University of Nigeria Virtual Library

Serial No ISBN: 978-35901-6-2

Author 1 AGU, S. U.

Author 2 Author 3

Title Local Government Training

Programmes: Practical Problems and Programmatic Solutions

Keywords

Description Human Resources Management in the Local Government System in Nigeria

Category

Social Science

Publisher AP Express publishers Nsukka - Nigeria

Publication Date 2002

Signature

Locr! Governmezt Training - L u

aria ?rogmmrnes: Practical Droblems and Programma5c Solutions

S.U. Agu

Introdnction A Theoretical Discourse T'ne world c h a n p even as we stand on 11. ,bowiedge becomes absolute even we acquire it. '+,/%at is h o v m today becomes ir;e!evant tomorrow. Given the above, it becomes cbvious th& only ihe adaptable crrn cope with th: monumental changes that are taking place in cur modem scciety.

Individuals as well as organisations are colisequently involveu in this adaptation stnlsgle, The onIy way our of this quagmire seems to be through deliberate, coi?scious, and committed updating of knowledge. This task is not made a bit easier by :he espcnentia! g ~ o l ~ t h m d dcveioprnenr of technology. Ours is, properly spe&ing, a technologicaI society. And, only those versed in the Ianguap and intricacies of modem technology can survive and become rclevmt in the schzrne of things. This is rnnnifested iin the acquisition ofmodern mar,hgement t ech iques and skills necessary for policy fomlula!ion and esecuticrl in modern complex organizations, incl idng the lcca'l gcvenment.

These techniques m d skills can only be acquired through well ~rticuiatzd, packaged, and effectively delivered system of staff training and development. Thus, the primary objeciive of staff t ra i ihg and development is to so transform the behaviour of the

? es Management tn the Local Government System in ,Y1r7rrfa' --+ -

, employe&yas. cta-'l;;iake:lhim --functicjnal and contribute to .devalopr&nt.ofihe .- , : w- organization i n which he.functions. ..

Staff kahiiig ,. .. . aria development is achieved.throug., ,- planned learning expefiexke. 'r1t is'3hrough this learning experience :

1 - . - that a relatively permanent change can .be brought about in the .

- behaviour of the individual employee and subsequently in the - organization.

Organization development is, therefore, possible through .

planned teaching,-that is, learning o n a continuous basis. it is not i possible through a haphazard, uncoordinated and unfocused training I Staff training and development must, therefore, be planned and coordinated so as to make the orgmisation more effective and more efficient by upgrading employees who must solve such ~rg~isa t iona l problem as:

+ filling vacancies for highly skilled workers; + need to improve quality; + excessive scrap; + excessive absenteeism and turnover; + need to improve productivity; + inadequate planning and cost control.

These problems are real and confront all modern organisations, including the local government. Consequently. they make training and development a critical element in human resources management,' and justify the elevation of staff training and development into a sub system in the entire human resources management systems. Klntt, et a! (1985) have professional!); sbtched this t d a i n g snd devclopmrnt sub-system (see fi y r e I ) .

Local Government Training Programmes .

I &, Figure 1: The Training and Development Sub-system : ..,. I . - -. - C - - -.-

-Forecast of environmental changes , Z

, such as technology, relaiionship with . other organizations, education, legal - . -. -

? - Asses current level and mix r: -petermine organization's . of skills, turnover, and - - development needs recruitment plans -

I

Develop long-range objective scope, -0rganise for training and 1 -general conten: and policies for

- . development -training and development ..

I I

.Identify, evaluate, & sclcct training Establish criteria for selection ' and development methods to be used

based on organization productivity I ob.iectives, Learning principles, career I/ I

I objectives of individ&, characteristics of trainees Publicist T & D programmes,

times and locations

Develop T & D programme conten! I

I Recrult and train the trainers i

- - - I Prepare instructional facility rnetcrialr I Arrangc for facilities and times

I Managers nominate Trainees 1

Emplovcrs ! Applic~tions

activities

r I Bvoluntc l'&D sub-systems: objectives Modify the T&D Sub- systems as rcquircd

129

-- achievcc, instructors, process, and trainccs -

Human Resources Management in the Local Government system in Nigeria

The Training and DeveIopment Sub-system For the above staff training and development sub-system to function effectively, there must be put in place a mechanism for determiring training and development needs of the organisation. Training and development needs of an organisation come about from two points of view. First, from the point of view of the organization and second, from the point of view of the employees. As far as the organization is concerned, staff training and development is important in so far as it: + orients new employees; 4 maintains performance of the organisation by preventing

absorbency; + builds a skilled workforce for the hture; + assists in meeting legal obligations such as the federal character

and quota systems. 9 motivates employees by bffering opportunities for g o d .

On the orher haid, training and deve!opment is crucial to the employee because: 9 it helps him to avoid obsolescence; + it prepares him for a better or different and more rewarding job; 4 it prepares him to follow a planned and chosen career path. ,;(

I t therefore, follows that training and development needs are not determined at random. Usually, the organization assesses its present position, in terms, of its objectives, resources both human and material, decides what its desired or preferred future will be like and :hen determines how to close the gap through its training and development of human resources. Graphically, this approach can be represented thus (see f gure 2).

