By Lamin B. Darboe
Information Officer, PMO
Ms. Seraphine Wakana, United Nations Resident Coordinator, on Tuesday made a courtesy call on the Minister of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination & Delivery, Baboucarr O. Joof in his office in Banjul.
Ms. Wakana said they were at the minister’s office to congratulate him on his new ministerial appointment and also to discuss how UN Resident Coordinator’s Banjul office will build partnership with minister Joof’s ministry and civil service in general.
“We want to understand any role your ministry is going to undertake because my office is interested in coordination and we are also partners to government in capacity building especially in the areas of institutions and reforms process,” Ms. Wakana informed Minister Joof.
According to Ms. Wakana, their current strategy is ending in December 2022, adding that they hope to have a new strategy before the end of the year and said: “I know your ministry is new and I know also that you have the understanding of what your ministry’s priorities would be.”
Ms. Wakana informed that her office has done a lot in giving support to reforms related to both political and democratic transitions especially UN program on Peace Building Fund.
For his part, the Minister of Public Service, Administrative, Reforms,
Policy Coordination and Delivery, Baboucarr O. Joof expressed his gratitude for the visit made by the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Seraphine Wakana and her team.
“This is my first engagement with Government after 26 years in active service with private world but at this point, I decided to take national assignment,” Minister Joof informed the UN Resident Coordinator.
He explained that PMO is his ministry’s parent home, thus the sector was for the past years hanging under the Office of the Vice President.
All workers who earned a living by receiving salary from Government are now to be managed by his ministry.
Minister Joof informed Ms. Wakana that he is currently on meetings with various Senior Management Teams under his ministry in order to familiarize himself with what they are doing in their areas, among others.
Minister Joof highlighted that his ministry has an obligation to supervise what other ministries are doing in the performance of their workers and various government institutions, thus their targets and plans will link to the NDP.
Those ministries, he added, will take the responsibility to supervise the workers within their sectors to ensure that they deliver the targets and plans connected to the NDP.
“Performance management system needs to be designed for the entire government machinery which my ministry will preside over and the issue of coordination is key in my ministry’s mandate and I assure you that your office will get my support,” Minister Joof concluded.
