Report on a Training Needs Assessment of the Somaliland Civil Service
Report submitted to: Dr. Abdusalam Omer, UNDP
Report compiled by: Mike Bicker, Education & Training Consultant
http://www.so.undp.org/
Report submitted in: January 2004
UNDP, Somalia
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to acknowledge the support of the ministries and government agencies and their staff who provided the data on which this training needs assessment is based. Without their cooperation the training needs assessment could not have taken place.
Above all, my thanks go to the team who conducted and supported the assessment: the seven assessors - Abdi Sahardid Askar, Omar H. Said Abdillahi, Jama Abdillahi Dhulqiyas, Mariam Abdillahi, Mohamed Abdi Allamagan, Mohamed Barud Ali and Abdikader Jibril Tukaale - and also to Aden Abdi Askar and Mahdi Gulaid, who stayed cheerful despite having the thankless task of summarizing the enormous quantity of data which was collected during the assessment.
Needless to say, any faults or omissions in the report remain my responsibility.
UNDP would welcome any comments on the report, which should be sent to: Abdusalam Omer abdusalam.omer@undp.org and Mike Bicker mike.bicker@undp.org
Mike Bicker, Nairobi, January 2004
UNDP, Somalia
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 Background
As part of the UNDP Capacity Building and Governance Programme, a 3-month preparatory study on civil service training in Somaliland was funded, which included a training needs assessment.
The Government of Somaliland (GOS) comprises a total of 25 ministries and 11 agencies. These employ a total of over 4,700 civil servants, according to Civil Service Commission (CSC) figures (2002).
The main objectives of the TNA were to:
- assess the general level of efficiency in the target institutions
- distinguish training needs from organizational problems
- identify a `core' of training needs across the target institutions
- quantify training needs
- determine the training needed to improve performance
- link job performance to organizational goals
- collect information for possible use on training courses.
The training needs assessment (TNA) targeted all ministries and government agencies. It also included two local government authorities, in order to make a comparative assessment of skills and capacities at central and local government levels.
The TNA covered staff at Grades A (the most senior), and B, and staff at Grade C holding clerical positions. The assessment did not focus on occupational groups with highly specialized training needs or which already have sectoral training provision, e.g. teachers. The target group totals 1,610 civil servants.
During the assessment a total of 472 informants, comprising both civil servants and members of the general public, were interviewed.
1.2 Findings
The main findings of the training needs assessment are described in Chapter 3, pages 14 - 31.
1.3 Implications for training
If any training programmes for the Somaliland civil service mounted in the future are to have optimum benefit, it is clearly of paramount importance that several structural and institutional issues affecting the civil service are addressed. These include:
- Completion of a civil service review, to include rightsizing and the consolidation of staff in ministries, agencies and departments so that these are of a sufficient size to be operationally viable
- Introduction of job descriptions for all positions, to include a definition of minimum qualifications and of the training requirements for the particular job
- Establishment of a pay structure that rewards staff adequately for the amount of effort they contribute and for the development of their own capacity through, for example, training
- Development of a comprehensive promotion system, linked to performance
- Introduction of a performance monitoring system in all ministries/ agencies
- Development of strategic plans in all ministries and agencies
- Development and adoption by GOS of a comprehensive training plan for the civil service, with co-financing agreements reached with major development partners
- Introduction of a devolved budget to ministries and agencies for the purposes of staff development and training
- A greater commitment to supporting the work of a human resource manager and his/her team within each ministry/ agency
- Creation of opportunities for greater information-sharing between ministries and government agencies, especially for sharing experiences regarding best practice in management and administrative practices.
In order to ensure that duplication is minimized and that the timing of activities is harmonized, it will be important for the main providers of external support to GOS capacity building, such as the European Community, UNDP and various INGOs, to coordinate their support with government and with one other.
1.4 Training priorities
The findings of the training needs assessment indicate that there are widespread training needs within the civil service, which include levels from senior management to administrative/ clerical grades and which cover a large range of subjects. A tentative training plan is at Table 6: An indicative Somaliland civil service training inventory, page 34. 8
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 Funding
As part of the UNDP Capacity Building and Governance Programme, a 3-month preparatory study on civil service training in Somaliland was funded. The study had three main outputs:
- A Training Needs Assessment (TNA) of the civil service
- The development of core training curricula, and
- A draft project design document to establish a civil service training facility.
This report documents the main findings of the first of these activities, the Training Needs Assessment. TORs for the study are at Annex A.
2.2 The Civil Service
The Government of Somaliland (GOS) comprises a total of 25 ministries and 11 agencies. These employ a total of over 4,700 civil servants, according to Civil Service Commission (CSC) figures (2002). This figure does not include employees of local government authorities (LGAs). There is a large disparity in the size of ministries and agencies, with the largest ministry, Education, employing over 1,700 staff, the majority of whom are school teachers, while the smallest (and youngest) ministry, Houses Coordination has just 7 employees. The latest staffing figures available are provided in Table 1: Staff figures by ministry/ agency.
The majority of ministries are headed by a minister, a vice-minister and a director-general, who is the senior civil servant, with staff divided into three departments, a department of administration and two other departments with sub-sectoral responsibilities. In a recent human resource development exercise, all civil service jobs were classified into four grades, A - D, according to their level of responsibility. The responsibilities of departments were also defined. This activity has not yet been extended to include the development of individual job descriptions. A right-sizing exercise has been carried out involving all ministries and government agencies, with the exceptions of the Bank of Somaliland and Berbera Port Authority. At local government level, rightsizing has been completed in relation to one municipality, Burco, while the others are currently in progress.
Table 1: Staff figures by ministry/ agency
Ministry/Agency ChairAud GenAcc Gen Dep'ty CmrDGDDA B C D Total1)
Ministry of Education 0000015438 935 23 30417062)
Ministry of Health & Labour 000001587 305 305 155858
Ministry of Finance 001101540 191 75 99413
Min'y Civil Aviation & Air 000001315 41 34 37131
Ministry of Interior 000001427 22 27 25106
Ministry of Livestock 000001322 40 27 11104
Min'y Public Works, Housing 00000149 47 26 13100
Ministry of Information 000001312 61 16 699
Ministry of Commerce & Industry 000001315 36 27 16983)
Ministry of Agriculture 000001326 31 11 1789
Min'y Rural Devel. & Environment 00000133 16 52 1287
Min'y Water & Mineral Resource 00000139 30 17 969
Ministry of Culture & Tourism 000001312 28 15 463
Ministry of RR&R 000001312 11 17 1862
Min'y Fisheries & Coastal Devel. 00000136 17 19 955
Ministry of Sports & Youth 00000121 30 9 1053
Min'y Posts & Telecommunication 00000135 21 9 544
Auditor General's Office 01010128 18 7 442
Min'y Religion & Endowment 00000132 14 12 436
Attorney General's Office 00000029 7 7 934
Ministry of Presidency 00000133 19 7 033
National Demobilisation Committee 00000137 9 7 633
Min'y National Planning & Coord. 000001310 7 5 632
Civil Service Commission 10004123 8 4 629
Ministry of Justice 00000135 7 5 627
House of Elders 00000105 5 12 427
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 00000136 3 6 524
House of Representatives 00000104 4 10 524
Ministry of Defence 00000131 5 4 822
Min'y Family Affairs 00000134 4 4 4204)
Supreme Court 00000017 3 3 317
Ministry/Agency ChairAud GenAcc GenDep'ty CmrDGDDA B C D Total
National Demining Agency 00000127 0 3 316
National Tender Board 00006100 4 2 114
Ctre Disaster Preparedness & Prev 00000 12 2 2 29
Ministry of Houses Coordination 00000002 2 3 07
National Bank of Somaliland 00000000 0 0 005)
Regional & District Courts 000000053 60 0 78191
TOTAL 1112103192877 2043 812 9044774
Key: Aud Gen = Auditor General; Acc Gen = Accountant General; Dep'ty = Deputy; Cmr = Commissioner; DG =
Director General; DD = department director; A - D = job grade (A being most senior)
Notes:
1). All figures are based on 2002 statistics, with the following exceptions:
2). An additional 100 new Education staff recruited for academic year 02/03 are included
3). Since 2002 Ministries of Commerce and Industry have been amalgamated
4). Ministry of Family Affairs has been created since 2002
5). Staff figures for National Bank of Somaliland were unavailable at the time this report was finalised.
