University collaborates with Fiji Government to improve public service delivery
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 | The Honorable Prime Minister of Fiji Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama takes a tour of the new GSC in Nausori. He is accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Commission, Mr Parmesh Chand and the Vice-Chancellor and President of USP, Professor Rajesh Chandra. |
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The Government of Fiji worked with the University of the South Pacific in establishing the first Government Service Centre (GSC) in Nausori which opened on 12 November, 2012.
Located at Hemron Plaza, the new centre is expected to make government services and facilities more accessible to the general public.
The University was approached through the Pacific Centre for Public Administration (PICPA) to assist Government with the initiative.
During the opening of the centre, the Honorable Prime Minister of Fiji Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama assured his Government’s commitment towards providing adequate service delivery to the public.
“I regard the delivery of basic services to all Fijians as the Government’s main priority,” he stated.
According to the Prime Minister, such service centres would bring the Government closer to its people.
“Government has to be present in our communities and actively engage with them. These centres will provide a single point - a one-stop shop - for at least 20 separate Government agencies,” he added.
Commodore Bainimarama pointed out that his Government is working to change the culture of the civil service so that it responds better to the needs of our people.
He appealed to those who would resource these GSCs to set a new standard of service and show people that the Government really cares.
The Prime Minister pointed out that this was part of the vision for a new Fiji, to make life easier for every Fijian dealing with Government departments and agencies.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor and President of USP, Professor Rajesh Chandra, congratulated the Prime Minister and his Government for taking the initiative to establish GSCs to improve the delivery of services to the public.
“This initiative is an excellent example of how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be used to improve the delivery of government services and to promote social and economic development,” he stated.
Professor Chandra added that the University was pleased to have been approached by the Government to work with it on this project.
“When the PSC approached the Pacific Centre for Public Administration (PICPA) to help the Government establish this centre, we were delighted to agree immediately as we saw this as an excellent way of working closely with the Government to improve public services - the core function of PICPA,” mentioned the Vice-Chancellor.
The University’s Regional Centre for Continuing and Community Education (RCCCE) that provides professional and vocational education joined with PICPA and PSC in a working committee to develop an implementation strategy for the new GSCs. The strategy included identification of civil servants from GSC offices in the three divisions.
Professor Chandra said that RCCCE developed a diagnostic tool to ascertain the level of knowledge on customer service, supervisory skills and management. Based on the diagnosis, RCCCE recommended a four-module training programme that the candidates took over a period of four months covering administrative skills, working in a conducive work environment, business communications and customer service.
A total of 21 civil servants successfully completed the training and received their certificates during the opening of the GSC.
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