An assessment of the effectiveness of the training and development function: the case of Public Service Management Office, Dar es Salaam.

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Date
2004
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
The most crucial resource in any organisation is the human resources. However for the human resources to be meaningful there has to be a mechanism for updating their skills through providing training which is relevant for their job tasks. In the Public Service Management Office (PSMO), there has been weak team-working and poor job performance among its managers. Since that problem has been addressed to managers, then there was then a need to conduct a study on how effective the Training and Development (T&D) function is carried out at the managerial level. In spite of the Government having issued training procedures, there has not been a comprehensive policy that will guide and design appropriate training strategies. Consequently, there has been uncoordinated, fragmented and ad hoc approach to training and utilization of human and financial resources resulting into poor service delivery to the public. The objective of this study was to assess how effective the Training and Development function as carried out at the Public Service Management Office. It discusses its design, the whole process of planning, implementation and evaluation. It further seeks to compare the real to the ideal T&D function, the attitude of trainees towards the whole management of the function and problems facing its implementation. Case study approach was used to collect data by using a structured questionnaire, an unstructured checklist and various organisational document reviews. Stratified and purposeful techniques were used to select respondents from the management level. The researcher found out that, despite a well designed training programme, the problem is its implementation. There is inadequate and poor allocation of training funds, the criteria of trainees' selection is not clearly known, and they are not given a chance to determine what kind of training they need. Furthermore, T&D is not frequently evaluated in order to determine what benefits it brings to the organisation. These and other factors have contributed in creating unsatisfied workforce which affects job performance, hence ineffective Management Training and Development function. The current training program needs to be evaluated from time to time and be as transparent as possible. Employees need to be involved in determining the kind of training they need as well as to understand the selection criteria (following the claims that there is no fairness in selection of trainees). Training courses concerning Leadership Skills, Management Development and Data Management are urgently needed by the respondents. The study recommends to re-analyse and improve the approach that is currently used to carry out training programmes and promote transparency as well as practical implementation of training plans (since more is written than done). These issues need to be addressed to the Human Resources Development department as a matter of priority to improve the T&D's effectiveness.
Description
Keywords
Training (employce), Human resources
Citation
Dominic, T. (2004). An assessment of the effectiveness of the training and development function: the case of Public Service Management Office, Dar es Salaam. Masters dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Available at (http://41.86.178.3/internetserver3.1.2/detail.aspx?parentpriref=)