The authorities of John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy on Friday said it has trained 450 Edo workers on change management.
Imuwahen Ajoonu, director general of the academy, who disclosed this to newsmen in Benin City, said the training which is for between level 8 and 16 is to enable the workers to drive the transformation process of the state government.
Ajoonu explained that the training was necessitated as a result of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government’s reforms on e-governance to improve transparency and service delivery of the workforce.
She opined that an understanding of the theories of change management, would equip Public Servants with the skills, knowledge and abilities required to become effective change champions and leaders.
According to her, for Edo workers to truly drive the transformation process, they must possess a strong understanding of change management principles. That is why we trained 540 public servants in three days at JOOPSA.
“The Edo State Government, led by Governor Obaseki has embarked on several ground breaking reforms such as; e-governance to improve transparency and service delivery.
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“The modules for the training were carefully curated to reflect the nuanced nature of the public service, equipping public servants with the necessary tools, to drive change,” she said.
Ajoonu posited that with the training, workers would be able to diagnose the obstacles to effective change management and contribute meaningfully to the ongoing institutional reforms in the state.
She added that by the comprehensive change management training, the state government is investing in public servants’ ability to lead change effectively, improve service delivery, and ultimately enhance the lives of the Edo people.
“The technological changes, such as paperless government operations and massive culture shifts, must be underpinned by continuous training to ensure that the civil/public servants understand the reasons for the ongoing reforms and their role in ensuring that the present gains are sustained way into the future,” she added.
Desmond Enabulele, one of the participants, said the change management training has transformed the way he approaches his work.
“I used to view change as a threat, but now I see it as a chance to make a positive impact.
“The change management training programme for public servants is a significant step towards building a more agile, responsive, resilient and effective public service that can respond to some of the most complex challenges facing our nation today,” he stated.