Local Government Training Programmes

Figure 2: Closing the Performance Gap

Present position indicates Training standards, objectives, problems The Gap

and development

needs

Present position indicaks standards, objectives, problems

There is no hard and fast rule on how to determine the staff training and development needs of an organisation. However, Iiterature on the topic suggests at least ten techniques to achieve the objectives: 0

ii)

iii)

iv)

v)

vi)

. .

Interview with potential trainee to identify the type of training that would improve his job performar.ce or prepare him for future andlor higher jobs. Questionnaire surveys may be used to identify training needs that may not be immediately available or compare the employees' desire for specific training and development courses with those the organisation thinks are needed. Analyses of personnel files may be consulted with a view to matching the employee's training need with the hture needs of the organisation. Management may request the training body to admit certain emp!oyee to specific courses, or that specific courses be mounted for its employees. Observation of on-the-job behaviour may suggest needs fqr technical training, training in communications, and generB1 organizational development. Job analysis and job competencies may dictate that ar,

Human ~ Y O U ~ C ~ S Munagemen/ rn rhc Local Governmen/ Sweni m Nlgerra

vii) viii)

ix)

X)

employee be re-trained. Tests may be given to employees to determine promotability, Outside consultant may be called in to review the training and development programme of the organisation and make recommendations. Group problems analysis involves the coming together of all managers concerned with problems of a specific nature to discuss them. Sonletimes. training of employees is a major part of any solution that may be advocated. .4ssessment centres are used for evaluating empioyees for promotion, placement, and further training and development.

Once these needs are deter~nined, the next stage is to put in place the logistics for effective and efficient training and development of organisational employees. What are the logistics for training local government employees in Nigeria?

The Logistics for Training Local Government Employees in Nigeria

I . Rationaic- Local government staff training and development are a classical case of ideas run riot. Clearly conceptuaIized. and properly articulated training and development programmes are slaughtered on the altar of uncoordinated, half-hearted and diversionary implementation processes. Following the Local Government Reforms of 1976, introduced by the Murtala-Obasanjo regimes, Loca! Government staff training and developme~x are recognized as critical for the improvement of iocal government administration. The expectation is the'training and retraining of local government staff of all categories through regular and ad-hoc, short- and long-term, in- service and on-thejob, programmed and non-programmed courses obtained at specifically designated and recognised training centres.

I - Local Government Trarnmng Programmes

' .Accordingly, elaborate macllineries and training and developn~ent . 'centres and institutions are put in place.

. * - - - Machineries or Structures for Implementation

The Federal Government Recognised and Designared Centres To ensure the realization of the objectives of the Local Government Wfftraining and development . the Federal Government designated rand recognized three training centres in the three zones into which the federation is divided for the purposes of local government staff training and development. These centres are (a) The University of Nigeria, Nsukka for the Eastern Zone: (b) The Ahmadu Bello

-University. Zaria, for the Northern Zone and (c) The Obafemi Awolowo University, 11:-Ife, for the Western Zone. To give teeth to the barking of these centres, the federal government placed at their disposal enormous funds for their take-off during the 1979180 academic year. It is deepiy regrettable, that in some centres, this enormous funding would turn out to be the~r bane, as the senior academics and Heads of departments in these centres struggled for

-the control of the new and pampered baby of the federal government. Consequently, the real ob-jectives of the centres were displaced in favour of personal, selfish and shortsighted gains. Funds meant for the permanent structures, equipment, facilities and convenience of the centres and their staff: were culpably diverted to other ends. thus, adversely affecting the content and delivery of courses, the convenience of both trainers and trainees, and the smooth and effective administration of the centres.

'State Government Training Centres -In some, indeed, all the states of the federation, locai government staff training and development have received attention. Consequently, Colleges of Technology, Polytechnics, Colleges of Agriculture, Schools of Health Technology, Natural Water Resources

Human Resources Management m [he Local Government System m Nigerra

Institutes, Rural Development Training Centres, and even I

universities assist in local government staff training development. Unfortunately, these centres are ill-equipped, po funded and inefficiently coordinated. Moreover, what is taught v;,,~ fiom one centre to another.

state and lorly a.1-

Federal and State Government Agencies Federal and State Government agencies such as the Administrative and Staff College of Nigeria, (ASCON) in Badagry, the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, and numerous staff training and development centres at the state level, organize one form or another of local government courses. Courses and seminars offered by this category of local government training and development centres are incidental to their statutory functions,. and, therefore, inadequate KO the needs of the local governments.

