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Enterprise Shared Services

Overview

Enterprise Shared Services (ESS), within the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP), came into operation on 1 January 2010. Its objective is to improve co-operation and co-ordination between common corporate services such as HR, finance, IT and training.  ESS brings together responsibility for Account NI, The Centre for Applied Learning, HRConnect, IT Assist, Network NI and Records NI into a single Group level command within DFP.  

Mission Statement

"To make a positive difference to the delivery of public services through being customer-focused, high performing and innovative"

Aims

The aims of ESS are to:

  • ensure greater clarity on accountability;
  • achieve a sharper focus on customer services and effective and efficient delivery of shared services;
  • enhance the level of collaboration, co-ordination and integration between the different services; and
  • enable the specific skills and expertise in, for example, contract and supplier management, to be deployed more efficiently and effectively.

Objectives

Results

  • To deliver quality value for money services that meet agreed stakeholder requirements.
  • To fully comply with governance and accountability.

Customers

  • To maximise customer experience with ESS.

Internal Processes

  • To mature and evolve the organisation.

Organisation and People

  • To develop and maintain a strategic capacity and capability to deliver customer-focused shared services.
  • To ensure ESS is a good place to work.

A copy of the ESS Business Plan (Corporate Scorecard) for 2011/12 can be accessed via the link below

ESS Annual Report 2010/11

A copy of the ESS Annual Report can be accessed via the link below:

HR Shared Services

HR Shared Services are provided by HRConnect and the Centre for Applied Learning (CAL).

HRConnect

HRConnect is the transactional Human Resource service for the NICS Departments, the NIO and other participating organisations. HRConnect comprises seven HR services: External Recruitment (NICS Recruitment website), Internal Vacancy Management, Employee Relations, Non-Industrial Payroll, Industrial Payroll, Learning and Development, and Performance Management.  HRConnect enables staff to access HR-related information quickly and easily from their desktops and to perform many functions on a self-service basis. HRConnect provides administrative support and HR advice from the Shared Service Centre (SSC) at the Metro Building in Belfast.

Centre for Applied Learning (CAL)

CAL is the key provider of training to staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service – offering training programmes at all levels including administrative, management and leadership training. CAL offers over 100 courses covering a wide range of topics. A number of courses and programmes are linked to external qualifications and awards. All CAL courses are delivered by professionally qualified staff, either within CAL or from an external delivery partner.

Finance Shared Services

Finance Shared Services are provided by Account NI.

Account NI is the financial processing centre for Northern Ireland Civil Service Departments and provides one streamlined service from purchasing through to payment of invoice.  Staff in NICS departments have access to easy ordering through a web-based purchasing system that generates and issues purchase orders. When suppliers subsequently send their invoices to Account NI, they are scanned and recorded onto our systems. Once there, invoices are matched to the relevant purchase orders, the invoices are processed for payment and suppliers receive a remittance advice.

Further information on Account NI can be accessed via their website.

IT Shared Services

IT Shared Services including Records NI and Network NI are provided by IT Assist.

IT Assist’s role is the delivery of common IT systems and services to support the business objectives of the Northern Ireland Civil Service .  IT Assist provides NICS staff with access to a wide range of high quality services such as Desktop, E-mail, Internet Access and Blackberry and professional help on common IT services between 8am and 6pm every day.  

Records NI provides a common storage facility for all of the NICS known as an Electronic Document & Record Management System (EDRMS).  The system enables NICS staff to have easy access to documents and records, allowing enquiries and requests for information to be processed in a more efficient way.

Network NI provides a single, dedicated, high-speed, network service connecting all NICS locations to deliver voice, video and data communication in support of a modern public sector.