By Eghosa Emily
As part of the commitment of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to revamp the Civil and Public Service, Edo State Government, through the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), has delivered on a three-day training programme focused on Strategic Planning and Thinking for Civil/Public Servants in the State.
Speaking during the event in Benin City, the Director General (DG), JOOPSA, Ms Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu, described the initiative as a means to educate and equip civil servants with strategic thinking skills, to enable them to devise and execute plans within their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The DG emphasized that a crucial aspect of the ongoing reforms within the Civil Service is a shift in mindset towards more effective approaches. She further highlighted JOOPSA’s role in empowering Edo’s Civil and Public Servants to surpass their peers in performance.
She commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for his commitment to the continuity of Civil and Public Servants’ training through JOOPSA. The DG underscored the significance of the training on strategic planning and thinking in guiding Public Servants through the ongoing changes in the sector. Ajoonu projected that in the next five to ten years, Edo State Civil Servants would lead the way for other states by becoming role models.
In a similar vein, a partner at Alan and Grant and one of the facilitators, Mr. Gbenga Totoyi, expressed his support for Edo State’s initiative for enhancing the skills of civil servants through the strategic planning and thinking training. He noted that the response from participants had been positive, with active engagement and valuable contributions in various activities. Totoyi advocated for continued investment in training, asserting that the transformational results might not be immediate, but would materialize in the future.
On his part, a consultant and trainer, Mr. Ayobami Olugbenga-Wyse, discussed methodologies such as SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), PESTLE analysis (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental), Porter’s Five Forces, Mckinsey 7s Model, and coaching tools, aimed at reshaping mentalities and perspectives.
Also speaking, Mr. Yemi Ajayi, another partner at Alan and Grant, took the participants through Strategic Planning, amongst other Modules of the training. He drilled on the importance of Strategic Planning, planning and executions, steps in planning, while highlighting the challenges in planning to include: Communication, Expertise, Budgeting, Non-availability of data and information, Resistance to the plans, Stakeholders management, amongst others.
Reflecting on their participation, one of the participants at the training, Mr. Christopher Ebole, from the Directorate of Cabinet, expressed appreciation to the State Government for the opportunity to enhance their competence. He admitted that the training had motivated and empowered him to elevate his performance both professionally and personally.
The Training on Strategic Planning and Thinking was geared towards ensuring that Civil/Public Servants learn how to effectively transition from strategic initiatives and the planning stage into execution, and develop strategies to ensure these efforts are sustained. The training also provided an end-to-end approach for visioning, goal setting and driving the MDAs towards successful implementation of initiatives.
