15 Jun 2017

Botswana’s public service has always thrived to improve productivity and service delivery through various innovative performance management systems and strategies.

Officially closing the 2017 public service convention, Assistant Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services on June 13, Mr Itumeleng Moipisi noted that this year’s convention had deliberately put to the fore one such strategy being the Work Improvement Teams (WITS).

“The aim of this convention was to foster the spirit of innovation in the public service in a manner that could stimulate our desire for excellence in our continuing quest to attain a high performing workforce,” he said.

He indicated that the WITS strategy, which is a vehicle for innovation and continuous performance improvement, had demonstrated the strength the public officers derived from working as teams in finding quick and lasting solutions to recurring problems.

“It also offers itself as an avenue through which we share our experiences and best practices in the execution of our responsibilities,” continued Mr Moipisi.

Speaking on this year’s theme of The Future is Now: Accelerating Public Service Innovation for 2030, the assistant minister noted that gone are days when innovation was considered to be an exclusive preserve of the private sector.

“Innovation has transformed from being a mere technical or scientific term and it has become a way of life. Our customers, being the communities we serve every day, demand that we provide them with top quality service and we can only do so if we allow our systems and process to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing dynamics of the environment we operate within,” he said.

He added that the public service innovated through new approaches to service provision including accessibility, turnaround times, quality, engagement and participation to design and create solutions that harnessed the people’s creativity.

He said innovation was indeed an important element through which government could successfully enhance its governance and public administration platforms for the betterment of its society as articulated in Botswana’s Vision 2036.

Mr Moipisi emphasised that the role of public service employees could not be overstated.

“You continue to make a huge difference in the lives of Batswana and our economy in general. As such, I will elect to seize this opportunity to implore you to continue with your relentless efforts to come up with new and better ways through which you could serve your people.

Our pursuit of excellence and prosperity falls right on your laps and I know as I equally trust that it is a calling you have accepted with both of your hands,” said Mr Moipisi.

He said even though service delivery had been a priority for government, there still remained areas of concern where some delivery issues in certain quarters of public service still lingered, which in turn impacted negatively on the image of public servants.

“Government is concerned about lack of improvement in some of our implementation of service standards like poor project management, slow turnaround times, lack of accountability and poor policy guidance and non-responsiveness to public queries,” he said.

He called upon civil servants to embrace and remain alert to the 10-point agenda, which government had adopted.

“This 10-point agenda is testament to government’s effort to motivate and guide our customer-centric delivery aspirations, which could help us achieve our vision and priorities,” he concluded. ENDS