By Kemi Olatunde

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Ondo State Head of Service, Mr Bayo Philip, has stressed the need for public servants in the state to build a virile public service that is innovative with the use of technology and data-driven processes.

He spoke on Tuesday while addressing the 17th edition of Change Ambassadors’ interactive session with the Head of Service held at the State Information Technology Agency, SITA Hall in Akure, the state capital.

While noting that it is the expected responsibility of public servants to deliver services that would have a meaningful impact on society, he stated that it is important that they overcome barriers such as character deficits and unethical behaviors, which, according to him, can hinder their efficient and effective service delivery.

He explained that the work process can be improved by reducing wait and response times, increasing transparency and accountability, ensuring customer satisfaction, enhancing innovation and creativity, and fostering collaboration and teamwork among other things.

His words, ‘Today, we stand at the threshold of a new era in public service. An era where innovation meets compassion and progress meets inclusiveness. We gather to transform our public service, to make it more effective, efficient, and citizen-centred.

‘As public servants and particularly Change Ambassadors, we are entrusted with a vital responsibility: to deliver services that make a meaningful impact on other staff and our citizens’ lives, but we know that our ability to deliver is contingent upon our ability to work efficiently and effectively.

‘Today, I want to talk about process improvement in our public service. It’s about streamlining our workflows, eliminating unnecessary steps, and leveraging technology to enhance our work. Process improvement is not just about efficiency; it’s about effectiveness. It’s about ensuring that our services are apt, that we’re meeting the needs of our communities, and that we’re making a meaningful impact both individually and as a group,’ he said.

Speaking earlier in his welcome address, Permanent Secretary in the State Public Service Reforms and Development, Prince Adewale Omomowo, described regular interactive sessions with the Head of Service as one of the vehicles used to drive the series of reforms in the state public service.

He lauded the Change Ambassadors for living up to expectations since the initiative began in the year 2020, stating that lots of successes had so far been recorded.

The event featured two lectures, ‘Harnessing the Power of Change for Organizational Transformation’ delivered by the Permanent Secretary of the State Agency for Transportation, Mr Femi Aladenola, and ‘Small-Scale Farming, Agricultural Productivity, and Poverty Reduction among Civil Servants: The Enabling Role of Agricultural Technology Adoption’ by Engr. Caleb Olowojola, a Director in the state Ministry of Agriculture.