Michael D. Abayateye, Ghana
I am the Human Resource Manager at the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council in Ghana. Ghana is divided into 16 Regions, similar to the idea of a state in the US. And the Regional Co-ordinating Council is like the state capitol. My job entails providing operational lead in the implementation of the Human Resource policies of the Local Government Service in the 14 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (municipal and district councils) that make up the Western Region of Ghana. Some of my key functions are to develop and superintend the implementation of training programs, monitor and evaluate the performance of the staff, ensure there is equitable distribution of manpower and skill mix across all the municipal and district councils and to manage the career progression of the staff. Also I am expected to provide technical backstopping to the Human Resource Managers in the municipal and district councils in the execution of their daily operations and advise on Human Resource issues within the Region. My experience in public sector HR Management span all the three levels of government (national, regional and district).
I am very passionate about quality service delivery and I try as much as possible to use the HR tools at my disposal to ensure the best quality of service is delivered to the locals. So I focus a lot on training, competence improvement as well as monitoring and evaluation as means to improve service delivery. Through the MWF, I am working with my assigned coach to develop strategies that will make the assessment processes under our current Performance Management System more comprehensive and inclusive.
The motivation to apply for the Mandela Washington Fellowship was driven by my leadership ambitions. Since secondary school, I have had this desire to serve and bring about needed progress and development to the local communities in any form it may come. And along the way, I realized that leadership is all about people management because as a leader you cannot do everything by yourself and you can only achieve great results if you can put the strength of everyone around you to good use.
That is why I believe the YALI and MWF offer a very significant opportunity for young Africans who have the passion to serve and build their nations in whatever capacity to gain essential knowledge and sharpen their skills in the art of leadership.
I first joined the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) online platforms in 2018 where I took advantage of the online resources to improve my leadership skills. I subsequently applied for the MWF in 2019 and I was selected.
My objectives for participating in 2021 Fellowship are:
Firstly, I want to gain as much knowledge as possible in public sector leadership through the academic modules. Knowledge is crucial in leadership as it is essential in building the trust needed to make the rest of the team want to pool their efforts and resources to follow your lead to achieve that target together.
Also importantly I want to connect with professionals who have excelled in their chosen fields of endeavor. By tapping into their rich experiences, I hope to improve the art aspects of my leadership skills.
The third motivation to participate in this Fellowship is to meet and connect with many other young Africans who are passionate about bringing development to continent. These connections; as young African leaders can help us share experiences and resources, best practices and collaborate to bring about the changes and development we wish to see on the African continent and impact
Going forward I will like to continue engaging with my coach Esther Yang because she has so much practical experience in local government administration and service delivery at the city council level which I believe can be useful when it comes sharing and developing strategies for greater impact when it comes to service delivery.
Secondly, Associate Professor Kyu Nahm-Jun of the Department of Political Science of Wayne State University is a connection I will like to keep and pursue. I have seen a few of her publications and areas of work and I am excited about the amount of knowledge I can gain from my engagement with her.
Lastly I have interest in pursuing connections with the Wayne County to gain some insights into their roles, oversight responsibilities in the provision of municipal services in the cities that fall within their jurisdiction.
I am really excited by this opportunity to learn and connect with all these experts and fellow young Africans through this Fellowship and I am happy to take full advantage of this opportunity.
Warrior! Fighting!!