DPMN Bulletin: Special Issue, Volume X, Number 5, November 2003

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

It is generally acknowledged that Africa is a continent endowed with a vast array of natural resources. Africa has the potential to not only guarantee good living standards for its peoples, but also contribute to human development around the world. Moreover, Africa has human resources with the capacity for developing socio-economic programs and managing public affairs. Yet, the reality is an Africa that is underdeveloped and dependant, with very shaky economic and political foundations, is largely characterized by the following:

1. Very low economic performance, evidenced by low standards of living, poor social infrastructures, insufficient industrial production, low level of imports/exports, inadequate internal and external investments and mismanagement of public resources;

2. Internal and external conflicts, causing displacement of populations, devastation of natural resources, disunion of families and communities, disorganization of public services, increasing endemic diseases and famine;

3. Political instability, repression, exclusion, corruption, breakdown of governance systems and rebellion.

Efforts to bring about development have produced only meager results. African debt continues to increase
while investments are decreasing; levels of deprivation are growing, culminating in conflict and violence. Why has this been the case?

Several causes can be pointed out as being basic to the present underdevelopment of the continent, some external, some internal. However, the fact is that no change will occur without addressing the principal causes of the present situation. These causes have to be understood and properly addressed. One principal variable explaining this problem is poor leadership. While it can be asserted that in general there are improvements in the procedures through which especially political leadership emerges in Africa, the urgent challenges before the continent call for a much more qualitative leadership. Fortunately, the old way in which persons in key leadership positions seem more driven by avarice and ignoble ambition, rather than inclusiveness and the common good, is being daily and publicly rejected by Africans. Broad vision, hard work and dedication to commonly arrived at goals and personal example are being demanded. Facing the continent's developmental challenges requires this.

But given its importance and urgency, it is public sector leadership which is the main focus. It is the main arena for ensuring equity and inclusion, and the promotion of meaningful solidarity. It also has the critical responsibility of regulation and support to private sector activities, including appropriate responses to globalization.

It requires emphasis that in the emerging Africa, distances among

political office holders, senior public servants and non-state actors are being narrowed down, if not done away with, as befitting the sensitive understanding that the deepening of a common vision and strategy to respond to citizen needs is a necessity.

CONTOURS OF LEADERSHIP

At a recent meeting, a group of experts understood leadership to encompass "personal or group attributes, organizational structural arrangements, positions, functions, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, actions and attitudes that are shaped by the past and current socio-politico-economic and cultural conditions in pursuing a shared common vision/goal/purpose/objective. Thus, it is a road and a vehicle leading from the past through the present into the future." ¹

Leadership is required at all levels and under all situations. However, the tasks of, and immediate needs for, leadership are the more obvious depending on the nature and degree of a crisis at hand. Large-scale, complex and rapid changes, especially brought about by a multiplicity of sources, call for exceptional leadership qualities. We can continue to debate the extent to which leaders are "born" or "taught", but analytic and strategic skills are needed to confront the current challenges confronting the public sector in Africa. The capacities needed can be developed and continually so.

Yet, given both the enormity of the problem in light of need and the availability of resources, the focus is on developing leadership involving political figures and public servants and on public sector training centers and institutions in Africa to deepen their understanding of the issues and better prepare them to service identified leadership development needs.

This is to be done within the framework of UNDESA/DPADM's support to the jointly identified leadership development needs of NEPAD. This effort involving all relevant bodies will be anchored by CAFRAD in partnership with DPMF. It is to be open to all relevant inputs, to further guarantee its success and continuity.

This initiative is envisaged to be a comprehensive program lasting at least three years, which will kick-off in Uganda.

The program will be implemented by carrying out several actions, including seminars and workshops, research activities, etc. These will be organized at regional, sub-regional and national levels.

OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of the program is to sensitize top public sector leaders of the continent to the great importance of leadership in all human undertaking and enhance their skills and capacity for successful leadership.

The specific objectives of the first workshop to be organized in Kampala (Uganda) are as follows:

• Exchange knowledge and experiences on public sector leadership and its development;
• Examine appropriate methods, mechanisms, content and strategy for public sector leadership development in African countries;
• Enhance skills and capacity in
  leadership for change and development;
• Design an Africa-wide three-year program for leadership capacity development in the public sector;
• Develop a framework and a network for continuous activities in public sector leadership development in Africa.

