The Chief Executives Forum was held this afternoon at National House, Ex Assembly Hall, where President Faure spoke. “In the discharge of our responsibilities, we should never forget that we in Government are servants of the people of Seychelles, that we are accountable to them through the established structures of state. We operate under the rule of law, which means that in each of our organisations, we must have a framework of policies and legal instruments that guide the procedures through which our work is accomplished," he said.
President Faure emphasized the three principles of good governance, accountability and transparency that he wants to be the vision of public service. He asked the CEOs to consider how their organization can reflect these values and uphold them.
President Faure took the opportunity to outline the key reforms he has made in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Executive arm of Government, so that they adhere to their commitments to the public they serve. He further stated that through clear directives from Ministers on policies and plans of Government, Principal Secretaries and Chief Executives should accordingly act in an efficient and timely manner.
“These guidelines must be applied equally and fairly. There is no room here for arbitrary decision making. As our Constitution states, we serve without fear or favour, affection or ill will. This cardinal principle must be respected by everyone in the public service. As Chief Executives, you must lead by example. You must walk the talk. You must adhere strictly to the Code of Conduct that all Public Officers are required to sign,” said the President.
President Faure also spoke about service delivery which he highlighted is the heart of good governance, and which also tests the public service.
“This is where you, and the people we serve, experience the moment of truth. This is where people decide whether your organisation works or does not work. Service delivery requires that organisations are well structured to discharge their functions. The CEO, as head of each executive agency, must not only know the functions of the organisation, but must also have a broader vision of the raison d'être of the organisations, and its role in the wider public service,” said the President.
“The organisation must have a work plan, with clear, measurable targets to be achieved at specified intervals. This broad vision allows you to structure your organisation, and to make appropriate links with other organisations that you work with, so that the end user of your service gets a response that is well informed and timely. These operational structures must be known and understood by all the staff in your organisation, and also the public. You must document your plans, policies and procedures so that these are accessible to everyone in a transparent way," he continued.
President Faure made it clear that policies, plans and procedures should be easily accessible online through organisations' web pages in the Government Portal as well as frequently asked questions and answers.
“The nature of public service requires that its organisations are well-connected to provide complementary services.
As CEOs, it is your role to establish and use these links properly. It is only by working TOGETHER that we can succeed and achieve our common goals. As Chief Executives, we must each know our organisation inside out, but we must also develop our knowledge of the public service and Government as a whole, and especially of the organisations that we work closest with,” said President Faure.
The President stressed that there should be a strong human resource management team. He noted that this will ensure that organisations have people with the skills and competence to better discharge their responsibilities. He also said that suitable training opportunities should be given so that staff have more knowledge and skills.
President Faure then highlighted the importance of discipline. "Strong discipline is another vital aspect of an effective organisation. As CEOs, you need to ensure that in this regard too, you lead by example.
Employees who do not abide by the rules of the organisation should be disciplined in accordance with policy and procedures. And employees who are well disciplined and provide a good service should be properly recognised," he said. “Staff meetings should be held regularly so that the staff have an opportunity to contribute ideas for the development of the organisation, and to address issues of common concern. Each member of staff – regardless of their place on their hierarchy of the organization – must, at least twice a year, be afforded an opportunity to voice their aspirations, suggestions, and concerns in a meeting where you are present," advised President Faure.
The President also spoke about mechanisms to improve efficiency and increase productivity as well as the public image of an organization; particularly setting them up the up to methodically track the improvement of organizations in objective ways.
"You must collect the necessary information and data to show how you are improving the service and delivery levels in your organization. And simultaneously bear in mind the importance of your organisation’s image. Here I speak of things like the hours of the day or night that your vehicles are seen on the roads, the punctuality of yourself and your staff, the frequency with which phone calls to your organization are answered. They may seem trivial, but are often the yardstick against which your organization is judged,” said President Faure.
He also stressed that matters should be addressed within 48 hours, with clients getting feedback within that time frame. He asked the CEOs to set up goals and targets for the standards of excellence in service delivery as well as in other areas of their work.
“You should review the performance of your organisations on a quarterly basis, and submit quarterly reports to the Cabinet. Where you find obstacles to the progress of your plans, highlight these, so that Government can provide the necessary resources, or advise on suitable alternatives. You need to aggregate some pieces of data which you are ready to provide to the public – through your websites or otherwise – as well,” he said.
The President also announced that State-Owned Enterprises will now report directly to the chairman of the board, and not to the Minister responsible for the portfolio under which the parastatal falls. “The Chairman, in turn, will keep the Minister briefed on the work of the organisation in relation to its statutory functions. As I have mentioned to the National Assembly, Board meetings should, as far as practicable, be held outside normal working hours to allow Board members to be present in their usual work places, and not delay the discharge of their regular functions,” said President Faure.
As he concluded, the President highlighted the importance for the CEO’s to reflect the three given principles and that he would be following their progress keenly.
“These principles are vital if we want to earn the respect, the trust and the confidence of the people that we serve. Dear Chief Executives, you have been given the responsibility of ensuring that the work of the Executive arm of Government is done as efficiently and as thoroughly as possible. I would like to repeat that we can only succeed by working as a team, by working together,” he said. “Dear Chief Executives, yours is an important responsibility, and the people of this country will hold us to account for the proper discharge of these responsibilities and the judicious use of the resources allocated to you. We must not fail in this mission”.