Getting ready to serve the public

13 January 2012

Pre-Induction Training Program under the theme “Getting ready to serve the public” for the newly recruited Assistant Librarians was jointly implemented on pilot basis by Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA) and Public Service Training Institute (PSTI) under the guidance of Ministry of Public Management Reforms. This was held at SLIDA as a residential training from 19-23 December 2011.

Today the entire country is geared towards an accelerated development drive which needs public officers at all levels who can contribute to improve the quality of life of people in the country. In this regard, it is vital to develop multi-skilled competencies of personnel in the public services who can take up challenges and deliver multi-faceted services in any given situation. In the current economic and management setting our public services therefore, need to be ahead and think and act away from tradition for this unprecedented development effort to be a reality.

In this regard, HE the President has emphasized on the urgent need for all new entrants to all levels in the public services be initially trained in the under mentioned areas, prior to their induction training and being posted to the respective organizations.

• Government Structures, Mechanisms and Processes for the delivery of public services
• Aims and objectives of the public services and responsibilities of Public Servants
• Values, attitudes and work ethics, and
• Application of Information Technology in service delivery

With the assistance of an external management consultant a training manual has been developed for this purpose by the Ministry of Public management Reforms. Based on this training manual, the Pre Induction Training was conducted for 34 Assistant Librarians recruited in December 2011 with the funding of this Ministry. They became the first batch of new entrants who have undergone this training before starting their carrier in public service.

In future, all other new recruits to the public service will be given this training.