By Stella Odueme
The Federal Government, through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), has held a one-day Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System – Human Resource (IPPIS-HR), Sensitisation Programme for Officers on Grade Levels 12 and above from forty selected non-core Ministries, extra-ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoSF), Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office (SPSO), OHCSF, Dr. Deborah Odoh.
While declaring the programme packaged under the Fiscal Governance and Institutions’ Project (FGIP), World Bank Assisted open, she disclosed that, at inception, the implementation of IPPIS focused mainly on payroll not the Human Resources component, given government’s desire to block financial leakages in personnel cost occasioned by the infiltration of ghost workers into the Service. She went on to explain that this created a gap leading to series of implementation issues.
“The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation commenced activities towards the implementation of the Human Resource (HR) module of IPPIS to bridge some of the identified gaps,” she informed participants.
Dr. Yemi-Esan noted that the HR component of IPPIS is among the six major priority areas of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP-25), adding; “I urge you to see this session and other laudable programmes supported by the World Bank towards ensuring and strengthening the implementation of the IPPIS-HR in the selected 40 MDAs, as a matter of national importance.”
She urged participants to concentrate on the presentations and transmit the outcome to their respective MDAs to ensure the institutionalisation of an IPPIS-HR that is reliable, credible and free from corrupted HR data. Dr Yemi-Esan acknowledged the support received from the World Bank, under the FGIP, towards ensuring the successful implementation of IPPIS..
While welcoming participants earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management (CMO), OHCSF, Mr Adeleye Adeoye, represented by the Consultant on IPPIS, Mrs Anne Atta urged non-core MDAs to be resolute in the implementation of the Module. Mr Adeoye mentioned that the implementation of IPPIS-HR in MDAs seeks to achieve the overall objectives of the scheme aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the storage of personnel records and attaining transparency, accuracy, safety and reliability in the management of personnel records. It is also aimed at facilitating effective management, reporting, as well as storage and retrieval of information.
He, however, noted with dismay that despite its introduction, since 2013, many Public Servants are still unaware of its existence and cannot differentiate between the various components of IPPIS. He further explained that the sensitisation programme was necessitated by a recent survey carried out by the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information, Service wide (IPPIS-SW) Department in the core MDAs tagged,‘Chat Room Forum,’ which showed that majority of Officers associated it with payroll, only.
According to Mr Adeoye, “the push to effectively implement the Module in the Federal Public Service will guarantee its seamless migration from manual administrative procedures to a digital environment, geared towards the attainment of a professional, meritocratic, technology-driven and world-class institution for sustainable national development. “The digitalisation of the HR component has come to stay in the Service and remains at the core of government’s efforts to improve effectiveness and efficiency in its operations toward improved quality and service delivery by reducing administrative cost, increasing transparency and the ability to make data-driven decision in policies and programmes,’’ he opined.
The programme focused on the following topics;
Introduction of IPPIS-HR Module, The Journey So Far; The Importance of Implementing the IPPIS- HR Module to Transit from Manual to a Digital Environment and
Roles and Responsibilities of End Users. Others include An Overview of IPPIS Payroll Implementation
Go Live Activities; Sanctions for Non-compliance with IPPIS-HR Implementation; Roles of IPPIS-HR Help Desk for Enquiries and Resolution of Issues; Demonstration of IPPIS Functionalities, as well as
Introduction to Reforms in the OHCSF under FCSSIP 25.
In a Vote of Thanks, the Deputy Director, IPPIS-SW, Mr Francis Ikyenge appreciated participants for their invaluable contributions. He also urged them to impact lessons learned from the Session to their surbordinates, through train-the-trainer workshops.
The IPPIS-SW department domiciled in the OHCSF, has the statutory responsibility for the full deployment and management of the IPPIS-HR module in MDAs, which is being pursued in accordance with the intention of government. The project guidelines, design and framework, within approved timelines, is in line with the highest standards of public policy implementation.