2.3 The Training Needs Assessment
Objectives
The main objectives of the TNA were to:
- assess the general level of efficiency in the target institutions
- distinguish training needs from organizational problems
- identify a `core' of training needs across the target institutions
- quantify training needs
- determine the training needed to improve performance
- link job performance to organizational goals
- collect information for possible use on training courses.
Scope
The training needs assessment (TNA) targeted all ministries and government agencies. It also included two local government authorities, in order to make a comparative assessment of skills and capacities at central and local government levels.
The TNA covered staff at Grade B and above and clerical staff at Grade C. It did not focus on occupational groups with highly specialized training needs or which already have sectoral training provision, e.g. teachers, judges and court staff, doctors and nurses. The target group is shown in Table 2: Training Needs Assessment target groups.
Table 2: Training Needs Assessment target groups
Central government: Ministries 25
Agencies/Commissions 5
Other government entities 7
Total civil servants 4,774
Staff not targeted in the assessment:
non-clerical staff at grades C & D 1,385
headteachers, teachers 1,273
doctors, nurses 393
judges, court staff 113
Total civil servants not targeted 3,164
Total civil servants targeted 1,610
The Assessors
The TNA was conducted by a team of seven assessors selected from the Civil Service Commission and from private sector training and consulting organizations. The main selection criteria used in recruiting assessors were:
- Sufficiently mature to interview up to Minister level
- Working experience in public service or similar organization
- Good interpersonal and information-gathering skills
- Able to process information quickly
- Fluent in Somali and with a good standard of written English
- Able to lead focus group discussions
- Well organised and able to work independently
- Available for the entire 3-week period of the TNA.
Methodology
Before commencing data collection, the assessors were trained on data collection techniques and on the data collection tools to be used in this TNA.
The TNA used a mixture of data collection methods, including:
- Individual structured interviews
- Observations in the workplace
- Focus Group Discussions
- Self-completion Questionnaires
- Assessment Tests.
In all a total of 472 informants were met by the assessor team, either in individual interviews or in focus group discussions.
Table 3: TNA informants
INFORMANT NO.
Minister/ Commissioner 17
Director General 29
Human Resource Manager 20
Department Director 78
Section 56O
Other staff 254
Members of the general public 18
Total: 472
In order to enhance the reliability of the findings, data collected was triangulated across informants, as shown
in Table 4: Main TNA topics and informants.
Table 4: Main TNA topics and informants. Omitted
3. MAIN FINDINGS
3.1 Organisational structure
Following a civil service review in 2002, the number of departments in most ministries was set at three, which meant a reduction in the number of departments for several ministries. The new structure comprises a department of Administration, plus two sub-sectoral departments. The only exceptions to this are the ministries of education and health, both of which continue to have five departments.
Ministers/ Heads of agencies and Director Generals were asked to comment on the effectiveness of the current structure and to suggest any improvements. The majority of respondents, 30 out of 37 (81%), stated that they consider the current structure to be effective.
Question: Is your current departmental structure effective?
Informant Yes No DNR
Ministers / Heads of agencies 10 2 0
Director Generals 20 5 0
Total 30 7 0
Question: How could your current departmental structure be improved?
Response Number
By organising training on management and leadership skills..................... 2
By creating additional departments and sections ............................... 2
Reduce overstaffing ........................................................... 1
Creation of key sections ..................................................... 1
Need for GOS policy on civil service .......................................... 1
Reorganisation required ....................................................... 1
Structure is appropriate but lack of financial resources renders it ineffective. 1
Need for clear demarcation of responsibilities between DG and minister......... 1
Currently 10 departments, but plan to reduce number (LGA)................ ..... 1
Need restructuring (LGA)....................................................... 1
3.2 Training policy
Ministers/ Heads of agencies and Director Generals were asked about their training policy. The majority, 20 out of 24, of the ministries and agencies which responded do not currently have a training policy, although one further ministry stated that it has an informal policy and one of the two local government authorities (LGA) surveyed stated that it is planning to introduce a training policy in early 2004.
Question: Does your ministry/ agency have a training policy?
Informant.......................Yes No DNR
Ministers/ Heads of agencies/ DGs 4 20 1
3.3 Current support to training
Ministers/ Heads of agencies and Director Generals were asked for details of any support they provide to staff for training. The majority of the ministries/ agencies, 21 out of 27 respondents, provide no financial support to staff for training. Amongst those bodies which do financially support staff training, the maximum amount of funding by any ministry is USD 540 per year.
Question: How many staff does your ministry/ agency support for training?
Informant None 1-5 6-9 10+
Ministers/ Heads of agencies/ Director Generals 21 2 1 3
Funding is used for local training, i.e. in Hargeisa. Management, law and computer studies are the main subjects funded
and are taught at Hargeisa University, in a law programme supported by UNDP, and at private computer schools. In those
cases where ministry staff are currently studying overseas, e.g. in Ethiopia and Egypt, two ministries stated that they
assist staff in obtaining scholarships, but they do not provide any financial assistance.
Question: For which subjects is staff training funded?
Subject Number ministries
Computer skills 2
Law 3
Management 3
Water resource management (external funding) 2
On-the-job training in accounting, IT,English 2
Accounting 1
3.4 Role of Human Resource Departments
Human Resource managers (or any official who has HRD responsibilities) were asked to describe the role of their department in the management and implementation of staff training. Of the 20 HR managers interviewed, 5 stated that their department played no role in training. Of the other 15, only 8 appear to play an active part in the provision of training. The role currently played by HR managers varies greatly and includes: facilitating OJT sessions; organizing classroom-based training for staff on technical subjects; designing training programmes, in collaboration with international organizations. 15
3.5 Mission & objectives
Ministers/ Heads of agencies and Director Generals were asked whether they have a mission statement. 40% of the ministries/ agencies responded in the affirmative.
Question: Does your ministry/ agency have a mission statement?
Informant Yes No DNR
Ministers/ Heads of agencies/ DGs 10 9 6
The same informants were also asked to identify the main objectives for their ministry/ agency. A significant number, although less than half, of the respondents included in their response mention of providing a service to the general public.
