UPDATE: HoS tasks MDAs on transparency in Civil Service’s Award Scheme

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, HoCSF, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, has implored Ministries, extra- Ministerial Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to imbibe the culture of fairness and transparency in the selection of monthly and annual Awardees for the Rewards and Recognition Scheme, R&RS, in the Federal Civil Service.

Yemi-Esan, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Staff Welfare Office, Mahmud Adam Kambari, made the call at a workshop on Implementation of the Rewards and Recognition Scheme, R&RS, held, yesterday, in Abuja.

He noted that the secrets to seamless, successful and sustainable implementation of the recently introduced R&RS in the Federal Civil Service, is the justification of every nomination for award, fairness to all in the process of selection, as well as standardization of all the procedures are very crucial.

He said: “R&RS was introduced in May, 2019 by the OHCSF to serve as a motivational tool to encourage excellence and human capital development for career progression. The system is performance driven, which serves as an enabler for effective service delivery in all MDAs with the following fundamental objectives; setting a professional framework for institutionalizing performance management and service delivery mindset; linking rewards and recognition to measurable performance and serving as a medium for MDAs to make nominations for various Service-wide and National Recognition, Honours, Merits, as well as Productivity awards.”

While urging participants to exhibit due diligence in the selection process, he encouraged them to use the five (5) Core Values of the Service, Accountability, Meritocracy, Professionalism, Loyalty, Efficiency as criteria for specific awards.

The Permanent Secretary encouraged participants to come up with robust and fruitful decisions that will elicit positive outcomes, while recognising the unflinching support and partnership of some Private Sector Organisations.

He highlighted the three categories of Awards as: “Service –Wide Awards and Recognition Scheme; MDAs’ Awards and Recognition Scheme and the Departmental Awards and Recognition Scheme.

“The Departmental Awards is intended to be on a monthly basis, which had commenced in most MDAs with the award of “Best Staff of the Month,”where pictures of winners are pasted at strategic places within the MDA.

“Some MDAs have also begun the implementation of the Scheme by conferring Awards on deserving Officers, who have distinguished themselves in the course of performing their statutory services at the Ministerial level. The Service –wide Awards and Recognition Ceremony is being organized by the OHCSF, such as the one that took place during the 2022 Civil Service Week celebrations, where forty (40) outstanding Officers across MDAs were recognized and rewarded”, he said.