What is the Maine Management Service?

The Maine Management Service is a multi-phased initiative for 700 confidential managers and executives (i.e., managers who are excluded from collective bargaining) in Maine State Government.

The broad purpose of the Maine Management Service is to:

accelerate leadership development opportunities;
develop and focus on leadership competencies,
provide the MMS members with more latitude in managing their programs, and to set up reward and accountability structures particularly for their positions.

The Maine Management Service is designed specifically for confidential management and executive positions in State Government. The Service recognizes the unique nature of management positions and the importance of strong leadership; and provides greater flexibility and responsibility for managers in hiring, employee development, career advancement, and performance management.

Who is included in the Maine Management Service?

All confidential managers and executives (managers who are excluded from collective bargaining) in the Executive Branch of Maine State Government are included. In addition to the requirement to be excluded from collective bargaining, confidential managers:
- directly manage public service programs, or serve as a manager or consultant in administrative functions, such as finance, human resources, or general business management;
- provide advice and assistance to executive leadership as a member of an agency’s senior management team, and/or represent the agency on boards, commissions, or before the Legislature.
Confidential employees who are not managers are not included in the Maine Management Service.

What will be the most important features?

The Maine Management Service will provide:
- individual accountability for program results;
- management training and development opportunities;
- flexibility in hiring procedures;
- interagency and upward mobility.

How will it be different from traditional civil service?

Managers will have greater flexibility and responsibility to directly manage their own careers.
Job assignments can be tailored to better use current skills or to develop new skills.
Human resource decisions will be handled by individual agencies while preserving merit principles for classified confidential managers.

How will the Maine Management Service be created and administered?

Senior managers (Deputy Commissioners from cabinet agencies) serve in an advisory and oversight role.
State-of-the-art human resource systems for management and employee selection and development will be implemented.
Civil Service rules will be changed to allow these new systems to work effectively, consistent with civil service principles.
Many human resource decisions for confidential managers will be delegated to each line agency.
Agency human resource professionals will be trained to serve as consultants to managers in the administration of the Maine Management Service.

Will the new Civil Service Rules for the Maine Management Service apply to unclassified confidential managers?

Many of the protections in the Civil Service Law and Rules apply only to classified employees. This will not change. However, the following will apply to all MMS members:

The simplified classification system;
Access to leadership development opportunities;
The Maine Management Service Competency Model.