In a strategic partnership with the Government of Rwanda, the design, planning and delivery of this national priority was done together with key stakeholders from Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA), Prime Minister’s Office of Rwanda and PEMANDU Associates. Through this collective collaboration, the national vision is translated into action — and more importantly, into measurable, citizen-focused outcomes. 

The Challenge: Aligning Public Service with National Ambition 

Rwanda’s Vision 2050 lays out an ambitious roadmap for economic prosperity and social transformation. It seeks to boost GDP per capita to over USD 12,000 and position the nation among the world’s leading economies. Yet, achieving this future requires more than policies and plans — it requires people. A capable, values-driven, and performance-oriented civil service is the engine that will drive Vision 2050 from paper to reality. 

Unfortunately, the public service landscape was marked by familiar challenges: inconsistent standards, limited onboarding for new recruits, weak cross-institutional collaboration, and gaps in values-based leadership. The Government of Rwanda recognised that to deliver transformation at scale, it needed to reimagine how civil servants are inducted, developed, and mobilised from their very first day. 

PEMANDU Associates: A Trusted Transformation Partner 

PEMANDU Associates brought to Rwanda a unique blend of transformation expertise, policy execution know-how, and global perspective. With experience supporting over 30 countries across public and private sectors, PEMANDU’s Big-fast-result (BFR) approach is built on the belief that real change is not only structural, but deeply human. 

In partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) and the Prime Minister’s Office, PEMANDU led the strategic development and execution of the National Induction Programme — a purpose-built initiative to instil shared values, accelerate readiness, and position every civil servant as a driver of the country’s transformation journey. 

The National Induction Programme: Building Team Rwanda from Day One 

At its core, the National Induction Programme is not just a training — it’s a mindset shift. It’s a reorientation of public servants to understand their role not just as administrators, but as custodians of public trust and agents of national development. 

Over an intensive five-day journey, public servants are immersed in: 

• Leadership and governance principles 

• Rwanda’s history and transformation journey 

• Strategic priorities under National Strategy for Transformation-2 (NST-2) and Vision 2050 

• Ethics, patriotism, and service excellence 

• Cross-institutional collaboration and “Team Rwanda” spirit 

• Interactive simulations, expert talks, and team-building activities 

Participants begin their day with physical fitness exercises at dawn, reinforcing discipline and unity, and spend their time in a dynamic blend of classroom learning, leadership talks, networking, and cultural immersion. It is as much about internalising values as it is about acquiring knowledge. 

As one participant reflected, “The Induction Programme has transformed my mindset. I now embody the Team Rwanda spirit. My focus is on contributing to the realisation of Rwanda’s ambitious Vision 2050.” 

A Cohesive, Citizen-First Public Service 

What sets Rwanda’s National Induction Programme apart is its alignment with the “Umuturage Ku Isonga” philosophy — Citizen at the Centre. This guiding principle ensures that civil servants are not only technically capable but deeply committed to putting citizens first in every decision and service delivered. 

The interactive learning format, rooted in real-world case studies and scenario planning, helps participants understand the ripple effects of their work — how each policy, action, and interaction contributes to national transformation. 

Through the tailored induction content, activities and coaching, public servants are empowered to translate strategic intent into real results — and understand that leadership is not a title, but a responsibility to deliver for the people of Rwanda. 

A Track Record of Impact 

In its pilot phase, the National Induction Programme reached five cohorts across various ministries and institutions, representing a broad cross-section of Rwanda’s civil service. The response was overwhelmingly positive: 

• Over 90% of participants rated the programme as “very good” or “excellent” 

• Majority expressed a renewed sense of national pride, responsibility, and accountability 

• Testimonials cited life-changing insights, improved collaboration, and stronger alignment with national goals 

One participant remarked, “I didn’t get this chance of induction when I first joined. Now, I not only know my role better — I understand how I can serve my country with purpose and pride.” 

Another added, “If every civil servant took this induction, National Strategy for Transformation-2 (NST-2) could be delivered in three years, not five!” 

Towards a Sustainable Learning Ecosystem 

To sustain and amplify the impact of National Induction Programme, PEMANDU is also supporting the Government of Rwanda in instituting localised delivery capacity for future induction cohorts and an alumni engagement platform. These will ensure that induction is just the beginning of a lifelong learning journey — one that nurtures future leaders, ethical practitioners, and transformation champions. 

The long-term vision is to institutionalise the National Induction Programme across all levels of government — from senior executives to local government officers — and continuously refine the programme to stay responsive to national needs and global trends. 

Global Lessons, Local Leadership 

PEMANDU’s role in Rwanda reflects its deep belief in local ownership and capacity building. While PEMANDU brings global best practices, it ensures every programme is tailored to national context and led by local champions. 

