By Fatima Saka
The Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack says that institutionalizing “Performance Management System” (PMS) is one of the key building blocks for repositioning the Federal Public Service.
Walson-Jack stated this during the opening of a Five day Ministerial Performance Management System Retreat on Monday in Lagos.
The retreat was organised for the Permanent Secretary, Directors in the Ministry, Managing Directors/CEOs, Executive Directors and Directors of Administration of River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) and Agencies of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
The Permanent Secretary remarked that the new Performance Management System is anchored on the principles of accountability, transparency, equity, and ownership and when fully operational would ensure that National Development goals are achieved which commenced from Monday 9th to Friday 13th May 2022 in Lagos.
She further revealed that the Retreat was organized in furtherance of the directive of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation that Permanent Secretaries and Directors of various MDAs prepare for the implementation of the Performance Management System as a priority area of the Federal Government’s second pillar in the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP25).
Mrs Didi Walson-Jack emphasized that the aim of the Retreat was to acquaint participants with the requisite knowledge and skills in Job Objectives Setting, Target Setting, Performance Appraisal and Rewards System.
These she explained, are vital components of the Performance Management System that will eventually replace the Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) currently being used to assess Performance.
While explaining that the Retreat presents a golden opportunity for participants to recalibrate towards adding value to their work to enable them serve the nation better, she urged the participants to remain proactive and continue to put in place structures and mechanisms to ensure improved and seamless running of government business and overall enhanced performance.
She further enjoined the participants to ensure that the objectives and outcomes of the Retreat are cascaded to all officers under them.
In her welcome Address the Director of Human Resource, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Jummai Idakwo noted that PMS contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organizational performance.
Highpoints of the Retreat were lectures on Performance Management System (PMS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and Learning and Managing Change amongst others.
Resource Persons present at the Retreat were Dr. Francisca Odeka of Frandek International Consulting Ltd. and Mrs Modupe Bankole of Diadems Global Support Services respectively.