CONTENT

Already a preliminary questionnaire filled in by Ministers/Heads of Civil Service in Africa has provided significant information on leadership development needs and the major issues that ought to be addressed in meeting the needs. The major themes that respondents to the questionnaire identified as critical include:

• An understanding of the new international political and economic order as well as the place of the states, regions and institutions within it;
• Strategic visioning, mission formulation and planning for nation-states and their public services;
• Democratic governance: assimilation of democratic governance ethos, building of supporting institution, operation of the institutions; sustaining the relations among institutions of government (the legislature, the executive and the judiciary); executive leadership and democratic governance; relationship between political executives and senior career officials;
• Public policy analysis, formulation, management and evaluation;
• Relationship with other governance bodies and institutions (parliament, judiciary and law enforcement agencies, etc.);
• Initiating and nurturing collaboration and partnership with non-state actors: civil society, private sector, NGOs, political parties, media, etc. (at national, regional and international levels);
• Communication, motivation, inspiration (with staff, clients, citizens, etc.);
• Conflict prevention and transformation (negotiation, mediation, reconciliation, rehabilitation, etc.);
• Ethics, integrity and professionalism (transparency, accountability, credibility, corruption, rule of law, etc.); measures to move African States towards the positive end of the rectitude scale;
• Integration, inclusiveness, diversity, partnership, participation, collaboration, etc.;
• Managing in situations of complexity, uncertainty and rapid change;
• Reform, modernization and change management in the public sector;
• Entrepreneurship, innovation and risk-taking in government and the imperatives of public accountability;
• New information and communication technologies (ICT) and networking;
• Performance management and measurement;
• Budgeting and tax management;
• Human resources management and development.

It is certain that all these subjects cannot be addressed in a single workshop. Topics will be selected and adapted to the duration of the training, the level of responsibility of participants and the fields or areas in which they are involved (public or private sector, training institutions, NGOs, political parties, etc.).

PARTICIPANTS

Participants, or the target group to the Uganda workshop, will be composed of Public Servants directly involved in planning and implementing human resources capacity building in the Public Sector in Africa. More specifically, these include:

1. Members of the Committee of Ministers of the Pan-African Conference of Ministers of Civil Service and/or other Ministers who will play key roles in the implementation of the Governance and Public Administration Program adopted in Cape Town in May 2003;

2. Senior Officials of NEPAD Secretariat;

3. Selected Directors of Regional and National Management Development Institutes;

4. Directors of Human Re
sources Development (Personnel) in ministries responsible for Public Service in African countries, including representatives of Administrations of Legislatures in Africa;

5. Directors of Management Development Institutes and National Schools of Public Administration in Africa, who are also members of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA), will be particularly targeted to widen the scope of partnership that IASIA offers.

RESOURCE PERSONS

The resource persons will be experienced scholars in public administration, governance and leadership development and/or retired or serving ministers or heads of civil service of African States.

There should be two or three presentations to introduce the discussion on the issue of leadership capacity development in the Public Sector in Africa. The presentations will try to address questions such as: Is there a leadership problem in the Public Sector in Africa? What is the nature of the problem (cultural, structural, knowledge and skills, attitude, etc.)? How do Africans view leadership? What are the historical perspectives of leadership in the Public Sector in Africa? What can be learned from the African traditional leadership?

METHODOLOGY

The workshop will be conducted in a participatory manner. Resource persons will introduce the topics, followed by comments and discussion from the participants. Participants as well as resource persons will share their experiences and knowledge on the means of enhancing leadership.

Group work sessions will be organized, each related to a certain aspect of the program such as:

• Analysis of the leadership development challenges on the African continent (problems, constraints and prospects);
• The search for leadership capacity development solutions (objectives, targeted groups, program contents, strategies, approaches, methodologies).

OUTPUT/ OUTCOME

At the end of the workshop, participants are expected to gain new knowledge and experience on public sector leadership development and strengthen partnership for leadership capacity building The workshop is expected to design a comprehensive
three-year program with clear target groups, objectives, program content, approaches and methodologies, monitoring and evaluation of the program, time frames, etc.

FOLLOW UP

Acknowledging that improvement in leadership can enhance socio-economic development and introduce an efficient governance system in the continent, a series of workshops on leadership development will be organized. Most workshops will be run at national and sub-regional levels. To achieve this objective, collaboration with partner institutions at those levels is being solicited. Leadership development topics will also be included in other further senior level workshops to be organized.

In addition to training workshops, studies and consultancy services will also be carried out in order to: understand better the mechanism of leadership, find more relevant methods, techniques and strategy for leadership development and, work on styles of leadership fitting better to the context of development of African countries. The results of the studies will be used to improve the leadership development programs.

ORGANIZATIONAL DETAILS

The workshop is organized under the auspices of NEPAD by CAFRAD, funded by UNDESA and hosted by the Ministry of Public Service of the Republic of Uganda and the Uganda Management Institute. In line with the philosophy of partnerships that NEPAD champions, the workshop will benefit from the inspiration of the UNDESA/IASIA Initiative for Leadership Capacity Enhancement in the Public Sector and will be a continuation of the well developed and appreciated support UNDESA has been providing to NEPAD, and the Pan-African Conference of Ministers of Public Service.

¹ Report of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting, on "New Challenges for Senior Leadership Enhancement for Improved Public Management in a Globalizing World", Turin (Italy), 19-20 September 2002, p.7 _ 8.