In Rwanda, this has meant engaging stakeholders across ministries, facilitating peer learning among institutions, and spotlighting Rwandan voices — from senior leaders, mid managers, to young recruits. 

As PEMANDU President and Chairman Dato’ Sri Idris Jala states, “in any transformational journey, leaders should always have the mentality of forming a winning coalition”; emphasising the importance of collaboration and collective effort where leaders cannot achieve significant goals in isolation — a principle that resonates with the adage “no man is an island.” 

A Blueprint for Africa and Beyond 

Rwanda’s approach to civil service reform — and PEMANDU’s role in it — is quickly becoming a blueprint for other countries seeking to elevate governance, performance, and public trust. 

In a world grappling with complexity, uncertainty, and rising citizen expectations, the lessons from Rwanda are powerful: 

• Invest early in people 

• Embed values, not just skills 

• Create a unified service culture 

• Put citizens at the centre of public delivery 

• Make induction not an event, but a strategic imperative 

The Road Ahead: Scaling Transformation 

As Rwanda accelerates towards Vision 2050, the scale-up of the National Induction Programme will be critical. With continued partnership, the Government aims to ensure that every civil servant — from the central to the districts — enters public service equipped to deliver from day one. 

The next phases are aimed to focus on: 

• Institutionalising National Induction Programme as a mandatory onboarding programme 

• Strengthening digital platforms for continuous learning 

• Integrating alumni engagement and mentorship systems 

• Expanding thematic modules based on emerging national priorities 

This is not just reform — it is a renaissance. And at its centre is the belief that Rwanda’s civil servants are not merely implementers of policy — they are the architects of national destiny. 

For more information about PEMANDU Associates’ work in the induction programme, please refer to the Civil Service Transformation – Induction Programme brochure.  

 
Email: enquiry@pemandu.org | #TeamRwanda #DeliveringResults #Vision2050 

The post From Vision to Action: Rwanda’s Journey to a World-Class Civil Service  appeared first on PEMANDU Associates.

Somalia stands at a historic inflection point. Following decades of fragility, scarred by civil war and natural disasters, the country is beginning to shape its own path towards renewal. The launch of Somalia’s Centennial Vision 2060 marked an ambitious aspiration: to reimagine and rebuild a resilient, inclusive, and self-reliant state. At the heart of this vision lies the National Transformation Plan (NTP I), a five-year roadmap that chart out the nation’s first steps towards this future.

While not without its imperfections, the NTP represents a profound shift. For the first time, national planning has been led from within. Ministries, agencies, member states, local associations, and even private sector players were brought into a joint process of reflection and design. With PEMANDU’s facilitation, its signature 8-Step Big Fast Results Lab process enabled government institutions to go beyond mere rhetoric, developing detailed implementation plans, activity-based budgets, and measurable KPIs in tandem with local stakeholders and grounded in local realities. Unlike in previous iterations, national strategies had been largely donor-authored and externally driven. The NTP however represents a statement of reinvigorated statement of intent, signalling Somalia ambition to reclaim agency and ownership over their own development agenda and vision.

With the NTP being Somali-owned and Somali-led, the document has already served as a rallying point for reform across government and society, spurring conversations, and breaking ground for a stronger, more responsive state. At a period of heightened geopolitical instability and uncertainty and the withdrawal of major donors such as USAID, the urgency for self-determination becomes ever more pertinent.

From Dependency to Ownership: Somalia’s NTP Signals a Break from the Past

The NTP marks a critical departure from Somalia’s approach to development. Serving as a launchpad for the Centennial Vision 2060, it lays out a five-year pathway towards inclusive growth, institutional resilience and social development. The plan reflects a purposeful shift in approach and execution, introducing a more deliberate and inclusive way of shaping national development. It is delivery-focussed, prioritising implementation over rhetoric and centrally coordinated through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), a clear institutional anchor for implementation and accountability.

A distinctive feature of the plan’s design is the way it brings together both top-down leadership and bottom-up participation. Early alignment and buy in was secured at the political level through Cabinet Workshops and consultations involving ministers and senior officials. This consorted effort laid the foundation towards the need for a national level implementation.

What followed was a nationwide effort to translate that mandate into action. Through a series of sectoral Labs facilitated by PEMANDU, Ministries, agencies, Federal Member States, private sector actors and civil society organisations were brought in under one roof. These Labs were not passive consultations; they were designed to be intensive, outcome-oriented sessions that demanded real-time decision-making, prioritisation, and ownership. By collapsing the usual silos and bridging the gap with non-state stakeholders, issues that would typically be mired in bureaucratic delays were surfaced and resolved on the spot. Whether dealing with regulatory hurdles, coordination breakdowns, or overlapping mandates, issues that would typically stall within bureaucratic processes were addressed directly and resolved in situ.

