and Taita Taveta University on 31 October 2023; Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development on 3 November 2023; Universities Fund, Mombasa Investment Corporation and Anti-FGM Board on 16 November 2023; and School Production Unit and Machakos University on 23 November 2023.

Further, other clinics involved: Human Resource Management Professionals Examinations Board on 24 November 2023; Information and Communication Technology Authority on 30 November 2023; and National Housing Corporation and Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital on 19 December 2023.

Besides JE, the participants were also sensitised on the role of SRC in collective bargaining negotiations, allowances and benefits, research, monitoring and evaluation, and productivity and performance measurement in the public service.

SRC plays a vital role in advising the public service only on the remuneration and benefits aspects of Collective Bargaining Agreements. SRC’s advice communicates beacon for remuneration reviews to the employer within which to negotiate with the trade unions, taking into account affordability and fiscal sustainability.

To acknowledge and reward productivity and performance, SRC developed a framework and guidelines for recognising and rewarding performance and productivity in the public service. This operationalises Article 230(5)(c) of the constitution on the principle of recognising and rewarding productivity and performance in the public service.

The Framework for Recognising Productivity and Performance in the Public Service was launched on 14 April 2023, seamlessly integrating it into the 20th cycle of performance contracting guidelines.

As part of this implementation, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are entrusted with the task of formulating productivity metrics, gathering essential data, and acquiring productivity indices. This process is expected to be facilitated by a technical team, aiming for completion by the end of the financial year 2023/2024.

The lesson on Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E) emphasised the comprehensive definition of the wage bill within the employment landscape. It encompasses total remuneration and benefits paid to employees by the employer for work performed.

Within the public service, the wage bill encompasses several components. These include fundamental elements such as basic salary, as well as remunerative allowances such as housing, commuter, hardship, extraneous, domestic, and risk-related allowances.

Additionally, facilitative allowances cover expenses incurred by officers during their duties, such as daily subsistence allowances and benefits like medical cover, among others.

 The interactive question and answer segments significantly enriched the learning experience for all virtual attendees. Through clarifications, the participants gained a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of SRC’s mandate, and fostered an environment conducive to learning.

The continuous stakeholder engagement through capacity building, sensitisation, and training sessions for stakeholders is important to SRC. By consistently engaging and educating various government entities, SRC ensures a more informed and aligned approach to adhering to SRC guidance. This ultimately contributes to a more effective and streamlined implementation of SRC advice in the public service.