Change Army: The New Face of Modernizing Civil Service

in Ethiopia: The Case of Addis Ababa  

By

Dr. Gebre Miruts

Mr. Nigussie Daba

July 2015

There is

No “I” in Team

Many public administration/management scholars pointed-out that, the modernization of civil service is:

Change in StructureManagerial ChangeChange in MindsetTeam-BuildingHigh Performance and Productivity Transformation

The advocates of civil service modernization also declared that, the civil service organizations Bridge the political representation of national aspirations and the life experiences of the citizens.

Introduction & Background

This way of thinking as asserted by Ewalt (2001) provides:

High quality service provision Decentralize public organizations to reduce central agency control

Measure and reward both group & individual performance

Capacitate managers & support them with technology

Make room for competition and build open mindedness

Build the Bridge As you Walk on It (Robert, 2004)

As we can observe from different literature, since 1980s, civil service reform is taken as one way of modernizing the civil service organizations.

System

Standards & Objectives

Failure to function expected standards

& objectives

Implementation ReformModify or Repair

a system

Civil Service Reform is one of the most visible and comprehensive areas of administrative reform. The need for reform arises:

Transform a system

Modernization

Modernization is a plus of Transformation

Taking the civil service modernization agenda into account, the current Ethiopian government has taken the initiative of reforming the civil service since 1991. The government tried to reform and modernize the civil service in 3 phases.

The 1st phase (1991-95) was a structural adjustment program to skip from the Socialist Ideology to Federal System.

The 2nd phase (1996-2002) was instituted to build a capable civil service to promote democracy, federalism and good governance, provide citizens with friendly service delivery and support government’s socio-economic development policies & the development of private sectors.

The 3rd phase (2003 to date) was launched and great emphasis was placed on improving quality service delivery (Gebre, 2014).

The agenda for quality service delivery was designed intentionally to strengthen the public institutions. However, despite the fact that some positive changes can be cited from the implementation of CSR, many writers criticize its effectiveness.

Consequently, as an important tool to modernize the civil service, the change army scenario is initiated into the civil service organizations as a new face/arrangement.

The distinctive characteristics of the change army scenario is to build a change army team and down that to craft teams with a one-to-five arrangement. The ambition is to create a strong teamwork which acts as a standby-armed-force (MoCS, 2014).

The change army scenario in Ethiopia is part of the spectrum of teamwork and group dynamics. As affirmed by Hill (2006), the modernized civil servant is:

Self-active but accountable

Self-responsible but team oriented

Leading the way but integrated in networks

Flexible but with clear targets

Professionalized but open to new ideas and

Resilient to new modernization wave in civil service

Therefore, the general objective of this study was to conduct a critical assessment and explain the role of Change Army as a new face to modernize civil service organizations in Addis Ababa.

Review of Theoretical and Conceptual Literature

Theoretically:

Transformational TheoryNew Public Management TheorySystem Theory

Conceptually:

Change Army Development Vs Team BuildingLeading Change and Leadership CommitmentTeam Building Multi-functional Teams Cross-Functional Teams Self-Directed Work Teams

Research Design & Methods

Research Type

Descriptive Explanatory

Quantitative and Qualitative (Mixed)

Face to Face

Types, Sources and Methods of Data Collection

Primary data Secondary data

Interview Questionnaire

Civil Servants Woreda officials

Civil Servants Woreda officials

Sub city officials

Civil Servants

Focus Group Discussion

Sampling Technique and Sample Size

Sampling Technique

Probability Non probability

384 Civil Servant=

Questionnaire

2 Sub City officials and

16 Woreda official=

Interview

FGD with Official

1*4*8 = 32

FGD with Civil Servants

1*4*8 = 32

12 Civil servant=

Interview

Total Sample Size=

478

The collected data was organized and described based on the nature and types of the data and analyzed by using:

• Descriptive statistics

• Correlations

• Chi-square test

• Cross –Tabulation

• Logical arguments

• Triangulations and Comparisons

Methods of Data Analysis

Discussion and Results

RQ-1. The Implementation of Change Army Scenario

What do we mean by change army really?

The result was mixed

Some define it correctly

Some miss concept it

Some also connote it as party politics instrument

This implies that, the definition and concepts of the change army is not understood across the board.

change army team size

level of participation

Spearman's rho change army team size

Correlation Coefficient 1.000 -.163**

Sig. (2-tailed) . .002

N 357 357

level of participation

Correlation Coefficient -.163** 1.000

Sig. (2-tailed) .002 .

