This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
On this year's African Public Service Day, the theme 'Entrenching Good Governance: Developing Transparent and Accountable Public Institutions' puts focus on the quality of human resource in the public service.
Studies show that human resource management strategies have a positive and significant impact on service delivery. It's a response to the increasing public agitation globally that human resource should be at the centre of demand for transparent and accountable public sector institutions.
According to Article 234 of the Constitution, the Public Service Commission's primary responsibility is to ensure public service is managed by ethical and professional public servants accountable to the citizens while ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of the public service, recruitment and developing human resource.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the PSC has leveraged virtual technology to recruit and provide critical personnel in a timely manner to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) managing Covid-19. Interviews are conducted via WebEx and telephone to comply with the Health ministry guidelines.
The PSC has recruited 5,550 health personnel in all counties, including the director-general and deputy director-general and appointed the authorised officer for Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
The Public Service Commission has placed a call for the third round of the Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP), which aims to develop young graduates for the job market. The medium-term vision of the PSC is citizen-centric public service, contained in the Strategic Plan 2019-2024.
Before, public service transformation initiatives considered both online and non-online solutions almost on an equal footing. But paper-based solutions and face-to-face services are increasingly giving way to online services that are accessible remotely.
The shift to digital technologies is an integrated part of our transformation and innovation strategies. Specifically, the PSC intends to increase access to public services through ICT platforms, providing information and services as and where needed, focusing on the unserved, under-served and citizen service delivery pain points.
Mr Kirogo is the chairman, Public Service Commission.
