- The Complete Research Material is averagely 50 pages long and it is in Ms Word Format, it has 1-5 Chapters.
- Major Attributes are Abstract, All Chapters, Figures, Appendix, References.
- Study Level: BTech, BSc, BEng, BA, HND, ND or NCE.
- Full Access Fee: ₦6,000
Get the complete project »
Abstract
The Civil Service as the machinery of Government performs the unique
role of governance and National development as such government
everywhere in the world have come to terms with the need to train and
re-train it’s human resource for them to be better equipped to maximize
productivity levels and meet the challenges of governance and
management.
This work makes use of the system theory as the theoretical framework
and data gathered from secondary sources. My chapter one began with the
general introduction where we have the background of study, statement of
problem, objective of study, significance of study, literature review,
significance of the study, theoretical framework, hypotheses, method of
data collection and analysis, scope and limitation of study,
operationalization of concept. In chapter two, we looked at human
resource and productivity in the Nigerian civil service: a historical
perspective. In chapter three, we looked at how impediments such as
corruption, faulty implementation of the principle of federal character,
inadequate fund and experienced training staff all impede in
productivity. Chapter four dealt with the strategies for human resource
development and productivity in Kogi State Civil Service. Finally
chapter five, ended this work with summary, conclusion and
recommendation. Using Kogi State Civil Service as a point of appraisal,
this work hopes to link human resources training and development to
their productivity level.
In consequence I am of the view that lack of adequate training and
re-training of staff has resulted to low productivity. In view of this I
recommend that impediments such as godfatherism, corruption, nepotism
should be repudiated in order to increase the level of productivity and
quality service delivery.
Chapter One
General Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
The problem of human resource development and productivity in Nigeria
civil service has become very severe such that the civil service is at
the point of collapse due to challenges of civil service delivery, over
centralization amongst others.
To Collins and Chan (2009) in addition to fixing many such other key
problems of development, Nigeria state has an urgent problem of
disposing her workforce to cope with the demands of the society.
The origin, structure and performance of the civil service dates back to
the 20th century, with the introduction of the British colonial rule in
Nigeria. By 1990, a decentralized colonial service with headquarters in
each of the protectorate was established. By 1904, the colony of Lagos
state was amalgamated with the protectorate of Southern Nigeria. This
was followed by the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern
protectorate in 1914 bringing into existence a country called Nigeria.
By 1914, there were two civil services in the two Nigeria’s (Northern
and Southern) headed by a Governor-general in the person of Lord Lugard
and two lieutenant Governors each for the North and South respectively,
while an administrator was in charge of Lagos. The British imposed a
unified civil service in Nigeria, which was mainly concerned with the
maintenance of law and order and the mobilization of enough local
resources in order to ensure their administration was self sufficient.
According to Ciroma (1988:5):
The Nigerian civil service began as a force of occupation designed to
facilitate colonial rule and the exploitation of land and its people for
the benefit of the colonial masters.
The 2nd World War and the attendant world wide depression left the civil
service hopelessly depleted as the civil service played major role of
being an essential tool and veritable source of men and material of the
allied war efforts.
In 1936, the Walayns committee recommended a new policy of staffing the
public service by indigenes and for the first time the administrative
service which was the cream of colonial services was thrown open to
Nigerians.
The Nigerianization scheme went a stage further with the appointment of
the foot commission of 1948, the commission observed that the training
and recruitment of Nigerians for senior post in the government services
was not only necessary to enable Nigerians to take part in the
management of their own affairs but also required to enable them keep
pace with the constitutional development and programs in the country.
Richard constitution of 1946 marked a significant milestone in the
history of the civil service in Nigeria, first, it marked the beginning
of the regionalization of the hitherto unitary civil service as some
attempts were made to regionalize the central department.
Regionalization of the civil service took the form of transforming some
of the central departments operating in the three regions into
non-central departments headed by deputy directors responsible to the
director in Lagos.
The Macpherson constitution of 1951 further extended the regionalization
policy as more Central Departments were regionalized. The 1954
constitution provided for a full fledged regional civil services as well
as the central (federal) civil service. It brought in the wake many
structural changes which were of great significance in the public
service commission in the regions as well as at the center. These
commissions were granted full powers by the same constitution to
appoint, promote, dismiss and discipline junior civil servants.
The nationalist agitation for independence brought about the
introduction of the Nigerianization policy. The essence of this policy
was to make Nigerian civil service entirely staffed, managed and
controlled by Nigerians themselves (Omotosho, 2001). To Okunade(1990:
26):
The civil servants that occupied positions were unprepared. They lacked
the necessary training initiative and administrative acumen.
Consequently, the level of productivity in the civil service waned
dangerously. Also, Nicolson (1969) noted that Nigerians administrative
legacy was one of chaos rather than order and tidiness. There was
excessive centralization and absence of delegation. Above all, civil
servants for the first two decades after independence were corrupt,
inefficient and unproductive.
