These procedures must be read in conjunction with the Recruitment Selection and Appointment Policy.
2. Scope
These procedures apply to Director of Education and principals.
3. Procedures
3.1 Identify and register a vacancy
Director of Education and principals must:
- identify a vacancy and whether it is fixed-term or permanent (if the vacancy is fixed term), identify its tenure;
- only make fixed-term appointments where they comply with the relevant industrial instruments; and
- prior to any action being taken (including extending current appointments), register vacancies using the Recruitment Advertising and Management System (RAMS) (staff only).
3.2 Clear a vacancy
Director of Education and principals must:
- consider and assess internal employees requiring placement;
- select and appoint the most suitable employee; and
- complete RAMS actions and a movement advice in the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) (staff only).
Guidance
Staff Recruitment and Employment Services provides support in filling vacancies.
See Ikon (staff only) for information including Understand the five step staffing process (staff only), Use the five step staffing process (staff only) and Conduct a staff selection process (staff only).
User Guides in the RAMS file library (staff only) are available for assistance with lodging a vacancy and assessing employees requiring placement.
3.3 Use of consultants
Director of Education and principals must:
- use the Department of Finance ‘Common Use Agreement’ Human Resource (HR) and Investigation Services;
- not engage consultants to chair selection panels;
- be responsible for any costs when engaging external human resource consultants to assist with a process; and
- retain responsibility and authority for recruitment processes and employment decisions.
3.4 Recruitment and selection
Where no suitable employee requiring placement is available, Director of Education and principals must recruit according to the Department’s process located on Ikon (staff only).
Principals must incur the cost of any additional advertising for vacancies.
Director of Education and principals must:
- comply with the Government Advertising and Communications Policy;
- place vacancy on the State Government’s Jobs Board, Jobs WA as a minimum, or the Department’s Internal Jobs Board for Expressions of Interest;
- conduct an assessment of merit (individual or competitive) to fill any cleared vacancy;
- inform all persons involved in the selection process that confidentiality must be maintained;
- inform all persons involved in the selection process to disclose and manage any conflicts of interest;
- use the selection criteria outlined in the relevant Job Description Form (JDF);
- use RAMS, including generating a selection report and accessing template letters available for communicating promptly with applicants at all stages of the process;
- where a selection panel is used, confirm each panel member manually or electronically endorses the selection report;
- issue letters to all applicants advising them of the selection process outcome;
- for a notifiable employment decision, include in the letter:
- a breach period of a minimum of four full working days (to midnight); and
- information about the Breach of Standard claim process; and
- provide feedback, where sought, within the breach period, that relates to the selection criteria and be in sufficient detail to explain the basis for the selection decision, demonstrating that the process is fair and transparent.
Guidance
JDF templates and guidelines can be located on Ikon (staff only).
When advertising a vacancy, Director of Education and principals may request skills and experiences that relate to the school’s needs and context.
When advertising for an appointment pool, Director of Education and principals should specify this intent, including duration of the pool (see Appendix A – Appointment Pools).
Whilst merit remains the primary factor in the selection process, people from specific diversity groups may be encouraged to apply to increase the diversity of the school or region’s workforce profile.
The selection panel should comprise a minimum of two, preferably three members with:
- a gender balance;
- at least one independent panel member;
- at least one member familiar with the vacant position, its duties, its context and the skills, knowledge and experience needed to do the job, including expert or technical aspects; and
- at least one member trained in recruitment and selection.
Where possible, panels should include people from equal opportunity groups for positions where cultural or disability awareness is required.
The essence of the role of an independent panel member is to bring an impartial perspective to the process and reduce any perception of bias or nepotism.
Once internal employees requiring placement have been considered, applicants from the Fixed-Term Principal Appointment Pools can be appointed to fill principal vacancies where the vacancy does not exceed six months.
Referee checks usually constitute part of the information used in deliberating selection decisions. It should be noted that:
- referees not listed by the applicant may be contacted to further assess an applicant’s suitability. The applicant should be informed of this intent before contact is made with the referee. An applicant should be given the opportunity to respond to adverse reports from referees not nominated by them;
- applicants may request extracts of the selection report that pertain to them, including referee comments; and
- referee reports are subject to the requirements of confidentiality, procedural fairness and transparency.
A working day is a complete 24 hour period to midnight excluding Saturday, Sunday or public service holiday throughout the State. For the purposes of notification, the breach period closing date does not include a portion of a day such as a specific closing time. Refer to the Interpretation Act 1984 Section 61.
Conduct a staff selection process (staff only) resource is available on Ikon.
Professional learning courses can be located on the Professional Learning Information System (staff only) web page.
A Conflict of interest resource for panels is available on the Integrity Coordinating Group’s website.
3.5 Late applications
Where a closing date is specified, principals must not admit for assessment late applications unless it can be shown that the late applications were mishandled by the Department or by an official postal or telecommunication service.
