You’ll be promoted based on competence, not number of years – Busia to DVLA staff

The Chief Executive of the Driver and Vehicle Authority (DVLA) Mr. Kwesi Agyeman Busia has said staff promotion would henceforth be based on competence and not the number of years chalked in the organisation.

That, he said, is going to be based on a performance matrix where competence would be the factor for the progression, noting ‘competence is going to play a role in promotion’.

Mr. Busia was speaking at the third national conference of DVLA Divisional Union of the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU) of the Trades Union Congress, Ghana, at Koforidua on the theme ‘Enhancing Service Delivery after Weaning off; the Role of the Divisional Union’.

He said there is an era of a new DVLA where the Authority has seen reforms including the opening of the Prestige Centre where clients can get their Driver’s Licence within 30 minutes.

This new development, he said, requires collective effort and commitment of the staff to drive the organization to a higher height more especially as the Authority has weaned itself from government subvention.

In the scheme of promotion, however, Mr. Busia said the promotion committee would look at longevity of staff who have served for years and deserve to be promoted. He was, however, quick to explain that it is not a guarantee for promotion stating ‘it is important for staff to ask themselves whether they are competent to be promoted or have distinguished themselves in terms of job delivery?.

‘If you do well, management will promote you’ and assured that there would be transparency when the time comes for the elevation of staff.

‘Change has come to DVLA and with your help, I believe, together, we can take the Authority to a greater height by giving it a good image and that DVLA is capable of delivering after weaning off.

He said there is going to be a Human Resource Department to manage the needs of staff, while management, with the support of the Board, would ensure that it equipped the various offices with the necessary materials and equipment to facilitate their work.

He urged the staff to give customers the best of attention in the line of their work saying ‘the customer should be the focal point in all you do’.

The Board Chairman, Mr. Frank Davies commended the staff for their astuteness towards work, over the years, and said with the new DVLA, he is hopeful workers will exhibit the same zeal to work.

‘The theme for the conference; ‘Enhancing Service Delivery after Weaning off; the Role of the Divisional Union’ is appropriate and I’m optimistic that you will carry out your assignments with the same spirit and zeal after weaning off.

The weaning off, he stated, comes with greater responsibility and challenges and indicated that with their contribution and collectiveness with management ‘we should be able to achieve our target’.

Mr. Davies said looking at the mission of the Authority, ensuring best practices for licensing drivers and vehicles to promote road safety and environmental sustainability while pursuing integrity, excellence, professionalism and reliability in service delivery, much is required of them to be able to achieve that target.

He was not happy at all about the corruption tag attached to the name of the Authority, saying, with hard work and dedication, the image and perception of DVLA could change.

The Divisional Union Chairman, Mr. Eric Kojo Thompson, commended staff for their loyalty to the current Union Executive whose tenure of office started in September, 2014.

He indicated that the Union currently enjoys considerable co-operation from management and this has culminated in negotiation’s and signing of the first ever Collective Bargaining Agreement which took effect from 2016.

He urged the staff to eschew laziness, lateness to work and other forms of vices that have the tendency of slowing work but rather remember that clients are their assets and it behoves staff to make them happy anytime they come there for service.

The Eastern Regional Manager of the Authority, Mr. Eric Addison expressed gratitude to the Chief Executive and the Board Chairman for attending the conference. That, he said, shows the love they have for the staff.

Their presence alone, he said, reflects the importance and commitment they attach to the development of employees and the Authority as a whole.

Mr. Addison said the theme for the conference should offer workers an opportunity to be self-introspect and to change their mindset towards work, saying "we cannot do the same thing and expect different results. Individually and collectively, we can radicalize a change."

According to him, the 21st century customer wants more than a service; stating that he or she wants to be delighted and that ‘the new DVLA is transforming the way we operate to improve our ability to delight our stakeholders.