The result was not a plan built in isolation, but one shaped by those responsible for delivery. Sector teams developed implementation roadmaps, activity-based budgets, and measurable KPIs—many seen for the first time. The process was exacting, but it generated shared accountability and forward momentum. What emerged was more than a vision, it was a practical framework rooted in institutional realities and owned by Somali leaders committed to seeing it through.

From Fragility to Focus: Translating Challenges into a Development Agenda

In order to understand the vital need for an outcome-based national transformation plan, it is key to contextualise the nations fragile journey out of the shadows of war. Piecing itself back together after years of disintegration, Somalia’s development landscape has been largely defined by layered and persistent challenges. Years of conflict have weakened institutions and degraded infrastructure. Public services are limited, and much of the economy operates informally. These vulnerabilities are intensified by recurring climate shocks and shifting geopolitical dynamics. The recent withdrawal of large-scale donor assistance, including from long-standing partners such as USAID, has only sharpened the imperative for Somalia to build resilience and reduce dependency.

Rather than sidestepping these constraints and realities, the NTP confronts them directly. It lays out a structured framework to transform systemic weaknesses into opportunities for reform. Investments prioritise initiatives that build systemic resilience, be it through improving institutional capacity, enabling infrastructure or better-targeted social services. Crucially, the Plan also recognises the importance of non-state actors. It highlights high-potential sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, renewable energy, and logistics where private enterprise can drive inclusive growth, generate employment, and reduce regional disparities.

Through the NTP, Somalia begins to move from fragmented responses to a coordinated agenda for development. Ministries are now tasked with leading implementation, but with clearer direction, defined priorities, and a delivery framework that links policy to action. For the private sector and development partners, this clarity is crucial. It offers greater visibility on where support is needed and what outcomes are expected. For Somalia, this represents a shift from reactive and donor-dependent, to proactive and partnership-oriented. In a context of limited fiscal space and elevated risk, the NTP reframes fragility as a foundation for structured, results-driven ambition.

Catalysing Reform Through Private Sector Led Participation and Effective Delivery

The private sector has long sustained Somalia’s economy in the absence of a fully functioning government. In the absence of strong state structures, Somali businesses filled critical service gaps, driven innovation, and sustained economic activity even in the most fragile settings. In many ways, this informal institutional environment has demonstrated the remarkable resilience and merit of Somali enterprises and businesses. Yet it has also exposed the limits of operating without regulated institutional support, particularly as the country begins to transition towards a more formalised and coordinated model of development.

The NTP reframes the role of the private sector as a core partner in Somalia’s economic transformation. Rather than viewing business as a peripheral actor, the Plan positions it at the heart of national progress. In critical growth areas such as energy, agriculture, fisheries, and logistics, the NTP provides clear visibility into sectoral priorities. It identifies investment needs, addresses longstanding regulatory bottlenecks, and lays out a roadmap for targeted reforms that can unlock value. The state no longer sees itself as the sole provider of goods and services. Instead, it is repositioning itself as an enabler; committed to reducing friction, accelerating decision-making, and removing barriers that delay private-led execution.

This shift sends a clear signal that Somalia is ready to create a business environment that is not only open to investment but built for speed and responsiveness. To operationalise this vision, practical mechanisms are already being introduced. Private actors can now submit project proposals directly linked to NTP initiatives. These are evaluated through a structured, time-bound prioritisation process that ensures alignment with national goals while reducing bureaucratic lags and delays. Cross-sector coordination units are being tasked to fast-track approvals, while ministries are developing streamlined licensing procedures and clearer regulatory pathways.

Somalia is changing the way it engages with its private sector. Rather than designing interventions in isolation, the government is actively seeking submissions from local and international businesses. These proposals are assessed for strategic relevance, feasibility, and public value. The government is not positioned as the lead investor or sole implementer. Its role is to facilitate, to clear pathways for licensing, land access, infrastructure, and regulatory approvals. This approach aligns state support with market readiness, ensuring that resources are allocated to initiatives with real momentum and tangible benefits.

However, at the crux of these grand plans lies the challenge of effective and efficient delivery. Delivery is often misunderstood as a complex, bureaucratic process that demands large monitoring units and layers of administrative oversight. In reality, effective delivery is about clarity, focus, and discipline. PEMANDU’s experience shows that a small, highly skilled delivery team can achieve far more than a bloated bureaucracy. The model is lean by design. It functions like a rapid-response unit, working across ministries to address specific challenges and deliver tangible results. The emphasis is not on building parallel systems, but on activating what already exists within government and accelerating the pace of execution.

