KABUL (PAN): Over 110 senior civil servants received certification after completing one month periodic training on management and leadership concepts.

The Senior Leadership Competency Development Programme (SLCDP) has been initiated by Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC) with financial and technical support of UNDP at Afghanistan Civil Service Institute (ACSI).

Ahmad Mushahid, IARCSC chairman addressing a ceremony held on the occasion at ACSI in Kabul said that deputy ministers and directors of 23 ministries, center and provinces were trained in the first phase of the training and were trained by international experts.

Mushahid asked the graduates to enforce the skills and concepts they learn during the training to improve their performance at administrations.

He added: "only the president and the cabinet is not government, you (graduates) are the government and you should make efforts to utilize your learning in providing better services"

Sabira Nawazi, executive director of Bamyan province and a graduate of the SLCDP training said that they have learnt good methods and skills of management and leadership and are sure that there will be positive changes and improvements in performance and administration.

Manoj Basnyat, UNDP country director said that UNDP has been supporting the Civil Service Leadership Development (CSLD) project for last four years through IARCSC and have trained over six hundred civil servants on leadership and management with 10 per cent of the participants were female.

The next phase of the training will begin in February in which over 200 more senior civil servants would be trained.

Mnm/ajr