The Local Government Service was established by the Local Government Service Act, 2003, Act 656 with the objective “to secure an effective administration and management of local government in the country”. The mission statement of the Local Government Service is “to support Local Government to deliver value for money services through the mobilization and utilization of qualified human capacity and material resources to promote local and national development”.
In accordance with its mandate the Service is to ensure effective administrative decentralization which is a major pillar in the decentralization policy as enshrined in Chapter 20 of the 1992 Republican Constitution. As a policy objective, administrative decentralization seeks to improve the administrative and Human Resource capacity of members of the Service to ensure quality service delivery.
To improve service delivery to the citizenry, it is required to first identify and set the Service Delivery Standards and then manage, measure and monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of these standards. This can be done by developing and implementing a robust Performance Management System.
This is why the Obuasi East District Assembly deemed it necessary to sharpen and re-orient the minds of its human capacity by organizing a day training for all staff on the 16th of June, 2023 at Obuasi old court at 10:00a.m.
Objectives: Performance Management
The objectives of the training were to:
- Identify the activities involve in the performance management
- Discuss the purposes of performance management systems
- Define five criteria for measuring the effectiveness of a performance management system
- Compare the major methods for measuring performance
- Describe major sources of performance information in terms of their advantages and disadvantages
- Define types of rating errors and explain how to minimize them
- Explain how to provide performance feedback effectively
- Summarize ways to produce improvement in unsatisfactory performance
- Discuss legal and ethical issues that affect performance management
Performance Management is about helping and encouraging employees to raise their performance and to enhance productivity, develop their competencies, increase job satisfaction and achieve their full potential to the benefit of the individual and the organization as a whole.
Service Delivery Standards are mechanisms by which transparency, accountability and mutual trust are ensured between duty bearers and right holding citizenry in service delivery. They establish the minimum levels of service delivery and serve as a means of improving client satisfaction. In order to improve service delivery and minimize potential conflict between the citizenry and public officials mandated to deliver services, it is first required to identify, set, comprehensively document and communicate acceptable and realistic service delivery standards to all stakeholders. This will facilitate the management, measurement and monitoring of implementation of the standards.
The service delivery standards include Participation, Professionalism, Client Focus, Transparency, Efficient & Effective Use of Resources and Accountability
Detailed training activities and deliberations:
Methodology
The training adopted a variety of methods in the delivery process which includes;
- Facilitation and presentation
- Discussions and presentations
- Brainstorming and stimulation
- Institutional experience sharing
- Case studies and best practices
And responsible individuals, particularly supervisors briefing
- General discussions:
Generally, the one-day workshop adopted other training and learning methods and used adult learning techniques to equip participants with basic skills, knowledge and in some cases, behavior change they may need to perform their duties and responsibilities for increased productivity. A mixed of this method that was applied are:
- Participatory learning approach to allow free expression of opinion.
- Lectures: this methodology was used to introduce the subject matter and allow deeper discussion of issues in relation to standing orders and responsibilities of assembly members.
- Questions and answers approach were also used to tease out important issues and best practice approach. Essentially it was emphasized that most of the issues in relation to the changes of facing the staff was bulk nature of appraisal forms and difficulties in the calculation of it.
- Participants were also put into groups to share and contribute to discussion questions.
- Discussions were also used to promote adult learning and sharing of relevant information.
Some of the discussion questions include:
- Describe major sources of performance information in terms of their advantage and disadvantages
- Define types of rating errors and explain how to minimize them
- Explain how to provide performance feedback effectively;
The facilitator led the participants to do diagnostics for practical work on all questions above
Question session:
At the end of the training session, participants asked questions and sought clarification in respect to existing practices at the Obuasi East District Assembly (OEDA). During the programme the Heads of Departments made several contributions and asked questions for enriched workshop. The venue was spacious and appropriate for the training.
Date and time / period of the training. Capacity building activity
The training was done in one day and scheduled as follows;
| Date | Time | Period
of training |
Activities/Models | Target Group |
|
16th June 2023 |
10:00am – 4:30pm |
1 day |
Performance Management System |
1.Heads of Departments 2.Entire staff |