Public Service Day symposium |23 June 2017

Translating results-based management into action

More than 200 public servants, members of the National Assembly, business, civil society and other partners attended a high-level public sector day symposium organised yesterday to mark Public Service Day 2017.

The symposium, held at the Savoy Resort and Spa at Beau Vallon, focused on strengthening public service performance: translating results-based management into action.

It was organised with the support of the World Bank that has been supporting public sector reforms; programme-performance based budgeting (PPBB) and performance monitoring and evaluation (PM&E).

Results-based management is a management tool to help deliver better services to citizens. It helps government manage the public sector with greater efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and transparency to achieve national goals. Following the adoption of the Results-based Management Strategy in 2013, Seychelles has been promoting its four pillars. These are strategic planning, programme performance-based budgeting, performance monitoring and evaluation and personnel management, including performance management. The roll-out is being conducted in stages, starting with programme performance-based budgeting, the most advanced, over performance M&E, being rolled out now, to strategic planning and will include as well the support on personnel and performance management.  Early examples of improved service-delivery can already be witnessed in key sectors.

Opening the symposium, Vice-President Vincent Meriton reconfirmed the importance of the RBM in the context of the administration’s founding principles of governance, transparency and accountability.

“Seychelles is ready to translate results-based management into action as the cornerstone for a new culture of good governance, transparency and accountability in our public sector.This new Seychelles, with its new economy and new social environment, cannot afford to be operating in a haphazard way.  We need to establish a culture of managing and performing for results in government using the concept of results-based management with its four pillars,” he said.

He recognised the partnership between the World Bank and the government to strengthen public sector performance, especially on PPBB and PM&E. He called on the audience to work together to roll-out the RBM policy.

The vice-president also recognised the progress in the different thematic areas:“The introduction of programme-based budgeting on its part, has given us more clarity and has enabled us to lay emphasis on strategic priorities and the attainment of organisational goals, while allowing for greater transparency and accountability. This means that strategic planning which gives us a sense of direction and focus for action, must be at the core of all that we do.  So does monitoring and evaluation of performance because we need to measure progress and decide whether we are on course towards set objectives.”

The vice-president also seized the opportunity to pay a fitting tribute to the hundreds of men and women who, through selfless dedication and sheer commitment, exert themselves day-in day-out to either fulfill plans and targets established by their organisations or do their utmost to attend to the needs of the members of the public they serve.

“Today’s public service challenges and concerns are complex and multi-dimensional. They require a multi-sectoral and concerted approach (effort) in being met successfully. Today, it is about how we, in the public service, can deliver more efficiently, more smartly and with greater success,” he said.

He ended by urging the public service to action: “It is now time to translate results-based management into action! Share your experiences; it will transform our public service. Share the lessons you have learnt, it will take our services to new heights”.

Helene Maiche, public sector reforms specialist, presented the RBM policy and its four pillars. She reminded the audience of the progress made: “In 2009 we streamlined government by cutting its workforce by 12.7% and began restoring the macro-fiscal balance. In 2010, the introduction of macro-fiscal measures continued and the reforms attempted to reduce further the size of the public sector by reviewing the role of government to concentrate on core functions. To rebuild momentum and to maintain and improve on our achievements a new reform measure was called for; government saw the need for a more results oriented public service with focus on improving public sector performance for more efficient, effective and accountable service-delivery.”

She then went on to discuss the benefits of RBM: “Introducing a results-based approach aims to improve management effectiveness and accountability. If we define realistic expected results, if we monitor progress toward the achievement of these expected results, and if we translate evidence into management decisions and integrate lessons learnt into future planning we will move on our national development priorities and programmes.”

Dr Kathrin Plangemann from the World Bank shared global experiences in public sector performance and lessons learned:

“In many countries, innovative approaches to public sector performance are taken to achieve results to enhance inclusive growth, service-delivery to citizens and greater private sector development. An integrated approach across different pillars of public sector performance is crucial to generate the efficiency and effectiveness gains. This calls for greater use of performance information across planning, budgeting, public service management and performance M&E. This will require broad-based political support, clear institutional responsibilities, organisational and individual accountability with the right incentives, the necessary transparency and a focus not just on the design of management systems and tools but on their actual use to improve services to citizens.”

The audience engaged in a stimulating discussion through panels on each of the pillars. A diverse set of government and other speakers, including youth representatives, discussed progress made, challenges and next steps.

The symposium concluded with a plan for action, including the move towards the national development strategy by the end of this year.