The Ministry of Public Administration and Political Affairs (MoPAPA) has participated in a regional training program aimed at enhancing public service delivery across English-speaking West African nations. The training, themed "Kaizen for Enhanced Public Service Delivery," brought together public and civil servants from Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria.
The Third Country Training Program (TCTP), held at the Civil Service Training Centre in Ghana, was sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with Ghana’s Civil Service Training Centre. The program engaged 29 participants in two phases—an online session via Zoom from January 20 to 31, 2025, followed by an in-person session from February 10 to 21, 2025—to fully grasp the Kaizen Concept, a Japanese management philosophy focused on continuous improvement, efficiency, and innovation in service delivery.
Objectives of the Training
The program sought to:
Introduce Kaizen principles and their application in public service delivery.
Enhance the skills of public and civil servants in operational efficiency, technological adaptation, and teamwork within their institutions.
Foster cross-country collaboration and the exchange of best practices among participants from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Promote effective and efficient public service delivery through practical skills and knowledge.
Key Topics Covered
Participants explored various modules, including:
Kaizen Overview & Pillars
Kaizen and Other Management Tools (e.g., Learning Management Systems – LMS)
Introduction to Change Management
Office Work Ethics & Management
Workplace Organization & Cooperation
Problem-Solving Techniques: Fishbone Diagram Analysis, Pareto Chart, Affinity Diagram
Quality Control & Kaizen Promotion Teams (KPT)
Action Planning & Review
MoPAPA's Recognition and Recommendations
During the training, Mrs. Florence B. Sesay, Deputy Secretary of MoPAPA, was awarded a certificate of completion. A group photograph was taken, with all participants proudly displaying their certificates.
The program concluded with recommendations aimed at enhancing the impact of Kaizen principles in public service across West Africa:
Localised Kaizen models should be adapted to address the specific needs of West African nations, integrating local public service challenges and systems.
Technical improvements are needed for the online training component, including better virtual infrastructure and digital literacy training.
Post-training support systems should be established to help participants effectively implement Kaizen principles, possibly through mentoring programs or follow-up workshops.
MoPAPA's successful participation in this training aligns with Sierra Leone’s commitment to improving governance, service efficiency, and innovation in public administration.
Musa Kamara
SLENA Correspondent
+232 78 155260
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