The Code of Practice applies when appointing someone to a publicly funded position, one that needs to be filled under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004.
Check here to see if a position must be filled in line with the Act.
If a public body is making an appointment, the selection process must be fair and merit-based, in line with the code.
'An appointment' means filling a vacancy through an open external selection process or through internal promotion. For an internal promotion, the Code applys only if the role involves higher pay and greater responsibility. They do not apply to internal transfers or secondments.
The Code of Practice for Appointment to Positions within the Civil Service and Public Service applies to most appointments within:
This is our primary Code and outlines the standards for each stage of an appointment. 'An appointment' means filling a vacancy through an open external selection process or through internal promotion. A promotion is considered an appointment if it involves higher pay and greater responsibility.
If a public body wants to make an appointment, the Code says it must carry out a fair, transparent and merit-based selection process, in line with its principles and standards.
It also means that review and appeal mechanisms must be in place for candidates who are unhappy after a selection process. These mechanisms are set out in section 7 and section 8 of the Code.