By William J. Mbangula
Ondangwa
A training officer in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Fred Koita has urged newly graduated public servants in the Performance Management System (PMS) to prove their critics wrong who consider their contribution to service delivery as ineffective. Koita made the call at the first ever PMS graduation ceremony held outside Windhoek.
The ceremony took place at Cresta Lodge Ondangwa on Friday, December 14. The three-month training course, which kicked off on September 7 and ended on December 7, comprised public servants from Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Omusati regional councils, line ministries such as Trade and Industry; Health and Social Services; Agriculture, Water and Forestry; Education; Fisheries and Marine Resources; Environment and Tourism; Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development; as well as agencies.
Said Koita: “Some people have passed a verdict on the public servants that they are incompetent, full of nepotism, corrupt, ineffective and inefficient when it comes to service delivery and the manner they conduct their day-to-day functions.
“The onus is on you now to prove to the nation that the 55 days which you spent here are worth it. You need to prove your critics wrong as newly graduated servants of the people and act as agents of change in your respective institutions.”
Sponsored by the European Union (EU) and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), the course is part of the de-centralization process.
Conducted under the supervision of the coordinator of training in the OPM, Mariele Davel, assisted by Jafet Nelongo, a training officer in the OPM and two consultants Doufi Namalambo and Peik Bruhns of PMS Consultants, the move was commended and applauded by the Governor of Oshana Clemens Kashuupulwa as part of the government designed high-level initiatives which indicate the vision, objectives, policies and programmes of Namibia as a country.
“Oshana Regional Council has put in place a Strategic Plan developed over a five-year period (2007-2011 to serve as a management tool and a guide to direct the Regional Council activities and also to monitor its overall performance. In formulating this strategic planning, our Regional Council was guided by the Logical Framework prescribed by the office of the Prime Minister in line with the Government Directives that pertain to Public Sector Reform and other relevant government policies.”
The governor explained that introducing a Performance Management System in the public service provides an approach whereby the role and objectives of the public service towards the achievement of the national vision and targets are clarified throughout the system and each staff member can understand and actively contribute to the achievement of the national objectives, the performance of the public service and its staff members is managed and enhanced towards the achievement of its full potential in line with the national development objectives, and the public service becomes increasingly efficient, cost-effective and responsible to the public in all aspects of its operations.
He described the PMS as a tool used to achieve a shared vision of the purpose and objectives of the organization. It assists each staff member to understand and recognize his/her contribution to the strategic intent and thus manage and enhance the performance of the organization.
The bottom line, said the Governor, is that the Performance Ma-nagement System is a systematic approach for managing people that facilitates the achievement of results by planning staff performance, implementing strategic staff development and reviewing performance.
It also analyzes organizational objectives in terms of individual performance, results and priorities, thereby motivating staff to achieve their full potential in line with the organization’s vision and mission statements.
“There is no doubt that every staff member at all levels, be it in the public or private sector, is required to take full responsibility for his/her performance and contribute to our nation’s future by his/her active involvement in the Performance Management System.”