Public service on continent lagging behind

FEW steps have been taken to improve public service in Africa, almost five years after the Charter for Public Service in Africa was signed by 38 African states.

At an international conference being held at Swakopmund this week to review the implementation of the Charter, Namibian Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila said establishing the charter was not enough – it had to become a living document. “For the public service of any country, the bottom line is its ability to deliver service expeditiously and fairly,” she said.Transforming African public service into modern, high-performance agencies was a prerequisite in meeting the continent’s challenges of economic growth, alleviating debt, fighting HIV-AIDS and raising the quality of lives of Africans to the level of developed countries, she said.Delivering the keynote address, South African Minister for Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said the wide scope of changes to the public sector could be a daunting task.The right institutions, administration and advocates driving the process were essential to implement such a large-scale transformation.Fraser-Moleketi suggested that all countries should adopt or adjust their own codes of practice to support the direction of the charter.She encouraged states to become part of the African Peer Review Monitoring process.She said this would give an overall indication of the direction in which their governments are heading.The norms and values that the charter stood for should be included when public servants are trained, she said.The biggest challenge facing the African public sector is to alleviate poverty at grassroots level, said Elia Yi Armstrong, Public Administration Officer of UNDESA (United Nations Department for Economical and Social Affairs).That was especially difficult when governments were battling with corruption or couldn’t provide stability and security.To prevent violence, manage conflict and develop future leaders are further challenges.Armstrong said the focus should now shift from creating knowledge and skills to implementing the process of good governance.The fight against corruption will be discussed today.”For the public service of any country, the bottom line is its ability to deliver service expeditiously and fairly,” she said.Transforming African public service into modern, high-performance agencies was a prerequisite in meeting the continent’s challenges of economic growth, alleviating debt, fighting HIV-AIDS and raising the quality of lives of Africans to the level of developed countries, she said.Delivering the keynote address, South African Minister for Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said the wide scope of changes to the public sector could be a daunting task.The right institutions, administration and advocates driving the process were essential to implement such a large-scale transformation.Fraser-Moleketi suggested that all countries should adopt or adjust their own codes of practice to support the direction of the charter.She encouraged states to become part of the African Peer Review Monitoring process.She said this would give an overall indication of the direction in which their governments are heading.The norms and values that the charter stood for should be included when public servants are trained, she said.The biggest challenge facing the African public sector is to alleviate poverty at grassroots level, said Elia Yi Armstrong, Public Administration Officer of UNDESA (United Nations Department for Economical and Social Affairs).That was especially difficult when governments were battling with corruption or couldn’t provide stability and security.To prevent violence, manage conflict and develop future leaders are further challenges.Armstrong said the focus should now shift from creating knowledge and skills to implementing the process of good governance.The fight against corruption will be discussed today.