06th of January, 2020 : ADRA recently conducted a capacity building training on “productivity management” for the staff of the Vengalacheddikulam Divisional Secretariat in the Vavuniya district. The training was organized through the third phase of the Local Economic and Social Strengthening (LESS) project. 

The LESS III project is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Home Affairs and is implemented in partnership with ADRA India. The project is implemented in Vavuniya, Mannar, and Kilinochchi districts in Sri Lanka and in 35 refugee camps in Tamil Nadu.  The main objective of the project is to provide durable social and economic solutions for the issues faced by refugee returnees and their immediate communities.

ADRA conducted this training in response to a request made by the Divisional Secretariat to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its staff, increase productivity within the workplace, and increase the effectiveness and quality of the services it offers. The training was facilitated by Mr. R. Ponnampalam, Human Resources Development Assistant at the Department of Manpower and Development. The training was attended by more than 38 staff members, including the Divisional Secretary, Assistant Divisional Secretary, Assistant District Registrar, Women Development Officers, Graduate Trainees, Management Service Officers, Development Officers, and Rural Development Officers. 

The training provided participants with valuable insights regarding productivity inputs, outputs, the “7M” management tools and techniques, and the “5S” system. The training  also covered other important topics including human resource management and customer relationship management. In addition, the training provided an opportunity for participants to discuss how the 5S system can be incorporated into their day-to-day activities to improve how they function and increase the quality of their work.

Mr. K Muhunthan Assistant Divisional Secretary of the Vengalacheddikulam Divisional Secretariat attended the training and highlighted its significant outcomes, saying: “This capacity building training was very timely and was immensely beneficial for me and my fellow staff. It covered various important topics and was very insightful and informative. The resource person was also competent and highly qualified, and his techniques of teaching were excellent. We are so thankful to ADRA and the Department of Home Affairs for organizing this training when we needed the most.”