Answer to Oral Question PL177

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA INDERA PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI SUYOI BIN HAJI OSMAN asks Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri to state to what extent have the programmes and courses for the civil service community succeeded in transforming and improving the quality of the work of civil servants? This is in view of the dissatisfaction during dealings that had once been raised by the Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry such as being slow to take action and make decisions, being difficult to meet, loss of documents and so on.

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri

Thank you Yang Berhormat Yang Di-Pertua.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
And greetings.

i. Kaola would first like to express thanks to Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman for the question regarding the extent to which programmes and courses for the civil service community have succeeded in transforming and improving the quality of the work of civil servants.

ii. To improve the quality of the work of civil servants towards public service transformation, the Prime Minister’s Office through the Civil Service Institute (IPA) has continued and will continue to plan and provide various relevant courses, among them Moral Principles and Work Ethics, management, decision-making, application of basic information technology (IT), and others for officers from Division I to Division V. As a proactive measure, IPA in assessing the impact on work quality resulting from participation in training programmes is the implementation of an Impact Study since 2022, in addition to serving as a basis for evaluating the effectiveness and quality of the programmes offered. Based on the findings of the study that has been conducted, particularly those related to IT courses in October 2023, they show a positive impact on work quality, attitudes and behaviour as well as skills. This includes a positive assessment from the aspect of alignment between the courses offered and the actual needs of agencies.

iii. In addition to the provision of relevant training programmes by IPA, it is important for Government agencies to ensure that nominations to attend training programmes are made strategically, by identifying suitable officers and staff to attend the courses or training programmes offered, especially those on the front line (frontliners). Leaders and supervisors in each agency need to know their respective agency’s core services and thereafter play an important role in identifying competency gaps, determining training needs (Training Needs Analysis) and formulating appropriate interventions to improve the efficiency of public service delivery. This approach can ensure that the training carried out has a direct effect on improving performance and the quality of service delivery.

iv. Nevertheless, the skills acquired through courses only cover around 10% of the overall intervention. The remaining 90% of performance improvement depends greatly on the role and planning of the respective departments, including on-the-job training, social learning, as well as the cultivation of discipline and self-awareness in carrying out duties.

v. To achieve comprehensive and quality work standards, approaches such as coaching in the workplace are important, along with orderly task arrangement and continuous monitoring of work outcomes. This can be implemented through existing assessment systems such as capability assessment, to evaluate the level of capability before an intervention such as training is given. Performance assessment also plays an important role in making further decisions regarding the development of civil servants.

That is all that Kaola can convey. Thank you.