Grand Bassa County: Foreign Ministry employees hold reform retreat

Foreign Ministry employees over the weekend ended a five-day reform and modernization retreat in the port city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County with key recommendations to Senior Management for implementation.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, the retreat brought together middle-level managers who were selected across various departments, bureaus, divisions and units within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs including Directors, Senior Desk Officers, Desk Officers and Supervisors as well as personnel of the Human Resources Management Division of the Ministry.  

The lead facilitators who made presentations at the Retreat were representatives from the CSA, Human Resources Director of MOFA, the Chairman of the Retreat Steering Committee and the IT Consultant Firm hired by the Ministry to conduct training for HR personnel in order to manage and operate the database system as the Ministry transition from the Manual Records keeping to a Digital or Electronic Records Management System. 

The weeklong event which commenced on Monday, February 28, to Friday, March 4, 2022, also witnessed rigorous training of Supervisors and Internal Reform Committee Members on Performance Management System, Strategic Planning in relation to Performance Management System, Mandate and Functions Review of the MOFA, the Importance of Job Description, and Electronic Records Management System, etc.    

The retreat was organized by the Human Resources Management Division and the Internal Reform Committee (IRC) headed by the Deputy Minister for Administration in collaboration with the Civil Service Agency (CSA) with funding from the World Bank.  

The MOFA Reform and Modernization Retreat was held under the Theme: “Transitioning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Through Modernization and Reform Processes”.   

Making remarks at the opening ceremony, the Director of Human Resources, Mr. Emmanuel M. Redd, Sr., admonished participants to take the reform very seriously, particularly the digital records management system and that of the performance management system adding “your promotion and salary increment by the CSA will depend solely on the submission of your PMS reports by your supervisors”.    

Director Redd also cautioned the staffers at the HR Division undergoing the training to execute their duties and functions with a high standard of professionalism.   

He urged them to handle personnel information and credentials with confidentiality as they commence the entry of data and attachment of credentials using the database system. “Confidentially is part of professionalism as such, you are to handle and keep personnel information confidential”, the HR Director stressed.  

The HR Director Redd urged participants at the retreat to be focused during the presentations on performance management systems and the digitization of record-keeping as the reform and modernization processes kick-off at the Ministry.  

He expressed profound gratitude and appreciation to Foreign Minister His Excellency Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., and his Senior Management Team at the MOFA for giving their approval for employees to converge under such an atmosphere, to discuss critical issues affecting their welfare;    

Earlier at the opening ceremony, Director Redd commended the Senior Management headed by Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., Minister of Foreign Affairs and noted that the introduction of digital clock in devices and employees’ electronic records management systems are evidence of the unparalleled reform taking  place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; 

“Today marks a very significant day where a select group of employees at the ministry have gathered to discuss issues relative to the growth, reform and modernization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as we speak, our employees are now using digital clock in system to sign in”, he added.

Director Redd also stated that the introduction of the digital record management system is a big jump in the transformation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the dynamic leadership of Amb. Dee Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia and Dean of the Liberian cabinet. 

The HR Boss then used the medium to encourage supervisors, Directors and the entire workforce to be supportive of the reform agenda in order to ensure that their supervisees adhered to and conformed to the new work environment. 

 “As head of the Human Resource decision, I will design the best human resource management training program, and lobby for external training opportunities that will enhance employees’ capacities and promote service delivery at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs., the HR Boss stressed further.      

Speaking at the closing ceremony on behalf of her fellow participants, the President of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Workers Association, Madam Yar Boayue Yini commended the HR, CSA and the Internal Review Committee of MOFA as well as the senior management team at the Ministry for organizing such an interactive retreat that allows workers to converge outside of the nation’s capital to discuss issues relating to their own wellbeing.

She also cautioned her fellow participants to make use of the knowledge acquired to enhance their performance and remain effective and efficient while executing their daily tasks.  

Madam Yini also encouraged her colleagues at the ministry who haven’t written the CSA test to do all they can to sit and pass said examination in order to qualify themselves for the positions they occupy.   

At the same time, the MOFAWA President assured the HR Director and his Co-facilitators that, participants at the retreat and the Foreign Ministry’s workers as a whole will fully utilize the knowledge acquired to enhance their performance and productivity at the Ministry.-press release