Re-positioning Human Resource Practitioners for Effective Change Management in Times of Severe Austerity: A Policy Framework for Service Delivery in Nigeria Public Sector

Abstract

In view of the current emerging environmental and climatic factors that has induced economic challenges, political instability, infrastructural defects, increasing security threats and severe austerity with significant financial pressures on all areas of organizational service delivery, it is vital that HR practitioners clarifies its aims and objectives for its staff. These need to be identified within an overall workforce strategy which is aligned to the organization’s priorities and objectives. This strategy describes the high level objectives for the workforce, identifies performance measures by which progress can be judged and puts forward a range of priorities which will provide a programme of future activity with regards to workforce development. This paper argues that organizations are operating in a volatile, uncertain and unpredictable environment where the only constant is reduced resources and increased demands on service delivery. This paper therefore argues the need for a HR policy framework that addresses adaptation in public organisations and a systematic acquisition of innovative human resource professionals with requisite competence and skill capable of leading teams through periods of severe changes arising from bad government policy decisions and technology and to foster a culture of continuous improvement through reforms in other to sustain its service delivery  and achieve competitive advantage in the organization.

Keywords: Change Management, workforce, austerity, Public organization, managing workforce.