PROMOTING HUMAN RESOURCES

IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR:

CRITICAL ROLE OF HUMAN CAPITAL IN THE
PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN AFRICA

Regional Workshop
Organized by CAFRAD
21-25 June 2010 -Tangier –Morocco
ICT & HRM : RAISING
PERFORMANCE & LOWERING
COSTS
Ambassador (Dr) Mohammad Ahmad Wali

June 2010
AFRICA’S CONCERNS ABOUT HUMAN
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
 Low productivity
 Inefficiency
 Low motivation
 Limited opportunity
 Inadequate remuneration system (grossly in
most of public sector setting)
 Inadequate or misplaced training and
development
 Outdated management systems, and
 Lack of professionalism, among others.
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
 It is about:
 Managing employees in public or private
entities to achieve organizational goals

 Utilization of human resources to accomplish

the organization’s objectives as effectively
and efficiently possible

 Process of engaging people into an

organization, their advancement,
performance and disengagement from the
organization.
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
 Objectives
 Effective utilization of human resources for achieving
organizational goals
 Planned structuring of the organization to promote and
preserve harmonious relationship among the
organizational members
 Creating condition for human commitment and
motivation to work and loyalty to the organization
 Providing for right kind of opportunities for individual
growth and advancement
 Securing a healthy integration of organizational and
individual group goals
 Planned development of human assets through training,
counseling and even selective entry and exit policy, on the
basis of scientific monitoring of performance
 Strategic planning
WHAT IS ICT?
 ICT stands for Information & Communications
Technology. The phrase is used to describe a range
of technologies for gathering, storing, retrieving,
processing, analyzing, and transmitting information

 Key Components
 Input Devices
 Keyboards, Scanners, Cameras . . .
 Output Devices
 Monitors, Printers, Speakers . . .
 Software
 Operating Systems, Accounting Packages . . .
 Terminals
 Desktops, Laptops, POS, Mobile Handsets, PDAs . . .
 Network
 Fiber Optic Cables, Routers, VSAT, Telephone Lines, Wireless .
..
ICT AND HRM : THE RELATIONSHIP
 The relationship between ICT and HRM is
similar to Government & Civil Servants.
 Governments Outlines Policies and Civil Servants
Execute those policies.

 ICT acts as a tool for HRM Managers to

implement and enforce Policies
USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO
ENHANCE HRM
 Automating existing work practices
 Exploring new ways of structuring work
processes
 Paperless Office

 Time Attendance Monitoring & Enforcement

 Friendly work environment

 Eliminating errors in salary payments (Payrolls)

 Better Inventory Management

 Data Banks

 Eliminating the boundaries separating the various

parts of the organization located in different
centers
USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO
ENHANCE HRM :Automating
 Automating existing work practices
 Few staff accomplishing more work
 Optimum utilization of staff

 Timely and efficient delivery of products and

services
 Doing more in short time

 Reducing administrative costs

 Cost savings from fewer staff hours and
reduced human or machine error
 Better resource planning through detailed,
accurate, and timely personnel and financial
information.
USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO
ENHANCE HRM :Exploring New Work
Structures

 Exploring new ways of

structuring work processes
Making work less tedious
Reducing workload

Standardization of HR process

Virtual organizations
Teleworking -Telecommuting


 Office decongestion
 Working at ones pace
 Saving cost
 Opportunity for more to work
USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO
ENHANCE HRM :Paperless Office
 A paperless environment through a Document Management System will not only
speed up storage and retrieval of documents, but also save costs of stationeries and
space required for storing old archived documents.
 Below are some of the additional benefits of a paperless environment:
 Reduction of paper handling and error-prone manual processes
 Reduction of paper storage
 Reduction of lost documents
 Faster access to information
 Online access to information that was formerly available only on paper,
microfilm, or microfiche
 Improved control over documents and document-oriented processes
 Streamlining of time-consuming business processes
 Security over document access and modification
 Provide reliable and accurate audit trail
 Improved tracking and monitoring, with the ability to identify bottlenecks and
modify the system to improve efficiency
 Disaster Recovery – provides an easy way to back-up documents for offsite
storage and disaster recovery providing failsafe archives and an effective
disaster recovery strategy. Paper is a bulky and expensive way to back-up
records and is vulnerable to fire, flood, vandalism, theft and other ‘Acts of God’
USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO
ENHANCE HRM :Time Attendance
 A time and attendance system can reduce errors
in enforcement of an organization’s attendance
policies.
 Accurate pay and award interpretation
 Reduce payroll errors
 Reduced Administration
 Reduce Absenteeism
 Reduce payroll costs through reduced overtime
 Increase productivity
 Key labour cost, activity and productivity
information
 Forward visibility of costs
 Increased staff empowerment and motivation
USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO
ENHANCE HRM :Inventory
 An automated inventory system can help reduce
internal theft and keep track of assets used by
employees.
USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO
ENHANCE HRM :DataBank
 A data bank is a repository of information on one or more
subjects that is organized in a way that facilitates local or
remote information retrieval. This can be used for storing
staff profiles and generating reports.
USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO
ENHANCE HRM :Transformation
 Recruitment
 Submission of Online applications Online application
 Salaries/Benefit Payroll system
 Payment vouchers


 Promotion, Training, discipline

 Performance appraisal Human Resources Management Software
 Record Keeping Document Management System
 Registry Databank
 Personnel policy
 Public service rules/financial instruction Web-based information

 Communication
 Filing & dispatching files Network, intranet, web based
 State pension Private contributory pension
 Motivation Employee assistance/Health insurance
 Internal sourcing Outsourcing
 Organizations Virtual organizations
THE SITUATION IN AFRICA

