A serious and noteworthy training program for government employees on how to properly deal and interact with the public they serve should be conducted by the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), according to many Saudis who have to deal with public servants in government departments on a regular basis. “Many agree that our government employees need to be educated on how to deal with members of the public seeking their help. The necessity of showing courtesy and proper attention when dealing with public should be instilled in them,” said a Saudi who was trying to secure visas for his employees at the Passports Department here. He observed that verbal communications by many civil servants were inappropriate and often rude. “You go to a window to ask for information and the man behind the window will yell at you saying, ‘What do you want', he said requesting anonymity. Another citizen waiting for his turn to be attended in a long queue said it is noticeable of many government employees to dilly dally in their job. “I feel that the best way to promote efficiency and good conduct in dealing with the public is through seminars on how to do business and interact with people seeking services from those government agencies,” he said. Abdulghani, a PR officer of a large company here, said he is already used to the behavior of government employees. “They have very demanding job, rushing all the time, but good words would make things easier for them and the public,” he pointed out. IPA, established 50 years ago, is an autonomous government agency tasked to increase and promote efficiency of public employees. IPA conducts training programs for civil servants on how to develop their skills and initiate positive behavioral attitudes. This agency, however, should concentrate more on the human aspects of government administration to shed off the perception of perennial government red tapes that have dogged government institutions, citizens said. “Our government employees attend periodically seminars covering the fields of public administration, office management, accounting, knowledge and skills development, which are often done on short-term basis. These training are okay, but where are the forum on how to deal with the public? This is where the seminar should be focused and strengthened,” a citizen said. __
