Employees at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Secretariat have now been given a grace period of three years to acquire specific requirements for promotion to the next grade after the Commission rolled out the implementation of the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) 2023.
In a Circular dated August 20, 2025 and signed by the Commission acting Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Evaleen Mitei, the new guidelines are aimed at fostering professionalism and fairness, while also introducing tougher requirements for advancement.
“The Commission has given you a grace period of three (3) years to acquire job specific requirements (e.g. Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university), competencies and leadership/proficiency certification (e.g. Certificate in Supervisory course) for qualification to the next job group/grade as may be appropriate,” reads the Circular that was addressed to all Secretariat Staff of the Commission.
The guidelines define roles, criteria for advancement, and expectations at various levels. From now on, promotions will be tied to qualifications, competencies, and performance.
“It shall be a mandatory requirement to fully comply with the provisions of the CPG 2023 in order to enhance your career progression within your role as an employee of the Commission,” the circular directs.
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The 2023 CPG for Secretariat Staff created a new Directorate of Operations which is domiciled in the Office of the Commission Secretary, which manages the Teacher Management Operations officers and oversee several Divisions of Risk Management, Policy Planning, Research, Innovation and Data, Corporate Affairs and Teacher Management Operations which are one of the most crucial functions in the Commission.
It also renamed several directorates and divisions with the Directorate of Field Services being renamed to Teacher Discipline Management, Directorate of Quality Assurance and Standards being renamed to Teacher Professional Management, Corporate Communications to Corporate Affairs, and Research Data Centre to Policy, Planning, Research, Data and Innovation.
The CPG also reviewed the grading structure of secretariat staff from 15 to 14 grades with TSC Grade 14 being the lowest and TSC Grade 1 being the highest, establishing a new post of Senior Deputy TSC Grade 4 in all its Directorates including Supply Chain Management Service Davison, and further making the position of Regional Director TSC Grade 4 a deployment post with those staff being appointed to this position being re-designated as Senior Deputy Director.
Designations, Entry Requirements
The CPG further came up with nomenclature of the designations of various positions where Deputy Commission Secretary was designated TSC Grade 2, Director at TSC Grade 3, Senior Deputy Director at TSC Grade 4, Deputy Directors at TSC Grade 5, Assistant Director at TSC Grade 6, Principal Officer at TSC Grade 7, Senior Officer at TSC Grade 8, Officer I at TSC Grade 9, Officer II at TSC Grade 10, Assistant Officer at TSC Grade 11, Assistant Officer I at TSC Grade 12, Assistant Officer II at TSC Grade 13, and Assistant Officer III at TSC Grade 14.
It also set the entry points and minimum entry requirements for various designations whereby Officer I were placed at entry point 9 with minimum entry requirement to the position being bachelor’s Degree or Higher Diploma, Officer II at entry point 10 with minimum entry requirement of Diploma.
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Secretariat staff designated as Assistant Officer were placed at entry point 11 whose minimum entry requirement is Professional Certificate or Craft Certificate II, Assistant Officer I were placed at entry point 12 where minimum entry requirement is Certificate/Craft Certificate I, Assistant Officer II placed at entry point 13 where minimum entry requirement is a Minimum of KCSE Grade D (plain) and Certificate/Craft Certificate I/Grade test III or equivalent qualification, and Assistant Officer III placed at entry point 14 with minimum entry requirement being only a Minimum KCSE Grade of D (plain).
The CPG came up with a common establishment in various grades where Officer I and Senior Officer Grades were placed in a Common Cadre Band of TSC Grades 9 to 8, Officer II/I at Common Cadre Bands of TSC Grades 10 to 9, Assistant Officer II/I Grades at Common Cadre Bands of TSC Grades 13 to 12, while Assistant Officer III/II placed at Common Cadre Bands of TSC Grades 14 to 13.
Secretariat Staff at TSC Grade 7 are required to undertake a Supervisory Course, those at Grade 6 to take Senior Management Course, while those at Grade 5 and above being required to undertake a Leadership Course.
By Roy Hezron
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