Let’s make good use of our tried, tested officials
After long service to the public such people have accumulated lots of wisdom, knowledge and experience, which can be used to develop our country.
What you need to know:
- We face many challenges, some of which relate to succession management and planning.
- It should be noted that after long service to the public such people have accumulated lots of wisdom, knowledge and experience, which can be used to develop our country.
Every year, many public and private officials retire from the public service after many years of service.
At the same time, after every election year, many members of Parliament lose their seats. It should be noted that after long service to the public (whether elected or appointed officials), such people have accumulated lots of wisdom, knowledge and experience, which can be used to develop our country.
This wealth of information, ideas and stock of experiences can be used strategically. The total sum of such experiences is too valuable for it to be left untapped. Occasionally, the media may grant such people some airtime to articulate some issues which lacks a mechanism for effective utilisation.
There is need to tap into such experiences by establishing officially recognised think-tanks, also called Public Policy Research, Analysis and Engagement Organisations.
They work by blending senior citizens with young professionals to always come up with informed public policy research and dissemination of the same to supplement government efforts in national building and development, which could include peace and mediation on various issues.
We face many challenges, some of which relate to succession management and planning.
Effective incentive
Many of our senior public service officials are apprehensive of their future because we have abandoned the African mantra of seeking counsel from those that came before us.
Once we utilise such experiences, we create enough mechanisms through which senior and experienced persons can be kept busy, which becomes an effective incentive to relinquish whatever positions they have held dearly, and also succession management.
Think-tanks are required to fast-track our achievement of Vision 2030, by playing pivotal roles in the national, international policy and political arenas, offering policy advice to governments and institutions of higher learning, legitimising government or party policies and providing inalienable space for public debates, discourses and discussions on various matters of national importance.
Through such forums, citizens can exchange ideas and knowledge, thereby addressing gaps in the much needed civic education and engagement.
Such think-tanks should be able to challenge the existing information, procedures and practices of government bureaucrats and elected leaders and promote the concept of business unusual.
