The Irish government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) is an integrated cross-government service established in 2012 with the objective of enhancing the role of economics and value for money analysis in public policy making. The IGEES is part of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. IGEES policy analysts work within all government departments and the Revenue Commissioners. To have a continuous inflow of quality trained professionals in economics in the government, IGEES delivers a comprehensive programme of recruitment, progression, learning and development for young graduates as well as experienced professionals.
The Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) – Ireland
Abstract
IGEES offers three areas of action for building the capacity of young people within the public sector workforce: internships, recruitment of young graduates and trainings for better policy making. In 2019, IGEES started a 3-month internship programme for both undergraduate and masters’ students in ten different government departments. The internship programme allows interns to gain knowledge in data analysis and research and to delve into the daily work of the civil service. Moreover, each year, the programme recruits between 20 and 30 graduates with strong data analysis skills. These graduates contribute to national policy development, policy analysis and evaluation as well as economic modelling and forecasting in the departments. IGEES Graduate Policy Analysts and Economists can also participate in a one-year graduate programme to gain core competencies required for working effectively in the civil service. Furthermore, IGEES facilitates specialist training for policy analysts, including an induction training programme for new analysts. IGEES provides specific learning and development opportunities such as a platform for discussion on analytical outputs, policy discussion sessions, seminars and conferences, strengthening skills and knowledge development as well as building capacities. Furthermore, the programme offers opportunities for mobility in the civil service, as participants change position every two years across or within departments.
Since its establishment in 2012, over 200 analysts have been recruited through the IGEES specialist recruitment stream. Through its recruitment and training of graduates and young professionals, IGEES is bringing new skills into the public sector workforce, and it strengthens the technical capability of policy analysis. Through its internship programme, IGEES supports the development of future analytical capability in the Civil Service. In 2023, 23 interns undertook research projects on diverse policy issues, including climate change, macroeconomics, health and disability in 10 different government departments. IGEES Learning and Development (L&D) programmes support the improvement of specialised skills of new recruits. By broadening the scope of new recruitments and providing eligibility not only to economists, but also to social scientists, the programme increased the diversity of the skills set within the civil service.
Further reading
OECD (2020), The Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service: Using Evidence-Informed Policy Making to Improve Performance; Public Jobs (2023), Graduate Policy Analyst/Economist.
This practice also supports the implementation of provision III.1 and III.3 of the OECD Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People
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