Question: What do you consider the main objectives of your ministry/agency?
Response ............................................ Number ministries
To provide a service to the public, e.g. health services, radio programs 6
To manage our sector ................................ 3
To facilitate revenue generation for country, e.g. tourism 2
To extend to all regions ................................ 2
To implement policy................................ 2
To develop our own capacity ................................ 1
To provide a service to internal clients, e.g. other ministries 1
To represent interests of Somaliland, e.g. foreign affairs 1
Our annual workplan includes objectives................................ 1
3.6 Strategic planning
Just over half of the ministries/ agencies surveyed stated that they have a strategic plan. Those with a strategic plan were further asked how training and capacity building (CB) were linked to this plan. Seven, out of these 13, ministries/ agencies stated that CB and/or training were incorporated into their plan.
Question: Does your ministry/ agency have a strategic plan?
Informant Yes No DNR
Ministers/ Heads of agencies/ Director Generals 13 10 2
Question: How is capacity building & training related to your strategic plan?
Response ................................ Number
Training is included in plan ................ 4
Fully incorporated in planning, but we lack funds to implement 1
CB is required to achieve strategic plan ................ 1
CB is prioritized ................................ 1
Training is not included in the strategic plan................ 16
3.7 Performance in achieving objectives
Less than half of the informants consider that their ministry/ agency achieves its objectives.
Question: In general, do you consider your ministry/ agency is successful in achieving its objectives?
Informant Yes No DNR
Ministers/ Heads of agencies 5 5 2
Director Generals 8 11 6
Total 13 16 8
Informants were asked what they considered the main constraints to achieving objectives. While a large number were quoted, the three main constraints identified were inadequate financial resources, poor staff capacity, and poorly motivated staff. Several informants highlighted a cause-effect relationship between two of these: inadequate financial resources and demotivated staff.
Question: What are the main constraints to achieving your ministry/ agency's objectives?
Response Number
Lack of necessary financial resources 25
Lack of capacity in staff 20
Lack of motivation amongst staff 13
Lack of equipment 7
Poor pay 4
Lack of management skills 3
Lack of detailed policy 3
Lack of vehicles 2
Poor communications - transport & telecoms 2
Poor admin systems 2
Lack of international recognition for Somaliland 2
Lack of planning 2
Land to be used by Ministry (e.g. sports grounds) is privately owned. 1
Lack of independent status, rather than being a ministry 1
Lack of human resource management capacity 1
Low educational background - below upper primary - of staff 1
Lack of commitment from international agencies 1
Brain drain from ministry 1
Data needed for planning inadequate and scattered 1
Ministry role is weakened by INGOs 1
Staff shortage 1
Internal reorganisation required 1
Misuse of resources 1
Overstaffing 1
Lack of staff training 1
Internal power struggles 1
Little cooperation between stakeholders in the sector 1
Lack of capacity building capability 1
No constraints 1 3.8 M & E
60% of the ministries/ agencies surveyed do not have a monitoring and evaluation system in place.
Question: Does your ministry/ agency have an M & E system?
Informant Yes No DNR
Director Generals 8 15 2
In those ministries/ agencies which have an M & E system, it tends to be administered by postholders at senior levels, e.g. by the Director-General and a departmental director or, in one case, by the DG alone. In only one ministry were we informed that postholders at more junior levels are involved in implementing the system. In another ministry we were told that M & E systems were implemented only in the case of projects funded or jointly implemented by the ministry with international or local NGOs.
According to informants, the tools generally used are inspection visits (identified by 3 ministries/ agencies), questionnaires (2) and spot checks (1).
In one case we saw evidence of a functioning M & E system, in which the head of the agency played a regular and significant role in the implementation of the system.
Question: Who administers the M & E system in your ministry/ agency?
Response Number ministries
DG and department directors 2
Governor and DG 1
DG 1
DG and Director of Administration 1
Department directors, section heads, regional offices 1
3.9 General public feedback
Ministers/ Heads of agencies and Director Generals were asked about the regularity and nature of the feedback they receive from the general public, and the channels by which this is received.
The overwhelming majority of ministries/ agencies (80%) stated that they receive regular feedback from the public. This tends to be through informal rather than 18
formal channels. Of note is the fact that the media is a significant channel through which the general public passes their opinions to government bodies.
Question: Does your ministry/ agency receive regular feedback from the general public?
Informant Yes No DNR
Director Generals 20 1 4
Question: How do you receive feedback from the general public?
Response Number
meetings with individuals 14
general public write letters 9
through mass media 9
meetings with private sector/ community organisations 3
Community Education Committees (school-level) 2
meetings with elders 2
through community representatives 1
The main feedback received from the public is either complaints regarding service delivery or suggestions for new projects or initiatives. Only one informant identified feedback of a complimentary nature.
Question: What are the main messages in feedback from the general public?
Response Number
Complaints about poor service delivery 7
Suggestions for new initiatives/ ways to strengthen current provision 7
Complaints about level of taxation 4
Complaints about delays due to bureaucracy 2
Complaints about poor management (in schools) 2
People need greater assistance than that provided 2
Complaints about corruption 1
Complaints about treatment by staff 1
Complaints about understaffing 1
Thanks 1
Requests for jobs 1
3.10 Management styles
Ministers, Director Generals and Human Resource Managers were asked to identify examples of good management practice at their workplace and areas of weakness.
Question: What are some examples of good management practice in your ministry/ agency?
Response Number
Teamwork 26
Good working relationship between manager and staff 14
Delegation 8
Staff involved in decision-making 7
Collaboration between departments 7
Regular staff meetings 7
Good coordination 6
Good attendance 5
Managers are successful in motivating staff 3
Decentralised structure with good communication between levels 2
Human resource management 2
OJT system 2
Technically competent officials 1
Information sharing 1
Staff meetings minuted, minutes disseminated & follow-up conduct 1
Financial controls 1
Job descriptions in place at department director level 1
Managers and staff admit & confront own weaknesses 1
Supervision 1
Staff training, e.g. teachers 1
Integrity of staff 1
Motivation 1
Impartiality 1
Not unsurprisingly, given the variety in the organizations surveyed and in the managers' backgrounds, there was a wide range of responses to the question regarding managers' weaknesses. In addition, several of the weaknesses identified were specified by other informants as areas of strength.
Question: What aspects of your managers' management style would you like to change?
Response Number
Increased cooperation/ teamwork 8
Regular staff meetings 7
Increased delegation 6
Better management 5
Better HRD systems, e.g. job descriptions developed 4
Participatory decision-making 4
Managers should develop a strategic plan, including human resource 3
Better motivation of staff 3
Increased commitment 2
Introduce M & E system 2
Managers are harsh on staff, pressuring them to get results 1
Better communication between central and regional offices 1
Confidentiality 1
Improved record-keeping 1
Implementation of working hours in Labour code, i.e. 07.00-14.00 1
Introduce performance management system 1
Establishment of stronger links with the community 1
Better leadership 1
Greater staff involvement in decision-making 1
Poor use of physical resources 1
Introduction of OJT in all departments 1
Goal setting 1
The same informants were also asked about their managers' performance in terms of five specific behaviours.
Question: Do managers. ?
