The Commission dates back to 1954 when Civil Service Commission was established by British Colonial Government following Holmes Commission Report, 1948; Civil Service Commission was advisory to the Governor in matters of appointments; At independence in 1963 it was enshrined in the constitution and renamed Public Service Commission; Independence Constitution had Regional PSC’s but abolished in 1964 following constitutional amendments; It is the oldest Constitutional Commission and its mandate has expanded over the years. The Commission then constituted of a chairman, a deputy chairman and fifteen members all appointed by the President. The Commission, since then, has handled matters of human resource management in the public service especially the civil service and local authorities. Constitution of Kenya, 2010 promulgated on 27th August 2010 reconstituted the Commission with a redefined and expanded mandate and a lean membership.

Requirements for Appointment:

• Cumulative service period of fifteen (15) years in the field of Human Resource Management and Development in the Public Sector, with at least three (3) years at the grade of Deputy Director Human Resource Management and Development, Job Grade PSC 4 or equivalent.
• Bachelor’s degree in any of the following disciplines:
  • Human Resource Management
  • Human Resource Development
  • Business Administration
  • Public Administration
  • Business Management
  • Industrial Relations
  • Political Science
  • or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution; OR Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences plus a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management.
• Master’s degree in any of the following disciplines:
  • Human Resource Management
  • Human Resource Development
  • Social Sciences
  • Business Management
  • Business Administration
  • Public Administration
  • or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution.
• Membership to a relevant professional body.
• Leadership course lasting not less than four (4) weeks from a recognized institution.
• Demonstrated thorough understanding of national goals, policies, and development objectives and the ability to transform them into recruitment and human resource planning in the Public Service.
• Proficiency in computer applications.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Overseeing the development and review of recruitment policies and procedures in compliance with relevant statutes.
• Spearheading the development of strategies on recruitment, appointment, and assessment for the public service.
• Overseeing the analysis and processing of Recruitment and Selection requests from Public Service.
• Coordinating the preparation of Board papers on recommendations and requests from Ministries, State Departments, and Agencies to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines for effective decision-making.
• Coordinating the screening of applications, compiling recruitment data, and undertaking pre-selection.
• Coordinating the preparation of recruitment and selection annual master plan in liaison with MDAs.
• Overseeing the development of recruitment and selection standards and assessment tools for use in the Public Service.
• Monitoring advertised posts to ensure adherence to fair and open competition principles.
• Establishing partnerships with professional bodies, institutions of higher learning, and other stakeholders on matters relevant to recruitment and assessment in the public service.
• Spearheading the preparation of briefs of shortlists of candidates for specific positions for consideration and approval by the Board.
• Overseeing the development and issuance of guidelines to MDAs on best practices for recruitment and selection.
• Ensuring the development and issuance of guidelines for undertaking human resource planning in the public service.
• Overseeing the development of a policy for the identification of experts and researchers for engagement in special circumstances.
• Overseeing performance management and ensuring prudent utilization of resources in the directorate.
• Coordinating the development and implementation of budgets, work plans, procurement plans, projects, and programs in the Directorate.
• Overseeing mentorship and coaching of staff in the Directorate