By Dwelleth Morountodun
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, on Wednesday called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to wake up to their responsibilities in driving the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021 – 2025 (FCSSIP25).
The FCSSIP25, which is a precursor to the FCSSIP 2017 – 2020, is robustly being championed by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The call was made, on behalf of the Head of Service by the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole during a two-day capacity building workshop organized for Directors / Heads of Reforms Co-ordination and Service Improvement across MDAs in Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary took the participants through FCSSIP20 and the inherent weaknesses such as inadequate sensitization, funding constraints due to lack of buy-in from the Permanent Secretaries.
Meribole, admitted that these engaging issues that necessitated the workshop, charging participants to be ready to work.
He assured that with the buy-in of the FCSSIP25 reform programme by the Permanent Secretaries, considerations and approvals for requests to drive the reform are guaranteed.
The Perm Sec advised the Directors of Reforms Coordination and Service Improvement, being first multipliers of the reforms, to imbibe a community practice of emulating what other MDAs are doing to improve theirs, urging them to consider themselves as drivers of the process.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director, Civil Service Transformation, Dr. John Magbedelo, while welcoming the participants, intimated them that the workshop, the first to be held on FCSSIP25 since its launch on 23rd June, 2022, will avail them windows to interrogate its essence, as well as evolve strategies for the successful implementation of FCSSIP25 within the two days’ duration.
He further stated that they would have firsthand information from the Project Management Team Leads, who are part of the resource persons for the workshop, on the various components of the new FCSSIP.
Four presentations were delivered on the first day of the programme from a retired Director of the Federal Civil Service, Mr. Victor Mayomi, who dwelled on “Why is Reform Undertaken in the Federal Civil Service and how should it be done,” Director, Learning and Development, OHCSF, Mr. Augustine Uzor, dwelled on “Capacity Building and Talent Management in the FCSSIP25 and the Prospects of Transforming the Service through a Knowledge-Driven Approach,” Director, Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH), Mrs. Uchenna Obi, discussed “Salary Harmonisation and Non-Monetary Incentives for Civil Servants in the FCSSIP25,” and the Consultant, Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Mrs. Anne Attah on “Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and New HR Module as a Pillar of FCSSIP25.”
The Second day is expected to feature 5 presentations beginning with “Performance Management as a Pillar of FCSSIP25: Entrenching a Merit-based System in the Service” to be delivered by Director, Performance Management, Mrs. Bosede Olaniyi, “Digitalisation of Records and Processes for Improved Service Delivery” by the Director ICT, Mr. Adeniyi Dada, “The Problem that Instigated the Series of Ongoing Reforms in the Federal Civil Service,” by the Director, Civil Service Transformation (CST), Dr. John Magbadelo and “Why Public Service Reforms Fail – Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them in the Nigerian Situation” by former Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dr. Joe Abah.
The final segment of the workshop will be a Panel Discussion on “Evolving Strategies for Engaging the Department of Reform Coordination in the Implementation of FCSSIP25 in the MDAs,” where participants are expected to brainstorm on how, as reform custodians in the MDAs, will take ownership of the FCSSIP25, build and sustain partnership with the Department of Civil Service Transformation, which has oversight responsibilities, on behalf of the OHCSF. This will be led by the Director, CST, Dr. John Magbedelo.
The training is being organised by the OHCSF in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), an international training outfit.
…Yemi-Esan Demands constant accountability, transparency
In its continuous effort to strengthen and re-invigorate its workforce towards becoming a world class Service anchored on the principles of accountability, transparency and equity in the achievement of national goals, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi – Esan has demanded for consistent accountability and transparency from all civil servants.
This was disclosed during the inauguration and opening of a 2-day capacity building workshop for the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) Task Team of the Office of Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
She was represented at the Inauguration and Opening Ceremonies by the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf, fca on Tuesday, June 19, 2022 at Bridgewater Hotel, Wuye, Abuja.
According to him, the CDCU is domiciled in the Office of the Secretary General of the Federation (OSGF), who has directed all Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to set up such Units to synergize and take ownership of the initiative, also escalate developments in their various sectors to the OSGF.
It was in compliance with this directive that a Task Team was constituted in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. “Today’s inauguration of the Task Team and capacity building for the CDCU is, therefore, a key performance indicator of our keen sense of leadership on service delivery,” the HoS stated.
Yemi-Esan said that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation remains determined and committed to capacity building of all Civil Servants through training and re-training for a holistic implementation of government policies and programmes for overall national development.
According to her, this will be sustained by identifying and fostering strong alliances with relevant stakeholders and development partners.