Regularly Sometimes Rarely DNR
involve staff in decision making? 22 23 4 1
delegate responsibilities to staff? 27 16 4 3
encourage teamwork? 34 12 2 3
have a positive relationship with staff? 37 12 1 1
hold staff meetings? 25 19 5 1
The managers themselves, department directors and section heads, were also asked to assess their own performance in relation to these same five indicators.
Question: Do you . ? Regularly Sometimes Rarely DNR
involve staff in decision making? 45 21 3 6
delegate responsibilities to staff? 42 22 4 7
encourage teamwork? 56 11 1 7
have a positive relationship with staff? 58 10 1 6
hold staff meetings? 22 31 15 7
Staff themselves were asked to assess their managers' performance in terms of the same five indicators. Most staff praised their managers in terms of relationship building and the majority stated that they regularly work as a team (although, of course, it is not necessarily the manager who builds the team). However, on involving staff in decision making, on delegation and on holding regular staff meetings, staff rated their managers less highly than the managers' self-assessment.
Question: Do you . ?
Regularly Sometimes Rarely DNR
get involved in decision making? 10 32 87 41
have responsibilities delegated to you? 57 27 31 51
work in a team? 88 19 23 40
have a good relationship with your boss? 79 26 13 41
have staff meetings? 29 30 71 40
3.11 Priority areas/groups for training
Ministers, Director Generals and Human Resource Managers were asked to identify their main priority areas for
training and to estimate the numbers of staff in their ministry/ agency requiring each training subject. Although
revenue collection showed the highest number of staff estimated to require training, this subject was identified by
only two ministries. Those subjects requiring training for large numbers of staff and across several (10 or more)
ministries/ agencies were: management, accounting, computer skills, administration and foreign languages.
Question: What are your ministry/ agency's training priorities?
Subject No. staff No. ministries
Revenue collection 236 2
Management 207 16
Accounting 172 13
Computer skills 167 15
Administration 133 10
Financial planning & management 113 7
Technical training 108 5
Professional training 97 5
Languages, English and/or Arabic 90 10
Personnel management 71 7
Leadership 70 4
Statistics 69 3
School supervision 50 1
Record keeping/ Information management 37 5
Budgeting 26 2
Laws/ Regulations 20 1
Secretarial 20 4
Auditing 16 1
Logistics 16 1
M & E 12 2
Staff discipline 10 1
Stores management 6 1
TOT for OJT trainers, e.g.section heads 6 1
Communication skills 5 1
Women's empowerment 4 1
Service delivery 4 1
Because the data from local government is based on only two authorities, one should treat their findings with a degree of caution. However, it is noteworthy that subject areas connected with finance, e.g. financial management, revenue collection and budgeting, rated high on LGA priorities list for training.
Question: What are your authority's training priorities?
Subject No. staff No. ministries
English language 80 1
Leadership 51 2
Human Resource development 45 2
Financial management 35 2
Revenue collection 35 1
Strategic planning 25 2
M & E 25 2
Budgeting 15 1
3.12 Constraints on staff release
Informants holding positions of responsibility, from minister to section head, were asked to identify possible constraints on releasing staff for training in four respects:
- Releasing key individuals
- Length of training
- Timetabling and the intensity of training, and
- The maximum percentage of staff away at the same time.
This question showed a wide variety in informants' responses:
- Releasing key individuals. Responses to this question ranged from an assertion that release would present no problems to concerns that it would be extremely difficult to release staff at department director and DG levels. Several ministries/ agencies stated that although release of key staff would be problematic, it would be arranged since capacity building is so important.
- Length of training. On the maximum length of time staff could be released, responses varied from 3 weeks to one year, with a median of 3 months.
- Timetabling and the intensity of training. While some respondents said there were no constraints on the timetabling of training, a significant number felt that training should be timetabled outside normal working hours, i.e. in the afternoon or evening. Of those who commented on appropriate timetabling within working hours, many were of the opinion that training time should be limited in intensity. Timetables suggested included: 2 hours daily or 3 hours x 4 days per week.
- The maximum percentage of staff away at the same time. On the one hand, some ministries/ agencies stated that they could release up to 60% of their staff at the same time, while others felt it would be difficult to have more than 5% away together.
3.13 Current HR policies/practices
Ministries/ agencies were asked to describe their HR policies on recruitment of new staff and on promotion. To both questions the majority answered that they had no policies since they followed Civil Service Commission guidelines and practices.
Four out of the 25 DGs interviewed stated that they were satisfied with the level of recent new entrants to the civil service. In only one instance did the assessor team see evidence of a well-developed HR system on promotion, with the agency in question having a staff appraisal system in place and quoting a total of 17 promotions in the last year based on supervisor reports.
3.14 Length of service
Staff from department director level down were asked how long they had been in the civil service and how long they had worked in their current ministry/ agency. Responses indicated that the majority of staff at all levels have been in the civil service for a considerable period, i.e. ten years or more.
Question: How many years have you worked in this ministry/ agency?
Informant 0-1 2-3 4+ DNR
Department directors 1 5 41 3
Section heads 0 2 19 4
Question: How many years in total have you worked in the civil service?
Informant 0-4 5-9 10+ DNR
Department directors 1 2 43 4
Section heads 0 1 20 4
Other staff 25 42 175 12
3.15 Efficiency/non-efficiency
Although the length of time assessors were able to spend observing work in ministries and agencies was limited, they were able to make various observations on aspects of efficiency. Not unsurprisingly, given the large number of ministries and agencies visited, there was a great disparity in assessor observations. Their observations which relate to a wide range of efficiency indicators, such as staff absenteeism, communication, information processes, are listed in Table 5: Efficiencies & non-efficiencies. The numbers in brackets indicate the number of ministries/ agencies to which the observation applies.
Table 5: Efficiencies & non-efficiencies
- The official working hours are not fulfilled .................................(4)
- Administrative/clerical grades of staff observed were working efficiently. (3)
- Staff attendance and punctuality good..................................... (3)
- Staff observed were busy.................................................. (2)
- Operations are at a low level............................................. (2)
- Staff are generally punctual
- Good teamwork
- Inefficiencies are a result of lack of equipment
- Paper management is effective
- Working hours - staff work from 08.00-14.00
- Staff attendance is very poor
- Most staff were at work
- Rules and regulations are not observed by all staff
- Poor application of Civil Service Law
- Some offices and sections were functioning efficiently
- The majority of offices were empty. Only two out of the five department directors were present
- General lack of understanding by staff of their roles, since they do not have job descriptions
- Although the Ministry staff includes several well-trained professionals, the lack of sufficient operating budget to implement projects results in them being underused
- Many staff were idle
- Staff knew what they had to do and how their responsibilities fitted in with those of colleagues. Staff working effectively as a team. Well developed systems of control, including daily checks of previous day's transactions. There are staff records, which include details of performance.
- Personality clashes adversely affect inter-departmental cooperation, with two departments effectively frozen out from involvement in decision-making
- Poor communication within the Ministry
- There are frequent complaints from other ministries about the length of time the Ministry takes in processing their vouchers
- The Ministry is practically at a standstill
- Lack of delegation
3.16 Staff strengths/weaknesses
Managers from DG to section head levels were asked to comment on their staff's strengths and weaknesses. Three main strengths were identified by informants:
- Experience. This translated into both technical expertise and working according to well-established routines.
- Commitment. Evidence for this included both honesty and regular attendance at work (although lack of commitment and poor attendance were also identified by many informants as weaknesses - see below).
- Teamwork. Staff were praised both for their teamwork within their section or department and also for good coordination between departments in the same ministry/ agency.
The main weaknesses identified by informants were lack of motivation or commitment, poor management skills, inadequate computer skills and lack of specific job training.
Question: What do you consider your staff's main weaknesses?
Weakness / Identified by: DG HRM DD SH Total
Lack of motivation/ commitment 8 7 4 7 26
Management skills 7 14 2 23
Computer skills 1 2 9 6 18
Lack of formal specific job training 13 5 18
Lack of practical skills 4 1 1 2 8
Lack of theoretical knowledge 5 2 1 8 16
Lack of/ poor basic education 1 1 2 4 8
Limited number of technical staff 3 4 7 14
High absenteeism/ lateness 3 1 1 1 6
Old age 1 3 1 5 10
Planning 1 2 1 4 8
Discipline/ don't follow rules 1 1 1 3 6
Poor communication skills in English 1 2 3 6
Lack of previous work experience in ministry 2 2 4
Coordination 1 1 2 4
Do not share ideas/ knowledge 2 2 4
Forecasting 1 1 2
Budgetary control 1 1 2
Lack of sources of information 1 1 2
Public relations 1 1 2
Corruption 1 1 2
Client focus 1 1 2
Management of physical resources 1 1 2
Poor performance 1 1 2
Report writing 1 1 2
3.17 Own strengths/weaknesses
Managers from DG to section head levels were asked to describe what they perceived as their own strengths and weaknesses. The strengths identified ranged from specialized technical knowledge to the possession of managerial skills, e.g. ability to motivate staff, leadership, and a sense of commitment. Weaknesses, similarly, encompassed technical skills, e.g. poor IT skills, and management shortcomings.
Question: What do you consider your own main weaknesses?
Weakness / Identified by: DG HRM DD SH Total
Poor computer skills 6 5 14 14 39
Own lack of motivation 5 5 10
Management skills 2 3 4 7
Project design and development 3 3 6
Ability to motivate staff 1 1 3 1 6
Staff relations/ control 1 1 1 1 4
Self evaluation 1 3 4
Coordination 1 1 1 3
Accounting 1 1 2
(Updated) Technical skills 1 1 2
Public relations 1 1
Decision making being weakened by political considerations1 1
Communication skills 1 1
Not following up on activities 1 1
Report writing 1 1
Approaching retirement age 1 1 26
3.18 Recent changes in job/impact
Staff at all levels up to DG were asked to identify ways in which ministry/ agency work practices had changed over the last three years and the impact these changes had produced on their own job.
Approximately one third of informants stated that there had been no change during this period. Those who stated change had occurred generally identified positive changes. The main changes highlighted were:
- Increased revenue flows to GOS
- Improvement in work environment, e.g. premises rehabilitated
- Establishment of semi-autonomous agencies under ministry supervision
- Increase in public demand for GOS services, e.g. school enrolments up
- Introduction of computers in ministries/ agencies, with a resultant improvement in staff performance
- Changes in workload - in most cases informants noted an increase in workload, although a minority noted a decrease, due to specific circumstances, e.g. the Saudi livestock ban causing a reduction in work for ministries in this and related fields.
- Increased responsibility - a significant number of both department directors and section heads noted an increase in responsibility.
Other changes identified by informants included: decentralization and the establishment of ministry offices throughout Somaliland; the introduction of strategic planning and OJT activities; improved working relationships with partners; restructuring within ministries/ agencies.
3.19 Education background
Staff up to department director level were asked for details of their education background.
Question: What level of education have you completed?
Informants G4 Pri-G8 Pri Sec'y Tertiary Prof'l/Voc DNR
Department directors 0 0 17 31 n/a 2
Section heads 0 1 9 15 n/a 0
Other 12 34 105 21 31 49
Key: Pri=Primary; Sec'y=Secondary; Prof'l/Voc=Professional or vocational training
3.20 Previous training
Managers from section head to DG levels were asked for details of training courses they had participated in over the last 2 years, either arranged by or through their employer or which they had organized themselves.
Responses showed that a significant proportion of managers received no training over this period. In response to the question "How useful was the training to your job?" the overwhelming response was that it had been "very useful". The majority of training described by informants was short course training, ranging from 2-day workshops to 3-week courses. There was little evidence of any medium- or long-term training having been provided.
Question: What training courses/ workshops have you participated in over the last 2 years?
Informants No training through ministry No training arranged by self Total respondents
DGs 12 22 27
Human Resource managers 6 16 19
Department directors 21 32 48
Section heads 18 26 37
Other staff 43 n/a 89
3.21 Level of computerization
Managers were asked for details of the number of computers at their disposal and of the main functions for which computers are used.
Of 50 department directors interviewed, 21 (42%) reported having no computers in their departments. According to both managers and staff, the function for which computers are mainly used is drafting letters.
Question: How many computers does your department have?
Informant None 1-5 6+ DNR
Department directors 21 26 1 2
Question: What tasks are your computers used for. ?
Response Dept Dir'rs other staff
Planning? 17 173
Budgeting? 14 77
Drafting letters? 32 121
Emailing? 6 70
Other? 11 36
3.22 Language competence
Managers from section head to DG levels were asked for their opinion of whether the English skills of their staff were adequate for their job and of what proportion of their staff had a sufficient level of competence to participate in training delivered through English medium.
Over 50% of the respondents thought that less than half of their staff had sufficient English skills for their job, while slightly less than 50% believed that a minority of their staff could participate in English-medium training.
Question: In general, are your staff's English skills adequate for their jobs?
Informant majority half minority DNR
DGs 5 8 11 1
Human Resource managers 2 1 6 4
Department directors 13 13 24 0
Section heads 5 2 13 5
Total: 25 24 54 10
Question: How many staff could participate in job training given through English medium?
Informant majority half minority DNR
DGs 9 6 91
Human Resource managers 2 2 5 4
Department directors 14 13 20 3
Section heads 5 2 13 5
Total: 30 23 47 13
However, when staff were asked which language they would like training courses to be in, the majority (70%) of respondents said they would prefer training to be through English medium, rather than Somali or any other language.
Question: Which language do you prefer training courses in?
Informant English Somali other DNR
staff not holding position of responsibility 119 42 10 61
An English language assessment was administered to civil servants, who were not holding a position of management responsibility. As a result of logistical and time constraints, it was not possible to conduct an assessment of informants' speaking and listening skills. However, it is believed that the reading assessment which was administered provides an accurate predictor of informants' ability to participate in training through English medium. On the basis of their scores, informants were banded in three categories:\
BAND DESCRIPTOR
A Competent vocational English user. Able to understand the overall structure and general meaning of a written passage on a moderately specialized technical subject and to extract pieces of information from the text accurately. If listening and speaking skills are of a similar standard to reading skills, able to follow a training course on a familiar technical area facilitated through English-medium.
B Reasonably competent English user. Able to understand the overall structure and general meaning of a written passage on a moderately specialized technical subject and to extract 50 - 60% of detailed information contained in the text accurately. If listening and speaking skills are of a similar standard to reading skills, able to follow a training course on a familiar technical area facilitated through English-medium provided that the facilitator makes major and consistent concessions to the needs of L2 users.
