1.
0 INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is a broader term
for Information Technology (IT), which refers to all communication
technologies, including the internet, wireless networks, cell phones,
computers, software, middleware, video-conferencing, social networking, and
other media applications and services enabling users to access, retrieve, store,
transmit, and manipulate information in a digital form.
ICTs are also used to refer to the convergence of media technology such
as audio-visual and telephone networks with computer networks, by means of a
unified system of cabling (including signal distribution and management) or
link system. However, there is no universally accepted definition of ICTs
considering that the concepts, methods and tools involved in ICTs are steadily
evolving on an almost daily basis.
Since 1990s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has
changed the way government works and how government bodies and civil
servants interact with each other and with citizens. Government is said to have
entered the digital age (Inyang, 2018). The subject of information technology in
government and its implications for public administration, for governance and
for democracy have received increasing attention from researchers in political
science and public administration. ICT affects relationships within the civil
service, between civil servants and political and administrative leaders, and
with citizens (Fleming, 2014).
ICT tools represent new forms of coordination, control and
communication, and we attempt to understand how information technology
affects the coordination, autonomy and control of complex public organizations
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as well as their relationship with political executives, users and citizens. The
problem, however, is that it might be difficult in practice to live up to these
promises, for e-government often faces implementation problems and is hard to
manage.
This paper assesses the roles of ICT relative to performance within the civil
service and more broad systemic performance. The main focus is on the use and
effects of ICT tools, and a central issue is the relationship between ICT and
organization.
1.1 DEFINITION OF TERMS
ICT: Information and Communication Technology.
CD: Compact Disks.
DVD: Digital Video Disks.
LAN: Local Area Network.
WAN: Wide Area Network
2.0 THE CONCEPT OF ICT
Information and Communication Technology’ (ICT) first appeared in the
mid-1980s and was defined as “All kinds of electronic systems used for
broadcasting telecommunications and mediated communications”, with
examples including personal computers, video games, cell phones, internet, and
electronic payment systems and computer S/W etc (Eigeman, 2017). The ICT is
made of computer and communication technology. The computer technology is
the tool for storing and processing information in digital form while
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communication technology helps us to transfer and disseminate digital
information.
Additionally ICT means a variety of technological applications in the
process and communication of information. The word ICT is a combination of
two words information, communication & technology. Information means
knowledge and technology means the use of computer & communication. The
term ICT can be defined as “the integration of computing, networking, and
information processing technologies and their applications” (Danfulani, 2013).
Thus, ICT means a combination of computer applications’ and
communication technology for gathering, processing, storing and disseminating
of Information.
Information Communication Technology is a common term referring to
the technologies used for collecting, storing, editing and communicating
information in various formats (Augustine, 2015). ICT means the use of
computer-based technology and the Internet to make information and
communication services available in a wide range of users. ICT is a Hardware
and Software that enable society to create, collect, consolidate and
communicate information in a multimedia format and for various purposes. The
term ICT includes any communication device or application, encompassing,
radio, TV, cellular phones, computers and network, hardware and software,
satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and application
associated with them. ICT is playing a vital role in the current and future
development of society and nation. ICT has affected all spheres of life and also
the library. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a diverse set of
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technological tools and resources used to communicate and to create,
disseminate, store and manage information.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are often associated
with the most sophisticated and expensive computer-based technologies. ICTs
are basically information-handling tools- a varied set of goods, applications and
services that are used to produce, store, process, distribute and exchange
information. ICT-Information and Communication Technology is a varied
collection technological gear and resources which are made use of to
communicate. They make use of to generate, distribute, collect & administer
information. According to Augustine, (2015), information technology is “the
use of manmade tools for the collection, generation, communication, recording,
re-management and exploitation of information. It includes those applications
and commodities, by which information is transferred, recorded, edited, stored,
manipulated or disseminated” (Brown, 2012). ICT is a mean that has changed
many aspects of the way we live.
ICT includes the computer hardware, software, application of
telecommunication technologies, projection devices, Local Area Network
(LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), digital cameras, Compact Disks (CDs),
Digital Video Disks (DVDs), cell phones, satellites, and fiber optics. Digital
Technologies is not a single technology. It is combinations of two or more
technologies in that system. Some of this new ICT & digital technologies are as
follows:
a. Multimedia PCs, Lap-Top, Notebook: Combination of Internet
connectivity with PCs and laptops
b. Digital camera/video: connected with PCs and laptop
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c. LAN & WAN: Internet and Intranet
d. WWW (World Wide Web): Internet, Online Databases, Video
conferences, E-mail, discussion lists and newsgroup and chat, Digital
Libraries, E-books / E-journals/ E-databases
e. Floppies, CDs and DVDs: Offline databases
f. Cell Phones: With Internet connection, digital camera and moving
pictures, E-books / E-journals/ E-databases
g. Computer-mediated conferences: Video conferencing and Telemedicine
h. Virtual reality
i. Telecommunication satellites
j. Interactive TV and Radio
3.0 OVERVIEW OF CIVIL SERVICE
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed
mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed
or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political
leadership (Gichoya, 2015). A civil servant, also known as a public servant, is a
person employed in the public sector by a government department or agency for
public sector undertakings. Civil servants work for central and state
governments, and answer to the government, not a political party.
