Regional Workshop Organized by CAFRAD 21-25 June 2010 -Tangier –Morocco

PROMOTING HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR:

CRITICAL ROLE OF HUMAN CAPITAL IN THE PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN AFRICA

Regional Workshop Organized by CAFRAD

21-25 June 2010 -Tangier –Morocco

ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS OF HUMAN

RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN AFRICA

Amb (Dr) Mohammad Ahmad WaliJune 2010

Structure of Presentation

1 Africa’s Concerns about HRM2 HRM: What Does It Mean3 Objectives and Significance of HRM4 Management of Employees5 Human Resource Practices6 Challenges7 Addressing the Concerns of HRM in

Africa8 Emerging Picture9 Reference




AFRICA’S CONCERNS ABOUT HRM

Low Productivity

Low Motivation

Limited Opportunity

Inadequate Remuneration System

Inadequate or Misplaced Training

Lack of Effective Performance Standard

Outdated Management Systems

AFRICA’S CONCERNS ABOUT HRM

Inability to fire People

Too few rewards for good performance

Poor Recruitment procedures

Inadequate or Demoralized Management

Underemployment or lack of stimulating work

Slow Promotion

Lack of reward for hard work & initiative




HRM: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

HRM

Utilization of human resources to

accomplish the organization’s objectives

as effectively and efficiently possible

Process of engaging people into an

organization, their advancement,

performance and disengagement from the

organization.

Managing employees in public or private entities to achieve

organizational goals




OBJECTIVES & SIGNIFICANCE OF HRM

UTILIZATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES

• Effective utilization of human resources for achieving organizational goals

STRUCTURING OF ORGANIZATION

• Planned structuring of the organization to promote and preserve harmonious relationship among the organizational members

CONDITIONS FOR HUMAN COMMITTMENT

• Creating condition for human commitment and motivation to work and loyalty to the organization

PROVIDING THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

• Providing for right kind of opportunities for individual growth and advancement

OBJECTIVES & SIGNIFICANCE OF HRM

HEALTHY INTEGRATION OF GOALS

• Securing a healthy integration of organizational and individual group goals

DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN ASSETS

• Planned development of human assets through training, counseling and even selective entry and exit policy, on the basis of scientific monitoring of performance

STRATEGIC PLANNING

• Strategic planning as the new mandate




Human Resource

Department

Other Department

s

Employment

Commission

Training Institutions

Professional Bodies

MANAGING EMPLOYEES

Human Resource

Department

Other Department

s

Employment

Commission


Professional Bodies

MANAGING EMPLOYEES

Provides leadershipCoordinates the management of employees

Homogeneity & HeterogeneityConflict resolution

Internal issues

Human Resource

Department

Other Department

s

Employment

Commission


Professional Bodies

MANAGING EMPLOYEES

Departmental responsibilitiesExternal matters

Human Resource

Department

Other Department

s

Employment

Commission


Professional Bodies

MANAGING EMPLOYEES

Human Resource

Department

Other Department

s

Employment

Commission


Professional Bodies

MANAGING EMPLOYEES

Human Resource

Department

Other Department

s

Employment

Commission


Professional Bodies

MANAGING EMPLOYEES

The importance of the subject is underlined by the eighth World Congress on HR 2000, held in Paris, where a major theme was the changing focus of HR from operational matters to strategic considerations.




HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES

Job analysis

Recruitment

Performance appraisals

Motivationwelfare

protection

Promotion/ Transfers

Ethical conductTraining/

development

Reward system

Labour relations

Processes of entry into, advancement within and exit from the organization:

Retirement

HR PRACTICESExternal factors on HR practices

New mandate: strategic planning




CHALLENGES

Renewed World of 21st Century: GLOBALIZATION

The world is becoming borderless and unfettered by national boundaries

Global production systems are formed and managed by giant multinational corporations

UN and the demand for transparency, accountability, service delivery have necessitated the need for more competent personnel to enhance HRM

Poverty issues and infrastructural inadequacies

Requirement for highly skilled and competent human resources to be able to compete within the global system

ICT has produced new world-wide industry standards in productivity, quality and efficiency and organizational success is increasingly dependent upon its successful application in human resource management.

CHALLENGES




African states must adapt to the growing globalization of the economy

Ensure economic growth and strengthen basic infrastructures

Modernize administrative structures through grasping new information and communication technologies

Establish an environment favouring public private partnership

Supported by a responsible, effective, efficient and responsive human resource management system.

ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS OF HRM IN AFRICA













• HR strategy is supported by information technology in the form of human resource information systems and workforce management systems• Success will come from

organizational capabilities such as speed, responsiveness, agility, learning capacity, and employee competence.







Ideas and Innovation






ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS OF HRM IN AFRICA– Human resources is the ultimate competitive

factor.– It is a highly complex factor. And a factor that

needs to be continually monitored, nurtured, renewed, and developed in order to result in desired organizational performance.

– HR department would need to assume a central role in helping organization fulfil its highest-level strategic and economic objectives.

