MHRM (N) STAFF SUGGESTION SCHEME & WORK IMPROVEMENT TEAMS

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Every individual has creative talent and ability to make suggestions to improve the way his job is being done. Every individual takes an interest and pride in his work and is keen to make continuous improvements to the organization. He will find his job more meaningful and interesting when he is given the opportunity to make continuous improvements in his work. 1.2. The Staff Suggestion Scheme and Work Improvement Teams (WITS) are two effective mechanisms for creating an environment for every officer to contribute his ideas to help his organization progress. 2. DEFINITION AND SCOPE 2.1. Staff Suggestion Scheme 2.1.1. A Staff Suggestion Scheme can briefly be defined as a formal channel which encourages every employee to suggest ideas which may be helpful in solving or avoiding problems or improving work process or the work environment. Through the Suggestion Scheme, an employee can participate directly in the improvement of productivity in his organisation. An employee will find his job more meaningful and interesting when he participates in the decision making process involving his work. 2.1.2. The primary objective is to inculcate a value and culture of looking for continuous improvement and to contribute towards such improvements. Therefore, any idea initiated by an individual towards making continuous improvements to work procedures and processes, whether directly relating to the individuals work or not, should be encouraged. 2.2. Work Improvement Teams (WITs) 2.2.1. A WIT is a group of employees of any grade from the same work area who meet regularly to solve problems and make work improvements in their own work area. A WIT may also be formed with members from different work groups but who are doing the same type of work. Work improvement means quality improvement. Quality covers quality of management, service, procedures, outputs, inputs, personnel, teamwork, efficiency, effectiveness, attitude, work environment, information, problem-solving capability, service, the use of resources, performances, etc. 2.2.2. This participative environment will help employees identify with their work and offer opportunities for self-development, thus encouraging commitment. 2.2.3. The scope of a WIT project is to:
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MHRM (N) STAFF SUGGESTION SCHEME & WORK IMPROVEMENT TEAMS 2.2.3.1. Identify, examine, analyse and solve problems pertaining to the employees work. 2.2.3.2. Identify and examine opportunities for improvement and to propose and implement measures to achieve the desired level. 2.2.3.3. Help the work area and the department adapt to changing circumstances. 2.2.3.4. Discuss and conduct studies on how to improve the working environment, efficiency, quality of service, knowledge and skill, teamwork, work performance, use of resources, work goals, objectives and targets, systems, methods and procedures. 2.2.3.5. Implement improvements, ideas recommending them for implementation. or

2.2.4. As a guide, the average size of a WIT should be between 2 and 10 members. 3. ACCEPTANCE GUIDELINES FOR SUGGESTIONS 3.1. An idea can be accepted as a suggestion if it helps to: 3.1.1. Improve process efficiency 3.1.2. Improve service/product quality 3.1.3. Improve the use of resources, materials, space, etc 3.1.4. Reduce damage 3.1.5. Cut down service time 3.1.6. Improve service standards 3.1.7. Improve the design of forms, equipment, etc 3.1.8. Reduce paperwork, or simplify procedures 3.1.9. Save costs 3.1.10. Cut down wastage 3.1.11. Achieve corporate, group or section goals or effectiveness better 3.1.12. Improve practices/routines 3.1.13. Make better use of aids/machines 3.2. An idea would normally not be accepted if it is: 3.2.1. A grievance or a complaint relating to the terms and conditions of employment

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MHRM (N) STAFF SUGGESTION SCHEME & WORK IMPROVEMENT TEAMS 3.2.2. A criticism directed at other staff 3.2.3. A solution to problems created by the officer himself eg error rates, inefficiency 3.3. If an idea is not accepted, the coordinator should state the reasons for rejecting it, and return it to the originator of the idea. 4. GUIDELINES FOR EMBARKING ON WITS 4.1. A WIT should seek the approval of the facilitator on the theme or problem identified, before embarking on the project. As a project may take 6 months to be completed, approval help prevent recommend solutions from being rejected due to other new developments, which the team may not be aware of. 5. TARGETS 5.1. The following norms are recommended in the promotion and implementation of the Staff Suggestion Scheme and WITs throughout the Mosques: 5.2. Staff Suggestions Scheme 5.2.1. Mosques embarking on the Staff Suggestion Scheme for the first time should strive towards: 5.2.1.1. at least 1 suggestion per employee per year for the first 12 months; 5.2.1.2. 100% participation in the Suggestion Scheme; 5.2.2. Mosques which have already solicited the staffs spontaneous participation should set higher targets and encourage suggestions that are directed at improving service quality.

