A former permanent secretary, Dr Dere Awosika, has identified stakeholder consultation as a critical requirement for successful public sector reforms, urging governments to involve public servants and affected communities from the outset.
Awosika said reforms were more likely to achieve their objectives when those responsible for implementation and their intended beneficiaries participated in identifying problems and developing solutions.
She spoke on the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation podcast, Reform Is Not a Guessing Game.
She said reformers should begin by examining institutional weaknesses and understanding why existing goals were not being achieved.
“Reforms are not supposed to be a pass down of instructions. It’s supposed to be a discussion on the weaknesses, identify them, and see that the goals that you set to meet are not being met,” she said.
Awosika, Chief Executive Officer of Josephine Consulting Ltd, said consultation must also account for the interests of public servants and the realities of communities affected by government policies.
She illustrated the importance of stakeholder engagement with her experience leading polio eradication efforts in Nigeria, where traditional and religious leaders helped address community concerns and build acceptance of vaccination.
“We need to build trust with citizenry. They cannot believe us unless we trust them,” she said.
An economist and policy strategist, Dr Akin Olusoji-Akinyele, said consultation must be continuous, with beneficiaries providing feedback to establish whether reforms were delivering the intended results.
“The reform itself is not complete until the beneficiary has given you some form of feedback as to whether this is working,” he said.
The discussion was moderated by Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Executive Vice Chair of the Foundation, ahead of its Public Sector Reform Playbook launch in Abuja on November 19.
