Introduction to Civil Service Essentials: An Analysis of DCEDIY Staff Feedback on Course Content

This report was prepared by the Research and Evaluation Unit (REU) to inform the development of the upcoming course, ‘Introduction to the Civil Service’, which will be delivered by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) Learning and Development Unit (L&D Unit), in collaboration with the Institute of Public Administration (IPA). The course focuses on the role of the Civil Service within the democratic process, and aims to provide a learning resource for both new and existing Civil Servants.

The methodology of the report is described, including phone interviews with 18 DCEDIY staff members, representing 18 different units across each Division within the Department. From these interviews, a total of six overarching themes were identified, which capture the most common suggestions emerging from the 18 interviews. The six themes are described in a Key Findings section. The report then describes the demographic data of the interviewees, and presents a detailed analysis of interview responses, on a question by question basis.