Lengthy delays in securing permits, unclear tax systems, unpredictable regulations, and weak enforcement remain common obstacles. Somalia faces many of the same issues. What sets its National Transformation Plan apart is the way it chooses to address them directly and practically. At the heart of this approach is the Lab process, a working format that places government officials, regulators, and private sector leaders at the same table. Together, they identify the specific constraints holding back progress and work through realistic solutions within a defined time frame. Reform in this setting is not a distant or theoretical exercise. It is immediate, transparent, and shaped by those responsible for getting results

PEMANDU’s experience across more than a dozen countries underscores this point. Throughout over 15 years of running transformation across Africa: Djibouti, Senegal, Nigeria, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Tanzania, Rwanda, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia and now Somalia we have seen how the failure to implement reforms—despite extensive analysis and donor funding—undermines trust and progress. Lasting reform is rarely achieved through high-level strategy alone. The success of a development strategy does not rest on the volume of international conferences held or the number of frameworks published, but on whether it tangibly improves how a business gets a licence, builds a factory, pays staff, or exports a product. The Big Fast Results methodology is specifically designed for this, tried and tested across decades and governments. It is not about sweeping, top-down reform driven by external pressure, but grounded change led by domestic actors who are directly responsible for delivering it. This is where sustainable transformation begins.

Figure 3: PEMANDU’s Big Fast Results Methodology is designed to deliver results

In Somalia, this approach is already bearing fruit. With ministries now publishing sector priorities and investment gaps, the pathway for local businesses, philanthropies, and foreign investors to engage is clearer than ever. Importantly, this is not a static five-year plan. Built into the NTP are annual stocktakes, real-time delivery tracking, and ministerial performance scorecards, holding institutions accountable not by rhetoric, but by results. If the COVID-19 pandemic taught policymakers anything, it is that long-term strategies must be agile enough to withstand external shocks. The NTP reflects this reality. Rather than waiting for mid-term reviews, the performance cadence of the Delivery Unit enables weekly tracking of progress and bottlenecks, allowing the government to course-correct in real time. Even in areas affected by conflict, Somali enterprises continue to operate, underscoring the importance of enabling the private sector’s role in building national resilience. The task ahead is to remove the barriers that slow progress, embed a culture of responsiveness within government, and ensure that public systems keep pace with the entrepreneurial drive that has sustained Somalia through its most difficult years.

Across Africa, national development plans routinely emphasise the role of private capital, yet the mobilisation of such investment remains constrained by fragile governance systems and underdeveloped institutions. Recounting decades prior, countries across Asia faced similar postcolonial and post-conflict realities. In response, several adopted pragmatic policies that prioritised market reforms and forged close alignment between the state and the private sector. The result was a wave of growth across what came to be known as the Asian Tiger economies, with countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and later others charting paths to industrialisation and rising prosperity.

Like Southeast Asia three decades ago, Africa is beginning to chart a new trajectory, one fuelled not by foreign aid but by ambition, entrepreneurial dynamism, and a growing desire to redefine its place in the global economy. While drawing lessons from Asia’s experience, Africa is also increasingly positioned to benefit from its capital, expertise, and evolving investment appetite. As the Global South reconfigures itself within a more evolving and multipolar international order, and as blocs such as BRICS gain renewed prominence, the case for a deeper Africa–ASEAN trade and investment framework grows stronger. Such a compact would not only expand economic cooperation but also signal a broader commitment to South-South solidarity in the pursuit of a shared prosperity.

Laying the Groundwork for a New Somali Future

Somalia’s National Transformation Plan marks more than a change in policy. It signals a deeper shift in mindset. By reclaiming national planning as a Somali-led and Somali-owned process, the country has taken a meaningful step toward shaping its own path. This is not a vision built on idealism, but one anchored in practical reform, real-time delivery, and inclusive participation. It acknowledges that resilience does not come from rhetoric, but from systems that work, institutions that adapt, and people who are empowered to deliver.

The road ahead will not be easy. But with the right structures in place, the right partners at the table, and the willingness to break from old ways of doing things, Somalia is laying the groundwork for a future defined not by fragility, but by self-determination and steady progress.

Source:

1. CEIC data
2. Ministry of Planning Somalia (2021)
3. EY Global, Why Africa’s FDI landscape remains resilient (2024)

The post Reimagining a Nation with PEMANDU: Somalia’s Leap into a Brighter Future appeared first on PEMANDU Associates.

In the corporate world, he is renowned for his ability to turn companies around. But it was a missed opportunity to study law in New Zealand that led him to achieve these great feats.

