The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) to guide employees’ work processes towards the full operationalisation of the Enterprise Content Management, with a mandate to digitise records and automate the workforce in the ministry.
Speaking during the official handover of the ministry’s developed SOPs in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, elucidated that SOPs are globally recognised documents that provide the step-by-step instructions compiled to assist all officers in the service to perform their operational tasks accurately and effectively.
He stated that to achieve a dynamic civil service, the government has considered it pertinent to have laid down operating standards and adoption of these (SOPs) would significantly bring about an effective system of service delivery, not just in the ministry but service-wide.
The minister urged all respective directors, heads of departments and their champions – who are the owners of the documents – to ensure that the full operationalisation of the developed SOPs aligns with the ministry’s mandate and vision.
He enjoined all staff to embrace the initiative for continued service delivery, as SOPs are globally recognised documents.
Abubakar, therefore, urged all workers to show more commitment to drive the initiative.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe said that the developed SOPs would act as a complete guide for staff work processes and as an aspect of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) with the mandate to digitise the ministry’s records and automate workflow to achieve the overall improvement in information-sharing and collaboration across the ministry’s agencies, institutes and state offices.
He pointed out that the next stage for the ministry would be to organise comprehensive training for the departmental champions in ISO certification and a refresher course would commence immediately.
Umakhihe directed the human resources management department to liaise with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and come up with the necessary modalities for ensuring that the knowledge and skills gained would be cascaded to various state offices, agencies and institutes for the full operationalisation of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) in the agricultural sector.
A statement by the ministry’s director of information signed by Modupe Olatunji, said earlier in her welcome address, the ministry’s director, human resources management, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Alade said the policy was to move the ministry toward full digitalisation pointing out that the era of paperwork was gradually being phased out.