In the face of this alarming decrease in productivity in the civil
service, several steps have been taken by successive Nigerian government
to strategically position and reposition human resource administration
in the country. Such steps include but are not limited to the setting up
of the various commissions for reforming the civil service including
the Morgan constitution of 1963, Adebo commission of 1971, Udoji
commission of 1974 amongst others.
Following the 1974 Udoji report, the civil service was reformed
comprehensively, strategically readjusted and strengthened to respond
effectively to the demands of developed. Abubakar (1992: 42) opined
that:
Human resource development is the sin-quo-non for the attainment of
efficiency and effectiveness which are the two major goals/objectives of
a good civil service.
The implication is that, the government of the Nigeria civil service
before 1994 had been very low. Therefore, utmost need was for qualified
and motivated staff at the right place and at the right time to achieve
the objectives to transfer paper plan into actual achievement of all
aspect of personal management.
Accordingly, the Udoji reform of 1977 saw human resource development as
the main vehicle for enhancing efficiency in the civil service.
While the 1978 civil service reform favoured professionalism through
human resource training and development as a way of getting into the top
cadre of the civil service.
To Ayeni (1991: 123):
These reforms saw human resource training and development for the professionalization initiative of government.
This according to him is because,
It is through experience and training and familiarity that an
administration can build any measure of expertise that will set him
apart from his colleagues in or outside administration.
Furthermore, to him, the 1988 civil service made it imperative for every
incumbent or office holder to possess requisite knowledge and skill and
attitudinal tendencies in job activity was instructed and recommended
in government services. Accordingly it is agreed that in order to
enhance socio-economic development and facilitate efficiency and
effectiveness in government business, the performance standard of
employees must be uplifted to the minimum level of proficiency.
To this therefore ministries are to establish, operate and maintain
programmes or plans for the training of employees in or under the
ministry.
In the wake of democracy, after decades of military rule, the Obasanjo
regime in 1999 set up a body to reform the public sector/services
especially in the employment of qualified graduates.
The Bureau of pubic service chaired by Mallam El-Rufai was empowered to review the public service to ensure effectiveness.
The reform led to the retrenchment of about thirty thousand workers
(unqualified, incompetent and dead wood) and the employment of about one
thousand, five hundred graduates with first class and second class
university degrees. Unlike in the past, it became dynamic and effective,
as civil servants were allowed to perform their traditional duty which
is to advice and to implement policies of government (The Punch, May 2,
2000).
The current administration has not done much to improve on what Obasanjo
did during his time, except the eighteen thousand naira minimum wage
for civil servants which has not yet been adopted by most states in
Nigeria. Moreover, the civil service is still considered stagnant and
inefficient as the attempts made in the past have had little effect on
the promotion of sustainable human resource development and productivity
in the civil service.
This study therefore attempts to assess the impact of human resource
development on productivity in the civil service in Nigeria using the
Kogi state civil service commission as a point of appraisal.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
At independence in 1960, so many British officials were replaced with
Nigerians but in spite of this, the colonial method of doing things was
still predominant in the civil service.
In order words, the whites were replaced by Nigerians, yet the
West-Minister-patterned general orders and financial institutions
remained the operational codes in the Nigerian civil service.
The emergent civil servants were inexperienced consequent upon the
indigenization policy as most of them occupied positions that their
abilities and capabilities in terms of experience, training and
qualification can not cope with.
Thus, the quest to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the civil
service has always occupied the attention of successive governments.
This is because the civil service is the brain box of the modern
governments yet the civil service in Nigeria has been characterized by
poor performance and inability to translate government policies and
programs to reality. Beginning from the period of indigenization of the
civil service in 1960’s many things went wrong. For instance, Njoku
(1984) believed that the indigenization exercise was done without regard
to the interest of the services as the beneficiaries of the policy
failed to adhere to the weberian principle that a bureaucrat should
neither appropriate his office nor the resources that go with it. On the
contrary, the Nigerian civil servants under Gowon’s regime, according
to Elaigwu (1986) used their positions to acquire wealth by irregular
methods. They became corrupt and in the view of Balogun (1983), they
could no longer hide under the cloak of anonymity, impartiality and
economic neutrality.
Even in situations where the need for employee training and development
is needed and a lot of time and money is committed to staff training and
development, the exercise were often inappropriate, haphazard or
premised on a faulty diagnosis of organizational training needs.
In other situations were training happened to occur, civil servants are
deployed without regard to the skill acquired leading to frustration of
personnel so trained and also general inefficiency in the system.
In Nigerian civil service, the workers are generally under-trapped,
underutilized, poorly motivated and consequently perform low below their
standard to ensure effective productivity.
It is against this background that this work seeks to provide answers to the following pertinent questions.
1. Is there any link between human resource development and productivity in the civil service?
2. Is corruption an impediment to human resource development in the Nigerian civil service?
3. Can merit-based recruitment, selection and regular staff training engender productivity in the Kogi State civil service?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The broad objective of this study is to examine the basic challenges
facing human resource development and productivity in Kogi State civil
service commission from its establishment to date.