For the purpose of this study, our discussion will focus on the Civil Service,
which, in general, refers to the part of the executive branch of the Federal
Government (with the exception of the armed forces and police) the functions
of which are classified into groups of related matters and assigned to ministries
and extra-ministerial departments (Augustine, 2015). Ministries such as
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Finance, Industries, Agriculture, Mines and Power, Works and Housing,
Economic Development and Trade, for example, are grouped together as
economic ministries while the ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Justice
and Internal Affairs belong to the category of special service
ministries/departments. The extra-ministerial departments refer to those
departments or boards operating with relatively higher degree of administrative
and financial autonomy. Examples of this category of public organizations are
the department of Veterinary Research, Board of Customs and Excise, and the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (Gichoya, 2015).
While the Civil Service is organized horizontally into ministries along
functional lines as outlined above. The various categories of civil servants
within each ministry are organized hierarchically into five main classes as
follows:
- Administrative, Professional and Scientific/Research Officers.
- The Executive and Technical Classes.
- Secretarial Classes.
- Clerical/Junior Technical and Sub-Clerical/Sub-Technical Classes and
- Miscellaneous and unestablished/daily rated grades.
Within each of these Classes, the pattern of relationships between public
servant reflects similar stratification in the structuring of the service. For
example, the administrative class (those main functions are advise their political
masters and to help them in the initiation and implementation of public policies)
is also divided in a hierarchical order under the following posts:
i. Secretary to the Government.
ii. Permanent Secretary.
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iii. Deputy Permanent Secretaries.
iv. Under Secretaries in some Ministries.
v. Principal Assistant Secretaries.
vi. Senior Assistant Secretaries.
vii. Assistant Secretaries.
Potential administrative officers are either recruited from graduates of Arts,
Social Sciences, Management studies, Engineering, Law and other professions
or they may be transferred or promoted to administrative posts from other
classes in the Service.
The professional, Scientific and research officers are usually found in such
ministries as Agriculture and Natural Resources and Industries. They are
responsible for planning, organizing and controlling the professional, scientific
and other specialized programmes of government (Fleming, 2014).
They advise the government on such specialized matters as at when need
arises. They also share actively in the formulation and implementation of
government policies (Brown, 2012).
The hierarchical nature of positions in the Civil Service is also reflected in the
staffing of the lower echelons of the service such as the executive and the
technical classes as well as the clerical as sub-clerical groups whose duties are
of a general nature and include accounting, general office work, record keeping,
typing and so on. They advises their political masters and help them in the
initiation and implementation of public policies.
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4.0 EFFECTS OF ICT IN CIVIL SERVICE
The relevance of Information and Communication Technology to governance of
a country cannot be over-emphasized. In fact most countries of the world try to
embrace ICT in running activities of government (Fleming, 2014). ICT
enhances better connectivity between the government and the people, thereby
bringing government closed to the people. In recent time, many countries have
tried to reposition their public service for effective and efficient service
delivery. Consequently, government of nations have taken it upon themselves to
carryout various reforms in the public sector by redesigning the structures,
systems and processes to improve the delivering of services to their citizens
(Augustine, 2015).
According to Augustine, (2015), public service of any nation is an institution of
governance and administration established essentially to deliver public good in
the most efficient and effective manner. The public service is therefore an
influential public institution for service delivery and development (Brown,
2012). Proper service delivery is vital for the survival of a modern democracy
or government and access to government information by citizens and
organizations is therefore a fundamental ingredient in effective service delivery
(Augustine, 2015). To this end, ICT tools support the work of governmental
institutions and agencies in delivering public services and information in a more
convenient, citizen centric and cost effective manner. Thus, in Nigerian public
service, ICT can be an effective tool to ensure increased access to government
services, improved value for money as well as increased productivity,
transparency and better service delivery (Augustine, 2015).
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The application of ICT in public sector have promotes good customer relation
services and also facilitate effective service delivery. The advent of ICT thus
presents opportunities for its use to facilitate effective service delivery in
Nigerian public services particularly our local government system, as many
countries in the globe have embraced ICT as a way forward (Danfulani, 2013).
