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GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS COORDINATION COMMITTEE
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM SPEAKING NOTES by H.E. NGO Hongly Secretary General, Council for Administrative Reform
October 18,2010 My respect to Excellency Keat Chhon, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Finance and Chairman of the GDCC
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen
I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss progress in the Administrative Reform. We have circulated two documents: a power point presentation on the National Program for Administrative Reform used by His Excellency Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council for Administrative Reform (CAR) which was circulated at the CDCF and a brief report on progress since then together with the 2010-11 priorities. These two documents provide a good overview of the reform, its progress and future direction.
As you can see, the CAR Secretariat, together with ministries and development partners, is very busy on a broad front. As Excellency Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister said at the CDCF: "this year is a pivotal year for the reform". Attention has turned to strengthening control mechanisms and personnel management processes, to completing policy frameworks on Human Resources Management and Human Resources Development, to deploying performance enhancing instruments such as Special Operating Agencies and to enhancing the quality and delivery of public services. Our work in implementing NP AR will be closely monitored on an ongoing basis through such instruments as the TWG, the GDCC and periodic workshops or seminars.
I would be pleased to expand on any of these ongoing activities during our discussion. For now, I would like to provide a context to our actions.
The NP AR is about serving people better and thus enhancing the quality and delivery of public services and enhancing performance in the implementation of government policies and programs of development. The NPAR Action Plan includes 7 activities which breakdown into 39 sub-activities and some 130 actions. Priorities for 2010-11 focus on those actions necessary to prepare the groundwork for subsequent initiatives such as completing the policy framework and implementing the JMIs.
Reforming public administrations is a highly political endeavor fraught with
risks and constraints. As agent of change it is therefore essential that we
exercise prudence and carefully manage risks and expectations. Such reforms
shall be based on clear and responsible principles.
Reforming public administrations is also a highly complex endeavor involving balancing a vast number of interdependent and mutually reinforcing actions whose results shall be sustainable.
In these days of economic uncertainty, of limited means and difficult choices between competing priorities one needs to adopt a prudent approach and exercise utmost responsibility and due diligence in managing the change.
As His Excellency Sok An Deputy Prime Minister often says: "Reforming is doing what CAN be done and sustained as opposed to what SHOULD be done".
It is in such a context that the reform has undertaken a wide ranging and
ambitious set of priorities for 2010 - 2011 under the direction of His
Excellency Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council for
Administrative Reform. We are quite conscious of the magnitude of the tasks we
have undertaken. The documents we have circulated illustrate the point
forcefully.
First, we are completing the census which will allow for updating the data base on civil servants, identify available skills and remove ghosts.
Second, we are completing the compendium on public services which will be very widely disseminated to inform citizens on the nature and requirements of available public services and which will be used as a basis to improve public services and to assist in the investigation of corrupt practices. We will be introducing a system to reward quality in public services.
Third, we are preparing to disseminate the HRM policy framework, the HRM Handbook and the HRM Manual which are introducing performance and merit based practices. We will also disseminate the outcome of work recently completed by four inter-ministerial committees to strengthen processes and practices relating to recruitment, promotion, examination and career progression.
Fourth, we are disseminating the guide on the establishment, management and monitoring of POC and assisting ministries in this regards. With ministries and partners, we will be completing the harmonization and alignment framework particularly as it relates to DSA, honorarium and high skills.
Fifth, we are completing the policy framework to guide the reform by finalizing the policy on capacity development, HRD and redeployment.
Sixth, we are preparing a guide to assist ministries to review their operations with a view to streamline and strengthen them.
Seventh, we are preparing to review and evaluate the use of Special Operating Agencies as means to enhance the delivery of public services and to introduce change initiatives in the management of public servants.
Eight, we are deploying mechanisms to make capacity development in general and training in particular demand driven. We are preparing to launch a program to develop capacity including the training of new recruits into the Civil Service. We are training trainers and developing Cambodian case studies to cambodianize training.
Nine and not the least, we are reviewing compensation within the Civil Service with clear, practical and realistic objectives that take into account risks and available means. The information base on best practices will be completed in 2011.
The Administrative Reform is most active on a broad front. We seek to serve people better. Our approach is comprehensive and made of carefully interlinked actions. Our work is ambitious yet practical and realistic. We do what we believe we CAN do.
Once again, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Excellency Chairman, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen in providing me the floor for explaining the progress of NP AR. I look forward to our discussion.
Thank you for your kind attention. |