IGG conducts fresh interviews for employees

KAMPALA - The Inspectorate of Government (IG) has started conducting interviews months after their staff were asked to reapply for their jobs in a major restructuring currently underway at the institution.

The government institution has over 400 employees.

On February 6, New Vision, exclusively reported that the exercise had caused anxiety and panic among the staff of the office of the inspectorate, the agency charged with fighting corruption and abuse of office in public service.

Sources at the government agency said; "It is the IG board interviewing. It is chaired by the Inspector General of Government (Justice Irene Mulyagonja), whose contract expires next month. It is an internal process." 

Adding that; "She has to complete this project before she hands over. It started years ago and was supposed to have been completed by April."

The board consists of the IGG (Chair), the two DIGGs; Mariam Wangadya and George Bamugemereire.

Without divulging their identities, the source said the others are; secretary to the IG and representatives from the Public Service Commission and some direct presidential appointees.

"Most staff are happy with the process because it is fair and gives everyone an opportunity to grow. It also ensures that they are assured of their job security before a new IGG comes in."

It emerged on Tuesday that the board was interviewing managers, months after those that applied for the positions of directors were interviewed. However, the exercise was disrupted by the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus.

Contacted yesterday, the Inspectorate of Government spokesperson, Ali Munira confirmed that the process was ongoing. "We are implementing. This process started in January," she said.

"I have re-applied for my Job. I am one of those," Munira answered when asked whether she had applied for her post.

Contracts

Earlier, an officer who spoke to New Vision on condition of anonymity, said workers whose contracts had expired were rehired on short-term contracts of six months, instead of the previous four-year contracts.

The inspectorate has 432 employees.

Previously Munira, confirmed that restructuring is underway at the institution based on recommendations made by a consultant. The process was expected to be completed before the new financial year in July.

We are all set to undergo person job-fit assessment," Munira said adding that the restructuring process started in 2015, when a consultant was hired to make recommendations, aimed at improving performance.

Munira said this was after it was discovered that the current structure was not delivering as expected.

She said by the end of the process, the inspectorate will have a new organization structure, new job descriptions for each employee, new performance appraisal system and new salary structure.

She allayed fears that some people will lose their jobs, saying it is hoped that every employee currently at the inspectorate will fit into the new structure.

"The current structure has 432 people. Under the new structure, there will be 523 employees. So, there will be more employees under the new structure," Munira insisted.

Then she also denied reports that the restructuring has prompted some officers to quit the institution. "When 35 people leave in five years, is that a big number?" she asked.

The inspectorate is headed by the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Justice Irene Mulyagonja, who is supposed to return to the Judiciary mid-this year as a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

A copy of a letter seen by New Vision offering a staffer a six-month contract read: "Following your application for a new employment contract, I am pleased to inform you that the appointments board of the Inspectorate of Government directed that you be awarded a short-term contract.

The contracts last six months." The letter, signed by Rose Kafeero also stated: "The offer of a short-term contract as opposed to the usual four-year term is done on the grounds that the IG is currently in the process of implementing the recommendations of the Organisation Development (ODA) report, which affects, among others the current job descriptions, person specifications, as well as job titles.

The full-term contracts will be offered upon completion of the ODA exercise involving fitting staff into new jobs." Munira said the six-month appointments for staff with expired contracts is to cater for the transition to the new structure.

Issues of concern

Sources said there have been several complaints about the inefficiency of the institution after it failed to probe cases linked to corruption in government institutions.

Sources said the ineffectiveness of the inspectorate has been a matter of concern to donors. However, one senior staffer, who spoke to New Vision, said the failure to investigate cases was due to inadequate funding.

The source said each regional office is given sh2m to facilitate investigations and each regional staff has to close two fully investigated case files per month. He said the amount is not sufficient to facilitate probes. The source also cited the issue of understaffing, with some regional offices having only three employees.