Reform Coordination & Service Improvement

DEPARTMENT OF REFORM CO-ORDINATION & SERVICE IMPROVEMENT

 In a Circular Ref No: SGF.12/S.11/C.4/I/170 dated 15^th December, 2015 Titled “The Need for Adherence to guidelines on the Reform and Restructuring of Ministries, Department and Agencies” issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation providing a framework aimed at reducing the cost of governance and improving synergy, effectiveness and efficiency in Government, the Federal Government of Nigeria reduced the number of Ministries from thirty-one (31) to twenty-four (24).

Few months after the inauguration of the new Administration in 2015, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) set up a Committee to facilitate the smooth takes off of the merged Ministries. Amongst other recommendation, the Committee proposed mandates, vision, mission, functions and Department of the merged Ministries and recommendation that further clarified and refined; and that additional work be undertaken to comprehensively restructure and reposition all the Ministries for effectiveness and efficiency. All these culminated to merging of the former Ministry of Police Affairs to the Ministry of Interior.

Thus, the Reform Co-ordination and Service Improvement Department is one of the newly established Departments by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), responsible for SERVICOM and Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPRS) matters.

It was established to perform the following key functions:

• Identify processes, systems and service gaps in the Ministry and develop interventions to eliminate such gaps.
• Manage and drive SERVICOM aims and initiative within the Ministry.
• Serve as a focal point for driving all change ,reform innovation and improvement effort within the Ministry in line with the overall frame work set by Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR); Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and other central agencies of Government.
• Develop and launch initiative to drive and mainstream a continuous service improvement Culture within the Ministry.
• Assist the Leadership of Ministry to articulate and co-ordinate their change Agenda in line with Service Policies and Standards.

THE PROGRAMMES/ACTIVITIES

The Programs/Activities of the Department involves such tasks as:

• Provision of SERVICOM Charters:-Periodic identification of the obligation of the Ministry to its customers and other Stakeholders towards the production /review of a SERICOM Charter;
• Grievance Redress Mechanism: Creation of Customers Relations /Complaints and Redress Mechanisms with an adequate feedback from customers for an improved service provision and delivery;
• Sensitization, Advocacy, Awareness Creation and Enlightenment campaign on SERVICOM, Reform and Transparency Initiative;
• Liaison with OHCSF and BPSR: will be maintained to key into Reform related programmers in the Public Service ,a constant liaison with OHCSF and BPSR will be maintained to key into Reform related programmers as it relates to the Ministry;
• Monitoring and inspection of the activities of SERVICOM Focal Officers in the Agencies Headquarters and Zonal Commands;
• Presentations and submission of monthly and quarterly reports to the Management Staff and SERVICOM Office in The Presidency and
• Capacity Building for SERVICOM Desk Key Officers and Ministerial SEVICOM Committee (MSC) members.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Within the three years of the present administration, the Ministry through the Department was able to record the following landmarks:

• Ensuring mandatory wearing of Identity Cards by members of staff during the office hours in line with SERVICOM principles;
• Punctuality to work with the introduction of Attendance Register;
• Construction and Furnishing of the Ministry’s Reception Area on the Ground Floor, Federal Secretariat, Phase III, Abuja;
• Sensitization Workshops on Effective and Efficient Service Delivery, Anti-Corruption and Transparency Initiative for Officers on Salary Grade Levels 03-06 & 07-08 at the Headquarters and its Equivalent Ranks in the Nigeria Police Force;
• The various Petitions and Appeals received from the Ministry, Zonal Offices etc. were thoroughly investigated and resolved;
• Monitoring and Evaluation of SERVICOM & ACTU Focal Officers in the State Commands to evaluate their level of compliance with SERVICOM & ACTU Ethics and Provision;
• The placement of SERVICOM Customers’ Suggestion/Complaints Boxes at strategic locations in the Ministry’s Headquarters, Phases I & III and Area Commands;
• Sensitization Workshop on Effective and Efficient Service Delivery, Anti-Corruption and Transparency Initiative for officers on Salary Grade Level 09 at the Headquarters and its Equivalent Rank in the Nigeria Police Force was conducted;
• The Evaluation of the Ministerial SERVICOM Unit (MSU) of the Ministry by Team of SERVICOM Evaluators from SERVICOM Evaluators from SERVICOM Office in the Presidency. The evaluation exercise was carried out on Wednesday 7^th October, 2015, the Evaluators expressed satisfaction with the Reform Unit on most of the items; and
• Sensitization Workshop on Effective and Efficient Service Delivery and Anti-Corruption and Transparency Initiative for officers on Salary Grade Level 10 at the Headquarters and its Equivalent Rank in the Nigeria Police Force was successfully carried out on Tuesday 10^th November, 2015.