Speaking during the Zambia Society for Public Administration (ZSPA) 2017 International Conference Media Breakfast at Lusaka’s Radisson Blue Hotel today, Dr. Msiska in a statement read on his behalf by Permanent Secretary in charge of Policy Analysis and Coordination at Cabinet Office Bernard Kamphasa echoed President Edgar Lungu’s directive on the need for public officers to urgently deliver quality services to the Zambian people.
The Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde reports that Dr. Msiska also revealed that President Lungu have already started receiving quarterly reports from Cabinet Ministers on the progress made in implementing Government policies and programmes in all the sectors of the economy.
Dr. Msiska was however quick to mention that Government has continued to enhance capacities of Permanent Secretaries through training, affirming that recently a number of permanent secretaries underwent a training in what is dubbed “balanced Scorecard” which is a tool for Management in public offices, adding that this is to show that how serious the Zambian Government is about performance management in public offices.
Dr. Msiska also stated that matters of Gender Equity and Equality are of great importance and very strategic management to the growing country like Zambia, stressing the need for the values of performance and strategic management in public service to be supported by all Zambians.
“INDEED, MATTERS OF GENDER EQUI1Y AND EQUALI1Y ARE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO OUR COUNTRY. THE VALUE OF PERFORMANCE AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC SERVICE NEED TO BE SUPPORTED BY ALL ZAMBIANS”
“AS GOVERNMENT WE VALUE THE IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMANCE AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT. AS YOU ARE AWARE, HIS EXCELLENCYTHE – 4 PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA, MR. EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU RECENTLY LAUNCHED THE PERFORMANCE BASED CONTRACT SYSTEM FOR PERMANENT SECRETARIES AIMED AT IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF PUBLIC OFFICE HOLDERS”
“THIS WILL ALSO APPLY TO DIRECTORS VERY SOON. DURING THE LAUNCH, HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT DIRECTED THAT THERE WAS URGENT NEED TO DELIVER QUALITY SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE BECAUSE WE ARE IN THESE PUBLIC OFFICES MAINLY TO SERVE” Dr. Msiska said
Meanwhile, Zambia Society for Public Administration (ZSPA) President Kelvin Esiasa has commended President Edgar Chagwa Lungu for calling on every Zambian to be inspired with hard work so that every citizen can remain vital to Zambia’s developmental agenda.
Mr. Esiasa who also appealed to Zambians and all organisations in the country to consider the media as their partners as well as a vital instruments to national developments said the call by President Lungu for Zambians to arise and appreciate the values that are cardinal to the development of Society is welcome because that was a call to national Development or call to duty.
He added that ZSPA was delighted to hear the call from the president because the institution thrives on the same ideologies, stating that if everyone works hard it hasten development in Zambia.
Mr. Esiasa further noted that the attitudes that may frustrate the principles of hard work in Zambia must be discouraged.
“As you are all aware the Republican President his Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu has called on every Zambian to begin to appreciate the values that are cardinal to the development of Society”
“The President has called on many of us to be motivated or get inspired with hard work so that we all remain vital to the development of Zambia”
“As ZSPA we agree with the republican President and we feel this is a call to national Development or call to duty” Mr. Esiasa said
can this be extended to the office of the illegal president as well. Because that f00l is not doing anything apart from travelling and earning allowances at the expense of poor zambians. And yes i called that little sh1t a f00l and if not happy please you can come and persecute me. I am readily available at the UPND head offices in lusaka zambia. ASk for NEZ and I will meet you and give you 100 reasons why your so called president is a little sh1t and rat
Your bitterness and hatred will choke you to death. Slow down
You are very disrespectful and have earned yourself and your party a curse. YOUR PARTY WILL NEVER WIN AN ELECTION AWAY FROM YOUR TRIBAL GROUNDS.
Nothing tribal about a party that is supported by half the country. If upnd was tribal pf wouldn’t be scared to hear the petition because one tribe wouldn’t give victory to any party. So if you claim upnd is tribal then let us have petition so that you prove us wrong. What are you scared of you retarded son of a b1tch
Kkkkkkkkkk….!
But if someone was to be honesty, the country is in wrong hands.
This Msiska fellow has no serious management skills. The Zambian Civil service is in dire need of real discipline and reforms. Our civil servants are so corrupt that trying to get anything done in your own country is troublesome and stressful. I suspect he has outlived his usefulness as a top civil servant, he must get back to medical wards!
The current civil service has misplaced individuals occupying senior position. The current Sec to cabinet is medical doctor, Simon Mithi another medical doctor is at cabinet office receiving sworn affidavits every time the president is swearing on people, surely such cadre of professionals could be best placed in the right places.
If this was extended to State House…it would be an embarrassment as Lazy would lamentably fail!!
Allow me to add my voice on the issue of extending the Performance Based Contract System (PBC System) to Directors in the civil service. Whilst this sounds like a good idea likely to lead to improvements in the performance of these highly esteemed offices in the civil service, I would like to submit the flip side of the coin with regards to its implementation.
My understanding is that currently Permanently Secretaries (PS’s) are appointed and are not permanent employees of Government whilst Director, in most cases, are permanent Government employees who have risen through the ranks to those positions. I actually consider position of Directors to be the highest position for “Technocrats” in this nations. PS’s are not “Technocrats” per se as they are likely to be more politically…
PS’s are not “Technocrats” per se as they are likely to be more politically inclined since they are appointed by a political figure. I stand to be corrected. With this premise, it therefore, implies that the PBC System is applicable to political appointees who are engaged for a specific period. Hence introducing the PBC System to Directors would imply that they have to be retired from their permanent and pensionable contracts as technocrats and then engaged on the PBC System. A technocrat assending to the position of Director will have to be paid his/her full benefits and then engaged on contract basis.
That said. My concern therefore is that other than it not being economically sound (that’s what I think but I leave this to economists to determine), this PBC Sytem will just extend…
this PBC Sytem will just extend political influence in the civil service. Essentially is entails that Directors will be political appointees and will therefore be more politically inclined than being technical; unable to effectively provide proper advice to the political leadership on technical issues. Secondly, this system, should it be implemented in the manner I have afore-assumed, will reduce the level of career progression of technocrats in the civil service can aspire to. What I mean is that technocrats will only be able to rise up to the position of Assistant Director through hard-work since the position of Director will be relegated to political appointments just like PS’s.
In the first and second republic, civil servants would rise to the position of Permanent Secretaries…
In the first and second republic, civil servants would rise to the position of Permanent Secretaries through hard-work and experience. But those positions now depend on who you know or who knows you in the political arena. PS’s used to be technocrats who would have worked in the civil service and garnered sufficient experience to operate in those offices. But now that we have political appointees, most of them do not even have the relevant background experience and qualifications for those offices they now hold. Perhaps that would explain the seemingly poor performance of PS’s compared to those in the first and second republic and hence the need for PBC Systems just to ensure the perform well. I bet one may argue that previously, PS’s would perform well even without this system because…
I bet one may argue that previously, PS’s would perform well even without this system because they probably had the experience and qualifications.
I know this is long and my thoughts may not be well articulated but I just wanted to add my small voice to this proposed development.