CAPACITY BUILDING AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN CIVIL SERVICE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was on Capacity Building and Employee Performance in Civil Service of Nigeria. Three objectives were raised which included: Find out the influence of capacity building on civil servant performance, Find out the challenges militating against capacity building in the Public sector and What are the benefits and prospects of capacity building on organizational Performance. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from Rivers state civil service commission. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).

Chapter one

Introduction

1.1Background of the study

Capacity building and development must be based on a need analysis derived from a comparison of “actual performance‟‟ and behavior with “required performance‟‟ and behavior. Capacity building and development is one of the major ways organization invests in the workforce for greater return today and even in the foreseeable future (Williams, 2007) Organizational effectiveness rests on the efficient and effective performance of workforce that makeup the organization. The efficient and effective performance of the workforce in turn, rest on the richness of the knowledge, skills and abilities possessed by the workforce. Capacity building and development in most organizations is a continuous act/exercise. The inexorable march of time and the ceaseless glamour for social change combine to make adaptability and continuing preparation of the workforce as inevitable as the initial acquisition of knowledge and skills. This cannot happen if employees‟ capacity building and development do not occur in an enterprise. In other to maximize the productivity and efficiency of the organization, every executive, manager or supervisor in a public or private organization has the responsibility and indeed the bounding duty to ensure the development of their employees who have requisite knowledge and expertise (Dada, 2004) Capacity building is like sharpening an existing skill in order to reflect the trends in technology and other social –cultural environmental changes of an organization. Productivity is the goal of today‟s competitive business world and capacity building can be a spring board to enhance productivity. The aim is to enable them contribute their full measure to the welfare, health and development of the organization (onah 2007). The main objective of capacity building and development in FRSC is to increase efficiency of employees with  the resulting increase in corporate productivity. This accounts for why a large number of fund and time is expected by organization at one period or the order in the improvement of the skills of their employees at various levels. The principal intention of capacity building according to Akinola (2007), is to equip people with the knowledge required to qualify them for a particular position of employment, or to improve their skills and efficiency in the position they already hold. Manpower development on the other hand, implies growth and the acquisition of wide experience for future strategic advantages of the organization. Capacity building and development therefore, improves the effectiveness and efficiency of the employee. Therefore, the aim of this research is to know the current state, nature, procedure and method of capacity building and development used by the Guaranty Trust Bank for their employees and let‟s not forget that any organization that has no plan for the capacity building and development of its staff is less than dynamic for learning is a continuous process and acquired skills get obsolete when the environment changes. Also, a popular caption in the field of personnel management says, “If you think capacity building and development are expensive try ignorance‟‟. While capacity building and development prosper organization, ignorance destroys it. Therefore, workers like machines must be updated on constant basis or else, they end up becoming obsolete or misfit (Muhtar, 2007)

According to Armstrong (2006) training can be used as a tool for developing knowledge and skills to enhance an individual’s performance based upon the criteria of efficiency and effectiveness, besides achieving competitiveness and productivity. Apart from this, he added that personnel remolding through training prepares individual employees to climb the organizational ladder. Therefore, staff development is strategic both for the individual employee as well as the organization. To Shuman (2009), personnel training encompass efforts to promote employee development to suit organizational requirements. Ismail and Bongogoh (2007) posits that training and development programmes are strategic functions of human capital management which focuses on developing employee competencies in order to overcome daily, routine and short-term problems. In a research conducted by Haslinda (2009) on the effectiveness of training in the public service, it was found that public sector organizations have increased their concern with regard to the effectiveness of training and development since it is critical in enhancing on-the-job performance in order to achieve key performance indicators (KPI) for each employee. Thus, from the aspect of the evaluation and transfer of training elements, for effective performance, management must see the need to help workers develop skills and build new capacities necessary. Ismail and Bongogoh (2009) emphasized that opportunity to learn new things by means of training is a source of motivation for the employees and such motivation leads to positive outcomes such as up to date knowledge, skills, abilities and good moral values (attitude), commitment, trust and good work ethics. They pointed out that not having the skills to perform a job correctly can set up employees for failure and put the organization at a less-than-competitive disadvantage. Moreover, poor performance reviews due to inadequate job training can produce employee dissatisfaction and conflict and negative attitude (Truitt, 2012). He noted that the workers’ goals always are to have success in their careers, so that they can perform their job better and in an efficient and effective manner. In a related development, Kanal, Normah and Othman (2012) observes that giving employees opportunity for training in an organization does not only motivate them but also help them to further learn their required and expected task which increases their work performance and exposes them to believe that they are part and parcel of the organization.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The challenge of human capital development for developing nations is daunting. This is in consideration of how far ahead the rest of the world is and the enormous efforts and resources required of them to catch up. Nigeria’s high population, vast socio-cultural diversity, yet-to-mature political culture and the great hope repose on her to emancipate the black-race, makes the challenge even more critical. The good news however, is that there is cause for great optimism because the nation has more than enough human capital potentials to surmount the challenge if harnessed, activated and effectively channeled. Also, comparisons have always been made between private sector employees and the civil servants, in terms of efficiency and productivity, with many conceding to the high commitment and efficiency of the private sector employees. It must be noted, however, that civil servants face a lot of difficulties in the discharge of their duties in Nigeria (Ejumudo, 2014). Also, Behn (2003) notes that problems of civil servant in Nigeria ranges from poor and irregular pay to lack of proper training and capacity building.

1.3     Objective of the Study

The main objective of this study is to find out the influence of capacity building and employee performance in the Nigeria civil service, specifically the study intends to;

1. Find out the influence of capacity building on civil servant performance
2. Find out the challenges militating against capacity building in the Public sector
3. What are the benefits and prospects of capacity building on organizational Performance

1.5     Research Hypothesis

Ho: there is no significant influence of capacity building on civil servant performance

Hi: there is significant influence of capacity building on civil servant performance

Ho: there are no challenges militating against capacity building in the Public sector

Hi: there are challenges militating against capacity building in the Public sector

1.6     Significance of the Study

The research will be beneficial to all civil service organizations in Nigeria as it emphasized the need and encourage the establishment of policy guidelines on the efficient and effective capacity building and development programme. It will help managers of various organizations to generate ideas and solution to problems based on the best way to run capacity building in their organization in order to achieve desired goals and objectives. It will equally be useful to small scale business, large corporations, and universities, college of education and to the government. It will also help researchers to know more about capacity building programme as a tool for improving employees‟ performance. Finally, it will be of great value to students as a point of reference and will equally form the basis for further research study.

1.7     Scope of the Study

This research work will vividly examine the need for capacity building in the Nigeria civil service, also this research work will cover a government parastatal in Rivers state.

1.8     Delimitation of the Study

Finance for the general research work will be a challenge during the course of study. Correspondents also might not be able to complete or willing to submit the questionnaires given to them.

However, it is believed that these constraints will be worked on by making the best use of the available materials and spending more than the necessary time in the research work. Therefore, it is strongly believed that despite these constraint, its effect on this research report will be minimal, thus, making the objective and significance of the study achievable.

1.9     Definition of Terms

Capacity: Planned development of (or increase in) knowledge, output rate, management, skills, and other capabilities of an organization through acquisition, incentives, technology, and/or training.

Civil Service: the permanent professional branches of a state’s administration, excluding military and judicial branches and elected politicians.

Organization: A social unit of people, systematically structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective

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