Training programme now value for money – FG

Odimmegwa Johnpeter/ Abuja

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita has warned that training programmes in the federal civil service would no more be a welfare adventure that produces no value for the service. According to Mrs. Oyo-Ita, human capacity development is core to the Federal Civil Service Structural Implementation Plan (FCCSIP), 2020. She further noted that the first priority initiative of the FCCSIP is to redesign and re-launch 3 core- training modules, Structured Mandatory Assessment Training Programme (SMAT-P) and Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme (LEAD-P). She stated this while unveiling the 2019 Training Needs Assessment to the Federal Civil Service in her office in Abuja. She also revealed that civil servants training programme are designed and structured in a specialized format for effective results as well as improved staff productivity.

Oyo-Ita said 1,076 civil servant on grade levels 7-17 were requested to complete the survey, out of which 670 responded, for which they requested for training that are relevant to their areas of competences, contrary to general training in the past that were seen more like welfare package and for select few.

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The Head of Service said: “This is the first time we set out to do a detailed analogy of what the needs of the civil service are, according their own interpretations. All along, the training that have been done have always come from outside and imposed on us. Now, Civil Servant were given opportunity, through a survey, where 1,076 questionnaires were distributed to them and 670 responded.

From these 670, an evidence-based assessment was carried out through data analytics from which we arrived at our findings. From these findings, we’ve discovered that some of the preconceived notions people have about civil servants are wrong. For instance, a good number of the civil servants are computer literates, hence, there is no need for rudimentary computer training, almost 80 percent of them have gone beyond that, So, We now have that computer training will now be on the intermediate level. For those surveyed, the civil servants senior management, in areas that will guide them on leadership skills and so on. The middle cadre like from levels 10-14, were more interested in project management, strategic human resources.”