The balancing of competing interests, judicious allocation of resources, and the increase of productivity are often the major challenges that confront the management of any organisation, whether it be a full-fledged commercial entity or a governmental outfit such as the Lagos State Civil Service, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.
The Governor, represented by the Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry Of Establishments, Training, And Pensions, Dr. Akintola Benson spoke during a training session for workers with title, “Strategic Planning In The Lagos State Civil Service: An Essential Piece In A Jigsaw Puzzle in Lagos.
To achieve the equilibrium, Ambode said the managers will need to define organisational objectives, itemize, rank and evaluate its resources, and adopt an approach to allocating the resources to meet the stated objectives.
He said it is in the light of this, that the training and retraining of the Lagos State Civil Servant has remained a special focus of this Government.
He stated that those who have carefully followed the programmes in the Governor’s administration for the Lagos State Civil Service will rightly identify this training as critical to realising an essential piece in the jigsaw of organisational productivity.
He said: “Since assumption of office in 2015, the Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration has exposed Lagos State Civil Servants to a number of workshops designed to increase, and in some cases, deepen the soft skills essential for success in a 21st century public service. These include soft skills such as office etiquettes, communications skills, office relationship skills, emotional intelligence skills, and problem-solving skills, amongst others.
“The Ambode’s administration also identified the ministries, departments, and agencies where core new hard skills were needed, and initiated trainings and workshops required to augment skills and knowledge in these ministries, departments, and agencies. Furthermore, the administration’s strategy for retooling the State Civil Service led to the exposure of a number of officers and officials to international trainings for the purpose of obtaining the comparative knowledge that will stand them in good stead to aspire to global best practices while pursuing the State objective.
“It is necessary to emphasise and teach the values and benefits of strategic planning? It is precisely because strategic planning is the essential piece in the puzzle to institutionalise the framework for productivity in the State Civil Service. While all the foregoing interventions were aimed at ultimately promoting productivity, it is apparent that strategic planning is the glue that holds them all together, it is the essential piece in the jigsaw puzzle.
He reiterated the benefits of strategic planning to organisations and to give an overview of the best practices for the development and implementation of a strategic plan for institutions such as the Lagos State Civil Service.
He pointed out that strategic planning allows organisations to be proactive rather than reactive.
“A strategic plan allows organisations to foresee their future and to prepare accordingly. Through strategic planning, organisations can anticipate certain unfavourable scenarios before they happen and take necessary precautions to avoid them. With a strong strategic plan, organizations can be proactive rather than merely reacting to situations as they arise. Being proactive allows organizations to keep up with the ever-changing trends in the society and always stay one step ahead of the competition”, he added.