Specifically however, the study aims at the following:-
1. To establish the link between human resource development and productivity.
2. To ascertain if corruption is an impediment to human resource development in the Nigerian civil service.
3. To determine if merit-based recruitment, selection and regular staff
training can engender productivity in the Kogi state civil service.
1.4 Literature Review
Human Resource development can be defined as a method of equipping the
employees particularly the non-managerial employees with specific skills
that will enable them to improve on their performance and overall
efficiency.
Prof. Sanker observed that Human resource development is a development
oriented planning effort in the personal area which is basically
concerned with the development of human resources in the organization
for improving the existing capabilities and acquiring new capabilities
for the achievement of the cooperate and individual goals.
Dr. Nader defines Human Resource Development as an organized learning
experience within a period of time with an objective of producing the
possibility of performing the change.
Accordingly Human resource development from a business prospective is not entirely focused on the
individual’s growth and development, “development occurs to enhance the
organizations value, not solely for individual improvement. Individual
education and development is a tool and a means to an end, not the end
goal itself”. (Elwood F. Holton II, James W. Trout Jnr).
They further argued that the broader concept of national and more
strategic attention to the development of human resources is beginning
to emerge as newly independent countries face strong competition for
their skilled professionals and the accompanying brain-drain they
experience.
At the organizational level, a successful Human resource development
program will prepare the individual to undertake a higher level of work,
organized learning over a given period of time to provide the
possibility of performance change (Nadler 1984).
In these settings, human resource development is the framework that
focuses on the organizations competencies of the first stage, training
and then developing the employee through education, to satisfy the
organizations long-term needs and the individual’s career goals and
employees value to their present and future employers.
Human resource development can be defined simply as developing the most
important section of any business, its human resources by “attaining or
upgrading the skills and attitudes of employees at all levels in order
to maximize the effectiveness of the enterprise’ (Kelly, 2001). He
concludes that the people within an organization are its human resource.
The Human resource development framework views employees as an asset to
the enterprise whose value will be enhanced by development; its primary
focus is on growth and employee development. It emphasizes developing
individual potential and skills (Elwood, Olton and Troot 1996). Human
resource development in this treatment can be in room group training,
tertiary or vocational courses or mentioning and coaching by senior
employees with the aim for a desired outcome that will develop the
individuals performance. At the level of a national strategy, it can be a
broad intersectional approach to fostering effective contributions to
national productivity.
Staff training and development fall within the purview of personal
management in most organization, especially public organizations. The
importance of staff training and development in any organization is
clear, if we recognize the fact that the structure that sustains it
depends on the individual that operate the structure.
Staff training and development can occur simultaneously. According to
Onah (2003) any organization that has no plan for the training and
development of its staff is less than dynamic, for learning is a
continuous process. He further acquired that skills become redundant
when the environment changes.
Accordingly, Lisa M. Lynch and Sandra Black (1995:47) observed that:
There is growing economic evidence that investment in training and
development are associated with long-run profitability, and firms that
recognize work using programs such as teams and quantity circles report
greater productivity if those programs are associated with worker
education.
George T Mikovish and John W. Boudreau (1997: 15) posit that:
While the effort to spend on training is astonishing, even more
astonishing is how little we know about effectively managing training
investment and its productivity.
Training may be defined as an organized and co-ordinate development of
knowledge, skill and attitudes needed by an individual to master a given
situation or perform a certain task within an organizational setting.
Craig (1967) defines training as the development process made possible through the device of words and signs.
However, a definition which seems to meet the theoretical requirement of
this work is that used by Magalee and Thayer (1961). Their definition
is based on the theory that training is a sub-system within the total
system of the enterprises management. They therefore see training as the
formal procedure which an organization uses to facilitate employees
learning so that their resultant behavior contributes to the attainment
of the organizational as well as the individual goals and objective.
Staff development on the other hand according to Akpan (1982) is a
process whereby an employee is enabled to grow in job through the
acquisition of wide experience breadth and responsibility, the aim been
to enable him to reach the top or achieve his best in his profession of
employment. Such a position will be attained through action,
observation, study, reflection, experiment and initiative.
As Cole (2002) puts it, staff development can be seen as any learning
activity which is directed towards further needs rather than present
needs and which is concerned more with career growth than immediate
performance.
They have been different opinions on whether staff training and
development differ at all, some conceive training as primarily dealing
with operative personnel and development as relating to managers and
executives. Others like Austey (1961:50) Hebison and Mayer (1964) and
Novit (1979:111) sees a considerable overlap between the two concepts in
operational terms. In his book, Novit (1979) applied the term behavior
change to illuminate the essence of both training and development in an
organization. In his view, the central to the occurrence of behavior
change is the learning process aimed at behavior change to the extent
that there is an overlap between them.
