Sense of urgency is key to successful implementation of 12th Malaysia Plan

KUDOS to the government for launching the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), thereby charting the nation’s development for the next five years.

As a former officer of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in the Prime Minister’s Department who was actively involved in the mid-term review of the Sixth and Seventh Malaysia Plan, I know that the key ingredient in the successful implementation of the 12MP is project initiation and execution.

Usually, the ministries and their agencies – implementers of the initiatives – will take some time to internalise what exactly needs to be done. Some don’t even know how and when to begin.

The ministries have five (supposedly long) years to implement their respective projects. With a "we have five years and that’s plenty of time" attitude, there is lack of urgency in wanting to implement the project as soon as possible, and they carry on with their normal administrative and operational responsibilities.

The key purpose of project initiation is to draw up a project execution plan, which is vital to get the ball rolling in terms of expeditious implementation. The sooner this is done, the better. A detailed outline of the initial steps to be taken for the project, for instance conduct of feasibility studies and choice of project site/s, would be needed. Usually, a steering inter-ministerial committee chaired by the secretary-general or director-general of the department/agency will be established by the lead ministry.

Among other things, the initial meeting will define the project deliverables, scope of the project and who is supposed to do what. It is gratifying to note that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has indicated that relevant stakeholders such as the corporate sector, academia and members of the public should be invited to join in.

It is important that stakeholders have a clear idea of the objectives of the programme and what their role is, what are the project delivery outcomes and in what way they can assist in meeting the objectives.

A critical aspect in the execution is the definite time lines, which I feel is one of the weakest links. It is normal for the time lines to be ignored, and excuse after excuse is given. A Gantt chart (in which a series of horizontal lines show the amount of work done or production completed in certain periods of time in relation to the amount planned for those periods) would help.

Without a strong chairman (weak leadership) at the helm, the project will not take off expeditiously and postponements would become common.

The current working culture is such that there is no penalty, punishment or reprimand from the higher ups if the chairman is weak. As a result, the project gets delayed, resulting in cost overruns. Inevitably, such projects are moved to the next Plan.

Periodic progress reports have to be submitted but what appears on paper may not reflect what actually is happening on the ground! Therefore, it is important that EPU officers go on the ground regularly to get a feel of the project and also appreciate some of the challenges and concerns of the implementer.

More often than not, it is only during the mid-term review of the five-year plan that the ministries and agencies finally "wake up" and realise that there is not much time left and plenty to do. Then things get done in a rush, which has its pitfalls.

Like it or not, heads of ministries and departments must be made accountable.

The chairman of the various steering committees not only have to show keen interest and enthusiasm in the implementation of the projects but also adopt a hands-on approach (and not rely on their subordinates all the time). He must also be a fully energised motivator to boost team morale and acknowledge milestones due to good team effort.

These are extraordinary times (with Covid-19 still in our midst), and therefore extraordinary efforts are required. Senior government officials will have to demonstrate leadership by example and display a sense of urgency to ensure the successful implementation and execution of the 12MP. This is a tall order but it is achievable.

DR POLA SINGH

Former EPU Officer (1992 – 2000)

Kuala Lumpur