 Public Sector
 Poor Availability, vandalism and
sabotage
 Private Sector
 Banks, Airlines, ATM machines even
have Battery Powered Inverters to
ensure constant electricity
THE CHALLENGE: TRAINING
 Learning to use the tool
 Changing Work Flows
• Skills in the use of application tools:
 Word processing -- spread sheets
 Basic operation of computers (for example, managing
computer files and launching programs)
• Skills in the use of custom application tools
 Payroll system – HRM

 Document Management System

 Intranet Repositories
• Skills in the use of basic Internet/intranet services
 Internet browsing Web browsers and electronic mail systems.
 Instant Messaging
 Video Conferencing
THE CHALLENGE: INFRASTRUCTURE
 Enabling environment for the tool
 Computing
 Telecommunications

 Broadcasting

 Publishing

 Electrical Power Distribution

 Transportation and Financial Infrastructure

And Related Areas
OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES
 The irony: Most of the obstacles to taking advantage of ICT in HRM can be
tackled through newer more sophisticated and cheaper technology.
 Policies to support a brand new efficient and highly effective digital work flow.
 Training of Staff and executives to streamline their job functions on the new
digital workflow.
 File Tracking to keep tabs on the movement of files through Document
Management Systems.
 Authorization Levels/ Approval System.
 Security for the system to secure against internal and external sabotage.
 Availability of the system 24/7 through redundancy and backups to make sure
there are no bottle necks during work hours.
 Connectivity of the system to ensure all staff, executives and other stake
holders are connected through a robust network and appropriate terminals
 Usability of system by all stake holders through intuitive and simplified
devices like touch screens, barcode scanners, biometric scanners, paper
scanners, printers, e.t.c.
 Infrastructure to support the whole system flawlessly through world class
Data Centers, armored cabling to combat RAT attacks, Fiber optic network to
provide ample bandwidth for high volume data traffic; and intuitive terminals
for an extremely easy and effective user experience.
MEETING THE CHALLENGES

 Tangier Declaration 1994: Investment in

human resources constituted an essential
basis for the development of Nations and a
principal factor for achieving progress and
welfare.

 Creating conditions for sustainable

development: Public and private sector
bodies must be backed by a responsible,
effective, efficient and responsive human
resource management system.
THE FUTURE OF HRM WITH ICT
 Virtual Organizations
 Teleworking
 Centralized Systems
 Data Centers
 Security
 Biometric Scanners
 Instant Feed Backs
TELECOMMUTING : STATISTICS
 Number of Telecommuters in US
 In 2005, 44 percent of U.S. companies offered at least some
telecommuting options. (Mercer HR Consulting)
 The US Telecommuting forecast shows an additional 29
million telecommuters will enter the remote workforce
between 2009 and 2016, totaling to 43% of US workers.
 The number of U.S. employees who worked remotely at least
one day per month increased 39 percent the past two years,
from approximately 12.4 million in 2006 to 17.2 million in
2008 (World at Work)
 More than 22.2 million Americans Teleworked in 2005. (The
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
 Nationally, 94,643 federal workers teleworked during 2007.
(Central Intelligence Agency)
 The sum of all Teleworkers – employees, contractors and
business owners – has risen 17 percent from 28.7 million in
2006 to 33.7 million in 2008. (World at Work)
TELECOMMUTING : STATISTICS
 From 2003 to 2008, the total number of Teleworkers rose 43
percent to 33.7 million Americans. (World at Work)
 In 2006, there were an estimated 45 million Teleworkers in
the U.S. (World at Work, 2007)
 Sun Microsystems expanded its Telework policies after the
2001 terrorist attacks. Presently 56% of 34,494 employees
work without an assigned office, either at home or a satellite
office. Nearly 3,200 employees work from home at least four
days a week. (Tech News World, 05/07)
 22.2 million Americans worked from home or another out-of-
office location at least one day per week in 2005. (Forbes.com
7-27-06)
 In 2003, there were 4.4 million Teleworkers working at home
with broadband. By 2004, the number soared to 8.1 million, an
84% increase. 2004 American Interactive Consumer Survey
conducted by The Dieringer Research Group.
 It is estimated that 100 million US workers will Telecommute
by 2010. (Kiplinger, 12/00)
TELECOMMUTING : STATISTICS

Teleworkers save an average 53 minutes of commuting each day they
don't drive to work. ITAC, 1999
 Employers can save 63% of absenteeism costs per teleworker per
year. ITAC, 1999
 Teleworkers typically work 1-2 days per week (5.5days/month) from
home. ITAC 1999
 The potential US employer annual savings through telework from
reduced absenteeism, recruiting costs, and from increased
productivity could be as high as $441 billion. ITAC, 1999
 67% of teleworkers are married or from couple households. ITAC,
1999
 Teleworkers work: 38% of time at their computer, 17% on the phone,
24% on reading, research & analysis, and 9% in face-to-face
meetings. ITAC, 1999
 40% of teleworkers can schedule multiple personal tasks and errands
on the same day that they work from home. ITAC, 1999

26% of teleworkers work before or after hours so they can meet
personal tasks and errands. ITAC, 1999
REFERENCES
 Bhattacharya, Mohit 2002. Public Adminstration.
World Press:Kolkata
 Dery, Kristine Frances 2003. How Do Organizations
Align Human Resources Management with
Information Technology? An Exploration Study of
Four Australian Firms. Department of Management,
University of Melbourne
 The State of the Internet March 2010
 Pasted from <http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-
1G1-131363910/integrating-information-technology-
into.html>