She emphasized on the need to ensure that all staff in Units, Divisions and Departments of MDAs are held accountable on a continuous basis towards ensuring that national goals are achieved, while urging the newly inaugurated committee members to pay rapt attention and fully participate by contributing meaningfully to discussions during the workshop.
In his remarks at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office appreciated the OSGF and everyone who contributed in one way or the other to the realization of the inauguration and workshop, adding that he was confident that the workshop will close skill gaps, build competencies, as well as capabilities of the committee members geared towards effective measurement and reporting of the performance of the OHCSF.
Earlier in her address, the Director, Planning, Analytics and Monitoring (PAM), Dr Anne Nzegwu, said the utility of the Unit is anchored on the commitment of government on accountability and transparency, which are central to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Agenda.
She further stated that it is aimed at systematically tracking the developmental strides of the government, especially, as it approaches the twilight of its tenure.
Dr. Nzegwu mentioned that the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021 – 2025 (FCSSIP25), which is designed to re-engineer the Service for increased productivity and quality service delivery, in its six thematic areas, stipulates the position of the OHCSF on accountability, equity and transparency, unambiguously.
The representative of the OSGF, the Technical Assistant to the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, Mr. Esege E. Esege, in his Goodwill Message, disclosed that in ensuring compliance with the directive, the Office has collaborated with 16 ministries, including the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
He stated that the aim of inaugurating the committee is to get proper data in reporting as it is discovered that some of the data required for reporting are being domiciled in the Planning, Research and Statistics Departments of most MDAs.
In a Goodwill Message, also, Umaru Abu of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said his organization will continue to support the Civil Service to, once again, stand firmly on its feet, pledging that “we will continue to support and collaborate with the Federal Government.”
The newly inaugurated committee consists of 14 members drawn from departments and parastatals of the OHCSF with the Director, Planning, Analytics and Monitoring, Dr. Anne Nzegwu, chairing.
…Mandates Computer Literacy for Civil Servants
In another development, Yemi-Esan called on MDAs to be up to speed in the implementation of the digitalisation process being championed by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
She stated this while declaring open a One-day Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Solution Roundtable and Workshop organised for Directors of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Procurement and Human Resource Management across all MDAs in the Federal Civil Service.
While applauding the transformative Permanent Secretaries for their efforts in driving digitalisation process, the Head of Service urged them to ensure that they are not left behind in the process as the Office will very soon stop accepting hard copies from MDAs. She maintained that there is the need for effective coordination at the highest level of administration, reiterating that with ECM deployment is being carried out in phases, therefore, urging MDAs to follow the laid down processes before rushing to procure software solutions.
She shared some of the step-by-step implementation processes undergone by the Office prior to arriving at the present stage. As a first major step towards digitalisation, a Culture Change Joint Project Committee was set up to deliver ECM solutions, which carried out activities such as the review of the then status of ECM solution across MDAs, reviewed documents and functional technical requirements, requested for proposal for the appointment of Service Providers, developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which were very critical to the deployment of ECM amongst others.
She encouraged MDAs to train their staff to be computer savvy, stressing that in the journey of digitalisation, capacity is critical and as such computer literacy is now mandatory for all Federal Civil Servants, adding that “you are either on the Digital Train or you will be left at the Train Station.” She mandated the Directors of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement to take full charge in driving the process to fruition in their various MDAs.
In his Welcome Address, the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole intimated participants that ECM is one of the pillars of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021 – 2025 (FCSSIP25), which aims at strengthening the Service to grapple with future challenges in the workplace. According to him, the workshop is to deepen understanding of the standards required for a seamless deployment of ECM solution.
The workshop witnessed 5 presentations from the Director ICT, OHCSF, Mr. Dada who took the participants through an overview of the ECM from inception (2017) till date and the successes recorded in its implementation by the OHCSF; the second lecture was delivered by a representative of the Director-General, NITDA, Dr. Usman Abdullahi, who dwelled on “The modalities of Software Clearance on the Implementation of ICT in MDAs”; the third was by the Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone (Nig.) Ltd, Prof Mohammed B. Abubakar, on “Importance of Functional Network for an Efficient Enterprise Content Management and an Update on LAN Upgrade in MDAs,” while the fourth lecture was delivered by the Chairman, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who spoke on the benefits of digitalisation: A Private Sector Perspective, where he took the participants through the imperative of “Attitudinal Change” to the success of any reform.
He expressed optimism that the Nigeria Civil Service will surely get it right and be able to compete with its counterparts around the world, adding that “it will only take the right attitude to implement ECM successfully.
While the OHCSF ECM vendor, Secured Records Management Solution, in his presentation showcased the software procured for use by the OHCSF, which is a Laserfiche solution and its effectiveness in the implementation of ECM.
Signed: Mohammed Ahmed, Deputy Director, Communications.