N 357 357

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Correlation between change army team size and the level of participation

The one-to-five team composition = Department base (57.7%) The one-to-five team size = Team with 5 members are common But, there are also one-to-five teams with >7 and reach up-to 12 team members

Change Army Meeting and Agenda Setting

2% 7%8%

82%

Change Army Meeting

Once a quarterOnce a month Twice a week Once a week

Most of the respondents (66.7%) also confirmed the agenda setting and its content were appropriate and mostly discussed about job performance and public service delivery.

Nevertheless, some respondents claimed the appropriateness of the agenda and the daily meeting considered as tedious and the point of discussions are redundant.

In addition, some of the interviewee and FGD discussants also accepted that due to the tiresomeness of the daily meeting, some teams simply wrote minutes and they sign without any discussion.

Modernization of the Civil Service

Change Army *The New Face of Modernizing Civil Service* Survey Statement Scale

SA A NC D SDThe change army is self-active but accountable 22.1% 42.6% 1.7% 26.3% 7.3%

The change army is self-responsible but team oriented 34.2% 42.9% .8% 19.0% 3.1%

The change army is leading the way but integrated in networks 33.3% 33.1% .6% 28.3% 4.8%

The change army is flexible but with clear targets 26.9% 42.6% 1.7% 23.5% 5.3%

The change army is professionalized but open to new ideas 42.3% 36.1% - 16.0% 5.6%

The change army is resilient to new modernization wave in civil service 33.3% 39.5% 2.0% 17.9% 7.3%

RQ-2. The Leadership Support and Commitment

Leading Change and Leadership Commitment

Survey Statements Scale

SA A NC D SD

Managers inspire team members for better performance 17.9% 45.9% .8% 28.3% 7.0%

Team leaders really care about each teams 15.4% 45.9% 1.1% 30.0% 7.6%

Managers recognize/reward better performed

team

9.5% 25.8% .6% 50.4% 13.7%

Managers/leaders reward better performed individuals 9.5% 24.9% .6% 52.7% 12.3%

Leaders decide everything on his/her own 10.9% 23.8% 1.7% 55.2% 8.4%

Leaders have good techniques of handling challenging team (1-to-5) members 8.4% 35.9% 1.4% 45.7% 8.7%

Celebration of Success to Honor the Heroes

7.8%

24.6%

2%53.5%

12%

Strongly AgreeAgreeNo CommentDisadreeStrongly Disadree

The ideal approach of the change army in Ethiopia assumes civil servants to behave as a stand-by military army who is ready to win a battle. In military, heroes are always honored. In a similar fashion, after accomplishing some grand objectives there need to celebrate success to honor successful public servants (Civil Heroes) .

The reasons for high turnover raised by the participants were: Poor salary scale Unfavorable working environment (lack of staff lounge, poor

transport service and freedom of work) and Mismatch b/n work load and benefits

1-5 Years 6-10 Years 11-15 Years > 16 Years0

10

20

30

40

50

60

RQ-3. The Practical Challenges of Change Army Implementation

Conclusion

Though clear definition about “what change army really mean” is predetermined, it is not still internalized across the Change army teams and in the one-to-five teams.

At its most important, some change army leaders are also poor in conceptualizing the terminology of the change army scenario.

The team size is clearly determined in the working manual but the change army team formation is not uniformly applied.

Despite the fact that some positive changes can be cited from the characteristics of a modernized civil servant, the change army’s leading the way integrated in networks, flexibility with clear targets and the self activeness with accountability is not matured.

The celebration of success to honor the civil heroes is also poorly practiced .

Recommendations

The change army’s working manual should have to be known by everyone and it must be documented as well. Because, change army leaders and team members need to internalize the terminology of the change army scenario.

Besides, to give equal chance to participate in team communication and meetings, the change army team size must be applied based on the baseline.

Government officials and the change army team leaders should have to give due attention to make the civil servant to lead the way integrated in strong networks and self-active but in accountable system.

After accomplishing some grand objectives there should be celebration of success to honor civil heroes.

Working Together Is Success.

Coming Together Is A Beginning.

Keeping Together Is Progress.

Henry Ford

Thank you!