The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni, established the ONCE-Knowledge System Steering Committee with the goal of creating a World-Class, Future-Ready Civil Service. This innovative platform aims to improve and harmonize talent development, knowledge management, and capacity building throughout the Federal Civil Service.
The initiative is “a bold new approach that ensures every Civil Servant, from the newest entrant to the most senior executive, is prepared, empowered, and supported throughout their career journey,” according to Mrs. Walson-Jack, who spoke at the inauguration in Abuja.
According to her, the system, which is based on Pillar One: Capacity Building and Talent Management of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP 25), resolves the long-standing fragmentation in capacity building by establishing a single, coordinated framework that tracks civil servants from entry to exit.
According to Mrs. Walson-Jack, the ONCE-Knowledge System is built upon five interrelated pillars that are intended to assist civil servants at every stage of their careers. In order to guarantee early alignment with the Service’s values and priorities, it starts with thorough onboarding programs for recently hired and promoted officers.
Strong capability development programs like the Leadership Enhancement and Development Program (LEAD-P), the Structured Mandatory Assessment-Based Program (SMAT-P), cadre-specific trainings, and digital literacy programs addressing emerging technologies come next.
The framework also offers executive masterclasses for federal agency chief executives, permanent secretaries, and ministers to enhance leadership at the highest levels. Organized exit management procedures help retirees with entrepreneurship and agribusiness endeavors and preserve institutional memory as officers leave the force. Lastly, a focused knowledge management approach protects the Civil Service’s collective knowledge for future generations, cultivates communities of practice, and institutionalizes learning.
The initiative is important, as Mrs. Fatima Mahmood, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, reiterated in her welcome address, saying it “brings coherence to all capacity building efforts and ensures we deliver tangible results in this declared Year of Accomplishments.”
Senior officials from important government offices, heads of federal training institutions, representatives of development partners, and private sector specialists in knowledge management and capacity building make up the 14-member Committee, which is chaired by Mrs. Fatima Mahmood, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office.
The inauguration represents yet another turning point in the ongoing civil service reform process and demonstrates the Federal Government’s dedication to developing a highly qualified, future-ready workforce that can provide Nigerians with top-notch public services.
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