3.6 Appointment
Prior to appointment, or at the conclusion of the breach period (where one is required), Director of Education and principals must:
- confirm the recommended applicant meets employment eligibility requirements, including:
- registration with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia; and
- a four-year Bachelor of Education; or
- a minimum of a three-year degree in a relevant discipline, followed by a one-year Graduate Diploma in Education or higher qualification such as a Master of Education; or
- a recognised three-year teaching qualification and previous fixed-term or permanent employment with the Department;
- Australian (or New Zealand) Citizenship, in the case of a permanent appointment, (or permanent Australian residency);
- a valid permit to work in Australia if applicants are not Australian citizens or permanent residents;
- application for or valid (staff only) Working with Children card in accordance with the Department’s Working with Children Checks in Public Schools policy; and
- a current (staff only) Screening Clearance Number in accordance with the Criminal History Screening for Department of Education Sites Policy and Procedures; and
- registration with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia; and
- verify Suitable to Rehire (staff only) on HRMIS.
For principal positions, Director of Education must, at the conclusion of the breach period, complete the electronic commencement or movement advice in HRMIS.
For other school administrator positions, principals must:
- at the conclusion of the breach period, complete the Offer of Employment via RAMS (staff only) and forward to the successful applicant; and
- upon receipt of the signed Offer of Employment from the applicant, complete the commencement or movement advice form in HRMIS prior to commencement.
Guidance
Probation may be considered where an Offer of Employment is made to an applicant external to the Department. See Manage Staff Probation (staff only) and Consider suitability and compatibility of teachers, school administrators and school psychologists (staff only) on Ikon for further information.
Information on the Screening Status Check (staff only) to confirm the currency of a Screening Clearance Number is available on Ikon.
The validity of a Working with Children card can be checked at Department of Communities, Child Protection and Family Support Working with Children Check website.
Information to confirm a teacher is registered with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA) can be checked on the Register of Teachers.
3.6.1 Eligibility module for principals
All first time appointed principals to a position of longer than six months must satisfactorily complete the Eligibility for Principals Modules (staff only) within six months of commencement in the position.
Director of Education must monitor completion of modules.
Guidance
Information on the Eligibility for Principals Modules is available from the Leadership Institute. All new principals, aspirants to school administrator positions and business managers/registrars may access modules.
3.7 Record keeping
Director of Education and principals must:
- keep records of the recruitment, selection and appointment process;
- retain copies of selection reports and letters sent to applicants; and
- apply secure storage and restricted physical access to confidential records, in accordance with the Records Management Policy.
Guidance
Records of the process may be attached to RAMS.
For information on the retention and disposal of recruitment records, see the General Disposal Authority for State Government Information.
3.8 Breach of standard claim
Director of Education and Principals must, for a notifiable employment decision, refer any breach claims received to WorkforcePolicy.breachclaim@education.wa.edu.au.
Guidance
Refer to the Managing Breach of Public Sector Standard Claims policy for further information on breach requirements.
4. Related documents
5. Contact information
Policy manager:
Director, Workforce Policy and Coordination
Policy contact officer:
Manager, Recruitment, Staff Recruitment and Employment Services
T: (08) 9264 5206
6. History of changes
| Effective date | Last update date | Procedure version no. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2014 | 1.0 | ||
| These new procedures support the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Policy that replaces the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment of Teaching Staff; Recruitment, Selection and Appointment of School Administrators; and Recruitment, Selection and Appointment for Public Service Officers, Other Officers and Wages Staff policies. Endorsed by Director General on 21 August 2014. | |||
| 30 September 2014 | 28 March 2017 | 1.1 | |
| Update to staffing processes and nomenclature to reflect Public Sector Management (Redeployment and Redundancy) Regulations 2014 endorsed by Director General at Corporate Executive on 28 November 2016 | |||
| 30 September 2014 | 31 July 2018 | 1.2 | |
| Updated legislation links D18/0207680. | |||
| 12 February 2019 | 2.0 | ||
| These procedures support the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Policy and has undergone a major review. Endorsed by the Director General at Corporate Executive on 28 November 2018. | |||
| 12 February 2019 | 19 January 2021 | 2.1 | |
| Minor changes to replace the Regional Executive Director position title with Director of Education D20/0647278. | |||
| 12 February 2019 | 24 February 2021 | 2.2 | |
| Minor changes and broken links. D21/0099208. | |||
7. Appendices
Appendix A: Appointment pools (PDF file - 40.3kB)
8. More information
Appendices
Appendix A: Appointment pools
This procedure:
Recruitment, Selection and Appointment of School Administrators Procedures v2.2
Please ensure you also download the policy supported by this procedure.
Supported policy:
Recruitment Selection and Appointment Policy
Procedure review date
12 February 2022
Procedure last updated
24 February 2021