But Strayton (1977:2) draws a somewhat suitable distinction between
training and development in this way. As we progress from the shop floor
to the boardroom (management) the importance in intellectual capacity,
the object of teaching becomes essentially the development of sound
judgment.
Straytons definition implies that training in the sense of training and
learning of skills pertain more to operative personal while development
is associated with those at the management/executive level.
Akpan (1982) says that staff training and development can occur
simultaneously or complementarily to each other. To him they should in
fact be separately treated in concept. However, in this work, the two
concepts will be used simultaneously because of their relatedness and
their result in the efficiency and effectiveness of the human resources.
It is on this background that Onah (2003) posits than an untrained
member of an organization is a liability to a dynamic organization as he
not only applies the wrong knowledge to others coming after him and
those he happens to be supervising. As Akpan (1979:13) puts it:
An untrained man in the modern world may be a menace to the society, he
is a quack; he knows only the laws of things, he has no idea of (their)
why. Hence if they are any trouble anywhere, a breakdown in a machine or
a mistake in a ledger. All he can do is to fumble and punch up trouble
any how; leading to a more serious breakdown or greater confusion,
really there is no place for untrained and undeveloped workers and or
even the intelligent armature in these days of specialized works.
Ubeku, (1975:114) regrettably notes that:
They are many organizations in this country that regard training and
development as expensive ventures and avoid them like a plague. What
such organization are interested in are the immediate returns. But in a
changing world, of which Nigeria is a part, thus attitude can no longer
hold good.
Akpomouvire (2007) argues that Human resource training and development
is a tool employed by organizations to equip their workforce for the
accomplishment of set goals and objectives. Furthermore, he argued that
in any organization, there are a great many things that the people
employed need to learn in order to become competent in their jobs. It is
within the framework of this cluster of notes and learning process that
management delimits responsibilities, provides the participating
members of the organization with resources and boundaries within which
efficiency may be a reasonable expectation. In the attempt to accomplish
this goal, the importance of human resource training and development
becomes inevitable.
Human resource training and development improves employees abilities to
perform the task required by an organization. It according to Graham
(1981) has the important dual function of utilization and motivation. By
improving employees ability to perform the task required by the company
training:
Allows better use to be made of human resources, by giving employees a
feeling of mastery over their work and of recognition by management,
which increases job satisfaction in workers.
Furthermore, organizations have a stake in developing the careers of
their employees so that the employees can be retained while their
performance becomes more effective and efficient. Walker (1992) for
example opined that in the 1990’s and beyond, organizations will invest
more, not less in efforts to retain, train and develop talents.
According to Simon (1937) administrative efficiency is increased by a
specialization of the task among the group in the direction that will
lead to greater efficiency.
The position adopted by Du-Santoy (1957) is instructive on the significance.
Akpomouvire (2002) contends that for human resource training and
development to achieve its goals of being the planed process of
modifying attitudes, knowledge and skills through learning and
experience, to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of
activities so as to satisfy the current and future needs of an
organization or government, three broad perspective are to be
considered. They are:
a. Human resource training and development
b. Training, development and professionalization in the civil service and
c. Administrative reforms.
Human resource training and development in its myriad forms is provided
to help employees learn job-related skills and obtain knowledge that
will help them improve their performance and further the organizations
goals. From a more concise source, human resource development can be
termed to be a:
Planned process to modify attitudes, skills or behavior through learning
experience to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of
activities. Its purpose in a work situation is to develop the abilities
of the individuals and to satisfy the current and future needs of the
organization (Foot and Hook, 1999).
To Griffin (1984:17), in order to postulate the disposition and capacity
building of the various employees of government, a good human resource
management and development must be in place. He went further to say that
human resource development involves taking various resources an
organization has at its disposal and combining them in such a way that
the organizations goals are attained. He explained that by efficient, he
meant that doing things in a systematic fashion without waste.
To Noe et al (2003:68) a number of skills are instilled in employees
through training and development. Development involves acquisition
knowledge, skills and behavior that improve employees ability to meet
the challenges of a variety of existing jobs or job that do not yet
exist.
To Barney (1995) quoted in Onah (2008:3) Human resource development
include all the experience, skills, judgment, abilities, knowledge,
risk-taking, and wisdom of individuals and associates in an
organization.
Omale (1992) observed that in almost all senior positions, if one is
recruited with required educational qualification, no training and
development was carried out on him. Experience on the job becomes the
only criteria for the worker to reach the top of his career ladder. Yet,
the job an officer does from one grade level to the other according to
Omale are:
Sufficiently different to warrant not only vocational knowledge which he
gets via experience, but also theoretical knowledge and attitude
re-orientation in order to successfully cope with the demands of such
higher jobs. Such theoretical knowledge and attitudinal re-orientation
can only best be acquired through formal training off the job in
appropriate training institution.
In his own view, Makinde (1992) is of the opinion that human resources
training is a short-term process of learning specific skills by both
junior and intermediate staff, while development entails a long term
learning process designed to develop senior officers in order to
activate them with changes in technology and management method.
