Excelling in public service delivery

Human capital is the key to public service enhancement. It is people, systems and processes that will determine effectiveness, and ultimately, private sector competitiveness

THE Prime Minister has sounded his clarion call. The Government will put people’s interest first.

It will deliver services that not only meet the needs of the public but also that of businesses.

The public service will fortify its strategic partnership with the private sector to enhance the global competitiveness of the nation.

A “whole-of-government” approach will be adopted to streamline service delivery, focus on national priorities and deal with issues holistically.

To achieve this, the Prime Minister has set in place the Government Transformation Programme comprising six key national result areas and key performance indicators for ministers.

He has also instituted economic transformation through the New Economic Model and the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Both the transformation programmes advocate the strengthening of the public service delivery mechanism.

Human capital is the key to public service enhancement.

It is people, and the systems and processes that will determine public service effectiveness and, ultimately, private sector competitiveness.

Indeed, the New Economic Model advocates the transformation of public human resource management (HR) to ensure a better fit betwe en skills and job requirements.

Transformation of HR requires HR managers to shift their focus from operational efficiency to results of their operations.

Such a shift will require them to devote half their time to strategic issues in HR.

HR is strategic when its function is aligned to business strategy, when talent management – recruitment, emplacement and career development – is based on competency requirements now and for the future.

Strategic HR will forge a shared focus on what the strategy of the organisation, and that of HR, should be.

Such a focus is a pre-requisite to expedite crucial changes for better public service delivery.

Strategic HR will enable the organisation to generate and translate ideas into impact.

It will embed leaders throughout the organisation to deliver results well.

And it will help retain public confidence in the public service. A number of initiatives is under way to transform HR in the service.

Given that it knows the bench strength – employee numbers, skills and capacity – HR now partners with line management to reset the strategic direction.

This resetting is to ensure the organisation serves the larger goals of the nation. People cannot operate in a vacuum.

They require enablers to produce the services and outcomes required of them. Enablers include structures, establishment and schemes of service, resources, information capital, systems and processes.

These combine with human capital to ensure organisational capacity.

Systems and processes, as well as rules and regulations, are being simplified so bureaucracy does not stand in the way of superior service delivery.

Technology – chiefly, the Human Resource Information System – is being harnessed to automate manual processes so that HR managers are spared time to focus more on strategies, such as advising line managers on how service delivery can be improved.

Schemes of service that describe the jobs to be done and the corresponding remuneration package are constantly revised to attract and retain talent.

As part of the transformation process, there is a better management of talent in the public service.

Government sponsorship programmes and a robust system of selection – through assessment centres, psychometric testing and professional interviews – ensure the right talent gets into the service.

Talent development, through continuous competency-based training, is rigorously planned and implemented in line with the National Training Policy and with the need to upgrade critical skills required for public service delivery.

Leadership for the future will require leadership to create value through greater focus on creativity and innovation in service delivery.

The public service is growing leaders who are able to seize emerging trends for better service delivery. Leadership development will increasingly take on this tack so that a culture of innovation is embedded throughout the public service.

Performance management through KPIs is another HR practice to instill a culture of performance.

Cash incentives are given for high performance. And, for talent that is not the proper fit, exit policies are being reviewed so there is no stigma in leaving prematurely and the individual is reasonably compensated. A good foundation has been laid.

There is still much to do. The public service has raised the bar on thinking, creativity and innovation for better performance.

HR has to make that culture a reality.

The public service has always risen to a challenge; the challenge of embedding a culture of innovation will be no except ion.

Source: The Star, Saturday, June 12, 2010