06 Oct 2024

The Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards (APSCA) provides a unique platform to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of public sector institutions and individuals who have demonstrated excellence in service delivery.

The sentiments were expressed by the Directorate of the Public Service Management (DPSM) director, Ms Gaone Macholo at the two day event in Gaborone on Thursday.

She said the conference, in its fifth year, had brought together executives, stakeholders and policy makers to discuss best practices, Public Private Partnerships and strategies for Africa’s sustainable growth in a effort to strive for better governance and improved public service outcomes.

The conference was held under the theme: Promoting innovation for Sustainable Development, and Ms Macholo said it  reflected the collective responsibility that attendees shared in pushing the boundaries of what was possible.

For that reason, the DPSM director encouraged participants to engage in vital discussions, share best practices and collaborate on strategies that would transform public sector performance across the continent.

“Our ability to leverage innovation and collaboration will ultimately determine our success in building stronger, more responsive public institutions that can uplift our nations and improve the lives of our citizens,” she added.

Sharing DPSM’s mandate, the director said her organisation had been a cornerstone in shaping and enhancing the country’s public sector capacity. She said this was in line with the organisation’s  mandate of fostering a culture of excellence in service delivery, improving human resource management and creating responsive policies that cater for the needs of the citizens.

“By focusing on professional development, effective governance and continuous improvement, we have made significant strides in building a resilient and dynamic public service that drives the nation’s socio-economic development,” she said.

Through strategic initiatives, she said DPSM had also implemented systems that streamlined operations, embraced digital transformation and empowered the public servants to meet the challenges of today’s rapidly changing world.

By doing so, Ms Macholo said DPSM did not only improve the country’s public service efficiency, but had also strengthened accountability and transparency in government processes.

“These initiatives are critical as we continue to build trust between our institutions and the communities we serve,” she added.

Ms Macholo expressed gratitude to APSCA for having decided to host its fifth conference in Botswana and commended all the partners, sponsors and organisers for making the event a success, encouraging participants to be inspired by their dedication and innovation.

In his welcome remarks, Instinct Wave Group chief executive officer, Mr Akin Naphtal said there was need for leaders to share more critical insights about the future of the Africa public sector to help drive public sector excellence.

“Our aim, through APSCA, is to bring all leaders together to share best practices and also honour distinguished public service servants and public service leaders that have probably sharpened the industry and compete not only with the peers in the private, as they are the backbone,” he added.

For her part, Commissioner General of the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), Ms Jeanette Makgolo expressed delight that the conference provided an opportunity for delegates to unite to address the evolving needs of the public sectors across Africa.

Ms Makgolo emphasised the importance of embracing new technologies, fostering intergovernmental partnerships and ensuring that policies and practices were inclusive and adaptable to future challenges.

Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards is an annual event organised by Instinct Wave, an International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certified organisation with specialisation in business to business events and media, as well as digital consultancy, headquartered in the United Kingdom with footprints in Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya. The APSCA was first held in Rwanda in 2018, supported by government agencies with attendees from various African Nations. In 2019 and 2021 it was hosted in Ghana, whilst in 2023 it was hosted in Kenya.

During the awards night, BURS general manger communications, Ms Mable Bolele was chosen as the Public Sectors Communication Woman of the Year. This was in recognition of her commitment to driving positive change and innovation in the public sector. ENDS