5.3. WITs 5.3.1. Every individual in the Mosque should participate in Work Improvement Teams (WITs) activities as a WIT member/leader/facilitator, or as a member of the Mosques Steering Committee. As a good introduction to WITs, all new entrants should automatically be assigned to a WIT. Existing staff who are not members of any WIT can either form new teams or be co-opted into existing WITs. This will provide for total participation in WITs. A newly formed WIT should complete at least 1 project within its first year of formation. Subsequently, the WIT should strive to achieve the target set by the Mosque. On the average, an active WIT should be able to complete 3 projects annually.

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MHRM (N) STAFF SUGGESTION SCHEME & WORK IMPROVEMENT TEAMS 6. FORMAL STRUCTURE 6.1. Each mosque should have a Mosque-level Suggestion and WITs Steering Committee, preferably chaired by a Board Member, who will be responsible for: 6.1.1. Working out the system and procedures 6.1.2. Setting realistic targets, 6.1.3. Establishing suggestions evaluation criteria unique to the Mosque, 6.1.4. Establishing criteria for tangible and intangible awards and other forms of recognition, 6.1.5. Monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the progress and achievements, 6.1.6. Promoting and publicising programmes within the Mosque. productivity participation

6.2. The Mosque should decentralise the administration and management of WITs and suggestions to its departments. Each department should have a departmental committee which will be responsible for the success of the scheme at the departmental level. The department should actively involve its branch/section heads in encouraging their staff to participate actively in WITs activities and to put up suggestions. Suggestions coordinators and WITs facilitators should be identified at the departmental, divisional, or its equivalent levels. 7. PROCEDURE FOR SUBMITTING SUGGESTIONS 7.1. Individuals and groups (formal and informal) are encouraged to contribute their suggestions either on an individual or group basis (3 or more contributors). 7.2. Suggestions should be made using a prescribed Suggestion Form. Each suggestion form must include full details of the problem identified, and the proposed solution. The suggester should also include the possible benefits of implementing the suggestion. All ideas, when submitted, must satisfy the acceptance guidelines in item 3.0 above. The section/branch head should assess and comment on the feasibility and extent of application of suggestion before forwarding it to the Departmental Suggestion Steering Committee. The Mosques, based on their unique requirements, can introduce other means of soliciting suggestions e.g. voice-mail, electronic mail, verbal suggestion, memorandum, etc. 7.3. To encourage total participation from the staff, a supervisor should assist any of his staff who has difficulty in expressing his ideas in writing, to put up his suggestion in the prescribed form.

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MHRM (N) STAFF SUGGESTION SCHEME & WORK IMPROVEMENT TEAMS 8. WIT MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES 8.1. A supervisor may allocate up to four working hours a month for the WITs to meet and the team should ideally meet at least once a fortnight. These meetings should be an integral part of the Mosques activities. 8.2. When a WIT has completed a project, it can present the final product in a variety of ways. These include bringing your supervisor to the site of the project to show what changes have taken place; presenting it informally to your supervisor; or giving a formal presentation. 9. EVALUATION, FEEDBACK AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SUGGESTIONS AND WITS PROJECTS 9.1. Suggestions received shall be evaluated speedily. At the departmental level, the evaluation should not exceed 4 weeks. However, branch/section level evaluation should not exceed 2 weeks. Feedback on the status of the suggestions should be made available to the suggester within 1 week after the evaluation. 9.2. A suggestion which relates to a particular section should be evaluated by its section head. Suggestions which have department-wide applicability should be evaluated by the departmental Steering Committee and suggestions with division and Mosque-wide applicability should be evaluated by the respective Steering Committees. However, suggestions that require the expertise of the central agencies should be forwarded to them for their evaluation and assessment. The evaluation by the central agency should ideally not exceed 1 month. 9.3. Suggestions concerning improvements in another Mosque should be forwarded to the Suggestions coordinator of the Mosque concerned for evaluation. The Suggestions coordinator forwarding the suggestion should monitor the progress and the decision made, through the Suggestions coordinator of the Mosque concerned. For suggestions that involve multi-Mosque evaluation and implementation, the respective Mosque-level Steering Committee will evaluate and sponsor the suggestion either directly to the Mosques involved or through the PS21 WITs and Suggestions Functional Committee. The Mosques representative on the PS21 WITs and Suggestions Functional Committee will table the suggestion for the Committees evaluation and direction. The suggester must be kept informed of the progress and status of the suggestion. 9.4. Once a suggestion is accepted for implementation, the appropriate authorities will take follow-up action. 9.5. All WITs projects that have been successfully tested or evaluated must be implemented unless there are overriding reasons not to do so.

