Advance Online Training Programme in Government Performance Management

Event date: 25 January 2021, 9:00 - 29 January 2021, 17:00

The Advanced Training Programme in Government Performance Management covers all key aspects of performance management and is inspired by our understanding of the important social and economic developmental gains to be made by improving government effectiveness. Enhanced delivery of public services and effective implementation of public policies, programmes and projects affects the welfare of all citizens.

The Advanced Training Programme in Government Performance Management covers all key aspects of performance management and is inspired by our understanding of the important social and economic developmental gains to be made by improving government effectiveness. Enhanced delivery of public services and effective implementation of public policies, programmes and projects affects the welfare of all citizens.

Our collective concern in the Commonwealth is that the benefits offered by governments should primarily benefit the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. Attention therefore needs to be paid to both equity and efficiency, as both go hand-in-hand. The guiding principle should be to do the right thing and to do things right. This means operating and delivering in ways which are responsive and accountable, as well as more efficient and effective. The focus therefore needs to be on ensuring that public systems are streamlined and managed to work better, faster and cheaper in order to deliver what is promised and what is needed.

This training programme is based on design and implementation of performance management systems, which contribute to more effective government. It is presented in non-technical language and is primarily aimed at senior leaders and decision-makers in Commonwealth countries.

The course will offer practical tools and techniques for improving systems of performance management in government. Specifically, the course will focus on developing a results-based performance management system and equip participants with knowledge and expertise in using SMART software, a proprietary software developed by the Commonwealth Secretariat. SMART stands for Strategic Management and Accountability for Results.

Objectives

  • Enhance participants’ skills and knowledge in performance improvement and management, based on theory and international experience, and cutting-edge tools and techniques.
  • Provided an overview of the necessary knowledge and skills required to design and implement systems for improving Government Performance and the necessary training resources.
  • Further the development of a community of practice in Commonwealth countries and a network of professionals who can subsequently continue to enrich each other with their experience in improving Government performance.

Course details

The course will be held online using the Zoom platform and will run for 5 days.

This is a very comprehensive Course and is tailored to be useful to participants with varying degrees of previous background in designing and implementing performance management systems in government. Both experienced professionals and newcomers will find it useful and enjoyable.

There is no course fee for attending the programme.

Following is an illustrative list of topics that will be covered during the training workshop:

  • Explanations about Government Performance
  • Meaning of Government Performance
  • How to improve Government Performance
  • How to measure Government Performance
  • International best practice and options for policy makers
  • Use of Performance Agreements in public sector
  • How to design Performance-Related Incentives
  • How to design and implement a Public Grievance Redress system
  • How to design and implement Citizens’ / Clients’ Charters
  • How to design and implement a system to measure and promote innovation in public administration
  • Frontiers of E-Governance
  • Role of Effective Communications in Government
  • How to develop a Strategic Plan in Government Departments
  • How to implement ISO 9001:2008 in Government Departments
  • Designing effective performance information management systems in Government
  • Creating Knowledge Management Systems in Government
  • Creating and managing Communities of Practice in Government
  • Institutional mechanism for managing Performance in Government

Participants will be provided with latest information on developments in the field of Government Performance Management by means of lectures, panel discussions, group discussions and management films. Participant discussion of case studies and self-study assignments as well as preparation and presentation of hypothetical Commitment for Results (CFR) provide the participants with intensive first-hand experience in essential skills for government performance management.

Concept Note (PDF, 328KB)

Who should attend?

This Course is intended for senior Government Officials, Senior Public Enterprise Managers, and Politicians from Commonwealth countries who are concerned with improving performance of their governments in their respective countries. It is expected that all participants will be university graduates, but candidates with other qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be considered.

Since all work is done in English, prospective participants must be fully fluent in speaking, reading and understanding English.

Each member country will be requested to nominate a team of four senior government officials. Two of the four nominees are expected to be at the level of permanent secretary or above.

Training Schedule

This is the first of the four training programmes. For convenience and relevance, we have decided to offer them for various regions.  

Region Programme date
Africa and Europe January 25 - 29, 2021
Asia February 8 - 12, 2021
Caribbean and North America February 22 - 26, 2021
Pacific March 8 - 12, 2021

Course Director

Prof. Prajapati Trivedi

Prof. Prajapati Trivedi is the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Sustainable Development Goal Implementation. Until recently he was a Senior Director heading the Economic, Youth, and Sustainable Development Directorate of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, UK.

From 2009-2014, he served as a Permanent Secretary to the Government of India in the Cabinet Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office, where he was responsible for designing a highly regarded whole-of-government performance monitoring and evaluation system for government departments and reporting the results to the Prime Minister of India. He served concurrently as the Chairman, National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC). He also served as Economic Adviser to the Government of India from 1992-94; Senior Economist with the World Bank from 1995-2009; STC Chair Professor of Public Sector Management at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (1987-1992).

Prof. Prajapati Trivedi received M.Sc. (Economics) from London School of Economics in 1972 and Ph.D. (Economics) from Boston University in 1985. Author of five books and several academic papers, he has worked in more than 50 countries around the world. In 2017 he became the first Indian to receive the International Public Administration Award by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of public administration as a scholar and practitioner. He is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). Praja started teaching Economics in 1974 and has taught in Economics in various programs at Harvard University since 1979.

More info

For more information about the Advance Online Training Programme in Government Performance Management please email us using the below contact details. Please state your full name, email, ministry, city/country and phone numbers.

Dunstan Maina

Jacqueline Johnson

Public Administration Adviser

Public Sector Governance Unit                       

Governance and Peace Directorate     

Tel: +44 207 747 6364

Email: [email protected] 

Programme Officer

Public Sector Governance Unit

Governance and Peace Directorate

Tel: +44 207 747 6369

Email: [email protected]   

About the Commonwealth Secretariat

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent and equal countries. It is home to 2.4 billion people and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. 32 of our members are small states, including many island nations.

Commonwealth Secretariat is an Inter-Governmental Organization and provides technical and financial support to member governments, who have agreed to shared goals like development, democracy and peace. Our values and principles are expressed in the Commonwealth Charter.