TRAINING OF TRAINERS WORKSHOP FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES

PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAMME

Group photograph of participants and dignitaries at the opening ceremony of the training of trainers’ workshop.

On 18 May 2009 in Harare, Zimbabwe, the Executive Secretary a.i. of ACBF, Edwin N. Forlemu, delivered a keynote address at the official opening ceremony of a two-week training of trainers workshop for Management Development Institutes (MDIs), under the auspices of the Public Sector Management Training Program at Africa University (PSMTP – AU). Also present at the workshop on behalf of ACBF were Franklin Mutahakana, Program Officer, Training Programs Department; and Rutendo Kambarami, Knowledge Management and Outreach Officer.

The PSMTP was launched by ACBF in 2004 with the main goal of improving the performance of the public sector through the provision of balanced academic and professional training in public sector management in Africa. The PSMTP has four programs on the Continent - namely, PSMTP-Dakar in Senegal to cover Francophone West Africa, PSMTP-Libreville in Gabon to cover Francophone Central Africa, PSMTP-GIMPA in Ghana to cover Anglophone West Africa and PSMTP-AU in Zimbabwe to cover Eastern and Southern Africa. Each of the PSMTP programs received a US$3 million grant for a period of four years. The general objectives of the program are to: (i) establish a sustainable public sector management training program; (ii) build/strengthen the institutional and human capacity of four institutions that host the Master’s Degree in Public Sector Management and to manage a network of Institutes of Public Administration/Management; (iii) provide graduate training leading to a Master’s Degree in Public Sector Management for middle and high level public sector managers; and (iv) establish a Network of Public Sector Management Training Programs in Africa using existing successful models implemented by ACBF.

The two-week training workshop will focus on carrying out a needs assessment activity related to adult training; developing training materials/modules; and equipping participants with skills to train adults (micro-training). Addressing the workshop participants, Dr. Forlemu emphasized that the public sector is a critical component of any nation. Therefore, there is an imperative need for an effective public sector. He challenged participants to keep in mind three important factors: (i) the vision for an effective public sector in Africa; (ii) the need for Africa to have a critical mass of leaders for tomorrow; and (iii) an ethical, exemplary and credible African public sector that is skilled and equipped with the requisite tools for transforming governance and accountability. He concluded by using the bicycle metaphor: participants need to “keep moving” so that the process of modernizing the state in Africa may go unabated.

Welcoming the participants, Prof. Fanuel Tagwira, Vice Chancellor of Africa University stated that the workshop for the MDIs is part of the process of re-tooling the institutes so that they can tackle the emerging development challenges, which among others, include the need to be results-oriented; to make a paradigm shift to market-oriented economic management; to de-politicize the public administration; and to provide vision and strategic planning. “In view of the foregoing challenges and the competitive global environment, the new African public sector manager is expected to possess not only the requisite traditional skills in personnel, financial and procurement management, but must also demonstrate competences in public policymaking and service delivery. In addition, the new public sector manager should be able to engage and dialogue with diverse domestic and international stakeholders in the public and private sectors on public policy issues.”

Delivering the vote of thanks, Dr. Dzimba, Director General of the Lesotho Institute of Management and Public Administration (LIPAM), expressed his appreciation on behalf of the participants. He recognized the hard work that ACBF and Africa University have put in the PSMTP and acknowledged the leadership role of the four partner institutions in the future results of the program. The twenty-seven participants were drawn from four partner institutions, namely, Africa University (AU), the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA, Zambia), the Lesotho Institute of Management and Public Administration (LIPAM), and the Tanzania Public Service College (TPSC).