Human resource training and development equips workers with the
necessary skills to enable them to gain promotion and have a reasonable
expectation of redeployment. To this end, Adamolekun (1986) made a
strong case for a positive conception of the civil service that would be
able to carry out the contractual obligation between government and the
governed whereby services would be seen to be provided efficiently and
the system would run on smooth wheels. This position is reflected in the
revised guidelines for training in the federal civil service (1995)
where it is unequivocally stated that government continues to accept the
need and wisdom to use training as a vehicle for enhancing productivity
and efficiency in the service.
The primary purpose of human resource training and development under
scores the driving activities according to Chrudeen and Sherman (1976)
and Ubeku (1973), is to develop employees who are made to acquire
relevant skills, knowledge and job attitudes are put into more
definitive use so as to bring about effective performance.
Human resource training and development according to Nadler (1992)
prepares the employee so that he can move with the organization as it
develops and grows, resulting in new jobs for the employees of higher
level.
The overall purpose being to produce a viable and flexible workforce for
the organization as it moves towards its future. However, according to
Bienvennu (1980), what is to be understood is that training and
development prepares a worker to improve on his ability beyond the job
in which he is currently engaged. The worker is prepared for a place in
the organization for the sake of the future and in the case of
eventualities. Bienvennu refers to this as shift of effort from job
training to work training.
According to Danisi and Griffin (2005) productivity is an economic
measure of efficiency that summarizes and reflects the value of the
output created by an individual, organization, industry or economic
system relative to the value of the inputs used to create them. They
argued that organizations around the world have come to recognize the
importance of productivity for its ability not only to compete but also
to survive, furthermore, an organization that is serious about
productivity will need to invest more on training and development to
give workers the necessary skills and ability to create high quality
products and services. Human resources development has the goal in most
organization of helping to enhance productivity through different
activities and task.
Daniel Hartzell (2011) sees productivity as a measured relationship
between the quality (and quantity) of results produced and the quantity
of resources required for production. Productivity is in essence a
measure of the work efficiency of an individual, work unit or entire
organization. He further argued that productivity can be measured in two
ways, one way relates the output of an enterprise, industry or economic
sector to a single input, such as labour or capital. The other relates
output to a composite of imput combined so as to account for their
relative importance.
The choice of a particular productivity measure depends on the purpose for which it is to be used.
He further defined productivity as a war against waste. Even if the
technical and economic concept of productivity is taken into
consideration, i.e. productivity is the ratio of output and input. This
could be favourable only when planned efforts are made to utilize the
scarce resources as economically as possible to achieve the best result.
He concludes that among several factors affecting productivity, safety
in industry, one of the most important factor to be kept in view for
promoting productivity is the rate of output of a workers or machine.
Productivity is the measure of how well resources are brought together
in organization and utilized for accomplishing of set result produced in
reaching the highest level of performance with the least expenditure of
resources (Nwachukwu, 2002:56).
It can also be seen as the amount of production in relations to labour put in.
The civil service is one of the great political inventions of the
nineteenth century England. The first generation of civil servants was
called “Court servants” or “court clerks”. Before the era of court
clerks, the work of government was done by persons of the royal
household (Kapul et al 2002:105).
In terms of origin, “civil service” as a term was borrowed in the
mid-eighteenth century (1785) from the British administration in India
to describe a system that emphasis selection on the basis of merit (Wey,
1971:2).
The term “service” connotes a profession, a group of civil servants
having common recruitment conditions and prospect, as well as a “career”
in an acceptable lifetime employment under the government.
According to the jurist, professor A. Eniola (2001:1-10), the Nigerian
interpretation act of 1964 “which is made the interpreter of the
Nigerian constitution and the other statutes is silent on the general
meaning and scope of the phrase “civil servant”.
This is not unconnected with the observation by Peter Kellner and Lord
Norman Crowder-Hunt (1980:9), that “There is a special sense in which
the civil service effects the British constitution. It is not clearly
defined in writing, it evolve and change with mood and circumstances”.
Nonetheless, E.C.S Wade and G.G. Philips (1968:221) observed with regard
to the British civil service that “a rough definition of the civil
service will include all non-political offices and employment held under
the crown with the exception of the Armed forces.
However, Nigerian scholars have been able to give meaning and understanding to the concept “civil service”.
Adamolekun (2002) states that civil service is commonly used as the
synonym of the machinery of the government, this is so in Britain and
most common wealth countries of sub-Saharan African. In British
conception, the civil service is used to refer to the body of permanent
official appointed to assist the decision makers.
The term civil service is normally used when referring to the body of
men and women employed in a civil capacity and non-political career
basis by the federal and state government primarily to render and
faithfully give effect to their decision and implementation (Ipianya,
2001) such career officers normally derive their appointment from the
civil service commission, which also exercises power of delegating
duties and responsibilities to departments in accordance with laid down
rules.
