A workshop on new perspectives in Human Resources (HR) Management in the Public Sector aiming to explore current trends, and encourage critical and creative thinking in the face of challenges in HR management, opened, this morning, at the Westin Turtle Bay Resort and Spa, in Balaclava.
The Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, Mr Teeruthraj Hurdoyal; the Secretary to Cabinet and Head of Civil Service, Mr Premode Neerunjun; the Secretary for Public Service, Mr Koosiram Conhye; and other personalities were present.
In his address, Minister Hurdoyal highlighted the conventional role of HR and the need to adopt new strategies to face challenges as in the case during the COVID-19 pandemic which required a transition to online transactions. "It is imperative for the public service to embrace cutting-edge technologies to enhance the quality of life of the citizens by integrating digital technologies, tools, and platforms into government operations and service delivery," he stated.
The Minister dwelt on measures to accelerate adoption of innovative technologies and digitally enabled processes in the Public Service. They include: the implementation of the eHR project geared towards the endorsement of digitally enabled HR processes; introduction of a Sandbox Framework to promote the espousal of emerging and innovative technologies and the digitalisation of the Performance Management System.
Training, he said, is crucial in the development of Public Officers and highlighted that the public sector integrates training as an essential component within the Civil Service to cater to the professional development of all officers.
Mr Hurdoyal, outlined a series of measures to this end. These are, namely: setting up of the Civil Service College; allocation of a dedicated budget to all Ministries and Departments for training and development; and implementation of a Training Committee in each Ministry and Department to elaborate its annual training plan and ensure that Public Officers are provided with appropriate training to improve performance at work.
Government, he added, is constructing in Réduit, a state-of-the-art infrastructure to provide the Civil Service College with a modern facility poised to become a centre of excellence for training in the region.
He further pointed out that a high-performance organisational culture is a key driver of success and competitive advantage in today's dynamic business landscape and that HR Managers play a key role in shaping and fostering such a culture within an organisation, The Minister urged all HR Managers to develop appropriate training plans for officers of their Ministries and Departments, to undergo regular training to improve their performance at work while ensuring that the allocated budget is fully utilised.
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As for Mr Neerunjun, he said that the Civil Service, has undergone profound changes over the years and continues to play an important role in the socio-economic development of the country. The contribution of Public Officers cannot be undermined, he emphasised. For him, it is important to empower Public Officers by providing them the necessary resources and training so that they can better serve their organisation and achieve national goals.
The workshop, he underlined, will allow HR Managers to engage in insightful discussions to improve service delivery in the Civil Service. He appealed to HR Managers to take cognizance of the latest trends and to learn, unlearn and relearn to deliver efficiently.
For his part, Mr Conhye, stressed on the pivotal role HR Managers play in an organisation and spoke about the necessity for them to constantly be up-to-date with latest technologies to be a good and efficient Manager.
