For institutionalizing the Performance Management Strategy (PMS) in the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the Permanent Secretary, Engineer Faruk Yusuf Yabo, has disclosed that the Ministry has started recording some appreciable milestones right from its inception.
He made the remark while addressing the top Management staff and the Ministry's champions during the maiden Ministerial PMS Review Session while observing the PMS Day in Abuja.
The Ministry had observed its maiden PMS Day to review the level of progress made in line with the directive of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
Engineer Faruk, in a statement by the DD ( Press & PRU), Kania Maliki Andeyaba, said "We have definitely made progress during the year as we have been able to convert our system to a digital system within the shortest possible time.
"We have also been able to develop our Work Plan even with the little resources at our disposal", he added.
He said that the foundation of progress in any sphere of the civil service is predicated on justice and fairness, which requires everyone to be treated fairly.
According to him, the PMS vision, which is the initiative of the Head of Service, has granted the ministry the opportunity to come together every Thursday of every week to interact, access and collaborate on the progress being made.
He, therefore, charged the drivers of PMS in the ministry to see the unique opportunity offered them by the Civil Service to unite, show serious commitment to, and exhibit real sacrifice in order to make it work as expected.
The Permanent Secretary also charged them to be the guiding and leading lights in driving the project of digitalization in the entire System which the Digital Economy and the ICT sector is the main anchor for fulfilling the presidential eight key priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda with the view to meeting the expectations and needs of Nigerians.
He underscored the importance of a vibrant civil service without which no nation in the world can move forward, adding "For any ministry to move forward that depends on the stability of the Civil Service"
He said that recently, he led a Nigerian delegation to India and they noticed the country's advanced and developed civil service that cannot be matched.
He was thrilled by the commitment of the Indian government through her ministries and the understanding of their civil servants to the concept of development which according to him, he wants all civil servants to take up those responsibilities here so as to move Nigeria forward too.
Engineer Faruk stressed that the introduction of Performance Management Strategy as a new appraisal system by Mrs Didi Walson-Jack is aimed at repositioning the entire civil service which hitherto, over the years, was seen to be corrupt and non-productive.
He said that directors in the ministry need to have a befitting office space to work effectively because PMS cannot thrive without a good working environment.
According to him, the champions needed to be incentivized for optimal result.
Speaking at the occasion, the consultant handling the PMS technical matters for the Ministry, Mr. Ajayi, said that the ministry is making progress as it has achieved up to 60% to 70% of the work.
According to him, the ministry has so far developed its Strategic Roadmap, and the PMS structure is now in place; the ministry has organized a training programme as capacity building for the management staff with their champions; stakeholders' engagement within the sector was held; job descriptions have been developed, and the system which allows the transmission of official correspondences is now fully operationalized.
He said that what remains is the cascading of job descriptions to all the directors and to others down the ladder of operation, and for them to validate and sign on.
The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry, Mrs Comfort Kabirwa said while giving her opening remarks, that the very essence of PMS is for the Civil Service to operate in line with best practices; to modernize, and to ensure that everyone is conscious of what he or she is doing, and to do it well.