Today, the civil service has come to been seen as a complex organization
and a modern institution baguetted to mankind in the process of
revolutionizing an efficient way of organizing any large human
organization. It is in this respect that the civil service is defined as
a bureaucracy (Ipianya, 2001).
Civil service is a body of man and women who are trained in various
field and employed by the government on a temporary or permanent basis
to render services to the government and the people of the state. Thus
it does not involve the Armed forces personal and judicial officers.
Civil service is a body of people who are directly responsible for the
execution of government policy; it includes everybody who participates
in the execution of public policy from the messenger to the top
administrative officer (Nwizu, 2002).
Salassie concurs by defining civil service as a service comprising
all servants of the state, other than those holding political and
judicial appointments who are employed in a civil capacity and whose
remuneration is paid wholly and directly out of money voted by
parliament.
Accordingly, C.B. Nwankwo, and co, defines civil service as a body of
men and women employed in a civil capacity and on a non-political basis
by the federal and state government primarily to render advice and
faithfully give effect to their decision.
Late chief M.K.O Abiola, in an article titled “Civil Service and African
Economy published in daily champion on Thursday, August 29th 1991,
defined the civil service as “the body of full time professional
officials employed in the civil offices of a state in a non-political
capacity”. This body which is permanently attached to the executive arm
of government is made up of permanent, skilled, professional workers who
carry out the day-to-day administration of the state under the chief
executive and his cabinet.
The civil service is a term used to cover those public servants who are
direct employees of the federal and state government, other than the
police, the Armed forces personal, the judicial personal and the
teachers. Its usage excludes also employees of statutory corporations
and boards (Nwosu, 1977).
In line with this, Ademolukun (1986) defines the civil service as the
body of permanent officials appointed to assist the political executive
in formulating and implementing governmental policies. It also sees the
second usage of the term as referring to the ministers and departments
within which specific aspects of government are carried out.
Traditionally, civil service is the totality of civil bureaucracy set up
by modern governments to administer and execute their policies and
programmes.
Contrary to this, the civil service handbook (1997) defines the civil
service as a growing body or organ that enjoys continuity of existence.
The officials engaged in it are otherwise known as the “civil servants”
unlike members of the legislative arm or organ of government are not
united for a short period of time in office at the expiration of which
they may not be returned to office; the civil servants remains in office
where as elected members or officers in the government come and go for
whatever reason, when the civil servants leave his office under no
compulsory, voluntarily recruitment or by registration or by termination
of appointment, his office is taken over by another person or officer
that similarly enjoys security of employment. Thus, the civil services
can be regarded as a complex organization with a body of seemingly
permanent officials appointed in a capacity to assist the political
executives in the formulation, execution and implementation of the
government policies in ministries and extra-ministerial department
within which the specific government works are carried out.
Akpomuovire (2007) argues that the civil service is an institution which
is made up of a body of people employed and payed by the state
government to execute the laws, plans and policies of government. In
carrying out this task, the Human resources (civil servants) employed in
the service, develop and manage the resources of the government for the
achievement of policies, goals and objectives.
The service is the indispensable arm and the bedrock of the executive
arm of government the government uses the civil service to fulfill that
contractual relationship between government and the people.
In this regard, workers employed in the civil service have to be trained
and developed so as to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the
service in meeting the challenges of National development.
Human resource development in the civil service therefore focuses on the
objectives of equipping the personal in the service from the point of
their recruitment to that of retirement, so that civil servants be kept
constantly ready not only to provide improved living conditions for
Nigeria but also set the machinery for achieving accelerated growth and
development within the country.
The effectiveness of government is said to depend on the abilities of
the instruments of government to respond to the policies and programmes
of that government as observed by Philips (1988) when he said “in a
strong sense a country is a close reflection of the efficiency,
effectiveness and sensitivity of its civil service.
Human resources training and development is essential to the existence
and survival of organization. Olowu posits that human resource training
and development enables civil servants acquire the relevant professional
skills and knowledge for effective performance.
Accordingly Drucker (1986) said that a good organizational structure
itself does not guarantee good performance. It is human resource
training and development that equips civil servants with relevant
professional skills and knowledge about effective and efficient
performance.
This position was further supported by Pye (1988) when she opined that
“when steps are to be taken to improve the quality of employees and
overall organizational performance, attention naturally turns to the
process of training, education and development of employees”. Even the
architects of the 1988 civil service reforms could be said to have
subscribed to Pye’s submission as in relation to human resource training
and development.
Section (1) of this reform states that:
for the purpose of improving economy and efficiency in the operations
of the ministry and raising the standards of performance by employees
of their official duties to the maximum possible level of proficiency,
the minister shall establish, operate and maintain programmes or plans
for training and development of employees in or under the ministry by
and through government faculties including the training institution
(Implementation guidelines of the 1988 civil service reform).
