Contrary to public perception, productivity in the public service is not that bad, according to the Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC) boss.
Speaking at a National Customer Service Convention early this week at the GICC, Thembo Lebang, the Executive Director of the centre, surprised many that he has a different view on the many years he has spent in the civil service.
“I have spent 20 years in the civil service, but I am not convinced that the government service is low,” he told over 200 delegates from government and private sectors at the GICC.
Botswana civil service has, over the years, said to have the lowest productivity compared to the private sector.
This has forced government to come up with initiatives, like Performance Management System (PMS) and Performance Based Reward System (PBRS), to encourage government employees to deliver more.
Some government servants were even relieved of their duties in a controversial deadwood exercise.
The two day convention moderated by inspirational service guru, John Tscohl, has attracted at least 200 organisational leaders from both the public and private sectors of the economy, including small and large organisations.
However, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Neo Moroka, told the conference that the convention is coming at a time when customer service is a challenge in the civil service and the private sector.
He said for the customer service to improve in the country, the leadership must take a lead.
The minister said that the public service is undergoing a review and restructuring that will increase the attitude of civil servants towards service delivery adding that civil servants need to understand their mandate.
“Every leader in government has a clear delivery targets and deadlines. The public service is undergoing transformation which aims at improving service delivery.”
“Service means delivering on the mandate of your organisation. It stands to reason, therefore, that in order to achieve service excellence one needs to understand the mandate of his organization,” the minister stated.
“This is usually articulated through the vision and mission statements. Key to service delivery therefore is an appreciation and understanding of the mandate of your organisation and a clear understanding of your role,” he added.
