MDPI and The African Union host seminar on Enhancing Productivity for Better Public Service delivery in Africa; Capacity building program for States Parties to the African Charter on Public Service

The need to unlock the human and institutional potential for the public sector to drive quality public service delivery, heighten the fight against corruption and good governance in Public and Administration sectors in the continent, remains of enormous interest to the African Union.

The capacity building Seminar on improving productivity in Public administration in Africa kicked off on 20 August 2019. This seminar is organized by the Department of Political Affairs in collaboration with the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) of the Republic of Ghana and the African Management Development Institute Network( AMDIN).

The main objective of the three-days seminar is therefore to develop the managerial capacity of public sector organizations in Africa to better plan, implement, monitor and evaluate institutional actions using the productivity improvement program to enable them to meet challenges related to the causes, effects and symptoms of low productivity in their organizations. The seminar aims to:

• Provide knowledge of workplace productivity improvement techniques to increase levels of productivity and quality in public service organizations;

• Help participants better design action plans to promote increased productivity in their respective organizations leading to effective citizen-centered service delivery.

Speaking on behalf of the Director for Political Affairs of the African Union Mr. Issaka GARBA ABDOU, Coordinator of the AU Specialized Technical Committee No. 8, first expressed the recognition of the African Union Commission to the Government of Ghana for the necessary arrangements made to host this seminar and for the hospitality extended to all participants. He recalled the Objective 12 of Aspiration 3 of Agenda 2063 of the African Union which envisions ‘’Professional, effective, accountable, impartial and without corruption “. To achieve this level of effectiveness, he stressed that it is necessary to provide optimal training in order to strengthen States Parties capacity and understanding of the importance in being productive in the delivery of services to its citizens on a daily basis.

Mr. Garba then underlined that this seminar is organized in accordance with a recommendation third ordinary session of the AU-STC8 as per the provisions of Article 23 (2) (f) of the Charter, requesting the African Union Commission to mobilize the necessary resources to assist States Parties in building their capacities for the implementation of the Charter. Finally, He wish to all participants a fruitful capacity building seminar.

Mr, Kweku odame-takyi, Director General of the Ghana Management Development Institute, in his remarks, Mr Kweku welcomed all participants and thanked them for their participation in this important Seminar and expressed sincere appreciation to the AUC and Organizing Committee in adequately preparing this event in Accra, Republic of Ghana. Finally, he encouraged everyone to be focus during this seminar.

Mr Patrick Tandoh-Offin, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) of Ghana, welcomed all participants at this training and thanked the African Union Commission (AUC) for choosing and letting the MDPI as well as the Government of Ghana to host this very important and vital event. He emphasized on the need for countries to strengthen their productivity through the institutionalization of competitiveness between public institutions for better delivery of services to the citizens. He re-iterated the fact that the issue of productivity is taking very seriously by them and happy to have the State parties to the African Charter on Public Service and Administration on board for this training and thereby once more expressed their gratitude to the AUC, whom as an agency in advancing economic transformation has finally brought the Member States here, to begin the discussion and reflection on the importance of productivity and how to best institutionalize in Africa. He then concluded by thanking all on behalf of the board for their presence and declared the training officially open.

The African Charter on the Values and Principles of Civil Service and Administration was adopted at the 16th ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Addis January 31, 2011. The Charter is the first legally binding regional public service instrument which serves to promote and improve quality public service delivery including fighting corruption in the public service. It serves as a roadmap for standard setting for quality public service delivery. Its tenets provide for principles, duties of the public service, code of conduct for public service agents, rights of public service agents, management of human resources, member states’ responsibilities toward service delivery as well as mechanisms for application of the Charter.

MDPI and The AU