– Successful organizations will be those that are able to quickly turn strategy into action, to manage processes intelligently and efficiently, to maximize employee contribution and commitment; and to create the conditions for seamless change.

INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

IMPROVE COMMITMENT

If an employee is to be productive, three elements must be in place: employee competence (ability to work), motivation (willingness to work), role clarity (clear duties and responsibilities), retention (willingness to stay). They mediate the relationship between HR practices and employee performance

organisational commitment has three components: A strong belief in and acceptance of organisational goals and values (IDENTIFICATION). A willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organisation (INVOLVEMENT) and a strong desire to maintain membership in the organisation (LOYALTY).

Human resource managers and executives can:




PROVIDE FOUNDATION FOR STAFF MOTIVATION AND ENHANCED REMUNERATION

Through effective utilization of HR practices, thereby putting the organization in a position of competitive advantage

Using good HR practices: recognizing staff needs & expectations, respecting the individual, being fair in treatment, providing stable employment, ensuring good working conditions, guaranteeing opportunities for career progression & personal development and observing the rules

By constantly seeking ways to use their resources more effectively and to improve efficiency to stay competitive



PROVIDE FOUNDATION FOR STAFF MOTIVATION AND ENHANCED REMUNERATION

Achieving organizational excellence must be the work of HR, by creating an entirely new role and agenda for the field that focuses it not on traditional HR activities, such as staffing and compensation, but on outcomes. HR should not be defined by what it does but by what it delivers - results that enrich the organization’s value to customers, investors, and employees



PRODUCE TRAINNG PROGRAMES (BOTH ON THE JOB AND OFF THE JOB) TO ADDRESS HR CHALLENGES, ENABLING EMPLOYEES TO BE:

Adaptable to changing situationCommitted to the gaol of the organizationMotivated to perform beyond expectationSkilled/re-skilled to cope with new technologies and realitiesEnergetic in their work and are Good team players

FACILITATE SPEEDY POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

UPDATE PROFESSIONALISM

STRUCTURE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

.

ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS OF HRM IN AFRICAHuman resource managers and executives can:


– Tangier Declaration 1994: Investment in human resources constituted an essential basis for the development of Nations and a principal factor for achieving progress and welfare.– Education– Health




SCOPE

Concerned with administrative, personnel and strategic policy to personnel function

New mandate for strategic planning: reducing administrative activities, through outsourcing of services: security, staff housing

Interest increasing in HRM knowledge

EMERGING PICTURE

GOAL

FOCUS

GEOGRAPHY

Efficiency and EffectivenessProductivityPerformanceImplementationService DeliveryOutcome

Best Practice

National to regional to global

EMERGING PICTURE

ASSETShifting from physical assets, financial capital and technology to intellectual capital (knowledge, skills and competence)

EMERGING PICTURE

Public sector creating enabling environment for itself

Competing with the private sector in the service delivery

Intense competition in the area of employment

Increased knowledge, skills and competence of employees

Complete use of ICT in the management of HRS

EMERGING PICTURE: OTHER ISSUES

Effective leadership, regional and international

experience, computer literacy and the ability to anticipate and respond to

change as potentially important factors

contributing to managerial success in the next decade.

Demographic change, globalization,

environmental concerns, and technological

innovation are just a few of the long-term trends

HR leaders must address.

Future trends will change the face of organization and the future of

work.

EMERGING PICTURE: OTHER ISSUES




REFERENCES

Bhattacharya, Mohit 2002. Public Adminstration. World Press:KolkataBruss, Sonja 2000. Tendencies towards the Strategic Role of the Human Resource Management Function: Four Seasons as a Control SampleDebrah, Yaw A. 2004. Human resource management in Ghana, in Budhwar, Pawan S. & Debrah, Yaw A. (Ed) 2004. Human Resource Management in Developing Countrie. RoutledgeDery, Kristine Frances 2003. How Do Organizations Align Human Resources Management with Information Technology? An Exploration Study of Four Australian Firms. Department of Management, University of MelbourneTessema, Mussie Teclemichael and Soeters, Joseph L. 2006. Challenges and prospects of HRM in developing countries: testing the HRM–performance link in the Eritrean civil service. Int. J. of Human Resource Management 17:1 January 2006 86–105

REFERENCES

Budhwar, Pawan S. & Debrah, Yaw A. Edited 2004. Human Resource Management in Developing Countrie. RoutledgeUlrich, D. (1997), “Judge me more by my future than by my past”, Human ResourceArthur, Jr., Winfred; Woehr, David /; Akande Adebowale; and Strong, Mark H. 1995. Human resource management in West Africa: practices and perceptions, The International Journal of Human Resource Management 6:2 May 1995

QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

Pattern of recruitment in African countriesPromotion, posting and transfer criteriaMeasuring performanceSalary classificationNature of incentivesCondition for disciplinary measuresProcess of disengagement from serviceHow, when and to what extent do HR practices affect HRM outcomes (HR competence, motivation, role clarity and retention)?How do HRM outcomes in turn affect employee performance in the context of African civil service?

Documents

Regional Workshop Organized by CAFRAD 21-25 June 2010 -Tangier –Morocco