Development institutions urged to be more productive

from the Swazi Observer

By Teetee Zwane

GOVERNMENT has encouraged the Institute of Development Management (IDM) to be part of the formulation of a National Human Resources Development Plan for Swaziland to be more productive in superior macroeconomic development.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service and Information Cyril Kunene said government was currently working on this plan, which was being informed by a skills survey conducted two years ago.

"I understand similar initiatives are in progress in Botswana and Lesotho. This has a direct bearing on your activities as IDM and I encourage you to follow the development of these initiatives," he said when he officially opened a week-long regional staff development seminar at the Royal Swazi Sun Libandla Room yesterday.

"Our challenge is that IDM may be part of these processes so that Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (BLS) may be productive toward superior macroeconomic development and be competitive so that they participate meaningfully in opportunities offered by the critical targets of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the 2015 millennium development goals and beyond."

Kunene said IDM was one of the critical training initiatives of the three governments and the institution remained a shining example of collaboration and SMART partnership between the three countries, with the aim of providing skilled human resources for national development.

Addressing delegates from the three countries, the PS said as a way of supporting IDM, the three governments continued to honour the commitment of providing physical facilities for the institution's campuses.

"In Swaziland, we recently invested E50 million in the construction of a modern state-of-the-art campus in Matsapha and further committed resources in the restructuring as well as operationalisation of IDM as a whole," he said.

The PS added that the institution's challenge was now to translate this investment to competitive service provision that may make IDM profitable and sustainable, regionally and as a global player in the training market.

"I believe we should be most competitive since the capital infrastructure has already been provided," he said, "all that remains is for us to use our professional competence to make money, using this infrastructure. Why then should we be out-competed by other players in the market?"

Kunene said government was encouraged to see that its investment in the institution was making an impact in the BLS countries. He said the various courses and diplomas attained by participants over the years had given them the required confidence in executing their tasks.

"The three governments fully support IDM's mandate, that is, training, research and consulting in the areas of business management, public administration, information management and general as well as human resource management in the BLS countries."

The PS further stressed the importance of professional as well as support staff in achieving such a mandate, adding that every job was key and each person must play their role to the fullest because they're also important to the institution.

"We will only succeed if we are united in purpose, hence I commend you for coming together in this fashion to chart a way forward for IDM" he added.