FG Trains Civil Servants On Effective Manpower Planning

In a bid towards institutionalizing effective Manpower Planning and Budgeting in the Federal Civil Service in line with the 2017-2020 Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP), the Federal Government is organizing skill-retooling workshop for Directors and Desk Officers in charge of manpower planning and budgeting across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, in an address to declare the workshop open on Monday, 3rdSeptember, 2018, said the workshop is aimed at building capacity and inculcating in the officers, the right competencies in the real process of reviewing manpower needs with a view to addressing challenges associated with manpower planning and budgeting in the Service.

She said: “The right manning level with the appropriate skills set is a much-needed pre-requisite to actualize the lofty ideals enshrined in Mr. President’s Agenda for the Nigerian Civil Service and the transformation of the Civil Service as envisaged in the new reform initiative under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Pan, 2017-2020.”

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, represented at the workshop by the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Ayodele O. Folayan, noted that an overview of the Civil Service manpower planning has shown recurring trend of inaccurate database, poor statistics, unrealistic forecasts, extraneous influences with resultant overstaffing, and over-bloated budgetary allocations to cater for salaries, incomes, wages and other related fringe benefits of Civil servants.

Mrs. Oyo-Ita reiterated that the new Civil Service ethos of Efficient, Productive Incorruptible and Citizen-centred (EPIC) service must be brought to bear in determining appropriate manning levels, as well as check the recurring unrealistic manpower needs assessment undertaken by MDAs.

Speaking earlier, the Administrator of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Dr. Abdulganiyu Obatoyinbo, who was represented at the workshop by Mrs. Thomas Anthonia, said the knowledge acquired from the training will reposition Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to properly plan their manpower and budget for high-cost efficiency and effectiveness in personnel management.

The workshop with the theme: “Institutionalizing Efficiency in the Civil Service through Manpower Planning” holding at Keffi, Nassarawa State, is scheduled for 3rd to 6th September 2018.