Dept. Finance & Personnel

The Department of Finance and Personnel. The aim of the Department is to help the executive secure the more appropriate and effective use of resources and services for the benefit of the community. It is to deliver quality, cost-effective, and efficient public services and administration in its areas of executive responsibility.

The Department is managed by the Departmental Board, chaired by the Permanent Secretary. The Board comprises 12 executive members and two independent Board members.

The Department consists of seven directorates, one agency, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, and the Departmental Solicitor’s Office. It employs over 3,400 people.

The Department provides information on the budget, European funding, economic appraisal guidance, Ulster Savings Certificates, Ulster Development Bonds, the National Fraud Initiative, Account NI, accounting, and accountability, information relevant to Public Service Pension Schemes. The budget provides detailed spending plans for departments for periods. It prepares financial statements, budgets, and variance reports. It produces financial audit reports. It undertakes capital expenditure, including private finance initiatives and public-private contracts. Its significant capital projects are listed on the investment strategy NI website.

The Department produces audit reports, information on expenditure, non-internal financial regulation. It is involved in setting pay and grading structures for the civil service responsible for financial evaluation.

The Northern Ireland budget information is set out on the program for government website.

The Department prepares estimates. It sets out detailed spending plans based on available resources and cash provision. Supplementary estimates may seek extra resources. Financial transactions capital is an overview paper highlighting key aspects of the executive’s financial transaction capital funding. The annual account of Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund or amounts due to inform the Consolidated Fund are prepared. The public income and expenditure account is the annual account of Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund.

The procurement plan sets out the Department’s procurement plan. Reports are produced on net physical balance and variances.

The Department produces accounts on financial audit. This includes reports and corporate governance control.

The Department publishes Central Procurement Directorate’s reviews and develops procurement policy and provides the public sector with best value for money procurement services. It publishes information on Northern Ireland public procurement policy and guidance for practitioners. It provides information for suppliers, consumer. It publishes current tender opportunities to the e-sourcing NI portal.

The Department monitors public expenditure and provides for in-year monitoring.

The Department deals with civil service pay and human relations issues. It publishes information on staff and board member’s allowances and expenses.

The Accountability and Financial Management Division is a division within the public spending directorate of the Department. It provides guidelines in respect of corporate governance of bodies, treasury management’s financial reporting, management and accounts, human resources issues.

The occupational health service provides a wide range of professional, occupational, health and medical advisory functions to the civil service and other departments. It promotes health and well-being of civil servants and provides a professional integrated service management and employees. It assists departments in managing attendance, including rehabilitation of individuals after sickness and injury.

It provides independent and impartial advice and guidance to departments on occupational health, safety, and hygiene responsibilities. It provides advice on fitness for specific jobs, medical retirement, and health surveillance programs. It provides medical advisory services to certain pension schemes and other bodies. It carries out research on occupational health and safety.

The welfare support service provides confidential and other welfare services to employees. It provides support in relation to issues surrounding illness, absence, financial difficulties, bereavement, domestic difficulties, retirement, addiction, and workplace problems.

The Department deals with civil service pension. This covers the principal civil service pension scheme and the new alpha scheme which was introduced on 1 April 2015.

The Department publishes a wide range of Northern Ireland Civil Service human resources policies. They deal with a wide range of issues ranging from leave assistance to study, child protection, code of ethics, discipline, dignity at work, early retirement schemes, travel and subsistence guidance, grievance matters, inefficiency performance, injuries, diseases and assaults, retirement, legal representation and public expense office, temporary transfers, overseas postings, overtime pay, parental leave, pensions, performance management, personnel record, recruitment and retention allowances, retirement, special leave, statutory deductions, traveling allowances.

Enterprise Shared Services is the directorate within the Department of Finance and Personal that provides a range of common IT finance, human resources, and training services to all civil service staff. Its primary function is to deliver efficient and effective customer-focused services.

The Digital Transformation Services provide NIDirect website and citizen contact services. The business areas responsible for delivering the digital transformation programme provide support and guidance to other departments.

The Digital Inclusions Team seeks to promote a more digitally inclusive society. The Open Data Team is developing a NI open data strategy supporting non-personnel government-held electronic data, freely available through a license for anyone without restriction.

The Finance Shared Services are provided by Account NI. Account NI is a financial processing center for Northern Ireland Civil Service Departments. It provides a streamlined service for purchasing through the payment of invoices. Staff and departments have access to easy ordering through a web-based purchasing scheme.

IT Shared Services have three principal areas: IT Assist provides common IT systems to Civil Service departments and agencies; Enterprise Design Authority provides information, IT strategy planning, and managing service to the civil service; and IS Personnel manages ICT staff recruitment and development.

The Properties Division is responsible for the provision of government office accommodation and services, including new and refurbished accommodation, building maintenance, management, and the Stormont Estate. It is responsible for promoting energy efficiency in the public service through the Public Sector Energy Campaign and the implementation of EU Directives on sustainability.

HR Shared Services are provided by HRConnect and the Centre for Applied Learning. HRConnect is the transactional Human Resource service for departments, the Northern Ireland Office, and other participating organizations. The Centre for Applied Learning provides training for staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service. It offers training programs at all levels, including administrative, management, and leadership training. It offers over 100 courses on a wide range of topics.

The Northern Ireland Civil Service Recruitment website supports the assembly executive and other institutions of government. It works to develop implementation policies and help deliver services to the public. The website advertises recruitment opportunities in all departments and a number of other public sector bodies.

