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The Civil Service Training Centre (CSTC), in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has organised a training programme on effective service delivery in Accra for middle-level civil service officers from four West African countries.
The 30 participants who were drawn from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone were taken through topics such as fostering efficiency, accountability and customer satisfaction in public service operations.
At the close of the programme on Tuesday, the Head of Civil Service, Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, underscored the critical role of continuous training in public service.
He said that providing hope through improved service strengthens the social contract between the state and citizens.
"Let us continue to improve upon the way we govern ourselves; the way we do things. We should not be popular for the wrong reasons, but for our ability to tap into resources available to us for the development of our people," Dr Aggrey-Darkoh said.
He stressed the importance of humility in the pursuit of knowledge and said: "The distinguishing trait of the philosopher is that he knows that he knows nothing. And it's that realisation that impels him or her to seek more knowledge”.
“The more you read, the more you expand your frontiers of knowledge, the more humble you become," the Head of Civil Service added.
He urged participants to apply the Kaizen principles to improve governance and service delivery in their respective countries.
JICA’s representative, Momoko Suzuki, commended the participants for embracing the Kaizen principles of work and reminded them that the philosophy extends beyond business management to personal and national transformation.
"Kaizen has changed organisations and individuals. But the first step is changing the individual, because it is you, one by one, who will transform your organisation, and ultimately your nation," she said.
Ms Suzuki acknowledged the challenges participants might face in implementing Kaizen principles but encouraged them to start and let their actions influence others.
"Maybe you will not have your colleagues or boss on board at first. Maybe things will not go as planned. But start small, from yourself.
“When people see the benefits from your actions, they will join you," she said.
For her part, the Principal of CSTC, Dora Dei-Tumi, said that while financial constraints were a common challenge, the Kaizen philosophy offers a practical approach to improving services without significant capital investment.
"We always think we need big capital injections to improve our institutions, but the question is, what do we do differently when the resources are not available?
"Kaizen has given us the answer. It is about using simple, practical strategies to make meaningful change," she said.
Ms Dei-Tumi charged the participants to become ambassadors of Kaizen, starting with personal transformation and extending the principles in their organisations.
"You have not just heard about Kaizen, you have seen it in action. You have been to the hospitals and you have seen how it works.
Now go and implement it. Start with yourself.
“Let people around you see that there is change, and soon, Kaizen will transform our entire civil service and our nation," she added.
