An interactive employee handbook to digitalize and enhance the onboarding experience of civil servants (Namibia)
What it does. In collaboration with the government, it designs a digital set of products to replace the current process of onboarding for civil servants. Onboarding is now delivered via asynchronous learning using a digital, open source platform. This impacts the 125,000 Namibian civil servants.
Value proposition for the government or other partner. By replacing the off-line process of onboarding for civil servants with a digital one, we will “packetize” their learning experience into smaller units, and make the latter highly interactive and gamified. This makes the civil servants’ learning task easier to digest and cheaper for the administration. The new process also teaches civil servants essential digital skills.
Why and when to use it. When the need to modernize the civil service combines with time constraints. By using Fuel 50, a talent marketplace, as well as the Accelerator Labs network (which overlaps with UNDP’s Digital Advocates network), UNDP can source the work quickly and without resorting to a Request For Proposals.
Known issues and troubleshooting. Senior political support is essential.
Context. Namibia’s Directorate of Human Resource Development under the Office of the Prime Minister requested UNDP’s assistance to digitize their employee manual (called “the pocket guide to being a public servant in Namibia”) and enhance the employee experience of onboarding and induction for the public service. This request was addressed by drawing on the internal capacity of UNDP’s talent through a platform called Fuel 50 and handled by the Namibia Accelerator Lab, which has good relationships with UNDP’s Chief Digital Office and Talent Development Unit at the Office of Human Resources (the latter runs Fuel 50). The government is the largest employer in Namibia; the new employee manual impacts all 125,000 Namibian civil servants.
Cost to implement. About 20,000 USD for catering, workshops and training, plus 5,000 for three international colleagues to attend a two week in person event to conduct the user acceptance training and hand over the developed products / solutions.
Time : Approximately 6 months to a year to implement.
People : 3 digital advocates from the Accelerator Labs; 6 technical staff from the Office of the Prime Minister
Focal point. Yrika Maritz
Country and year. Namibia 2023
Resources.