Account NI processes purchase orders and invoices for all departments. It provides a streamlined service for purchasing through payments of invoices. It gives departments access to easy ordering by a web-based purchasing system that generates and issues purchase orders. Buyers send their invoices to Account NI which are entered into the system, processed, and paid.

The Review of Public Administration reviews arrangements for accountability, development, administration, and delivery of public services in Northern Ireland.

The Public Service Commission and the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister have published a compendium which brings together the Guiding Principles, a Code of Practice on Staff Transfer, and Guidance notices to assist the RPA transition and transformation.

The Public Service Commission was established to make recommendations to Government on guiding principles and steps necessary to safeguard the interests of staff and ensure their smooth transfer to new organizations established as a consequence of Government decisions to review public administration, taking into account statutory equality obligations.

The Land & Property Service is under the auspices of the Department of Finance and Personnel. They deal with domestic and non-domestic rating. The Service is responsible for billing and collection of rates in Northern Ireland. It administers various rate-related reliefs, benefits, and allowances.

The Department provides advice on policy for the local revenue system, including review of rating. It develops and appraises and evaluates new policies, issues, and strikes annually the regional rates as decided by the Ministers as part of their annual budget process.

The Property Evaluation Section provides evaluation for property subject to rates. It provides valuation advice to the public sector, including domestic and non-domestic valuation. It prepares valuation lists.

The Department is responsible for land registration services. Land Registers Northern Ireland manages LandWeb Direct, giving instant online access to the Land Registry, Registry of Deeds, and Statutory Charges Register. See the chapters on property registration in Northern Ireland.

Land and Property Services are responsible for mapping Northern Ireland. The geographic information collected is used for a range of purposes, including maps, licensing, and publishing of maps for Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland, Spatial NI, which is a web-based solution facilitating sharing, using, and developing geographical information.

The Information Assurance Unit provides guidance and assistance on a range of data protection information, assurance, and IT security issues for the civil service. It includes the development of related policy requirements and also online training for staff and management. It provides assurance, support to the Senior Information Risk Owners Forum, and advises and assists the Department on various activities in preparation for accreditation. The Department is responsible for Northern Ireland’s building regulation, energy performance of buildings, and the public sector energy campaign. See separately the chapters on building regulations.

The Department is responsible for the development and implementation of policy and legislation relating to building regulation. It is advised by the Northern Ireland Building Regulations Advisory Committee. It is also an appeals body against certain local authority decisions in respect of building control.

The Department is responsible for the legislation relating to the energy performance of buildings in Northern Ireland. It publishes records relating to the energy performance of non-domestic buildings. Certificate holders may opt out before the records are released.

The information is derived from data from the display energy certificates and non-domestic energy performance certificates belonging to non-domestic buildings. They are published at address level.

The Department is responsible for measures in Northern Ireland to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, including requiring energy performance certificates for properties which provide A to G efficiency ratings. Requiring public buildings to display energy certificates. Requiring inspections for air conditioning systems. Giving advice and guidance for border use.

Since 30 December 2008, all houses and commercial properties, when constructed or being marketed for sale or rent, require an energy performance certificate. Larger public buildings must display an energy performance certificate known as a display energy certificate.

The Department publishes reports on the performance of the public sector property in respect of energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets.

The Central Procurement Directorate provides procurement service to the Northern Ireland departments and other public sector bodies for a wide range of supplies and works. It seeks to ensure best value for money, legal compliance, and competitiveness.

It provides and publishes information on planned procurements by Central Government. It publishes guidance for suppliers on tendering processes.

It publishes the Northern Ireland public procurement policy documents and handbook, procuring guidance notes, and a list of current planned government contracts and framework agreements. The successful delivery portal provides assistance and program project management.

The Civil Law Reform Division of the Department Solicitor’s Office is responsible for civil law reform. This includes, in particular, private family law, trusts and property law, contract law, tort and private international law. It briefs and advises Ministers on the above issues.

It provides Northern Ireland input to UK-wide primary and secondary legislative initiatives in the civil law field and contributes to the UK response to developments in international law. It contributes to progress reports in respect of International Conventions and Treaties. It deals with the Parliamentary and Assembly questions and correspondence. It takes forward subordinate legislation.

It monitors civil case law and the operation of prior legislative amendments. It provides assistance on the policy/legislative side to other units within the Department. It provides representation on various Committees. It may be called on to assess civil law recommendations from the NI Law Commission, with a view to advising Ministers on recommendations and for taking forward legislative amendments.

The General Register Office is responsible for the administration of marriage and civil partnership law and provision of a system for the Civil Registration of births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships, adoptions, and gender recognition in Northern Ireland. It was a branch within the Northern Ireland’s Statistics and Research Agency, which is part of the Department of Finance and Personnel.

It provides for the re-registration of births in certain circumstances. There is a facility to record a change of name or surname. The Registrar’s Office maintains the Adoption Contact Register.

The Northern Ireland’s Statistics and Research Agency is an executive agency within the Department Finance and Personnel. It provides official statistics and research on Northern Ireland’s population and socioeconomic conditions. The Northern Ireland Neighborhood Information Scheme provides access to statistical and locational information relating to small areas across Northern Ireland. Users are able to obtain an area profile based on postcode by selecting an area.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency is the principal source of official statistics and social research. It informs public policies and associated debates in wider society. It seeks to provide a high-quality and cost-effective registration, statistics, and research service.

It publishes a wide range of publications in social and economic areas. It is an agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel.