Management Development Institutes (MDIs) should be focused and be engaged in the development of programmes and strategies developed by the government.

Lesotho's Minister of Public Service, Mr. Semano Sekatle said this in his presentation on creating future African Public Administrations at a three day MDIs regional conference held at Mohale lodge on Thursday.

He said focusing and identifying on what works best for the country by researching is their key function, saying engagement with the government can also promote effectiveness within the public service.

He added that countries should have strong institutes to produce skilled public servants to enable the government to implement policies and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

'MDIs play a significant role in guiding implementation process by undertaking monitoring and evaluation as well as creating a conducive environment which is skills based,' he said.

Mr. Sekatle urged the institutes to also understand basic issues on economy and include such issues in their programmes as they have a role to play in increasing the country's economy.

Speaking at the same occasion, Minister of Public Service and Administration in South Africa, Mrs. Geraldine Fraser-Moloketi said MDIs should work towards capacity development of human resource in the African continent.

She said they should also provide the kind of training that will enable governments to address challenges facing nations for the improvement of public service and administration.

'MDIs have to be exchange agents to policy makers and they should have close relations with the government in an effort to know future activities and policies planned by the governments,' she added.

Mrs. Fraser-Moleketi commended the MDIs for the establishment of the African Management Development Institutes Network (AMDIN) since 2005, saying they are the centres of excellence within their respective countries.

Giving their comments at the conference, participants said MDIs should be staffed with skilled personnel to use their expertise for a successful and sustainable training of human resource in the public service sector.

The conference which ended on Friday, aimed at giving MDIs from Southern Africa the opportunity to assess operational and policy environment in which MDIs are functioning and to help the institutes to conduct needs assessment in terms of the expectation gap, that exists between governments as primary clients and what the institutes offer.

Source: LENA 03/07/2008