Major transformation

Through Public Admin. and Home Affairs:

Shirley WIJESINGHE

One of the awards for productivity being inspected by President.

Matara District Secretary receiving the Productivity Certificate from President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs (MPHA) as a centre of the civil administration of the country took various measures to transform the public service as a people friendly one. In accordance with 'Mahinda Chintana' the MPHA has devised a set of immediate and medium term measures to transform the public service.

Janatha Sathkaraka Sewava

Under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa a program called Janatha Sathkaraka Sewava has been introduced at district level. The main objective of the this program is to make public administration system very close to the general public and satisfy their needs within the shortest possible period. This program was deeply affected to the people who get their requirement fulfilled at their own areas.

Measures have been taken to launch this program especially in the most rural areas where people face with difficulties to get quick and efficient public service. Accordingly, priority is given to most rural areas of the country. Around 3000 public servants representing more than 100 departments and ministries participated in each Janatha Sathkara Seva program.

In 2007, MPHA has taken action to introduce Citizen/ Client Charter as a fruitful methodology to strengthen the present administrative mechanism. At the 1st phase, this program under the theme of "Let us be Dedicated to Service and Protect Citizens' Rights had been introduced to all the divisions of the MPHA and at the 2nd phase, extended to Departments and District Secretariats and Divisional Secretariats and also Grama Niladari Offices from October 2007.

This Citizen /Client Charter declare it services provided by each institution and the time frame for the provision of service s if required documents are duly submitted.

Pensions Department being more people oriented

In order to ensure an efficient and productive service, modern technology has been introduced to the Pensions Department. And it has planned to provide excellent service to the whole pensioners through the Lanka Government Network in year 2008.

The Citizen\Client Charter has been introduced to the Pensions Department too. The present premises and building of the Pensions Department has been fully modified by spending Rs. 32 million.

Further, some employees who were attached to the non -pensionable service have been to the pensionable service adding more amendments to the pension minute. Several number of amendments have been added to the W&OP Act during the past four years of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's office.

Births, Marriages and Death Certificates within 10 minutes

With the assistance of Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and under financial assistance of Plan International Sri Lanka , measures have been taken successfully by the MPHA to issue copies of birth certificates by using ICT within a period less than minutes.

Issue of the copies of Births, Marriages, Deaths certificates are entrusted to divisional secretariats. As a pilot project, introducing computerized data base and software was established at the divisional secretariats in Colombo districts namely Colombo , Thimbirigasyaya , Ratmalana, Dehiwala and Moratuwa. As a result the time spent for the issue of certificates has been reduced up to 05-10 minutes.

Accordingly Ministry hope to set up a plan to implement this process at least one divisional secretariat in every district.

Strengthening Civil Administration Program

Under the assistance of the Strengthening of Civil Administration Program (SCAP) funded by Kuwait fund has been implemented in the areas affected by Tsunami 2004 to strengthen the civil administration. In this context, actions were taken to construct three new District Secretariats and their construction are nearly to complete.

Construction of 11 b new divisional secretariats out of 13 are in nearing completion.

Further , whilst providing 28 double cabs to Divisional Secretaries, 569 Motor Cycles and 58 Scooters were provided to Grama Niladaries to ensure their transport facilities at official duties.

Being a Member of Lanka Government Network

The Minister was able to rope 475 Government institutions which are coming under the administration of MPHA through a establishing of data-base with the assistance of ICTA.

Under this initiative , facilities had been made available to exchange information through a computer network system among the Ministries, Departments, Institutions in certain districts.

Through this project service providers as well as recipients, will have enough opportunities to avoid delays and other geographical barriers.

Ensure transparency through Web Sites

It has been planned to ensure transparency at every step in the service delivery process of the MPHA and institutions come under the Ministry.

Website are already available at the Ministry, Department of Pensions, Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA), and Public Service Training Institute (PSTI).

Twenty Five web sites were launched in 25 District Secretariats, in 2007 as a progressive step in this program.

ICT for Human Resources Management of Grama Niladaries

Human Resources Management System for Grama Niladaries had been introduced to compile the information about them and fed to a computerized data base. As a result of this project, the MPHA , District and Divisional Secretariats would be facilitated to maintain all administrative activities relating to Grama Niladaries such as their appointments , transfers and promotion from the year 2008.

ICT for Human Resources Management

With the financial assistance of ICTA e- Human Resources Management project has been implemented to attend all management of services belonging to the combined service through computerized system.

Preparation of software for the above project has been completed. Management activities such as recruitment , confirmation , leave , disciplinary activities , service extensions, retirements and maintaining a particulars of staff have been entered to a database .

Overseas Development Assistance in Public Administration

A special training program has been introduced for the first time to develop management and leadership skills of future Heads of Ministries and various departments.

Twenty Five officers had been sent for 14 days training program at Administrative Staff College in Hyderabad, India. Financial assistance was provided for this program by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical co-operation in this regard.

To solve burden issues of people

To avoid various shortcomings in the service delivery process , Public Day program was conducted at the MPHA with the participation of the Secretary to the Ministry and all Heads of Departments and Divisional Heads at the Ministry. This program which provides opportunity to the general public to get solutions for their matters by forwarding them directly to the Ministry Secretary is conducted from 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. every Wednesday.

New recruitment to the Public Service

Under the stipulations of Mahinda Chinthana it was essential to empower the State sector for efficient service in the public sector. More than 8,000 personnel were recruited to the institutions that come under the MPHA through a competitive examination.

Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA) by Achieving International standard

Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration ( SLIDA) comes under the MPHA had recognized as a main training institute for improving skills of staff officers in public service and the private sector to exchange mutual knowledge. With the view to achieve this, an agreement was entered in to between the SLIDA and the Lal Bahadur Shrastri National Institute in India. Further a special program has been launched to modify the institution spending Rs. 515 million.

As an impetus to Uthuru Vasanthaya

As the initial step, MPHA has made all arrangements to fill all vacancies prevailed under the institutions of Ministry related to restoring civil administration in the North.

Procurement of office infrastructure facilities to the District Secretariats , Divisional Secretariats and service oriented offices in certain areas which were under unsatisfied condition.

Under this measures some of the office buildings are being reconstructed and required furnitures have been ordered to activate the office functions.