Nowadays, some state government in Nigeria have taken a huge steps in
implementing ICT in their public sector to meet worldwide changes of
information technology to promote more efficient and cost-effective
government, facilitate more convenient government services, allow greater
public access to information and make government more transparent and
accountable to citizen.
The issue of service delivery is all about the customer service and effectiveness.
Effectiveness in customer service typically refers to ‘‘doing the right things’’
and measures constructs like customer satisfaction on dimensions, such as
service quality, speed, timing, and human interaction. A service is effective
whenever its outcomes or accomplishments are of value to its customers
(Inyang, 2018).
With respect to ICT and effective public service delivery in Nigeria which is
central to this study. The use of ICT in public sector and how its affect the
service delivery of government have been commonly debated among scholars
by looking at what different technologies and their applications enabling
governments to do what it does in term of service delivery (Eigeman, 2017).
However, one of the major challenges to public service delivery in Nigeria is
inability to deliver service to the people effectively and efficiently. Public
service delivery in Nigeria has been described as poor, inefficient and
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ineffective, inconsistent with citizen preference (Eigeman, 2017). These
problems are mostly due to lack of accountability, transparency, high cost of
administration, wastage and lack of commitment in making service work for the
citizenry.
5.0 APPLICATIONS OF ICT IN CIVIL SERVICE
It is necessary to note here that Civil Service, in general, refers to the part of the
executive branch of the Federal Government (with the exception of the armed
forces and police) the functions of which are classified into groups of related
matters and assigned to ministries and extra-ministerial departments. Ministries
such as Finance, Industries, Agriculture, Mines and Power, Works and Housing,
Economic Development and Trade.
ICT has found its way into this branch of the Federal Government (Civil
Service). ICT can be used in diverse applications to accelerate information
dissemination, improve efficiency of public services, increase the transparency
and accountability of government administration, to reduce corruption, and
facilitate citizen participation in local governance. The following are some of
the areas which ICT is applied in Civil Service:
1. Application in education
The following are areas in educational sector where ICT is applied:
- Nigerian Research and Education Network, which has interconnected 27
universities, with a hub at the National Universities Commission.
- Campus networks in schools especially at the tertiary level.
- Functional websites, email facilities and portals for the Ministry and
schools.
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- Data Centres in the Ministry and in schools.
- Computers and other multimedia facilities
- Internet Connectivity through VSAT and fibre optic in all Federal
Institutions.
- Alternative power supply such as solar panels, generators, inverters and
so on.
- CCTV for security and safety of the education community.
2. Application in Organizational Reforms
To master the management of civil servants, the government has undertaken
actions in order to define the organization of each ministry in terms of
structures and associated work-posts. This new organization after its
specification was integrated in the human resource information system. This
organization is done based on various goals that each ministry is supposed to
achieve. From the mission of each ministry, the entire workforce is computed
based on the specification of the associated business processes. From the human
information system, the government argues that it may be easier to have at any
time the number of civil servants appointed to each ministry.
The role the computer unit was to centralize and to constantly update personnel
career data and payroll of the ministry; to publish documents in the payroll; to
insure the operation and the maintenance of computer applications of the human
resource department.
3. Application in Human Resource Management
The harmonization of the general and special status of civil servants has been
achieved with the use of ICT. The new human resources management policy,
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including statutory texts, career and promotion policies, recruitment, training;
remuneration and other service benefits have been implemented on the
Software supporting the HR management. This action also allows the
development of an objective system for assessing the performance of individual
agents.
4. Application in Payment of Civil Servant
To solve the difficult problem linked to the control of staffing and payroll,
computerized payroll management system becomes important. Some of the
Ministries has adopted this method of payment processing.
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6.0 CONCLUSION
It is seen that ICT enable citizen to have access to timely information, peoples
are more participated in governance, promotes assurance, trust and confidence,
increase accessibility of public service to the peoples, repositioned the
commission and thereby improve service delivery to the peoples. Education,
Organizational Reforms, Human Resource Management, and Payment of Civil
Servant was found as areas in which ICT is applied. The researcher therefore
conclude that ICT is necessary in discharging effective duties in civil service.
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7.0 RECOMMENDATION
The researcher has recommended that government should allocate money to
Civil Service Commission for development of her Information and
communication Technology unit of the commission.
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Brown, J. (2012). ICTs Applications in government establishments. New
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Danfulani, H. (2013). E-governance: a weapon for the fight against corruption
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Inyang, B. J. (2018). Human resource capacity building: an imperative for
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Fleming, P. (2014). Transforming Local Public Services Using Technology and
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Eigeman, J. (2017). Service Delivery, A challenge for local [Link]
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