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MHRM (N) STAFF SUGGESTION SCHEME & WORK IMPROVEMENT TEAMS 9.6. A completed project is to be considered as implemented when a decision is taken by the appropriate authority to implement it immediately or in stages at the relevant levels. A WIT can implement the completed project if it is within its scope and authority to do so. Otherwise, the supervisor is to facilitate the implementation of the completed projects. Where assistance from relevant central agencies is required, the supervisor should ensure that appropriate support is sought to facilitate implementation. 10. AWARDING OF SUGGESTIONS 10.1. Every idea received and accepted as a suggestion, should be awarded at least a token award of $2. Suggestions may merit more than $2 depending on the evaluation and implementability of the suggestion. Each Mosque may draw up its own guidelines for the respective levels within the Mosque. A minimum and maximum value to the award may be set for the different levels. The maximum, however should not be more than $3,000 for an individual award and $4,500 for a group award. 10.2. A different rating of awards should be adopted for group suggestions. This could be two times the amount of award for individual suggestions subject to a maximum of $4,500. 10.3. Funds should be made available readily for awarding purposes. The Mosques should have an established procedure for allocation and replenishment of funds based on their requirements (i.e. suggestions targets and holding strength, etc) 11. FEEDBACK AND MONITORING SYSTEM 11.1. The Mosque and its divisions should periodically monitor the number of suggestions received, the number accepted for implementation, and the total amount of awards given. Likewise for WITs activities, the number of WITs, number of projects completed and implemented, and the training status of leaders and facilitators should be monitored. Departments should consolidate the staff feedback into a monthly progress report. The Mosque should identify the casual factors and introduce new initiatives and strategies to overcome the challenges in meeting targets. 12. RECOGNITION 12.1. Details of an officers involvement in the Suggestions Scheme and WITs should be included in the Staff Confidential Report (SCR) to accord official recognition eg. number of suggestions contributed, role in promoting the suggestions scheme, special awards conferred. 12.2. In addition to official recognition through the SCR, other forms of award can be conferred to recognise individuals, groups/teams and departments for their outstanding contributions and achievements. For example:
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MHRM (N) STAFF SUGGESTION SCHEME & WORK IMPROVEMENT TEAMS

12.2.1. Outstanding Individual Suggester Award 12.2.2. Outstanding Group/Team Suggester Award 12.2.3. Outstanding Department Suggestions Coordinator 12.2.4. Outstanding Division Suggestions Coordinator 12.2.5. Outstanding Suggestion Award 12.2.6. Best Suggestion Award 12.2.7. Outstanding Department Award 12.2.8. Outstanding Division Award 12.2.9. Outstanding WITs Project Award 12.2.10. Outstanding Department Award 12.2.11. Outstanding WITs Award 12.2.12. Outstanding WITs Facilitator Award 12.2.13. Outstanding WITs Leader Award 12.2.14. Outstanding WITs Chief Facilitator Award 12.3. Individual Mosque Management Boards are to work out their specific criteria for the above awards based on their requirements. 12.4. These awards can be in the form of a certificate or a challenge trophy. All awards and certificates must be presented at the annual award presentation day, with active participation from top management. 13. PROMOTION AND PUBLICITY 13.1. Mosques are encouraged to hold an annual Mosque-wide promotion and award presentation. Divisions and departments can organise their own promotional activities and awards presentation. 13.2. These activities and achievements could be publicised in in-house magazines and annual reports. 13.3. Posters and brochures to explain the concept, benefits and procedure for submitting suggestions should be printed and distributed as widely as possible at suitable intervals. 13.4. Mosques should allocate sufficient funds for promotional and publicity activities.

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MHRM (N) STAFF SUGGESTION SCHEME & WORK IMPROVEMENT TEAMS 14. INTEGRATION WITH WORK IMPROVEMENT TEAMS (WITS) 14.1. The Staff Suggestion Scheme and WITs activities complement each other in improving productivity. Suggesters contribute to improvements, especially in their own area of work. Members of WITs propose improvements to their own work area. Both the Suggestion Scheme and WITs activities provide an opportunity for every employee, either as individuals or teams/groups to make continuous improvements to enhance productivity. 14.2. Integrating both WITs and the Staff Suggestion Scheme will provide opportunities to harness all resources and to synergise the efforts in improving productivity. WITs leaders can double up as suggestions coordinators where they can help with the following: 14.2.1. serve as a focal point for formulating group suggestions and 14.2.2. stimulate team members to make individual suggestions, especially during the brainstorming and problem identification session. 14.3. A completed WITs project can be submitted as a group suggestion for the purpose of awards. This group suggestion can also be counted as a suggestion received under the suggestion scheme. 14.4. A suggestion can be converted into a WIT project if the supervisor decides to task a WIT to look into the problem identified in the suggestion. 14.5. The conversation of a suggestion into a WIT project helps to facilitate the evaluation of the recommended solution, especially when the problem needs a more elaborate analysis and the application of WITs tools and techniques will facilitate a more in depth study of the problem identified. It will also help identify alternative solutions. 14.6. Ideally, the Mosque-level Steering Committee should be responsible for both the WITs activities and Staff Suggestion Scheme in the Mosque.

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