For over two decades, I have been observing the deterioration of the Public Service. The main objectives of this article are twofold:
- For the general public to provide recommendations as to how we can prevent further deterioration;
- Examine the causes of said deterioration.
Causes:
Political Party Interference: There are instances whereby, Public Officers are appointed/promoted in positions simply because of their affiliation with the ruling part. This in itself causes other public officers to become bitter – a bitter person will no doubt provide bitter services.
Party allegiance: Many officers feel obligated to his/her party (whether it’s the ruling Party or the Opposition), this also can lead to poor service delivery.
On the flip side, I have experienced situations where a qualified supporter of the Dominica Labour Party, be appointed or promoted to a particular position. This officer spend years at a University, graduates top of his class and gets appointed to a position – automatically his colleagues view his appointment as political rather that merit. This too should stop.
Entitled Public Officers: Those who firmly believe that their number of years in a position automatically makes that position their own and refuse to share knowledge with others. Those who believe that upward mobility should only be based on number of years as oppose to quality of these years.
Public Officers who resist change even when it is good for them. There are some officers who refuse to embrace Technology. Some are fearful that the use of technology or too much technology will replace them.
Recommendations:
An organization that emphasizes merit-based promotions fosters a culture of healthy competition and productivity. … If promotions are based purely on seniority, employees may not be as motivated to perform exceptionally, considering that promotion is guaranteed on the completion of a certain period within the company. (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- Promotions and appointment in the public service should be based on merit. Political affiliation should never never play a role.
- The members and the Secretary of Public Service Commission must have a strong Human Resource background;
Conclusion:
There can be a variety of reasons for an employee to turn complacent. Experts say boredom in job, lack of proper alignment to organizational vision, or even an absence of potential career growth can lead to complacency. If you are able to pinpoint the source, you can take appropriate action. For this, the Establishment, Personnel and Training Department should play a vital role.
This article is deliberately short – my expectations are that persons reading this give feedback/recommendations etc.. and the authority can start making a few changes.
The Public Service is in trouble and it did not arrive there suddenly.
This article is copyright © 2020 DOM767