Yemi-Esan to MDAs: Drive Implementation of Civil Service Strategy Plan

Yemi-Esan to MDAs: Drive Implementation of Civil Service Strategy Plan

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan has made a clarion call on all Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government to wake up to their responsibilities in driving the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021 – 2025 (FCSSIP25), a successor to FCSSIP 2017 – 2020, being championed by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF). 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 for Directors / Heads of Reforms Co-ordination and Service Improvement across MDAs in the Federal Civil Service on 20th July, 2022 in Abuja.

The Permanent Secretary took the participants through FCSSIP20 and the weaknesses observed such as inadequate sensitization, funding constraints due to lack of buy-in from the Permanent Secretaries, amongst others, which he alluded necessitated the workshop, asking participants to be ready to work. He assured them 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. He further 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.

The first day of the workshop witnessed four presentations 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 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 will feature five 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.

M .A. Ahmed,
Deputy Director, Communications.

20th July, 2022.