The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) was established on 4th February, 2004 as an independent and self-accounting body charged with the mandate of initiating, coordinating and ensuring the full implementation of Government reform policies and Programmes.
The establishment of the bureau was based on the realisation that for optimal service delivery to the citizens by these institutions, there is the need for a periodic review of the performances of these agencies and the need for adjustments, where necessary for efficiency and Optimal productivity.
The Bureau, in furtherance of her mandate, has developed the National strategy for Public Service Reform (NSPSR) as a template and guide for the implementation of the reform programmes by government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
For success and productivity in every organisation to be achieved, there is a need for every Organisation, Parastatal or Department to measure its performance to ascertain its strengths as well as weaknesses. By so doing, it will help the organisation know where to improve and where to build on by making necessary adjustments.
To achieve proficiency and effective service delivery across every Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions (PACs), the Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR), in 2015 produced a guide which was complemented by an automated Self-Assessment Tool (SAT), which can be used to measure quality performance in public service institutions.
The self-assessment tool, is designed to establish baselines with the organisational strategic management approach from which reforms can be considered. As a strategic health check organisational tool, it will serve as an analysing tool which will depict the weakness and strength of an organisation.
Notwithstanding, where certain weakness is identified, the tool will advise on necessary steps to be taken in order to improve management processes as well as governance.
To be on the same pedestal with developed societies and global practices, the Bureau was mandated to facilitate the implementation of this initiative which will be very resourceful in attaining excellence in the performance and transformation of public services.
The self-assessment tool which has been successfully test-run in some parastatals, agencies and commissions, have been found to be a valuable mechanism to checkmate and improve the performance of organisational activities.
The introduction and successful deployment of the Self-Assessment Tool will ensure more efficacious implementation of the current reform initiatives of the bureau as it has judiciously outlined its four years strategic plan- kickstarting January 2020.
To paint the big picture of this self-assessment tool, it is designed in a manner that only serves as a means to improve management and institutional activities; thereby measuring and tracking the success attained throughout respective MDA’s.
Similarly, it will help boost the morale of the top management and employees by improving the eminence of their performances in every aspect of their individual or collective accountability by concentrating on better service delivery and governance to the citizens.
Understanding the advantage of the tool in reshaping the public service, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha had issued a circular in November, mandating the Bureau, under the stewardship of its Director General, Mr. Dasuki I. Arabi, to facilitate the deployment of SAT in all the Federal MDA’s.
Thereafter, the bureau is directed to submit detailed reports on the deployment of the tool at the end of the exercise to the Secretary to Government of the Federation. For overall success, it is important that all MDA’s comply with this directive.
As for BPSR, the data generated from the tool will be handy in helping ascertain where to invest resources in the future to better assist organisations towards effective public service delivery.
Indeed, this is a welcome development that will ultimately increase service delivery by public institutions and help consolidate the mandate of the bureau to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementations of reforms and best practices in MDA’s.
Aliyu Umar Aliyu
Aliyu Umar, is Principal Information Officer of BPSR. He can be reach via [email protected]