He shared his story with FMT Lifestyle recently.

Idris grew up in a remote village in Bario, Sarawak, but it wasn’t until he was in Form 4 that he realised he was considered poor by other people’s standards.

“I never felt poor because nobody else had more than us. In the village, nobody had a television. Not everyone had a car. So, if you don’t have one, you don’t feel deprived,” said the 66-year-old.

Bario is home to the Kelabit people, Idris’s tribe. He said there are three things that define the Kelabit: community, Christianity and culture.

“In a longhouse, you share everything. In the olden days, there was no word for ‘thank you’. It’s simply because you’re meant to share everything. You’re supposed to give it to somebody, and it was a duty to give it.”

In the early 1970s, a spiritual revival took place in their community. As a result, Idris shared, couples in troubled marriages reconciled, and arguments and land disputes were amicably resolved. Idris even trekked through the jungle for four days to preach in another village.

His people, he said, also have a rich culture of storytelling. “My dad, for example, could recite a story with rhyme and rhythm. Every line was like poetry. That’s an oral tradition and the art is really quite incredible,” he said, adding that sadly, this culture is fading.

He also spoke of the first time he wanted to see the world outside of his immediate community.

It was during the Malaysia-Indonesia confrontation when British soldiers were stationed in Bario. And sometimes, these soldiers, together with the people, watched movies in an open field.

“I remember distinctly seeing a movie of Elvis Presley singing. Two things came to mind. There was a world beyond the mountains. The world that I was living in Bario was almost an entrapment.

“The passport to see the world is to pass your exams.”

So he applied for a scholarship to study law in New Zealand. The postal address he gave was his aunt’s home in Miri. But when the letter of acceptance arrived, she was overseas, and Idris got the letter late, missing the deadline to accept.

So, he went to Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang instead, studying development studies and management.

“In a sense, it was providence. I would say divine intervention. Because if I didn’t go there, I wouldn’t have met my wife.” Today, the couple have two sons and two grandchildren.

His USM degree also proved instrumental in his corporate life.

With his knowledge of business, he was able to transform Shell Middle Distillates Synthesis, making it the first company in the world to produce diesel and kerosene from natural gas instead of crude oil. The company later became the official supplier of green diesel for the Athens Olympics 2004.

As chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines in 2005, he saved the national carrier from long-term losses.

Today, he is the chairman and president of Pemandu Associates, chairman of Heineken Malaysia Berhad and non-executive co-chairman of the Sunway Group. Currently on sabbatical leave, his son, Leon Jala, serves as the interim chairman of Pemandu Associates.

But Idris’s interests go beyond transforming businesses.

He has a deep love for music and guitars. During the pandemic, he even learnt how to make his own, adding to the 50 guitars he already owns.

This is not a surprise to those close to him: in his younger days, he played rock and blues in a band, and even sported long hair!

These days, he teams with Leon on a podcast, “The Game of Impossible,” discussing topics from leadership to transformation.

“I’ve had some of my best moments with Leon since he became a father. I learnt a lot listening to him because he puts his own spin on my sharing.”

Clearly, Idris didn’t only travel to the world beyond the mountains – he made his mark in it.

To the younger generation, he shares the advice his father once gave him: “There is a Kelabit word called ‘ketuit.’ It means a burning desire to win, that you’re going to take extreme measures.

“My father’s advice to young kids is: ‘Find out who is currently number one in class. Be his or her best friend. Find out what he or she does but do it to the power of 10’. Extreme measures.”

Follow ‘The Game of Impossible’ podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram and TikTok.

The post Idris Jala: from the jungles of Sarawak to the halls of power appeared first on PEMANDU Associates.

About Jasmin Johnson

Ms. Jasmin Johnson is the Executive Vice President of Pemandu Associates. A transformation specialist with over 18 years of experience at the nexus of policy, strategy, and implementation, she also has international development and government advisory experience in over 15 countries across Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Trained in public policy and economic development, she began her career with the World Bank and subsequently the United Nations secretariat in New York. Today, she shares more with ASEACC about Pemandu’s work in bridging the gap between Asia and Africa.  

The Interview

Please describe Pemandu’s work.

Pemandu Associates is a private consultancy company focused on public sector transformation, business turnaround and communications. To that end, we work closely with the highest level of government and top executives and have a presence in 29 countries and counting to help deliver national and business objectives in a sustainable and inclusive manner. 

