An adviser in the ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development has lauded Kenya for helping to transform the civil service culture in South Sudan.
Speaking while opening an exit workshop held in Nairobi for 26 Kenyan Civil Service Support Officers (CSSOs) who had been deployed in various sectors of the South Sudanese public service, Mr. John Itorong, said the officers had done a good job despite many challenges, such as difficult living conditions.
He said three of the10 states in South Sudan were in dire need of help due to the current conflict, adding that the project should be reconfigured to consider the current reality.
Meanwhile, the government of Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to training South Sudan civil servants under the IGAD Capacity Enhancement Initiative.
The Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning in Kenya, Ms Anne Waiguru, said Kenya was ready to participate in phase two of the project which is expected to begin in the course of 2014.
She made the remarks in a speech read on her behalf by Ms Jane Chege, the Director of Human Resource Management in the ministry during the workshop.
“It is my firm belief that as returning expatriates, you bring with you a wealth of experience to your work, tasks and roles. As a government, we are proud of you for successfully completing your tour of duty in South Sudan,” said the Cabinet Secretary.
In her speech, United Nations Development Programme South Sudan Deputy Country Director, Amanda Serumaga, said the CSSOs had been a catalyst for change in many ways, adding that their efforts would remain a positive driver for growth and development in South Sudan.
“As a partnership between South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and UNDP, this innovative initiative of capacity building through on-the-job mentoring and coaching has positively impacted the lives of countless people you may never meet again,” said Ms Serumaga.
Ms Serumaga said many successes had been recorded in the implementation of the project, adding that much continues to happen as a result of the efforts of the CSSOs and their South Sudanese counterparts.
She said the project had attracted a lot of regional and international interest because it promises to be replicable in post-conflict capacity building situations elsewhere in the world. She congratulated the Kenyan officers for their efforts and commitment.
Also present at the workshop were the Charge d’Affaires at the Norwegian embassy in Nairobi, Ms Hilde Solbakken, and Ms Angeth Acol de Dut, the Undersecretary for Public Service and Human Resource Development in South Sudan.
The RSS/IGAD project is a capacity building initiative whereby experienced civil servants from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda are partnered with their South Sudanese counterparts, whom they are expected to mentor and coach on best practices in the civil service for a period of two years.
Phase 1 of the project had 200 CSSOs, with Kenya providing 80 and Uganda and Ethiopia providing 60 each. Funding for the project is provided by Norway through UNDP South Sudan.
The officers who were involved in the project were drawn from diverse cadres of the civil service of the participating countries.
An adviser in the ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development has lauded Kenya for helping to transform the civil service culture in South Sudan.
Speaking while opening an exit workshop held in Nairobi for 26 Kenyan Civil Service Support Officers (CSSOs) who had been deployed in various sectors of the South Sudanese public service, Mr. John Itorong, said the officers had done a good job despite many challenges, such as difficult living conditions.
He said three of the10 states in South Sudan were in dire need of help due to the current conflict, adding that the project should be reconfigured to consider the current reality.
Meanwhile, the government of Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to training South Sudan civil servants under the IGAD Capacity Enhancement Initiative.
The Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning in Kenya, Ms Anne Waiguru, said Kenya was ready to participate in phase two of the project which is expected to begin in the course of 2014.
She made the remarks in a speech read on her behalf by Ms Jane Chege, the Director of Human Resource Management in the ministry during the workshop.
“It is my firm belief that as returning expatriates, you bring with you a wealth of experience to your work, tasks and roles. As a government, we are proud of you for successfully completing your tour of duty in South Sudan,” said the Cabinet Secretary.
In her speech, United Nations Development Programme South Sudan Deputy Country Director, Amanda Serumaga, said the CSSOs had been a catalyst for change in many ways, adding that their efforts would remain a positive driver for growth and development in South Sudan.
“As a partnership between South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and UNDP, this innovative initiative of capacity building through on-the-job mentoring and coaching has positively impacted the lives of countless people you may never meet again,” said Ms Serumaga.
Ms Serumaga said many successes had been recorded in the implementation of the project, adding that much continues to happen as a result of the efforts of the CSSOs and their South Sudanese counterparts.
She said the project had attracted a lot of regional and international interest because it promises to be replicable in post-conflict capacity building situations elsewhere in the world. She congratulated the Kenyan officers for their efforts and commitment.
Also present at the workshop were the Charge d’Affaires at the Norwegian embassy in Nairobi, Ms Hilde Solbakken, and Ms Angeth Acol de Dut, the Undersecretary for Public Service and Human Resource Development in South Sudan.
The RSS/IGAD project is a capacity building initiative whereby experienced civil servants from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda are partnered with their South Sudanese counterparts, whom they are expected to mentor and coach on best practices in the civil service for a period of two years.
Phase 1 of the project had 200 CSSOs, with Kenya providing 80 and Uganda and Ethiopia providing 60 each. Funding for the project is provided by Norway through UNDP South Sudan.
The officers who were involved in the project were drawn from diverse cadres of the civil service of the participating countries.