To hold civil servants to a particular yardstick in terms of their performances, based on what the general masses presume as deliverables, is unfair since the civil service is primarily in the business of laying down the regulations on which the work of State-owned enterprises, for example, is underpinned.
This is according to Ivan Mukubonda, an administrative officer in the ministry of industrialisation and trade.
He is irked by the popular perception that civil servants are not productive, or are inefficient at best.
“I understand that it is difficult for people on the street to comprehend that they are getting value for their money when it comes to the work of the civil service. And that is because government’s job is to create a level playing field on which its agencies and other stakeholders can play their respective roles in bringing about the much-needed development,” Mukubonda stated, maintaining that government’s role is that of creating enabling policies.
He joined the public service in 2008 as a clerk, a position which was later renamed as administrative officer, with additional duties. He is quick to indicate that while joining the civil service was not on his bucket list, in hindsight he is mightily glad he took that decision.
To confirm his commitment to government, Mukubonda had a chance to join the Business and Intellectual Property Agency (BIPA) when the agency was created as a corporate arm of his ministry, but opted to stay.
“I opted to stay for a couple of reasons. I had at the time accumulated more than enough study days, and had to put them to good use. What they offered me at Bipa at that time was not good enough, considering my expertise and experience,” he added, stressing that while Bipa’s remuneration packages cannot be frowned upon, he just felt that he was being offered a position that was below his skills level.
And his experience seemingly speaks for itself, having occupied an array of portfolios in the same ministry. Upon his recruitment, Mukubonda served in the company registration sub-division. He later became an admin officer in the franchise and e-commerce sub-division before joining the merchandise mark sub-division of the same ministry in the same position. He now serves in the transport division – since last year.
Here, he is part of a team that is responsible for the administration of the ministerial vehicle fleet.
“We are tasked with the safekeeping of the ministry’s vehicles and their accessories. We are further in charge of the acquisition and disposal of these vehicles, as there are a lot of nitty-gritties involved. In-between acquisition and disposal, we take care of their maintenance and usage,” he revealed.
Challenges
While he enjoys each and every day at work, some days are not without their challenges. More so as a result of the prevalent global financial decline.
“There are certain processes that are part of our daily work, but which we cannot undertake as a result of budgetary constraints. Also, one gets to deal with people from all walks of life, some of whom are naturally difficult to work with. But all these present an opportunity for adaptability, and for one to improve your interpersonal and communication skills,” Mukubonda said. He observed that some of this difficulty among the staff is not necessarily inborn, but caused by outside factors such as the high cost of living in relation to people’s income.
“Government employees have not had a salary increment for a while. As such, they are hit by the constantly increasing inflation. Many thus feel that they are underpaid and undervalued. It is a psychological thing,” he added.
Rewards
But challenges aside, working for the public service can be extremely rewarding, according to Mukubonda. More so when one considers their input as a contribution to the future expansion of government.
“I believe that I’m helping to build a better civil service. We all have children who will one day aspire to join government, and it is imperative that they find systems in place that make their work easier and worthwhile,” he noted.
“It might not be an immediate reward, but it is a futuristic and very critical one,” he stated.
Born in the Zambezi region and brought up in Windhoek, Mukubonda did not mince his words when he stressed that he is intending to stay within government for as long as his faculties allow him. He further maintained that he has his sight set on a managerial position before he considers an exit.
“Also, I want to boost my project management expertise before I leave for the private sector,” he continued.