HOS tasks Perm. Secs. on speedy implementation of evaluation system

By Okon Okon

Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) on Tuesday tasked Permanent Secretaries to ensure the speedy implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS).
It can be recalled that the Federal Government had in 2023, introduced a new evaluation system called PMS, replacing Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER), to assess civil servants’ performances across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Speaking at a one-day retreat for Permanent Secretaries on PMS, Yemi-Esan said the implementation of the initiative was yet to meet the expectations as most MDAs were yet to key into the system.
The HOS explained that PMS was introduced as one of the key strategies to ensure better employee performance and
to meet organisational goals.
Yemi-Esan added that the system was essential not only to evaluate employees but to also manage performance evaluation.
She, however, commended the permanent secretaries for their efforts to ensure the commencement of the initiative in some MDAs, urging speedy implementation across board.
“The PMS has commenced, it might not have been deployed fully but definitely it has commenced.
”What we are expecting is that by the time for promotion, the assessment of civil servants will be based on the PMS and not on the APER forms anymore.
“Because this new PMS takes into cognizance how each individual is working towards the organisational goals.
“The Permanent Secretaries are doing their best but the important thing is for them to work faster and they must create a sense of urgency, ” she said.
According to Yemi-Esan, there is no going back on the decision that has been made on PMS even as President Bola Tinubu is keen on seeing both the organisational performance and also the employees performance through the new system.
She said, “I know quite a number of organisations, even public organisations, parastatals and agencies that have already commenced the use of PMS in their organisations.
“And I am sure that the Permanent Secretaries are aware of this. The issue is that, we need to work faster.”
The HOS also urged the permanent secretaries to explore what she called ‘ Cultural Change’, as the most focal enabler to bring about the rapid and sustainable implementation of PMS.
“As vanguards of the desired change, Permanent Secretaries
are encouraged to explore the following actions: Create a Sense of urgency, run with the vision, promote and sustain the call to action by removing barriers, ” she said.
Also, Mr Adeleye Adeoye, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, office of the HOCSF, said there have been remarkable results since the introduction of the PMS.
Adeoye added that the permanent secretaries were expected to re-strategise ways to meet the desired goals of the system as expected at the end of the retreat.
He added, “At the end of this retreat, we expect Permanent Secretaries to re-tune their strategies, fine-tune them, so that when they get back to their desks, the PMS which is one of the pillars of the Pillars of the FCSSIP 25 will be a front burner. “
According to him, PMS will be an applicable system by all other parastatal Agencies besides the core ministries.
“Apart from the core MDAS, we expect all the parastatal agencies, tertiary institutions to key into the system.
“This will be applicable to others, we are just concentrating at the core ministries now, very soon parastatals at one point to the other will join the system.
“We are looking at where we are, we still have a long way to go but then, I can say for those areas we have covered, there has been a lot of improvement between where we started and where we are now, ” Adeoye explained.
NAN reports that the retreat attracted the presence of Permanent Secretaries from different MDAs, Accountant- General of the Federation and other stakeholders. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani