MODERN TECNIQUES OF OFFICE MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL IN NIGERIA

BY  MUFUTAU KAJOGBOLA OLAOLUWA, FNIM.

INTRODUCTION:

The Office usually is a place of transacting business where clerical and administrative functions are carried out to coordinate and control activities of the organization.(www.brainkart.com)

Our organization in this discussion is Local Government and our major concern is to discuss how the Local Government Administration could transits from the existing office management and administration techniques to the modern ones in line with the dynamic nature of management and administration.

It is a common saying that nothing is as permanent as change. The world keeps on changing and its dynamics is what may be difficult to resist,hence one must be ready to move with time.

The purpose of this discussion therefore is prompt the management and staff of Local Governmenst in Osun State of Nigeria to prepare for a timely journey to modern techniques of office management and administration. At the end of our discussion we should be able to have clear understanding of office management techniques and the prospects of adopting the benefits of information and communication technology in the management and administration of our Local Governments in Nigeria.

WHAT IS OFFICE MANAGEMENT ? 

In brief, Office Management and Administration is the technique of planning organizing, coordinating and controlling of office activities with a view to achieve the organizational objectives.

Office Management is concerned with efficient and effective performance of the office work as the success of any organization depend upon the efficiency of its office (en.m.wikipedia.org)

WHAT IS THE MODERN OFFICE MANAGEMENT?

Modern Office Management aims to enhance productivity and efficiency by improving the performance of office work.

The modern approach to the understanding of the term office is to view office as a function rather than a particular place. When an office is viewed as a function, it does not matter where the supervision of paper work and other pieces of management functions are performed and whoever is doing them.

That is to say that the office function can be performed anywhere and by whatever other means than the routine office worker.

Though open space and decorations are essential features of a modern office, workspaces are no longer based only on the number of workers.

They are also based on how we can make the space to improve their stay, creativity and of course productivity. The design of modern office is based on the needs and functions of the users.”A flexible modern office not only encourages communication but also promotes a more casual atmosphere”(www. home designing.com)

MODERN OFFICE FEATURES

1. Comfortability – How confortable is the work place?
2. Multifunctional Space and furniture
3. Integrated Technology such as flat screens, projectors, computers, print and photo copy machines, Radio, Voice and data connection. Integrated furniture and other technological elements that facilitate the development of office activities.
4. Collaborative environments. Modern trends in workspace design are the abandoning of individual spaces and migration to collaborative ones.
5. Open space i.e. a staff common room with large windows and spaces taking large windows and light, natural ventilation, warmth and spaciousness.
6. Recreation and rest areas equipped with comfortable armchairs, ping pong tables, ball table, cafeteria etc. where workers can take break, talk or meet informally.
7.  Lighting: Adequate illumination can prevent visual fatigue and its negative effect on work performance.
8. Decorative Motivation: Color of the walls has influence on the mood of the workers. pale blue, green and grey are recommended in modern office space .Plants and ornaments depict a serene and peaceful environments

In brief the creation of a modern office having the foregoing characteristics is an important modern office management technique which is capable of improving the productivity of an organization (private or public).

MODERN OFFICE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE

A modern Office Management technique integrates information and communication technology as a business advantage. It adopts solutions such as digital communication, managed IT services, business process outsourcing (BPO) and ICT equipment as a strategy to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

ICT in an office makes day to day processes easier, faster, and more sophisticated to improve efficiencies and outcomes.

CHALLENGES OF ADOPTING ICT IN SOME ORGANIZATIONS.

1. Lack of Legal framework.
2. Lack of Finance and Budgetary provision.
3. Lack of adequate ICT Equipment.
4. Technical know-how i.e. technical experts.
5. Negative attitude of personnel towards the use of ICT equipment such as computers.
6. Lack of time to monitor ICT trends and processes.
7. Lack of optimization i.e. not using ICT equipment to its fullest advantage.
8. Lack of synchronization i.e. where technologies don’t talk to each other.

CATEGORIES OF MODERN OFFICE TECHNOLOGY

1. Digital Communication:- Digital Communication becomes essential in offices at this time the workplace has become a hybrid of office and work from home environments.

In this category, we have audio visual technology, business phone systems e.g. V0IP, WhatsApp, e.t.c. where all your communication features such as messaging, video conferencing, voice calling and webinars are allowed into one. There are also E-mail inbox, Websites, Facebook, business porter in this category.

• MANAGED IT SERVICES: This category includes network security, disaster planning and recovery, and remote work monitoring, Cloud computing, and automation.

 Managed IT Services are in much higher demand with the increase in remote work and network security challenges (www.blog.rjoung.com)

3.        BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO): Running a business porter on website requires some behind the scenes operations, personnel, software, hosting server etc. This may constitute a headache for the operator. When that bank end processes are outsourced, the owner of the website can focus on the core initiative and avoid turn over headaches.  Out sourcing back end processes can also save time and money. This category includes managed print services, digital mail room services, and promotional printing and apparel.

4.        OFFICE TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT:   

This category includes: Printers and Scanners, Security camera (CCTV) and document management systems. It is any office that possess a combination of the foregoing stated ICT categories can conveniently be regarded as a modern office (R.J. Young)

ADAPTATION OF ICT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNCTION

What is now required to adapt ICT into Local Government System?

 E- Governance is an instrument of the information and communication technology that has been adapted into Local Government in many advance countries and in some African countries such as Zimbabwe( www.e- governance academy)

According to European researches, Local Government in European Union countries have got up to 77% of their public services  rendered with e-services. To deal with such local government, The Local Government portal is often the first port of call.

( www.e- governance academy)

Implementation of broadband strategy as well as information security basics are important issues for local governments on ICT.

There is also the need to build legal framework for ICT development and infrastructure.

Budgetary framework and provision of ICT equipment are also important. staffs have to be trained and retrained and given enough orientation to change their negative mind set against the use of automated technology.

In the implementation of e-governance at the local government level in Nigeria, there has be a redesign of the functions and structure of the local government and people’s support must be garnered for the implementation of ICT strategy.

( www.e- governance academy)

BENEFITS OF ICT AT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

In countries where ICT policy has been implemented for local governments the following benefits have become obvious( www.e- governance academy):

1. It has made the local government more responsive and more cost effective.
2. It has made services of the local government more accessible to the people with disabilities.
3. It has facilitated interaction among the local governments, between the local and other levels of government and between the local government and other private and public organizations.
4. It has improved the quality of the workforce and the efficiency and effectiveness of their services.
5. It has tremendously increased the clients of the local government.
6. It has made the local government to be more transparent and more accountable to the citizens.
7. It makes the local government to be more democratic as people’s debate on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and over the Websites become more inclusive.
8. It has promoted the local government economic vitality, providing more employment opportunities at the local government level.
9. It makes the local government services in the area of Health, Education, etc. broader in scope and more effective.

10.  It has placed the local government in a more central position in economic development and service delivery.

COMPONENTS OF ICT AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL

1. DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DMS): Documents management and processes are done with approval/digital signature mechanism.
2. E–mail systems are used as medium of incoming and outgoing mails.
3. Web pages: are vital tools in spreading and collecting information from the citizens of the local government.

           4. State Register: The state can provide and integrated register for common use of all the local governments  for Tax generation, registration of vehicles, houses, business premises etc. The Local Government can also use data based software such as Excel, Access and My sql for the registration and recording of official documents and Microsoft word for the processing of bottom- up and up-down  memos and storage of minutes, speech and briefs.

5.        E-meeting/conference: Software like Business Zoom. WhatsApp conference etc could be used to organize work from home meeting just as it was done during the could 19 lock Jam.

6.        Cloud computing: It offers opportunity to store vital documents of the L.G. on the Internet with adequate encryption to assure the security y of the document which personal information.

DIGITAL DIVIDE:

The digital divide is the barrier to e-governance.

Barriers to e-governance in Nigerian Local Governments Include:

1.The problem of irregular electricity supply:

ICT implementation is a mirage if the issue of unstable and epileptic power supply has not been adequately resolved in Nigeria.

2.The level of deduction of the people at the grass roots:

This may reduce their degree of participation and promote apathy among the citizens of the Local Government though Urban local governments may not have such problem.

3.Internet accessibility:

This another digital divide issue. The more accessible internet is in a local government, the more will be the likelihood of the success of  e-governance.

4. Problem of Funding:

Funding may constitute a problem in the absence of solid budgetary frame work Paucity of fund at the local government level arising from lack of financil base is also a problem in view of huge cost of maintaining e- governance system but this can be easily solved with joint action/efforts of many Local governments or all of them together in a state.

5. LACK OF LEGAL FRAMEWORK:

Local Governments in Nigeria as at now lack legal framework to undertake e- governance to the best of my own knowledge. For local governments in Nigeria to go into full automation of its operation there has to be an enabling legal framework. The legal frame work has to look into a restructuring of the local government functions to make them conterminous with e- governance requirements.
6. Lack of adequate ICT equipments:

More attention has to be given to the provision of ICT equipments in the local governments in Nigeria.
7. Lack of Optimization :

The practice of not using the available ICT equipment to the fullest is a serious set back to appreciable progress in the use of ICT at the local governments in Nigeria. Tapping the advantage of BPO strategy could assisst the local governments to resolve the problem of lack of optimization.
8. Inadequate technological know-how:

ICT experts are scarce in Nigeria due to lack of appropriate renumerations and incentives for them. Training and retraining of the available ones would serve to start from somewhere.
Public Private Partnership(PPP) also provides a practical solution to funding and technical knowhow problems..

CONCLUSION

Many European Union countries have adopted ICT strategy for their municipalities and have recorded more than 77% success.  Serbia which is desirous joining the European union in the nearest future has also successfully implement ICT strategy in all of her local governments. Zimbabwe is a shining example of an African country that has joined in the implementation of ICT strategy in her local governments and many more countries have put the strategy on their watch.

It is hoped that Osun state government would take a giant stride of including the implementation of ICT for local Governments strategy in her e-governance policy and many states are expected to follow suits for Nigeria to join the community of Nations that have given effect to e-governance at the Local Government level.

Thank you.

DISCUSSION:

1. IS your Office modern?

 If not, start the process from today. The journey of a thousand miles starts with just an accelerated step.

 ICT experts are all around to drive your modern office.

• What are the costs and benefits of working from home?

And how does working from home fit into our lifestyles?

REFERENCES:

1. www.igi.global.com: “What is e-goverment?”
2. www.emerald.com: “Determination of e-government implementation at the local level: an emperical model” .
3. www.e-governance academy:” ICT for local government handbook (2007) sponsored by open society institute of local government and public service reform” .
4. www.journalsagepub.com: “Conceptralizing e-governance for local government perspective”.
5. www.gsdrc.org: “E-governance in africa: from theory to practice-A handbook on ICT for local governance”
6. www.science direct.com:” E-governance service delivery by a local governance agency”