A weeklong training of trainers workshop on public sector management is currently underway at the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel in Banjul.

The training, organized by the Management Development Institute (MDI) in partnership with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and fully sponsored by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in Harere Zimbabwe, has brought together over 40 senior government officials with the objective of building their capacity on leadership skills and management.

During the course of the training, participants will be introduced to, among other things, the role of public service in nation building, time management skills, good governance, accelerated development and poverty alleviation through decentralization, civil society leadership function and how to break the cultural constraints on accelerated national development.

The training will be also characterized by a series of lectures and presentations with highly experienced experts to deliver on the various subjects. Speaking at the opening of the training yesterday, the director general of MDI, Yusupha Dibba, said the training programme has been well planned by both GIMPA and MDI to promote mechanisms and institute a capacity building programme in public sector management.

He noted that the training is part of a medium team intervention of the ACBF in fulfilling its goals and objectives of capacity building.  The guest speaker of the training, Professor Stephen Adei, expressed great satisfaction over the tremendous improvements that The Gambia has achieved in its infrastructural development.  He hailed The Gambian president as a leader who means business.

Professor Adei expressed optimism that The Gambia can achieve a middle income status since it has a good leadership, efficient bureaucracy, a national vision and agenda. For his part, the permanent secretary, Personnel Management Office, and chairman of the MDI board, Omar G Sallah, remarked that the training is in line with the civil service reform.

He revealed that the government is determined to put in place the governance environment that will promote reform and development in line with the Vision 2020 initiative and programme as well as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Programme. 
In a related but separate development, the MDI is also organizing an induction workshop for over 20 newly appointed civil servants at its campus in Kanifing.