Some people might think that our methodology only stops at facilitating collaboration, but I think it goes much further than that. Through our work, we allow subject matter experts and key decision-makers to appreciate the challenges and opportunities deeply rooted in the systemic status quo. To achieve such effective results, we believe in Doing and Being, which our President and CEO Dato Sri Idris Jala has described as a yin and yang balance. Our aim has always been hands-on involvement that helps both governments and private businesses unlock these roadblocks and navigate through intricate stakeholder management to form winning coalitions that accelerate Big, Fast Results.

​I believe our work is critical as transforming nations and businesses benefits not only the clients, but also its beneficiaries in the grand scheme of things. For example, in Oman, the growth of various sectors helped its people become economically sustainable instead of creating an overreliance on any one industry. In Rwanda, we worked with RSSB to ensure its people are socially protected, and in Malaysia we focused on building Human Capital and grooming talents at a time where there was relatively high reliance on foreign skills and talents. The point is, our goal doesn’t just stop at what the client wants, but we also aim to see real impact.

Tell us more about your work in Africa. Which countries does Pemandu work in? What did you do there, and what sectors did you work with?

Africa is one of the regions we have focused on recently, and we are currently active in eight countries and counting. We’ve done a lot of good work in the continent, and I’m heartened to see it turn into real results. One of the earliest countries we collaborated with in the region is Tanzania, whom we engaged in 2012 to help them pursue the goal of becoming a dynamic middle-income nation. Over three years, fourteen “labs” were conducted, which identified five key results areas for maximum impact, such as agriculture, water and energy. Since engaging us, the country has made substantial strides in economic growth, especially in the key sectors that we identified. I’d like to say that our work contributed to making this success possible.

Since then, we’ve also helped countries like Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria develop a high level strategic plan for their path to economic transformation. Other than broad economic support, we also have projects that focus on specific pain points that a country might have. For example, South Africa engaged us in 2015 to analyse their healthcare sector, Ethiopia in 2017 for their youth unemployment issue, and Senegal in 2020 for agriculture, to name a few. We’re excited to continue such close collaboration with African governments, and formulate effective strategies to best address their needs.

What do you think are the areas in which Southeast Asia can contribute to Africa?

I’d like to raise the example of our partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to answer this question. The RDB approached us to help them achieve their goal of economic transformation, and we identified the private sector as a key stakeholder to fuel Rwanda’s growth, especially in catalytic sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and energy. Now, we’re actively looking for and inviting big ideas and high impact investments into the country to accelerate Rwanda’s economic trajectory, with the aim of tripling Rwanda’s GDP per capita over the next decade.

In that regard, Southeast Asia has excellent experience, resources and talent in these sectors, which can help to propel these priority sectors through win-win collaboration and investment. Of course, this isn’t just limited to Rwanda, with many mutually beneficial projects and opportunities available across the continent. Pemandu is excellently situated to facilitate that, and I really look forward to seeing how we can deepen the friendship between these two regions.

About Pemandu

Pemandu, or the Performance Management and Delivery Unit, was set up in 2009 under the auspices of the Prime Minister of Malaysia’s Department to steer the country’s National Transformation Programme. In 2017, they handed the transformation mandate back to the Government of Malaysia, evolving into Pemandu Associates, a private consultancy company focused on public sector transformation, business turnaround and communications. They have conducted labs in 29 countries across 5 continents, anchored by the proven Big Fast Results (BFR) 8-step Methodology and 6 Secrets of Transformation.

Source: Africa South East Asia Chamber of Commerce

Read the full article here.

The post Pemandu’s Work in Africa appeared first on PEMANDU Associates.

Sir Michael Barber and Idris Jala were joined by Dr. Rifat Atun, professor of global health systems at Harvard University, and Dr. Jemilah Mehmood, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, to discuss the opportunities for global collaboration and learning.

The post Learning Together: Global Lessons in Tackling COVID-19 appeared first on PEMANDU Associates.

This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on July 29, 2024 – August 4, 2024

On the cusp of the artificial intelligence revolution, Malaysia stands poised to redefine our future through AI. The question is: Is Malaysia ready to be at the forefront of AI?

As we navigate this transformative journey, the government plays a pivotal role in orchestrating our AI endeavours, ensuring a concerted effort that drives us towards our national digital ambitions. Despite having foundational policies and frameworks that encompass the usage of AI, they remain fragmented across multiple ministries and agencies, necessitating a more integrated approach to maximise the impact of AI in both the public and private sectors — a fundamental step for us to be a regional and global AI leader.

Furthermore, with increasing foreign investments from hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft in the realm of cloud computing and AI, we must take innovative strides and bold moves in formulating forward-thinking national policies, regulatory frameworks, infrastructure development, data management and talent cultivation to ensure we are ready as a nation to capture the full value of these strategic investments.

