AO grade only allowed in "central" government?

CodeCrunch

I'm pretty new to the civil service as an AP and trying to get my head around the grade structure so I can build out my team. HR have told me that we can't hire Administrative Officers (AOs) because we're a government agency rather than a "central" government department. Anyone ever heard of that or anyone here working as an AO in a government agency?

Tio07

AO’s are typically but not always assigned to work on policy in government departments, so in an associated agency the more common grade would be HEO at that level.

EchoIndia

If you are in an agency, then you are not in the Civil Service. You are in the public service, which covers a wide range of public bodies, and they generally have somewhat different grade structures and titles to the civil service.

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123850926#Comment_123850926

True. In saying that though, there are agencies under the body of a parent department that are still considered the civil service I.e. NSSO, OGP, OGCIO etc

EchoIndia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123850953#Comment_123850953

Yes, though their staff were recruited as civil servants and enjoy interdepartmental mobility etc. so these are not legally separate agencies. They fall under the responsibility of a senior maanger in the relevant Department (DPER, I think).

CodeCrunch

Thanks for everyone's replies! I know that we are a state agency under the aegis of our parent department and all our staff are civil servants as opposed to public servants.

I can't help feeling that the rules around grades, recruitment and promotion have evolved over the decades without anyone writing them down in one place. I've had a brief search of circulars but it starts to melt my head pretty fast.

csirl

Is there any particular reason why you want to hire AOs?.

CodeCrunch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123855744#Comment_123855744

I'm hoping to hire staff with specific technical skillsets. I don't think those with that skillset will go for an EO salary but the AO scale might attract them. HEO is reserved for team leaders (managers with staff reporting to them) in my organisation. We have a recruitment license to hire directly rather than through general civil service panels, thankfully, but it is hard to complete with private sector wages.

csirl

Traditionally the AO grade was a generalist graduate entry grade that was seen as a fast track to the AP grade. This has eroded in recent years and its largely converged with the HEO grade. Also in their initial years, AOs are supposed to experience a number of different roles, including going on loan to another organisation - not sure this fits with some specialist positions?

Are there any technical grades in existence for the skillset you need?