BPSR trains staff on ICT for proficiency

The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) on Thursday, trained its members of staff on Information Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance their proficiency.

The Director-General, BPSR, Mr Dasuki Arabi, stated this at a one-day stakeholders’ workshop on Strengthening Capacity of BPSR Focal Officers on Monitoring and Evaluation for effective delivery of the National Public Sector Strategy Initiatives.

Arabi said that the aim of the workshop was to drive change that would position Nigeria’s public service as an institution of excellence.

He further said that the training would facilitate the building of Nigeria public service into a highly functional, professional, customer focused and result oriented institution.

“I want to reiterate that the workshop is an avenue to further understand the strengths and gaps for individual level of competencies and staffing needs.

“The development of the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the National Strategy for Public Service Reforms (NSPSR) arose from a key recommendation from the review of the NSPSR document.

“This is in line with the nine priority areas of the present Administration in 2023.

“The review noted the absence of robust framework to support the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the components of the strategy over the years from its inception – 2007 – 2023,’’ he said.

Arabi said during the years of implementation of the strategy, not much result was reported by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), due to inadequate data, poor documentation practice and absence of performance monitoring system.

He said this development made MDAs reports in terms of reform delivery unsystematic, reactive, and unverifiable and this could affect policy decision.

Arabi, however, urged participants to be attentive to achieve the expected outcome.

On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, said the workshop would boast the achievement of the Renew Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu led-administration.

Akume, who was represented by Mr Simon Tyongu, a director in the office of the SGF, said the workshop would strengthen the institution and individuals’ capacities and reform staff in data generation, collection and reporting.

He said the initiative was also designed to build capacity of staff members to use ICT driven approach to manage the Reform’s Monitoring and Evaluation Framework among others.

“The NSPSR developed by the BPSR is aimed at identifying and tracking the delivery of reforms in the public service for implementation.

“Over the years, the Nigerian government has introduced laudable reforms in the public service but its implementation has come with mixed results.

“However, the development of NSPSR and Federal Civil Service Strategy Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) alongside the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework will guide the effective implementation of reform initiatives,’’ he said.