Premium
Improving the organization and management of civil service training in Zambia
Author(s) -
Carmichael C. L.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
public administration and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1099-162X
pISSN - 0271-2075
DOI - 10.1002/pad.4230060207
Subject(s) - training (meteorology) , accountability , work (physics) , government (linguistics) , civil service , service (business) , function (biology) , quality (philosophy) , civil servants , business , public relations , political science , operations management , engineering , public service , marketing , geography , politics , mechanical engineering , linguistics , philosophy , epistemology , evolutionary biology , meteorology , law , biology
Abstract This paper describes the first phase (1981‐1984) of a programme being carried out by the Government of Zambia to improve the organization and management of in‐service training for civil servants. General guidelines for an effective training function are outlined. These are compared to the problems of civil service training in Zambia in 1981, where responsibility was fragmented, co‐ordination was poor, work concentrated on routine administration, and the background of training staff was often inappropriate. A set of recommendations was agreed for resolving these problems, including the creation of a central training directorate and a cadre of full‐time training staff. The package of proposals was designed to increase accountability, improve co‐ordination, improve the quality of training staff, and introduce systematic training procedures. The progress with implementing these changes is evaluated; the greatest progress was in setting up the cadre of training staff, although significant progress was also made in other areas. The paper concludes that the conditions for an effective training function have been created and that a longer‐term programme to develop the new training cadre is now required. The Zambian example provides a possible model for any country thinking of introducing similar changes.