The Senior Human Resource Manager of Okaikwei North Municipal Assembly (ONMA) in the Greater Accra Region has advised staffs of the Assembly not to view performance appraisals only as a tool for promotions.
According to Madam Sefia Salifu, the document is key to tracking the performance and developments of staff in the various Units and Departments of the Assembly.
Speaking at a three-day (15th to 17th October, 2024) capacity building training workshop on Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual, she disclosed that Staff performance appraisals as well as leave applications would soon be uploaded onto an electronic portal.
The move Madam Sefia noted would also enable staff to sit up in the discharge of their duties.
The three-day training which opened with a session for Heads of Department and Units is to enable staff to understand the step-by-step approach of handling HR Policies and Procedures.
Taking staff through the topic: “Recruitment and Selection”, the Senior Human Resource Manager noted among others that the HR Department shall at all times ensure that vacancies at the Departments and Units do not exceed the staffing norms and warrant of recruitment.
She said Management shall spell out the strategies to attract prospective applicants and that a panel shall be constituted to examine applicants to select competent conditions.
Madam Sefia explained that recruitment from within when vacancies become available shall be the first option.
Touching on the subject “Induction and Orientation”, the Okaikwei North Assembly Senior HR indicated that the focus of employees must align with the mission and vision of the Assembly adding that “the newly recruited staff will familiarize themselves with the Assembly history, background, vision, mission, core values and objectives of ONMA.”
She said Heads of Department and Units also have the responsibility to mentor, coach and train new staff.
On Succession Planning, Madam Sefia said Management shall ensure that staff being considered in the succession plan list are not permeant and that staff remain on the plan as long as the staff continue to perform.
She continued: “Management shall ensure that succession plan will be confidential and only be accessible to Management. The list must not be disclosed to staff on the succession plan.”
Participants were also taken through the various categories of leave and the duration.
Departments and Units who took turns to have their sessions at the training include Administration, Development Planning, Marriage, Records, Budget and Rating, Statistics, Internal Audit, Agriculture, Finance and Security.
The others are: Physical Planning, Management Information Systems (MIS), Urban Roads, Works, Transport, Stores, Birth And Deaths, Social Welfare & Community Development, Procurement And Environmental Health.
Source: onma.gov.gh
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson, AD IIB