ONE YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENTS AT THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC SERVICE REFORMS (BPSR) - ( AUGUST 2013 - AUGUST, 2014) - PART 4

Dr Joe Abah. DG, BPSR.

8.  Reform Guides on Developing Medium Term Sector Strategies and Job Evaluation

As part of efforts to improve strategic planning in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and provide impartial advice on Human Resource Management functions; the Bureau with the technical contribution provided by DFID-State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) programme developed two Guides, namely: (i) “How to Prepare a Medium-Term Sector Strategy”; and (ii) HR Practitioner’s Tool: Job Evaluation/Job Classification”.  The Guide on “How to Prepare a Medium-Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) Guide is a step-by-step guide to developing and agreeing a Medium-Term Sector Strategy. It starts with explaining why medium-term sector strategies are important and then takes the reader through the three stages, step-by-step. It is designed to help executives, directors and managers in the Nigerian Federal and State Public Services to build and operate services more strategically and more effectively. On the other hand, the HR Practitioner’s Tool: Job Evaluation/Job Classification is designed to give impartial advice on HRM functions in the Federal Public Service and provide HRM practitioners in the Federal Civil Service a guide to evaluating and classifying jobs in the Federal Civil Service. The two Guides’, i.e.  (i) “How to Prepare a Medium-Term Sector Strategy; and (ii) HR Practitioner’s Tool: Job Evaluation/Job Classification” were launched by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation at the SCR meeting  held on 20^th November, 2013. The two documents have been distributed to MDAs and it has contributed to foster learning in the public service.

9.     Repositioning NEPAD, Nigeria for Enhanced Performance

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) was instituted in Lusaka, Zambia and is aimed primarily at poverty alleviation and promotion of economic growth and sustainable development in Africa. The Nigeria, NEPAD Office was established in 2003 and overtime, the NEPAD Office in Nigeria has failed to lived up to expectations.

In February, 2014 a new Special Adviser to the President on NEPAD was appointed. The immediate task of the Special Adviser has been efforts made to resuscitate NEPAD. Taking cognizance of the fact that the Bureau is a member of the Implementation Committee of the White Paper on the Restructuring and Rationalization of Federal Government Agencies, Parastatals, and Commissions, the Special Adviser to the President on NEPAD through the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation solicited the assistance of the Bureau for support to reposition the NEPAD Office, Nigeria. The Director-General, BPSR led a team to undertake the assignment through an eclectic approach that included desk top research, interviews with NEPAD officials and key informers as well as NEPAD Retreat to unveil the new strategy developed for repositioning NEPAD to actualize its mandate. Among other recommendations is that the core functions of NEPAD should be aligned to that of the Continental NEPAD Secretariat. The conduct of the management review of NEPAD Office, Nigeria served as a pilot study for the Implementation Committee of the White Paper on the Report of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalization of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

…conclusion in part 5.