Gambiaj.com – (MUSSOORIE, India) – A two-week 4th Mid-Career Training Programme for mid-level civil servants from The Gambia commenced today at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) in Mussoorie, India. The program, running from May 27 to June 7, 2024, aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of 30 senior officers from The Gambia.

The Gambian participants include Deputy Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Director Generals, Deputy Generals, Deputy Youth Advisors to the President, Directors, Executive Directors, Principals, National Coordinators, and Acting Directors. They will engage in various workshops, discussions, and case studies focused on leadership, public administration, and policy analysis.

Meanwhile, these officers represent various ministries such as the Ministries of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs; the Office of the President; the Ministry of Transport; the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs; the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare; the Ministry of Public Service; the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology; the Accountant General’s Department; the Ministry of Justice; and the Department of Livestock Services, among others.

Shri V. Srinivas, Director General of NCGG, welcomed the Gambian officials, emphasizing India’s advancements in citizen grievance mechanisms, governance programs, digital literacy, and e-office transformation, and drawing comparisons to Gambia’s model. He gave examples of e-secretariats technology advancement contributing to significant positive changes. According to Shri V. Srinivas, India’s adoption of the e-office system, with 16,000 e-services for citizens exemplifies this transformation. The government now adheres to the principle of “maximum governance, minimum government,” aiming to enhance efficiency in public administration. He added.

The Gambia-India civil servants collaboration scheme

In June 2021, The Gambia and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral cooperation in personnel administration and governance reforms. This agreement aims to improve the Gambia government’s performance management systems by implementing contributory pension schemes and e-recruitment processes.

Under the MoU, each country is responsible for its expenditures related to the implementation of training programs, with the actual amount depending on the activities undertaken. Consequently, the financial burden of training Gambian civil servants in India falls on The Gambia’s government.

Since the agreement, the program has been ongoing. In September 2023, a third batch of senior public servants returned from a five-day training program in India focused on public policy and good governance. In January 2024, Mustapha Jawara, The Gambia’s High Commissioner, met with Indian authorities to renew and improve the program.

Following this meeting, senior Gambian civil servants participated in an advanced Leadership Development Program on Public Policy and Governance from January 22 to February 2, 2024.

To date, nearly 150 senior civil servants from The Gambia have received training at NCGG under this program.