Consultancies The new craze, indeed current epidemic, in the training and development of local government staff, is the use and the proliferation of consultancy outfits parading themselves as experts in iocal government management. As a matter of fact, these consultants have virtually taken over the entire business of local government staff training. The Chairnlan of the Local Government Service Commission and the niher relevant training authorities in the country have brazenly ignored the federai government recognized and designated centres for the training of local government staff, in favour of consultants, in some zones. The result is that the. recognized and designated centres now provide resource persons for these consultants for the training of the local government staff. This is the classical case of the tail wagging the dog. And in this period. of national economic down-turn and the grim struggle for individud . survival, many tails, both short and long, will continue to wag their dogs. Is it any wonder then that local government training ~ n d

Local Government Training Programmes

development in Nigeria are in deep wood, and are experiencing enormous problems.

Problems of Local Government Training and Development in Nigeria

I . Lethargy and Administrative Lapses on the Part of Some Recognized and De~1~071~zted T m i ~ i . q Cenfres

Some training centres specifically recognized and designated by the federal and state governments for the training and development of local government staff are bugged down by internal leadership squabbles, crass administrative ineptitude and culpable shortsightedness. As a result, they cannot transcend their petty and mundane visions to broader and more noble pursuit of the objectives of other centres, In the process, they create a vacuum which consultants and passerby readily fill.

2. Poor Funding The h d i n g of the designated centres has progressively declined over the years. In most of these centres, structures are either not available, inadequate or dilapidated. Equipment is non-existent and in those centres where equipment is made available, maintenance becomes problematic. Facilities are either non-existent or very inadequate. Consequently, these centres cannot play their role effectively and efficiently. The result is invariably hstration and perfunctory performance.

3. Poor Utilirnrion of the Meagre Funds Available With the transfer of local government training fund from the Deputy Governor's Office to the Local Government Service Commission by the Presidential Order of 1992, the struggle for its disbursement became decentralized. More scavengers, as it were; descended hungrily on the meagre fund. Some Chairmen of Local Government

Human Resources Management in the Local Government System in Nigerra

Service Commissions now see the'fund as a ready source for personal aggrandizement. Spurious consultancies are undertaken as veritable channels for siphoning the training funds.

Friends, relations, and associates are given consultancies on the basis of "scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours". Consequently, the aim of staff training and development is no longer so much the training and development of staff but rather, the appropriation of the fund. Moreover, the trainees are not given their due share of the fund. In most cases, training allowances due to the trainees are delayed unduly, doled out as privileges or not given at all. In some cases; participants at seminars and the training and development programmes are perceived differently by both the local government and the local government staff. The result is high staff turn-over especially, by those who have benefited from such trainings. In most cases, the trainees struggle for the opportunity not really to eventually return to the local government and contribute to its development, but rather, as a sure means of acquiring higher qualifications for alternative jobs and career.

4. Absence of Evaluation of Training Programme There seems to be no systematic attempt to evaluate the various training programmes. It is expected that such evaluations will go a long way to revealing the lapses in the training programmes, especially, the lack of "fit" between the personnel needs of the local government and the objectives or contents of the training programmes, and between the trainees career needs and the local government needs. Morecver, such evaluations, especially if conducted periodically, will enhance the quality of the training programmes both in their content and in delivery. Again, such evaluations will fill the gap between the present local government personnel needs. and the future requirements of various categories of local government staff.

Evaluation is not very simple. It is a complex matter and

Local Governmenr Traitiinp Pro~ramnles

requires systematic application of some principles. Generaliy, evaluation can proceed along these lines:

i) Purposes: This shouid be clearly and unambiguously defined, taking into account the cost-benefit calcuiations.

ii) Content and slariu'ord: Usually: there is the problem of what should be measured and against what standard. However, the follswing questions can assist:

+ Are purposes defincd? + Is the scope adequate or the purposes? + Are training and developmenr objectives applicable to jobs? + Are measurable objectives defined? + Will the programmes meet the future needs of the local

government?

iii) Sources ofDuta: Data ibr this systematic evaluation can be obtained through a combination of the following:

General impressions of people concerned wit1 the training and development programmes and their results: Reports by officers in-charge: Supervisors' ratings of trainees who have completed the programme versus those who have not benefitted from the programme; Observed behaviour of trainees; Scores on tests administered to beneficiaries of training programmes; Interview with trainees; Questionnaires completed by trainees; Before and after measurements of trainees and measurements of successive groups of trainees over time: Costs of the programmes versus the expected benefits.

Human Resources bfunagenienr tn /he Local Governnien! System in Nigeria

Action along these lines will most likely revamp the training and development programmes of local governments in Nigeria.

Conclusion Local government staff training and development are essential for effective and- efficient local government management in Nigeria. Care should, therefore, be taken to administer them to the benefit of the local governments. Efforts should be made by both the federal, state and local governments to eliminate the obstacles to functional training and development of locai government staff as already identified above.

References Gboyega, Alex (1987), Political Values and Local Government in

Nigeria, Lagos: Malthous Press. Klatt, Lawrence A., Robert G. Murdick and Frederick E. Schulster

(1985). Human Reso!rrce Management, Columbus: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company.

Ogunna, A.E.C. (1 966). A Handbook on Local Government in Nigeria, Owerri: Versatile Publishers.