GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES AND POLICIES:Role of Government, Socio Cultural Factors in Implementing HRD Programs

<< MOBILIZING REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: THE ASEAN UNIVERSITY NETWORK, A CASE STUDY

Human Resource Development (HRM-627)

Lesson 45

GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES AND POLICIES

Important Lessons Learnt from HRD in four countries (Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan)

Four important lessons learnt:

1. Government support is the most important precondition for economic development

2. Corruption is a barrier to efficient HRD

3. Investments in education and training have played a key role

4. Comprehensive reforms are needed in public personnel management in the direction of attracting,

retaining, developing and utilizing competent employees

In setting priorities and policies, governments do not operate in a vacuum. It is as well to acknowledge some

external pressures which may influence government.

HRD is now very much at the heart of the development debate. Many international agencies and regional

bodies have conceptualized HRD and described the role and priorities of government in HRD as they perceive

it.

One dilemma is that although economic and social development programs need to be considered as long term

process, many people and institutions, both within the developing and other countries, including donor

agencies, seem to suffer from a 10 year itch (development decades).

It is also important to know that each institution and scholar seems to have found it necessary to hitch itself in

an extreme way to particular solutions to HRD problems, e.g. whether to "get the prices right" or to "empower

the poor" etc.

Role of Government

The government plays its role in the following ways:

Policy formulation

Translating policies into plans and programs

Mobilizing resources required to implement plans

Establishing/strengthening institutional structures and other infrastructure

Implementing the programs

Monitoring

Experimentation in select areas

Review

Socio Cultural Factors in Implementing HRD Programs

Consider the following factors carefully before implementing an HRD program or policy:

· Begin with a study of the socio cultural context

· Introduce programs in terms of needs of people

· Combine new with the old

· Respect indigenous knowledge systems

· Use influential village leaders

· Study previous experience with HRD programs in the region

· Consult the people involved

· Communicate development messages in forms that make an impact

· Ensure that development workers has the required set of skills and qualities

· Use local community organizations

· Plan the change step by step, thoroughly and carefully

· Anticipate the consequences of change and innovation

· Exercise more patience in programs requiring behavioral changes

· Ensure that new facilities remain in use

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