Setting clear, meaningful goals essential: Brunei permanent secretary
Integrity is the foundation of trusted leadership and competent service delivery. It is not only important as a personal principle but also serves as a pillar in building a responsible and ethical work culture, he said.
In the context of today's civil service, integrity must be reflected not only in words but also in daily actions, including decision-making, administrative affairs, and service delivery to the public, Ajman said in his keynote speech as the guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the 36th Executive Development Programme for Middle-Management Officers (EDPMMO).
He emphasised that the main role of senior officers at the middle-management level is to ensure that the vision and mission of their organisation are cascaded down to their teams within units or divisions for systematic implementation. At the same time, officers are expected to assess, analyse and identify appropriate solutions to challenges.
He added, 'Finally, senior officers have the role of generating ideas, addressing various proposed solutions and work process improvements to the attention of top management.
'To carry out the mentioned responsibilities effectively, we need to have the ability to think strategically, act quickly and adapt to the changing global landscape and rapid technological advancements. In this era of uncertainty, the value of a leader is not only measured by problem-solving competence, but also by the ability to create added value through new approaches and more innovative solutions.'
On effective delivery of services and solutions, he shared, 'This is where the importance of setting clear and meaningful goals and identifying what kind of success is expected for each project or initiative from the initial stages lies.'
Ajman noted, 'Monitoring and evaluation should be carried out on projects consistently and structurally, as well as collecting relevant data or evidence. With this approach, we will be able to ensure that every effort carried out has a clear and relevant impact, and its effectiveness can be assessed objectively.'
Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the PMO Dr Norfarizal Othman Director of Civil Service Insitute (IPA) Dr Noor Maya Md Salleh and officials from both departments were present at the event.
A total of 32 participants were selected to join the programme, with the objective of further developing the leadership knowledge and competencies of civil servants at the middle-management level. This aims to equip them with the required leadership skills to lead their teams through future challenges.
The programme is also intended to strengthen the capabilities of future leaders to be more agile in planning and implementation, as well as effective in decision-making to meet the ever-changing needs of the public – especially in an era marked by global and digital disruptions. Steered by the Public Service Department, the EDPMMO is a programme under the Civil Service Leadership Pipeline.
The IPA has been mandated to run the 36th programme following the successful implementation of three previous EDPMMO cycles. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
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