As part of the Civil Service Reform Programme (CSRP) 2018-2027, the Personnel Management Office in collaboration with the Public Service Commission and the Office of the Secretary General, held a validation workshop on the Performance Management Policy for the Gambian Civil Service on 17th February, 2021 at Metzy Residence Hotel in Kololi.
The validation workshop was attended by the Deputy Secretary General and Head of Civil Service, Permanent Secretaries and senior government officials from Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The Deputy Secretary General and Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Salimatta E.F. Touray, deputizing for the Secretary General (SG) reaffirmed government’s commitment and support to the Civil Service Reform Programme2018-2027, which aims to achieve a lean and efficient Civil Service responsive to the needs of the citizenry.
She further noted that the Performance Management System is among the key objectives of the CSRP 2018-2027.
She added that the competitive and comparative advantage of nations depends primarily on the performance and effectiveness of their governments, as well as their implementation of sound policies and optimal utilization of limited resources.
Mrs. Touray went on to say that the diagnostic report of the Civil Service Reform Programme 2018-2027 has revealed that over time, there has been limited adherence to meritocratic principles in recruitment, training and promotions of civil servants. In light of such challenges, there is a need to introduce a robust Performance Management System that will continuously monitor and evaluate performance of public servants on set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are mutually agreed upon.
“Therefore, a key prerequisite for the introduction and implementation of the system is the availability of a Performance Management Policy’’, Mrs. Touray affirmed.
In a final note, she reminded attendees that their role at the validation workshop is to scrutinize the draft policy document presented to them with a view to making it more realistic and responsive to performance management challenges as a government.
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Personnel Management Office, Mr. Lamin F. Jawara, has expressed in no uncertain terms that a sound performance management system will ensure that public servants are held accountable for what they are assigned to do. In this way, the discipline and performance of public servants will improve, thus resulting in enhanced performance within the Government, alongside its intended economic growth.
Mr. Jawara added that a well-coordinated Performance Management Policy will guide the smooth implementation of the system throughout the Civil Service, thereby ensuring effective and efficient service delivery.
The Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Mr. Lamin Samateh, on his part said that the performance of civil servants is critically linked to national development, hence the need to reform the Civil Service as they aim to make The Gambia’s public service the pride of the nation.
In his closing remarks, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Mr. Ousman Ceesay, thanked the Public Service Commission and the Personnel Management Office for spearheading the development of an appropriate Performance Management Policy for the effective and efficient implementation of the system.
He commended colleagues and other senior government officials for a thorough and participatory deliberation. Without wasting much time with his insightful and appreciative words, he finally declared the Performance Management Policy officially validated and workshop closed.
By Musa Saho
Communication Officer PMO