1.5 Significance of the Study
The study is significant from the point of view that no available
literature or study so far his specifically focused on human resource
development and productivity in Kogi State civil service, none has
examined the extent to which the civil service as an agent of government
has contributed to the development and training of civil servants in
Kogi State.
Thus, it is going to add to existing body of literature and extend the
frontiers of knowledge practically. This research work will be a guide
to scholars, policy makers, policy implementers and researchers and
evidently serve as a guide to the government on how to promote effective
human resource development and productivity in the civil service
particularly Kogi State civil service.
1.6 Theoretical Framework
This work adopts the systems theory as the theoretical framework of
analysis because the systems theory considers all elements and views the
organization as constituting of many parts, furthermore, system
theorist see an organization and its environment as inter-dependent;
each depending on the other for sustenance.
A system is a set of elements of units which interact in some way and
are supported from their environment by some land of boundaries (Young
1960, Eminue 2001:98). Scholars of system see it as the most popular
concept that applies to systems regulation and maintenance, system
equilibrium or homeostasis which is the ability of system to maintain
its internal balance even while undergoing a process of change.
The development of the systems theory as a method of political analysis
is traced to David Easton and Gabriel Almond. The mustered seed was sewn
when the view originated that in the study of a given social and
political system, at was not so important to try to find out how a
pattern of behavior had originated as to find out the part it played in
maintaining the system as a whole. The system theory is a derivative of
behaviorism, based on the assumption that everything must be just as it
is for the total society to be just as it is.
Thus a person may be considered a system of organizations, a molecule
may be thought of as a system of individuals, implicit in this concept
as a degree of totality of wholeness that makes something different from
another (Tilles, 1965).
According to Hicks (1972) the system theory of an organization has been
defined as a structured process in which individuals interest for
objectives.
Idemudia (1990) defined the two terms “system” and “theory” separately
in order to elucidate the implication of their meaning. To him, a system
is an entity made up of a separate but inter-dependent part with set
goals and functions while a theory on the other hand is an abstract
generalized statement, summarizing or linking together a number of
propositions into a unified logical structure. Put together, system
theory means how inter-related social entity is organized into testable
propositions.
The systems theory is an integrative theory that attempts to present an
organization as a unified purposeful system composed of inter-dependent
parts. It also consist of inter-dependent parts with distinct boundaries
which interacts with the environment by importing inputs, while it
exports output in order to maintain itself in a permanent state of
equilibrium.
A special feature of the system approach is the fact that arising from
the outputs some new imputs are generated, which are once again fed into
the system for processing and conversion.
The basic concept developed under the broad framework of the general systems theory can be divided into three categories;
1. Concepts which are of a descriptive nature
2. Concepts which try to highlight the factors responsible for regulating and maintaining the system.
3. Concepts which focus on dynamics of, or change in the system.
Under the first category we have open and closed systems. Systems can
also be defined under this category in terms of hierarchy of subsystems
and their order of interactions. The working of the internal
organization of the system and the interaction of the system with its
environment also come within this category and in this case we find that
some systems follow a pattern of development as determined by
themselves and others have to depend upon external factors.
The systems interaction with the environment implies the concept of boundary, imputs and outputs.
Under the second category where we seek to understand the factors
responsible for the maintenance and regulation of the system we find
concepts as stability, equilibrium and homeostasis connected with the
issue of regulation and maintenance, also are the concept of feedback,
repair, reproduction etc.
Finally, under the 3rd category are concepts connected with dynamics and
change, change which can be descriptive or non-descriptive.
Non-descriptive change can be brought about through responses to attend
environmental conditions. This brings into focus the concept of
adaptation, learning and growth.
Change can also be descriptive involving the distinction between the
notions of description, dissolution and breakdown as well as the notion
of systematic crisis, stress as strain and overload and decay.
The systems approach to the study of organization focuses on the system
as a whole, the environment of the system, the interdependent
relationship between parts of the system and the dependency for the
system to strive and survive by negotiating with its environment as
Kontaz et al (1980:23) puts it:
The advantage of approaching any area of energy in any problem as a
system is that at enables us to see the critical variable and constraint
and their interactions with one another, it forces scholars and
practitioners to be constantly aware that one single element, phenomenon
or problem should no the treated without regard to its interacting
consequences with other elements.
The major concept involved in the system theory can be summarized as follows:
1. A system can be perceived as a whole with it part and their independent relationship.
2. A system has its boundary and can be viewed in terms of its relationship with other systems.
3. A system has sub-systems and is also a part of a super-system.
4. A system can be regarded as either open or closed. According to Kontz
et al, (1980) a system is regarded as open if it exchanges information,
energy and material with its environment as it happens with biological
or social systems.
It is regarded as closed if it does not have such interactions within the environment.
5. A system interacts with the environment in terms of processes that
invites imput, conversion and output of energy, information and
material. A system tends to re-energize or modify itself through the
process of information, feedback from the environment.
6. In order to survive, an open system moves to arm the entopic process
by importing more energy from its environment than expected and by
strong energy it can acquire negative entropy.