In Oxford Insights’ Government AI Readiness Index 2023, Malaysia is seen as competitive in the East Asia region, although it trails behind some regional leaders. According to the index, East Asian countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Japan often rank highly due to their robust government policies on AI, advanced technological sectors and significant investments in AI research and infrastructure. In comparison, Malaysia, while performing well against other middle-income countries globally, still faces challenges, particularly in the areas of data availability and infrastructure readiness, which are crucial for the comprehensive deployment of AI-integrated public services.

For Malaysia to bridge the gap with regional leaders, improvements must be made to enhance our digital infrastructure and data management protocols to support a holistic and equitable AI implementation plan that is accessible to all. In addition, a comprehensive and unified national AI strategy and framework must be established to guide and regulate the adoption of AI to enable Malaysia to flourish on the AI scene.

Private sector AI readiness

The 2023 Cisco AI Readiness Index reveals that only 13% of the companies in Malaysia are fully ready for AI. The index investigates AI readiness across six key pillars: strategy, infrastructure, data, governance, talent and culture. It divides them into four categories: pacesetters (fully prepared), chasers (moderately prepared), followers (limited preparedness) and laggards (unprepared).

It is evident that the private sector in Malaysia is facing impediments in the journey of AI adoption and advancement, manifested in technical complexities (for example, infrastructure readiness, data availability and governance), workforce and organisation management (talent, culture) and governance (AI strategy, policy and regulations). With over half of Malaysian companies having limited preparedness or being barely ready for AI, there is a dire need for quick actions to close the AI readiness gap, as the companies race to be AI ready.

In the pursuit of positioning ourselves as an AI-driven nation, it is pivotal to acknowledge the importance of building an ecosystem of large corporates, small and medium enterprises and start-ups that move towards a wider common AI ambition of the country, supported by national policies and government initiatives.

Concerted effort between government and private sector required to achieve synergies for greater impact

To accelerate Malaysia’s AI readiness, the priority is to establish a unified and phased national policy and regulatory framework that sets the vision, research and development aspiration, guidelines, implementation strategy and usage for AI development. This national policy should align with our country’s broader economic objectives and address various aspects of AI implementation, including ethical considerations, data privacy and cybersecurity concerns. It should also complement or build on current policies and regulations, such as the New Industrial Master Plan 2030, National AI Roadmap 2021-2025, Malaysia Cybersecurity Strategy 2020-2024 and Personal Data Protection Act, just to name a few. This ensures both the public and private sectors have a common reference point to guide their AI efforts and facilitate a smoother cooperation between the government and private sector.

Alongside policy development, there must be a concerted effort to upgrade our infrastructure and manage data effectively:

• Digital infrastructure — this involves not only physical components such as data centres and network capabilities (where Malaysia is one of the leading countries with the most consistent 5G network) but also the digital architecture that supports AI applications, such as cloud services and advanced computing resources.

• Data management — this requires establishing data norms that ensure easy access to high quality, standardised and secure data. These efforts should be underpinned by robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information and maintain public trust in AI systems.

The cultivation of talent is another critical focus area. Apart from nurturing talent who can contribute to the development and advancement of AI, we must also focus on developing a workforce skilled in using and integrating AI in their day-to-day operations. This would require a collaborative effort among the public sector (including incorporation of AI skill-based training at the National Institute of Public Administration for civil servants) and the private sector to encourage the upskilling and reskilling of the current talent pool, leveraging the curriculum and learning platforms of hyperscalers (AWS, Google, Microsoft) that are investing in Malaysia. These programmes should aim to not only serve the purpose of filling immediate skills gaps but also to foster a culture of lifelong learning to stay relevant in the evolving technological landscape.

These strategic and focused efforts will position Malaysia at the forefront of global AI innovation and utilisation, enabling us to harness the full potential and value of AI.

So, is Malaysia ready? With a clear vision of capitalising on existing AI investments, the country should not shy away from the Game of Impossible, to become a leader in AI adoption and development.

Vicky Fan Yin Yan is senior manager and Ridzwan Hamzah is joint managing director (interim) and partner at Pemandu Associates. For more information on how we can assist your organisation in leveraging AI for growth and innovation, contact us at enquiry@pemandu.org.

Source: The Edge Malaysia

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KIGALI – RwandAir pilot Suzanna Seng, 39, was driving from her home near central Kigali to the airport when she was greeted by the sight of rows of red motorcycle taxis, their riders waiting vainly along the road for passengers.

It was March 2020, the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Rwanda had gone into lockdown. With its borders open only for returning citizens, and people forbidden from moving around freely, businesses were gravely affected and the livelihoods of millions changed overnight. Motorcycle taxi drivers were not spared.