C English user at an elementary level or non-English user. Able to understand an English passage to a level insufficient to follow a training course facilitated through English-medium, if listening and speaking skills are of a similar standard to reading skills.
A total of 249 civil servants participated in the assessment. The results suggest that there is a small minority (less than 5%) of civil servants who have a sufficient level of English language competence to follow a professional training course given in English and benefit fully from that course, even if concessions are made by the facilitator to the needs of English second language users (i.e. Bands A and B).
Informants BAND Number % age
A. Competent vocational English user 1 0.4
B. Reasonably competent English user 11 4.4
C. English user at an elementary level or non-English user 237 95.2
Total: 249 100.0
3.23 General public's perceptions
In a focus group discussion with 18 members of the general public, participants were asked to identify qualities they wished to see in officials of the civil service and, as a group, to assess to what extent these qualities are currently present. A total of 11 qualities were identified. In none of these did participants believe the quality currently generally exists and in only seven cases did participants consider the quality to partially exist.
Participants were also asked to identify ways to bring about improvements. They identified the following strategies or needs:
- Common vision
- Functional programme (channel both sources of income adequately (Aid + Local Revenue)
- Fight corruption by Anti-Corruption squad
- The effective use of all laws & regulations
- Limited staff, so ensure the right person to the right position
- Generate diversified sources of income
- Staff Development
- Strict control / Discipline
- A greater delegation of decision-making, from ministers down
- Timeliness
- Staff Benefits
- Make government officials accessible to the public as a whole, rather than only to those who enjoy high status in society
3.24 Local government
Two local government authorities (LGAs), one regional and one district authority, were included in the training needs assessment, in order to provide the opportunity to make comparisons between central and local government capacities and needs. The two LGAs visited were selected because one of them has recently received substantial capacity building support, implemented by a UN agency, whereas the other has not benefited from such support.
The training needs of the LGAs are discussed at 3.11 Priority areas/ groups for training. In terms of current capacity, the main conclusions are:
- Both LGAs rate equally as well as central ministries in terms of levels of staff commitment and motivation
- The LGA which has received capacity building support rates alongside the strongest ministries as far as efficiency is concerned, while the LGA which has not been supported is on a par with average ministries
- The LGA which has been supported has taken the process of strategic planning further than the majority of ministries.
UNDP, Somalia IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING
4. IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING
4.1 Training and institutional development
If any training programme for the Somaliland civil service mounted in the future is to have optimum benefit, it is clearly of paramount importance that several structural and institutional issues affecting the civil service are addressed. These include:
- Completion of a civil service review, to include rightsizing and the consolidation of staff in ministries, agencies and departments which are of a sufficient size to be operationally viable
- Introduction of job descriptions for all positions, to include a definition of minimum qualifications and of the training requirements for the particular job
- Provision of pensions to civil servants, as a means of encouraging the elderly to go on retirement, thus freeing up vacancies into which the civil service can try to attract young secondary and university graduates
- Establishment of a pay structure that rewards staff adequately for the amount of effort they contribute and for the development of their own capacity through, for example, training
- Development of a comprehensive promotion system, linked to performance
- Introduction of a performance monitoring system in all ministries/ agencies
- Development of strategic plans in all ministries and agencies
- Development and adoption by GOS of a comprehensive training plan for the civil service, with co-financing agreements reached with major development partners
- Introduction of a devolved budget to ministries and agencies for the purposes of staff development and training
- A greater commitment to supporting the work of a human resource manager and his/her team within each ministry/ agency
- Creation of opportunities for greater information-sharing between ministries and government agencies, especially for sharing of information and experiences regarding best practice in management and administrative practices.
In order to ensure that duplication is minimized and that the timing of activities is harmonized, it will be important for the main providers of external support to GOS capacity building, such as the European Community, UNDP and various INGOs, to coordinate their support with government and with one other.
4.2 Training priorities
The findings of the training needs assessment indicate that there are widespread training needs within the civil service, which include levels from senior management to administrative/ clerical grades and which cover a large range of subjects. Subject areas, target beneficiaries and possible training mechanisms are listed in Table 6: An indicative Somaliland civil service training inventory. This table also indicates the role of a future training institute specializing in public administration, named here for convenience as PATI (Public Administration Training Institute).
1. Strategic planning
- All director generals, plus equivalent ppostholder from agencies
2-phase workshop: Phase 1 to develop strategic plan;
Phase 2 to share experiences on implementation and to refine
Run by Public Administration Training Institute (PATI)
2. Management
- Director generals, plus equivalent postholder from agencies
- Department directors
- (possibly) Section heads identified for future promotion
Comprehensive course covering self-management, management of physical & non-physical resources, leadership, team building, delegation, etc
PATI-run. Since release of beneficiaries is problematic, investigate best mechanism - modular? Part-time, e.g. one day per week?
3. Personnel management
- HR Managers
PATI-run.
Modular?
4. Management&facilitation of on-job-training (OJT)
- HR Managers (or equivalent) from all ministries/ agencies
- One further trainer from each ministry/ agency
Training needs identification, course design, methods of assessment, training methods, course management & administration
PATI-run.
Modular?
5. Supervisory skills
- Section heads
Introduction to self-management, management of physical & non-physical resources, motivating staff, team building, delegation, etc
PATI-run initially, then within ministries by HR Manager.Modular?
6. Administration
- administrative staff
- selected secretarial & clerical staff
Introduction to self-management, management of non-physical resources, paper management, etc
PATI-run initially, then within ministries by HR Manager.
Modular?
7. Managing meetings
- Director generals, plus equivalent postholder from agencies
- Department directors
- (possibly) Section heads
Chairing a meeting; acting as convenor/ secretary to a meeting; note-taking & minute writing
PATI/ SACB-Hargeisa? Modular?
Table 6: An indicative Somaliland civil service training inventory
8. Service delivery
- Director generals, plus equivalent postholder from agencies
- Department directors
- HR Managers
- Section heads
- Other staff in client contact areas
PATI-runtoDGs,department directors, then by HR Manager to Section Heads and other staff
9.
Financial planning&management
- Department directors
- Section heads
- Plus any other budget-holders
PATI/MOF.
Modular?
10. M & E
- Director generals, plus equivalent postholder from agencies
- Department directors
- Section heads
PATI/BankofSomaliland
11. Auditing
- 1-2 nominated staff per ministry.PATI/MOF
12. Accounting
- Accountants
Upgrading skills, updating on systems in use
PATI/MOF/Bank of Somaliland
13. Accounting for non-accountants
- Section heads
- Administrative/clerical staff with accounting responsibilities
Introduction to basic principles, government accounting, computerized accounting.
PATI/MOF
14. Revenue collection
- Revenue collectors. PATI/MOF
15. Statistics
- any staff who generate/ process stats.PATI/MOP
16. Computermaintenance/ engineering
- one nominated staff member from each ministry/ agency
Routine maintenance, trouble-shooting, system maintenance
PATI/private computer school
17. Advanced computerskills
- staff who are regular computer users at work and who possess MS Office basic skills
Courses in required software packages - to identify
PATI/private computer school
18. Basic computer skills
- given current low level of computerization in ministries, no immediate need
19. Communication skills
- Director generals, plus equivalent postholder from agencies
- Department directors
Oral presentation skills, report writing, proposal development
- (possibly) Section heads identified for future promotion
20. English for work
- staff requiring English for work
Reading skills, report writing, letter writing, PATI, Modular?