As Kartz and Kahn (1966) further explain, the entrology process is a universal law of nature in which all
form of organization move toward disorganization or death.
1.7 Hypotheses
1. There tends to be a strong link between human resource development and productivity in the civil service.
2. Corruption impedes human resource development in the Nigerian civil service.
3. Productivity in the Kogi State civil service depends on merit based recruitment, selection and staff training.
1.8 Method of Data Collection and Analysis
In the course of this research work, data would be gathered from
secondary sources such as textbooks, journals, internet materials, and
any useful document relating to the study.
The method of data analysis used will be quantitative analysis, data
presented will be analyzed in order to make accurate recommendations.
1.9 Scope and Limitation of the Study
The scope of the study will be limited to the impact and effect of human
resource development and productivity in the civil service as it posses
a threat to Kogi State and Nigeria as a whole.
Thus, it will focus on all efforts of government to increase human
resources development and productivity in Kogi State civil service.
1.0 Operationalization of Concept
Civil service: According to the 1999 constitution section 218, subsection 1, the civil service can be defined as:
The service of the federation in a civil capacity as staff of the office
of the president, the vice-president, a ministry or department of the
government of the federation assigned with the responsibility for any
business of the government of the federation; while in respect to state
civil service of the state in a civil capacity as staff of the office of
the Governor, Deputy Governor or a ministry or department of the
government of the state assigned with the responsibility for any
business of the Government of the staff (FRN, 1999).
Human resource development: Human Resource Development is a process
through which employees in an organization are assisted to realize their
full potential for their present and future jobs.
Productivity: Productivity is the volume of goods and services produced
for work within some specific unit of the hour, day, week, month, year
etc.
Training: Training means to give teaching and practice in order to bring
a desired stand and behavior efficiency or physical condition. Thus it
is the act of teaching in the industrial or business concept. It is the
act of reaching a particular level of the expectation of the employer.
Nepotism: Implies favoritism shown by somebody in power to relations and friends, especially in appointing them to good positions.
You either get what you want or your money back. T&C Apply
You can find more project topics easily, just search
-
SIMILAR POLITICAL SCIENCE FINAL YEAR PROJECT RESEARCH TOPICS
-
1. WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN ARMED CONFLICTS IN THE WESTERN REGION OF CÔTE D’IVOIRE
» ABSTRACT Sexual violence in war time is a grave and dehumanizing act. From ancient wars to modern conflicts, as populations suffer the pang of guns, w...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 241 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
-
2. THE PRESS AND REPORTAGE OF SELECTED NATIONAL ISSUES IN NIGERIA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LEADERSHIP AND THE SUN NEWSPAPERS 2013-2015
» ABSTRACT Even though the press occupies a central place both in the restoration and deepening of democratic government in Nigeria, the precise nature ...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 152 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
-
3. AN INVESTIGATIVE STUDY OF MILITARY RULE AND POLITICAL TRANSITION IN NIGERIA: AN APPRAISAL OF ABACHA REGIME (1993- 1998)
» ABSTRACT This study analyzes military rule and the political transition to democracy in Nigeria. It enquires into how military intervenes in the Niger...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 115 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
-
4. NIGERIAN FOREIGN POLICY UNDER GENERAL IBRAHIM BADAMOSI BABANGIDA (1985 – 1993)
» CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY’ Africa as noted by Chaplan (1966:376), “is an important strategic arena in contemporary ...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 53 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
-
5. CRIME AND VIOLENCE AS A BARRIER TO GENDER EQUALITY IN NIGERIA
» CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study The collective consciousness of women regarding the feminine mystique, which saw women’s identi...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 58 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
-
6. POLITICAL ELITES AND DEVELOPMENT CRISIS IN NIGERIA.A CASE STUDY OF SOUTHERN IJAW LGA OF BAYELSA STATE
» CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Presently, the crisis of development is the most serious problem facing Nigeria and Africa as a w...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 77 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
-
7. EFFECT OF HERDSMEN-FARMERS CRISIS ON SECURITY AND POPULATION
» CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study Natural resource conflicts are pervasive in Africa, and the West African sub region is not an exc...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 52 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
-
8. Impact of Inter-governmental Relations on Local Government in Nigeria
» CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE STUDY The concept of Intergovernmental relations is associated with states having a Federal A...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 85 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
-
9. STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE IN THE NORTH CENTRAL GEO-POLITICAL ZONE OF NIGERIA: A CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION APPROACH
» ABSTRACT The dynamism of this study generally sought to understand why the Nigerian state has remained deeply divided and prone to structural violence...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 110 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
-
10. THE POLITICS OF STREET BEGGING IN NIGERIA
» CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study Begging on the streets, in the urban centers is one of the age long activities and perhaps occupa...Continue Reading »Item Type & Format: Project Material - Ms Word | 52 pages | Instant Download | Chapter 1-5 | POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT