Public officers to undergo mandatory in-service training – PSC

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has instructed the Chief Executive Officers of all state corporations to ensure adherence to mandatory in-service training programmes aimed at performance improvement.

In a circular, the PSC announced the reintroduction of the programme, which had been suspended in 2020, citing its negative impact on performance and service delivery within the public sector.

“The Government being committed to ensuring that the public service is effective, efficient, and develops the required knowledge, skills, competencies and positive work ethos of its human capital has in recent years acknowledged a noticeable skill and competency gap among officers at all levels of government, which has negatively impacted service delivery. This has further been exacerbated by the suspension of some mandatory in-service training programmes,” stated the PSC.

The training programmes will include the Strategic Leadership Development Programme, the Senior Management Course, and the Supervisory Skills Development Course.

Additionally, the PSC has confirmed that a Master’s Degree will continue to be a requirement for all director positions in the public service, as well as for the promotion of public officers to senior roles.

“Any officer who has moved to a higher grade without having undertaken the requisite training for that grade shall be given a moratorium of two years with effect from the date of this circular letter to comply,” the Commission stated.