Frequently asked questions about secondments

Visit the Civil Service Jobs Site, where you can search for permanent and temporary jobs that interest you. You’ll also find contacts in the various departments and agencies.

Government departments and agencies arrange interchange, whether in the form of formal programmes or of individual opportunities. Most departments have nominated Interchange Managers, who are listed in the Interchange Directory. If a department or agency does not appear in the list, contact the HR team instead. The Cabinet Office (which maintains this website) is responsible only for policy on interchange for civil servants, and for raising awareness of its benefits. It cannot get involved in individual cases.

Get clear in your own mind what the benefits would be. Would it fulfil a specific development need related to your longer term career prospects? What would you contribute to the host organisation while you are seconded to it? How would your department benefit from your experience on your return? Then discuss the idea with your line manager, and with your Interchange/HR Manager, in that order. Apart from anything else, they will need to decide whether they can release you for the necessary time, and whether they can meet any costs involved. If everyone is agreed that the possibility is worth pursuing, your Interchange/HR Manager will try to help you identify some suitable opportunities.

Don’t do anything until you have consulted your line manager and your department’s Interchange/HR Manager. The latter in particular will probably have some thoughts about possible host organisations. But it is perfectly in order to go and look for suitable opportunities yourself, as long as you keep your department informed.

It depends what sort of job you want. The EURES website also provides a wealth of information about working in Europe, as well as the option to search for vacancies: http://europa.eu.int/eures/home.jsp?lang=en

The UK does have agreements with some other EU and Commonwealth countries for the exchange of each others’ civil servants, but experience suggests that it is usually easier for individuals, or their departments, to arrange something bilaterally with the overseas counterpart or target ministry in the country concerned. Involvement by the centre usually adds delay, whereas departments tend already to have the contacts and the goodwill needed to arrange a secondment.

If the job you want to advertise is permanent, you can do so onwww.jobcentreplus.gov.uk.
To advertise a fixed-term secondment opportunity, please contact the Civil Service jobs website.

You might feel that civil servants in a certain department would be particularly attracted to the opportunity you are advertising. In this case you are very welcome to approach that department direct and draw attention to it. Contact details for departmental Interchange Managers are listed in the Interchange directory.

Terms must be agreed between the two organisations concerned before the period of interchange starts. In the case of civil servants seconded to outside organisations, the most usual arrangement is for the civil servant to continue to be paid by the employing department, which then seeks reimbursement from the host organisation. Reimbursement normally includes the Accruing Superannuation Liability Charge (ASLC) and the employer’s contribution to the National Insurance Scheme. Arrangements can, however, vary according to particular circumstances. Alternatively, the host organisation might pay salary and ERNIC, and an administration charge to the employing department or agency to keep the individual in the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.

There are no rules about this. The interchange should meet a developmental need of the individual and/or have benefits for the parent department, but there is flexibility to make whatever arrangements are operationally convenient.

The different ministries of that country will have websites, and if you can establish which ministry’s responsibilities are closest to your own areas of experience or interest, you can approach them and ask whether they would consider you for any temporary opportunities. In doing so, you should obviously bring out the quality of your experience and its potential value to the prospective host ministry. If successful, you are likely to be liable for any travel and removal expenses.

There are no prescribed limits, and departments have flexibility to make whatever arrangements suit them, and the secondee, best. If the aim of the secondment is primarily developmental, it should clearly last long enough for the benefits to be felt. The longer the secondment, the more important it will be for the secondee to keep in touch with his/her parent department.

There is no programme as such. Departments make their own arrangements, and you should contact the appropriate Departmental interchange manager.

All opportunities are advertised on the Civil Service jobs site. The site also includes guidance on nationality and other eligibility issues.