By Olimatou Coker
Deputy Secretary-General and Head of Civil Service has said that a diagnostic report of the civil service reform program (2018-2027) has revealed that over time there has been limited adherence to meritocratic principles in the recruitment, training, and promotions of civil servants.
“This means schemes of service are not systematically administered and the practice of regular staff appraisals as the basis for staff promotion have fallen to disuse,” Salimatta E.F. Touray said at the validation of a performance management policy of the civil service at a local hotel in Kololi.
The system when approved is expected to enhance service delivery in the sector.
Madam Touray stated there is a need to reintroduce a robust performance management system that will continually monitor and evaluate the performance of public servants based on key performance indicators.
“Such a performance the management system should be based on the principles of accountability, transparency, equity, and ownership and the system should hold each individual, unit, department, and ministry accountable to his or her superior, the public as the beneficiaries of services, to ensure the national development goals are attained.”
She added that the competitive and comparative advantage of nations depends primarily on the performance and effectiveness of the government’s implementation of sound policies, and optimal utilization of limited resources saying “an effective the performance management system is therefore critical in ensuring that public service systems are streamlined and managed to work better, faster and cheaper to deliver what is promised and what is needed.”
“The guiding principle should be to do the right thing and to do things right and this means operating and delivered in ways that are responsive, accountable, efficient and effective,” DGS Touray urged.
Lamin Jawara, Permanent Secretary, Personnel Management Office, said a sound performance of the management system will ensure that public servants are held accountable.
According to PS Jawara, the civil service can no longer afford to wait to reintroduce a sound performance management system that will facilitate not only measuring and evaluating performance but will also recognize and reward performance.
“This is all the reason we need a policy, as where such decisions are not guided, it may lead to arbitrariness and subjectivity,” he added.
