Introduction

Welcome

Welcome to this latest publication by The Interchange Unit based in Central Personnel Group within the NI Civil Service that has been established to promote and co-ordinate interchange activity among a number of organisations in the public, private, voluntary and community sectors in Northern Ireland. This guide is intended for individuals who wish to participate in Interchange and for their line managers and interchange managers who may be involved in setting up interchange opportunities:

• for individuals it provides guidance and advice on some of the practical issues faced by someone considering, undertaking or returning from an interchange opportunity.
• for line managers the guide outlines their role in making interchange happen.
• for interchange managers it outlines their role in co-ordinating, administering and evaluating the interchange opportunities.
• for the Interchange Unit within Central Personnel Group in the Northern Ireland Civil Service it defines their role in co-ordinating and facilitating interchange across the various organisations involved.

However, this guide can only deal with the main points that arise from interchange. In so doing, it aims to provide answers to the questions that are most frequently asked. If you have any queries that have not been covered you should contact your line manager in the first instance. If they are unable to answer your query contact your interchange manager, or if s/he is unavailable, your Personnel Section, and if they cannot help, you should try the Interchange Unit in Central Personnel Group.

The guide is presented as a series of stand-alone sections to facilitate changes and additions. It is also available in electronic form to allow organisations to customise the guide to match their particular business need/corporate identity. The remainder of the guide is divided into six sections:

Section 1 : provides the context of and main issues arising from the interchange programme.

Section 2 : is for individuals considering, undertaking or returning from an interchange opportunity. This section should help staff identify the most appropriate opportunity, secure line management support, then plan for, undertake and return from the opportunity.

Section 3 : is for line managers involved in interchange. The guide should help them better understand the needs of someone on interchange. It clarifies their responsibilities and outlines the role they have in identifying, organising and evaluating different types of interchange.

Section 4 : is for interchange managers with responsibility for facilitating interchange opportunities; both inward and outward. This section of the guide should help interchange managers better understand the needs of someone on interchange and clarifies their role towards the individual and the organisation in facilitating interchange opportunities.

Section 5 : sets out the role and responsibilities of the Interchange Unit at Central Personnel Group in the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

Section 6 : contains the current list of Interchange Managers (Annex 1), together with model forms for use by participating organisations seeking or putting forward interchange opportunities (Annex 2).

© Interchange 2004