21. English for training
- staff accepted for English-medium training who require upgrading
Listening skills, negotiation skills, study skills. PATI
22. Stores management
- Storekeepers
- Other staff holding responsibility for non-physical resources
Run by HR Managers
3. Although not identified during the TNA, there will be need to provide induction training to new entrants to the civil service.
2. There will be a need to infuse and integrate into core courses cross-cutting issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention, gender and human rights issues, environmental protection.
1. Technical, job-specific training, such as for air traffic controllers and radio-station technicians is not included in this list. Information on needs identified in these fields will be passed on to appropriate, specialist organizations.
Annex A: Terms of Reference
Somaliland Institute of Public Administration Sub-Contract
I. Introduction
The absence of an established public administration institute in Somalia has proved to be particularly damaging
to development management in the country. Although UNDP has delivered a substantial amount of training to municipal
and regional civil servants in the northwest area of Somalia, known as Somaliland, during the past four years, there remain a number of problematic issues related to the delivery and follow up of such training. Through the creation of a public administration institute, the issues of both the effectiveness of training and overall human development can be addressed.
The major constraints found in all levels of the current administrations in Somaliland are primarily related to existing capacity and regulatory framework. Since the competency of Somalis found in country is not at its necessary level, significant problems arise during the process of staffing the ministries, agencies and municipalities. As such, a number of organizations are understaffed and functioning well below their required capacities. Additionally, there is no sufficient senior management cadre in the civil service who are in a position to assume overall supervisory responsibilities for ministries.
Further complicating matters, a regulatory framework to address the establishment of public administration training institute does not currently exist. Therefore, there is an imminent need to define and design a number of policy and legislative frameworks to address this gap in such areas as education, human resources and management.
Taking into account these various problems faced and issues to be addressed, UNDP is looking for an experienced, enthusiastic consultant to undertake this tremendous goal of establishing the framework necessary to create an Institute of Public Administration in Somaliland.
II. Background
Having faced devastating consequences as a result of years of civil war, Somaliland authorities have little infrastructure, resource capital, and other internal support to assist them in rebuilding their country. As a result, its development indicators fall well below an acceptable average in all categories, ranging from life expectancy to per capita income and literacy rates.
Deficiencies in management and technical skills, general infrastructure, and investment partners, are the major problems. With all of the burdens of salvaging this war-torn society, the government, with its limited capacities, has previously set its priorities at maintaining peace and security. Although this is critical to any economic and resource development, there is currently an opportunity to build on this established peace, providing solutions to humanitarian problems and institutional difficulties in the
Somaliland society. This opportunity must be seized before it lapses along with the fragile governance and economic structures currently in place.
The process of creating and maintaining a professional and stable civil service that contains motivated and knowledgeable personnel, who are able to perform their functions and tasks efficiently and effectively in an apolitical manner, is a key objective for Somaliland. The establishment of an Institute for Public Administration (IPA) in the context of scarce human resources, both in terms of number and also personnel capabilities, as well as limited financial resources, is a challenging task, which requires a well-established human resources management system. In this respect, there are three sets of issues that can be considered critical. These are, the capacity of local staff, human resources policy and management framework and the standardized training of civil servants.
Somaliland has a functional Civil Service Commission (CSC) that was established in 1994. The CSC is a public autonomous agency entrusted with planning and oversight of public staff. Over the past four years the CSC has undertaken a number of initiatives such as civil service reforms to right-size/downsize municipalities and selected ministries as well as training of civil servants, with the support of UNDP. In order to continue to support the process of civil service reform in Somaliland, UNDP seeks to strengthen public administration through the creation of a Public Administration Training Institute that will cater to the training requirements of staff in ministries and government agencies.
III. Main Objectives
The purpose of the Institute is to provide training opportunities to civil servants at the central and municipal levels according to demand. Overall, the objective of this contract is to enhance the effectiveness of public administration and development management through examining the Somaliland governance structure and establish a framework in which a public administration institute can function and flourish in order to improve the capacities of the civil servants and sustain their growth. Through this research, a comprehensive training needs assessment will be conducted and a curriculum for the proposed institute will be developed. Eventually, through this support, this government will finally have available the tools with which they can conduct their activities in an efficient, effective and prosperous manner.
This study has three principle objectives:
(1) To establish, in coordination with Somaliland ministries, and particularly the Ministry of Planning, as well as the Civil Service Commission, a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) detailing a coherent and realistic framework that would adequately respond to the development public administration challenges facing Somaliland today.
(2) To prepare an initial curriculum for the Institute, utilizing the TNA as a launch pad for fulfilling the needs of the public service community.
(3) To ensure continued collaboration between the Ministry of Planning, Civil Service Commission, and international aid agencies, such as the SACB, EU, UN agencies, and particularly the UNDP country office programmes.
IV. Specific Duties
A consultant will handle the specific duties employed to carry out these objectives, and hiring criteria will be based on experience, relevance and capacity. The duties will be conducted entirely in Somaliland through research, conferences and workshops, and will be done in conjunction with the Ministry of Planning and the Civil Service Commission.
Four major activities will occur during the course of the consultancy:
(1) Preparing for the Training Needs Assessment:
a) Update the 2002 Civil Service Commission Assessment initiated in Somaliland that provided inventory of data on previous training needs assessments and surveys in certain municipalities and selected ministries;
b) Design questionnaire and survey to be used in conducting a comprehensive training needs assessment. This questionnaire and survey should ensure:
(i) Collection of adequately representative samples of data in the appropriate size and structure;
(ii) Stimulation of ample input and active participation of the relevant ministries and municipalities in Somaliland;
(iii) Development of realistic and practical capacities within the civil service in Somaliland;
(iv) Distinguished components of institutionalized, realistic and harmonious capacity building processes at the central and municipal levels of civil service in Somaliland;
(v) Guaranteed achievability of results.
(2) Training the trainers on conducting the survey
(i) Establish training modules for instructing a group of 6 national trainers/surveyors in conducting the survey effectively;
(ii) Train the trainers based on these developed modules;
(iii) Examine the possibility of attaching these training modules to the Institute of Public Administration.
(3) Conducting the Training Needs Assessment:
a) Occurs following the preparations for the assessment;
b) Surveyors trained will assist in conducting the assessment;
c) Will be utilized as a baseline for curriculum development.
(4) Developing a Curriculum for the Institute of Public Administration:
a) Civil Service Training Management System
(i) Develop a Civil Service Training Management System concerned with policy issues, training coordination and quality control;
(ii) Utilize the data and information gathered in the Training Needs Assessment about the ministries and municipalities;
(iii) Set out planning, coordination, monitoring & evaluation mechanisms for the civil service training, and qualification enhancement.
b) Curriculum for the Institute for Public Administration:
(i) Utilize the developed Training Management System as the basis for the development of the Institute for Public Administration's curriculum;
(ii) Identify training areas for the Institute, using the Training Needs Assessment, and develop curriculum accordingly;
(iii) Development of both long-term certificate courses and short-term training seminars and workshops to meet the varying needs;
(iv) Provide a full, comprehensive curriculum to be used in the initial stages of the Institute.
