Improving Effectiveness in Public Service Through BPSR’s Self-Assessment Tool (SAT), By Aliyu Umar Aliyu
POLITICS DIGEST – For success and productivity in every organization to be achieved, there is a need for every Organization, Parastatal or Department to measure its performance to ascertain its strengths as well as weaknesses. By so doing, it will help the organization know where to improve and where to build on by making necessary adjustment.
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.
The self-assessment tool, which is readily available on BPSR’s website, is designed to establish baselines with the organizational strategic management approach from which reforms can be considered. As a strategic health check organizational tool, it will serve as analyzing tool which will depict the weakness and strength of an organization.
Notwithstanding, where certain weakness is identified, the tool will advise on necessary steps to be taken in other 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 organizational activities.one of which was deployed in NigComSat between the month of December in 2018 and February 2019 has enabled BPSR to carryout and validated assessment of key documents.
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The introduction and successful implementation 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.
The SAT which has over 100 questions ranging from Change Management, Strategic Governance, among others; have four sub-options and instructions which are scored on the acronym: GABR (Green, Amber, Brown and Red). If it shows Red, the issue needs attention, Brown stands for area to developed, Amber for well-placed and Green for excellent.
When the results are then accumulated, it provides an overall final result as well as specific and section scores. This is to say, if properly implemented, SAT can undoubtedly increase
the quality of the services delivery by MDA’s and PACs.
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 its advantage in reshaping the public service, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha issued a circular in November mandating the Bureau under the stewardship of its DG, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, to facilitate the proper implementation of SAT in all the Federal MDA’s.
After which the bureau will submit detailed reports on the implementation of the tool at the end of the exercise. For overall success, it is important that all MDA’s comply to ensure timely compliance to the proper implementation of the tool.
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 organizations to deliver effective public services. Indeed, this is a welcoming development that will undeniably increase service delivery, and will help consolidate the mandate of the bureau to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementations of reforms and best practices in MDA’s.
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