Management Services Division (MSD) was established in 1986 by bringing together the existing Units of Job Evaluation, and Organization and Methods (O&M) established in 1977 and 1982, respectively.   In 1991, the Manpower Utilization Unit was also established under the Division.   The three Units operated independently under the same division until March 1998.
 
In April 1998, the functions of the Units were rationalized and integrated to provide an integrated management consultancy services to Government Ministries and Departments in areas of organizational development, job evaluation, manpower utilization, organizational systems and methods, etc.
 
Since the establishment of this Division, all Ministries have been reorganized, and in 2001, the overall rationalization of government portfolio responsibilities was also undertaken to align ministerial responsibilities.
  
With regard to salary administration, the Paterson Decision Bond System was introduced in 1988 to assess jobs in the Public Service.   In the mid-nineties, this system was supplemented by other salary administration systems, namely; Parallel Progression and Scarce Skills.

The overall mandate of the Division is to:

• Ensure that the Public Service continuously remain effective and efficient at all levels and is capable of adapting to the National Development needs and priorities;
• Introduce effective measures to combat inefficiency and wastage, promote efficiency and productivity and achieve optimal utilization of resources allocated to Government;
   
  

In order to achieve the above purpose and mandate, the division performs the following functions:

Public Service Efficiency and Productivity Policy, Direction and Coordination:

• developing long-term public service efficiency and productivity improvement related policy and operational guidelines based on the approved overall national policies and priorities; 
• coordinating the implementation of approved public service efficiency promotion policies and operational guidelines;
• providing professional advice and expertise on all aspects of public service efficiency and performance improvement;
• developing sound local capabilities and expertise in all activities of the division;
• developing and maintaining sound systems, procedures and records to ensure public service efficiency and productivity, and liaising with ministries and other agencies in all aspects of public service performance and improvement; and
• developing and maintaining high professional standards in management services work and servicing as the focal point for quality service delivery, productivity and performance improvement in the public service.

Review of Public Service Organisation:

• developing need oriented and sound methodology for assessing effectiveness of public service organisational performance and for developing sound improvement proposals;
• assessing the adequacy of the organisational objectives of every organisational unit in the public service and assisting in developing context-related sound organisational objectives and goals at each level of the structure;
• assessing the adequacy of the organisational functions and ensuring that functions remain relevant to assist in attaining organisational objectives, assist in developing objectives related sound organisation functions at each level;
• assessing the effectiveness of organisational structures in terms of logical grouping of functions, delegation of functions and authority communication levels, etc. and assisting in developing need related sound organisational structures at each level;
• through consultation and active involvement of clients, selling sound organisation improvement proposals to ministries and departments, and assisting in implementing the approved organisational changes;
• developing and producing organisational manuals for purpose of reference and training; and
• developing and introducing effective regular review programmes to ensure that ministry/department and organisations (at all levels) remain sound and effective at all times.

  Review of Public Service Administrative Work Systems and Procedures:

• developing sound methodology for assessing effectiveness and efficiency of all public service administrative systems and procedures, and for developing sound improvement proposals;
• reviewing efficiency of the public service administrative systems and procedures, and developing proposals on simplified and standardised work systems and methods; and
• developing and producing public service systems and procedures manuals and assist ministries in their implementation;
• developing and producing public service systems and procedures manuals for the purposes of reference and training; and
• developing and introducing effective regular review programmes to ensure that the public service systems and work procedures continuously remain efficient and effective and inefficiencies are stopped at once.

  Public Service Job Descriptions and Specifications:

• developing sound methodology for systematically analysing contents and requirements of approved jobs/posts within the public service;
• analysing job contents within the public service and developing standard job descriptions and job specifications;
• maintaining an up-to-date record of approved job descriptions and specifications; and
• developing and introducing an effective system for periodic review of existing job descriptions and specifications.

  Grading of Public Service Posts:

• developing and introducing a sound system for evaluating public service jobs;
• applying the approved job evaluation method for grading the existing jobs;
• maintaining the job evaluation system for grading and re-grading public service posts; and
• providing technical advice on the adequacy of existing public service salary structure.

  Public Service Manpower Utilisation:

• developing and introducing sound systems of assessing needs and utilisation of public service manpower, e.g. manpower utilisation;
• assisting ministries in developing sound staffing patterns and defining job standards, which form the basis for assessment of work performance and manpower needs and utilisation; and
• developing and introducing an effective programme for reviewing utilisation of available manpower using staffing patterns and standards.

• Facilitating development of career plans (schemes of service) in the public service;
• Periodically reviewing the content and relevance of the approved schemes of service.