(5) Project Document for Institute of Public Administration
b) Written in the requisite UNDP format.
Reporting and Feedback
Reports should be submitted to UNDP as follows:
- Comprehensive Training Needs Assessment and Completed Survey;
- Comprehensive Training Curriculum for the Institute;
- Comprehensive Project Document for the establishment of the Institute.
V. Qualifications and Experience
The consultant will meet the following requirements:
- Hold an advanced degree in civic education, social science, public administration, finance, or other related fields;
- Possess relevant experience in governance, and provide a curriculum vitae, of not more than three pages, detailing this relevant experience;
- Experience in writing curriculum for training institutions is essential;
- Experience in performing Training Needs Assessments, preferably in East Africa;
- Experience in project implementation and programming;
- Ability to work with closely and objectively with the Ministry of Planning and the Civil Service Commission;
- Familiarity with the Somali culture and political situation is beneficial;
- Read, write and speak fluently in English.
Additionally, the consultant must be able to:
- Work independently and creatively;
- Meet strict deadlines;
- Demonstrate computer literacy regarding Microsoft office, specifically Word and Power Point, and the internet;
- Work efficiently and effectively in a team environment;
- Coordinate with local experts and officials when necessary, such as through translation of documents;
- Coordinate with the Nairobi office openly and effectively throughout the duration of the contract.
VI. Duration of Consultancy
This consultancy will have a three-month duration. It will be based out of Somaliland, primarily in Hargeisa.
Annex B: Observations by Assessors
Staff strengths & weaknesses
- Staff motivation is based on future expectations
- Administrative/clerical grades of staff observed were working efficiently (3)
- Staff are generally punctual
- Staff are motivated by desire to learn (2)
- Some staff lack basic education (2)
- The lack of basic education may prevent staff from accessing training
- Good teamwork
- Staff observed were busy (2)
- Inefficiencies are a result of lack of equipment
- Staff were generally motivated (2)
- Staff lack basic skills and knowledge (4)
- Staff attendance and punctuality good (3)
- Paper management is effective
- Working hours - staff work from 08.00-14.00
- The official working hours are not fulfilled (4)
- Staff attendance is very poor
- Rules and regulations are not observed by all staff
- Some offices and sections were functioning efficiently
- The majority of offices were empty. Only two out of the five department directors were present
- Operations are a low level (2)
- The agency (Bank of Somaliland) has the financial resources to provide financial incentives for staff to perform well
- Most staff were at work
- Many staff are over the retirement age (4)
- General lack of understanding by staff of their roles, since they do not have job descriptions
- Low staff morale due to poor remuneration (2)
- Although the Ministry staff includes several well-trained professionals, the lack of sufficient operating budget to implement projects results in them being underused
- Many staff were idle
Management
- Staff meetings are held when there is a need to discuss a particular issue
- Staff meetings generally focus on poor work performance
- Regular staff meetings take place, in order to plan activities and assign tasks (2)
- Staff meetings include Minister (2)
- Most decisions in the Ministry are taken in a participatory way, with the exceptions of those affecting motivating staff and recruitment of staff, the latter being conducted by CSC
- Chains of command may be unclear, e.g. staff receiving instructions at times from people other than their direct line manager
- There is a perception amongst middle managers that there is insufficient delegation
- Job descriptions are not adhered to
- A functioning M & E system was in evidence
- M & E is used only in relation to specific projects/activities
- M & E takes place, with even the Minister getting involved in surprise checks
- Follow-up and evaluation of activities takes place regularly
- There is a lack of established human resource policy and procedures, which leads to inefficiency
- Although a strategic plan has been developed, details of this have not been shared with department directors and other staff
- There is a lack of team work
- Staff meetings are not held
- There appear to be good relations between section heads and junior staff. This may be because they perceive their positions as similar, suffering from poor pay and consequent demotivation
- Good relations between managers and staff
- The majority of staff observed were idle (2)
- Staff knew what they had to do and how their responsibilities fitted in with those of colleagues. Staff working effectively as a team. Well developed systems of control, including daily checks of previous day's transactions. There are staff records, which include details of performance.
- Lack of vision/mission, strategic planning and HR policies and procedures
- Lack of sufficient operating budget to fulfill mandated responsibilities
- Personality clashes adversely affect inter-departmental cooperation, with two departments effectively frozen out from involvement in decision-making
- Poor communication within the Ministry
- There is misuse of budget allocations
- There are frequent complaints from other ministries about the length of time the Ministry takes in processing their vouchers
- There are written responsibilities for each department, but not individual job descriptions
- OJT is organized within the Ministry (2)
- Lack of delegation
- Poor application of Civil Service Law
- Lack of a training policy detracts from effectiveness of OJT
- Heads of Section given limited responsibility
- Two departments appear to be non-operational
- Human resources are under-utilised
- There is a lack of accountability in the Ministry systems
- The Ministry is practically at a standstill
Physical resources
- Computer use generally efficient (5)
- Computer use generally inefficient (4)
- In some cases computers are not used for certain functions, e.g. details of court cases, financial accounts, due to lack of capacity to ensure security of information
- Although insufficient equipment, what exists is used efficiently
- Staff lack the requisite skills to make effective use of computers
- There is insufficient capacity in trouble-shooting and maintenance
- A high level of computerization exists, with staff records, accounts and other back-of-office functions computerized, although front-of-office transactions are recorded manually (Bank)
- Use of computers and other office equipment is constrained by power cuts, e.g. no electricity at one ministry for 2 days of visit
- Effective use of computers for planning, budgeting, data storage
- The effectiveness of computer use varies greatly between departments
- Half of the Ministry's computers are not functioning
Training
- Small size of ministry limits the number of staff who can be released at any one time for training
- Small size of staff means that finding somebody to cover while a staff member is attending training is difficult
- There are no constraints on staff release for training, since operations are at a low level (3)
- ODL would be appropriate (2)
- There is a need for training in project management and appraisal
- There is a need for training for staff at regional and district levels, as well as those in central ministry
- Training managers on how to motivate and manage staff is a priority
- Training is required by managers in project management and in institutional development
- There is a need for training in report writing
- Training in English language is a priority since the agency (Bank of Somaliland) uses English as its medium of operation in documentation
- Staff workload is high, even during afternoons (Bank)
- Release for less than whole morning would enable staff to complete essential job tasks
- The Ministry has allocated a small budget for staff training (Houses Coordination)
- Supervisory skills is a priority
- Training in internal auditing is needed
Other
- The level of Ministry operations has decreased in recent years
- Reporting arrangements between an agency and a ministry are unclear, with the ministry's view that the agency is responsible to it not being shared by the agency
LGAs. Two were visited. Characteristics:
- strengths: good communication between staff, high level of commitment to providing a service to public,
- weaknesses - no central records system, lack of job descriptions,
- management skills reasonable, though still requiring training, in one, while poor management skills in the other
- good facilities and equipment and effective and efficient use of computers in one, while in other the 2 computers were not in use due to lack of electricity
- effective City Council, which meets weekly
- staff salaries at reasonable level in one, in other low pay
- lack of mission, strategic planning, HR policies 44
