The Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Management, Hon. Johnny Koanapo Nies Rasou, has met with senior officials of the Public Service Commission (PSC) to discuss public service performance and the effective implementation of government policies.

Hon. Rasou received PSC Chairman Mr. Meto Nganga and Acting Secretary Mr. Jean-Yves Bibi at his office, where discussions focused on the critical role public servants play in translating government policies and directives into tangible outcomes for citizens.

From a press release it states that the Acting Prime Minister expressed concern that the implementation of several government policies has been delayed or constrained, noting that public servants are the main link between government decisions and the people who rely on effective and timely service delivery.

He emphasised that improving performance across the public service is essential to ensuring government priorities are realised and that citizens receive the services they need.

In response, the Chairman and Acting Secretary of the PSC acknowledged the concerns and briefed the Acting Prime Minister on recent reforms aimed at strengthening performance management across the public service.

They highlighted the introduction of Smartsheets, a performance management tool introduced by the PSC Secretariat last year. The system allows real-time monitoring of staff performance by tracking priority actions and deliverables drawn from line agencies’ Business Plans and Corporate Plans, all aligned with the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP).

The Commission also noted that Smartsheets will operate alongside the new Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS), which manages core human resource functions across the public service.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to improving the quality and timeliness of government services. Both parties agreed that the strengthened performance management framework will support closer collaboration between the PSC and public servants, leading to improved accountability and stronger service delivery outcomes for the people of Vanuatu.