The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), under the instructions of the Prime Minister’s Office, has undertaken a pilot project to implement the Gujarat human resources management model in two Central government agencies.
The proposal for System of Application of Technology for Human Resources Improvement (SATHI) application was approved by the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in 2012, developed by IT major Infosys and launched by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel last August.
The DoPT has initiated the exercise of implementing the system in the Food and Drugs Administration and the Enforcement Directorate to check its efficacy at the national level. As part of the process, the agencies have been asked to share their concerns and requirements for efficient personnel management.
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Aimed at improving the process for recruitment, avenues for training and skill-based job allocations, the system proposes 10 years’ recruitment calendar for government offices. It provides for online examinations for inductions and departmental promotions, apart from a system of pre-recruitment eligibility test.
As part of personnel management, the application creates a manpower database showing real-time vacancies and human resource availability. It also maintains individual profiles of all employees for instant access by the managerial level officials. “The system is expected to help identify capable officers on the basis of their talent profiles, which would also provide information about their previous postings,” said a government official.
The system provides online connectivity among all offices within the agency, both horizontal and vertical, through various communication devices.
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Employees can have access to all the latest government circulars and notification of their interest through the application. It also provides a platform for interaction among them.
According to the vision document prepared for the Gujarat government - “Reforms from Within: Reforming Personnel Management in Government” - the system extends various services to employees, including online learning, skill position matching and feedback on performance besides motivation and empowerment.
From the manager’s perspective, it makes available data on day-to-day manpower availability, filled-in positions in subordinate offices, online communication to pre-designated mailing list, review of pending administrative process, pending work process monitoring, talent management and human resource budgeting.
The system also manages data on vacancy distributions and cash outgo of the agency on various counts.
The Enforcement Directorate, the agency mandated to probe money laundering and foreign exchange violations, is expected to benefit from the proposed system. Overburdened with ever increasing cases of sensitive nature, the agency’s present strength has gone below one-third of the sanctioned capacity of 2,064. Even for deputations at the level of enforcement officials, in case of those inducted through the Staff Selection Commission, the process is being implemented through the Union Public Service Commission. It is learnt that existing rules also do not provide for keeping the Directorate’s preferences into consideration for deputations.