There is no viable strategy for human resources development

Jan 31, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

I was more than less engaged with the thrust of Stabroek News’ editorial of January 26, 2020. Indeed, it speaks to more than just ‘Administrative Deficit’, for governments of this day have to be substantively more proactive. They are required to manage economies, and therefore people who function within the respective components of a disciplined creative organisational decision-making structure.
Having said the above, the fault lines identified in the respective governments’ performance over the past two decades are accurate. They also confirm the very fundamental deficit of competencies relevant to decision-making at the highest levels, thus setting poor examples for those whom they supervise.
It has always been the troubling issue, particularly in a ‘village’ size population like Guyana’s, of the elected talking down to the very electors, who they tried so hard to attract. There is the assumption of authority that intervenes in a communication structure which illogically treats the elector, however professional, as less than equal. In short, the communication process is hardly ever ‘with’, but mostly ‘to’ – in a counterproductive leadership environment.
Compounding this state of organisational constipation is the not unexpected humility proffered, particularly by the contracted professional who demurs from asserting his/her superior analytical capabilities in respect of policy formulation, and even at the level of operational decision-making. It is even possible that the recruit may feel compromised by the very nature of contract employment.
Whether so or not, there is no question that over recent years, there has been palpable evidence of the personalisation of decision-making in public sector organisations. In other words, it is a matter of who likes whom.
In the much discussed sugar industry, there was a time when there was a carefully structured decision-making system that allowed constructive recommendations for policy, beginning at the estate worker level. The system was initially called ‘Worker Participation’. It actually survived the vagaries of the respective political decision-making hierarchies.
However, following the change of ‘administration’ one found that there was a substantive depletion of confidence amongst the management cadre, resulting from peremptory disciplinary action, including termination, which several of their colleagues had experienced.
As a consequence, there was the patent reluctance to share information even with those whom they closely worked. The background was that there was deep uncertainty about whom to trust – a legacy of their experience up to 2015.
It was an unacceptably sad situation to witness those who were more than just managers, but heads of families, whose humanity had been so blatantly undermined.
But the above scenario is hardly limited to the sugar industry. Substantial experience in consultancy projects across the public sector over the past two decades allows for easy identification of:
i) the lack of trust; coupled with
ii) the depletion of the employee’s self-respect as a human being
So that there is still reference to the retarded assignment of ‘Personnel Officer’, (not even ‘Manager’) only in Guyana’s Public Service, while they are surrounded, however nominally, with the principle and practice of Human Resources Management locally, regionally and internationally.
The latter must be the substantive reason why there is no viable strategy for human resources development, beginning at the precarious level of Ministers, so many of whom, one colleague observed, do not know that they do not know.
And in the absence of any human resources development programme in the Public Service, it is hardly expected that there would be provision for succession by acceptably competent candidates. Just advert to the Ministries of Education, Health, Foreign Affairs, and Social Protection (with particular reference to Labour).
Unlike the USA, decision-making on legal issues should not be based on political considerations, which in any case come back to haunt us all. Out of Order! All are definitely out of sync with regard to the management of oil and gas economies.
E.B. John

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