By Stella Odueme
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has advocated seamless implementation of all the Pillars of Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP-25) to enhance service delivery in the civil service.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Director, Reform Coordination Service Improvement & Innovation (RCSI &I), Dr. Dunoma Ahmed gave the charge at the occasion of the Bi-monthly Service-Wide Meeting of Directors of Reform Coordination at Agricultural Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) in Abuja, recently.
Dr. Umakhihe noted that the Department of Reform Coordination is generally saddled with the responsibility of driving the reforms in the service, hence the platform would serve as an avenue to share experiences, ideas amongst Directors of Reform Coordination and provide ample opportunity to brainstorm, bring up new and creative ideas for enhancing service delivery and productivity in the workplace service-wide.
“The department is now re-positioned, with the creation of the Innovation Division, to vigorously pursue the implementation of the current reform strategy namely the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP-25).
“You are all aware that the FCSSIP-25, consisting of six (6) prioritized initiatives (Pillars), is a vehicle for delivering transformation of the Federal Civil Service for effective and efficient service delivery,” he said.
He also revealed that under his leadership, the ministry (FMAFS) had been at the forefront of driving the FCsSIP25 and indeed all civil service reforms.
“I am also proud to state that the Ministry has won many awards and accolades for its commitment to the reform agenda, the recent one being the Award for the Implementation of the FCSSIP25 and especially the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) awarded during the commemoration of the 2023 Civil Service Week”.
He pointed out some activities the ministry had carried out in pursuit of the reforms, which had gone a long way, not only in re-positioning the ministry for effective service delivery but also motivating staff for higher productivity.
He enjoined the participants to put all hands on deck to vigorously drive the reforms, through innovative ideas to re-invigorate the Civil Service for higher productivity.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office (SPSO) Olufemi Oloruntola revealed that the meeting was the third edition and the purpose was to deepen and intensify the ongoing reform process, pointing out that the reality of the current reforms was evident in the palpable transformation that the MDAs are witnessing.
“A good work has been done, but more work still has to be done on all the six pillars of FCSSIP25. It is remarkable that some MDAs are blazing the trail in their implementation of needed reforms. The OHCSF has continued to carryout quarterly performance tracking of MDAs implementation of FCSSIP25 reforms”.
“While some MDAs are populating their reporting templates seamlessly, some others are having difficulties rendering reports on their performance. In all of this, the Directors of Reforms have important roles to play to ensure that their MDAs are up to date on the FCSSIP25 implementation matrix.
“As you must have noticed, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation issued commendation letters to some Permanent Secretaries during this year’s Civil Service Week. Officers who are from these MDAs should consider themselves part of the team commended. We all must strive to receive such commendation.
“It is instructive that today’s meeting is the first since the new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) was inaugurated, and the focus of this meeting is on how to consolidate the gains of FCSSIP25 reform under a new climate,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary ,SPSO stated that the new administration is looking-up to civil servants to assist in delivering the “Renewed Hope Agenda”, pointing out that “We must therefore, dig deep and come up with endearing innovations to prove our capacity to deliver”.
Highlight of the event was the paper presentations on the Management of Change in Political Transitions, Capability Building and Talent Management to suit the peculiarities of the MDAs.
