The Ministry of Interior has commenced a Performance Management Workshop aimed at providing a structured roadmap for cascading the Performance Management System (PMS) across the Ministry and its agencies.
The Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations Department, Ozoya Imohimi, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the PMS would also help to strengthen the capacity of its key personnel by equipping them with essential skills.
The workshop, themed “United Front for a Secure Nation and Future,” marks the beginning of a series of training sessions focused on enhancing the overall efficiency and accountability within the civil service.
In her opening address, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, emphasised the significance of the workshop in aligning the Ministry’s goals with the Federal Civil Service Strategic Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 2021-2025).
She said the training serves as a foundational step in the transformative journey initiated by the federal government to introduce PMS across all ministries, departments, and agencies, and “is essential for fostering accountability, transparency, and result-oriented governance in the public sector”.
Dr. Ajani highlighted that PMS is a crucial component of the FCSSIP25, anchored on six strategic pillars, with the system playing a key role in delivering improved service outcomes.
She further noted the introduction of key performance indicators (KPIs), ministerial scorecards, and clear performance targets, all designed to drive results with precision and focus.
“By developing our scorecards and cascading KPIs, we will ensure that the Ministry and its agencies contribute significantly to national goals,” she stated.
The Permanent Secretary stressed the urgency of adopting the PMS, noting that the previously used Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) system had become ineffective.
“APER has been scrapped in the public service, as directed by the Federal Executive Council, and we must embrace PMS to establish a merit-based system that delivers value,” she reiterated.
Earlier, the Deputy Director Overseeing the Planning Research and Statistics Department, Christy Adeniyi, said the workshop underscores the Ministry’s commitment to addressing inefficiency and delivering quality service in line with the national development plan.
“As part of the PMS implementation, participants will be trained to develop performance contracts, which will cascade from the Minister down to the last member of staff, ensuring a clear and objective assessment framework,” she explained.
Adeniyi added that the Ministry aims to ensure all personnel have a thorough understanding of PMS, which will ultimately elevate service delivery standards across board.
The ongoing workshop is the first step in a series of training sessions that will continue over the coming weeks, including sectoral retreats and deeper dives into performance management practices.
The workshop which started on Monday 14th, runs through to Wednesday 16th October 2024, and aims to equip participants with the knowledge to monitor, measure, and reward performance effectively, ensuring alignment between individual and institutional goals with national development priorities.
Participants of the training included Directors, Heads of Department, and Human Resources and Planning Officers from the Ministry and its agencies, who are expected to play a key role in driving the implementation process.