“You can see the despair in their eyes because they live from payday to payday. So, not knowing if they will have enough food and money for tomorrow is not a nice feeling to have,” said Ms Seng.

This drove the Singaporean to establish her courier delivery business, QNE Delivery Services, three weeks into the lockdown.

Her team of five locals continues to work out of an annexe the size of a bedroom at the back of her house. There, they coordinate deliveries of purchases from food to dog beds, with drivers making 25 to 30 trips daily.

Ms Seng’s side hustle is just one of the few South-east Asian business ventures in Rwanda.

Even though Rwanda attracts more foreign direct investments (FDIs) than similarly sized nations such as Burundi and Haiti, it has found it challenging to attract corporations looking to expand and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The Rwandan government promotes the country as a business-friendly destination, and the FDI of the small landlocked African nation of 14.1 million amounted to US$398.6 million (S$545.3 million) in 2022, according to data from the World Bank.

Its net inflow has been increasing since before the pandemic. In 2019, FDI stood at about US$263.2 million. By comparison, countries such as Burundi and Haiti reported FDI net inflows of US$12.9 million and US$39.3 million respectively in 2022.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong drew attention to Rwanda during a working visit there in June 2022 when he called for Singaporeans to venture into new markets, and named Rwanda as one of the “bright spots”.

He noted it has a young population with a median age of 22, compared with the median age of over 40 in Singapore. PM Lee said that like Singapore in the early days of its independence, Rwandans had the same desire to progress, succeed, and to make a better future for themselves, and a government that was keen to create opportunities for its people.

Singapore’s bilateral trade with Rwanda stood at $4 million in 2022, making the East African nation its 37th largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, said Enterprise Singapore.

Now, there are about 10 Singapore companies in Rwanda, primarily in the digital, urban solutions and agricultural sectors.

In the country, the number of South-east Asian enterprises has been growing slowly, said Mr Amit Jain, director of the NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies. However, the lack of knowledge about Rwanda and its relative inaccessibility hinder more businesses from exploring one of the least corrupt nations in Africa. “Currently there are only a handful of South-east Asian businesses there… I’d be surprised if there are more than 25 companies,” he added.

In contrast, China has poured investments into Rwanda. According to the 2022 Annual Report by the Rwanda Development Board, China’s investment in the country stood at US$182.4 million. The second-largest foreign investor was India, with US$151 million.

South-east Asian businesses in Africa tend to start out as opportunistic investments, said Professor Andrew Delios, 58, from the Department of Strategy and Policy at the National University of Singapore’s Business School.

“We don’t see any systematic movement of foreign direct investment from South-east Asia, but what we would see are opportunistic, periodic or isolated investments predicated upon some unique opportunities that exist.”

Urban planning company Surbana Jurong has been responsible for city planning for Kigali, which was devastated by the 1994 genocide, for the past 15 years. Its Kigali City Master Plan, which aimed to transform the capital city into an attractive destination to live and work, won the Best Overseas Planning Project Award 2010 and Best Planning Project 2013 in the Singapore Institute of Planners Planning Awards. Surbana Jurong’s work in Rwanda has led to other planning projects in Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, Burundi and Kenya.

Following a 2018 review of the 2013 master plan, Surbana Jurong was engaged by the Rwanda Housing Authority to design plans for six secondary cities in Rwanda including Huye and Musanze.

Its Kigali Master Plan 2050 aims to support sustainable economic growth and community well-being.

“Cities are dynamic and continuously evolving,” deputy managing director of master planning at Surbana Jurong Anandan Karunakaran said.

“Regular review of masterplans allows planners to assess the current state of the city and make necessary adjustments to align with the changing urban dynamics.”

Other Singapore companies in Rwanda include environmental consultancy GreenA Consultants, whose work includes providing sustainability consulting work such as green certification and environmental audits to private and public organisations, and e-solutions firm CrimsonLogic, which entered Rwanda in 2008 to improve the delivery of public and social services. It also helped develop the Visit Rwanda website, an online system for the booking of permits and services for tourist sites.

Modern chicken farm Poultry East Africa Limited (Peal) is another example of a Singaporean enterprise that flourished in an untapped market.

During a business trip in 2011, founder Lam Shumei, 38, discovered that chicken – a basic protein for many – was considered a luxury good in Rwanda. She set up Peal in a bid to provide affordable and accessible poultry to Rwandans.

Based in Bugesera, Peal operates its own hatchery, layer and broiler farms, in addition to its processing, distribution and retail outlets. It employs over 100 Rwandans and works with 230 small-scale contract farmers.

In 2021, Ms Lam hired fellow Singaporean Jonathan Wong, who had lived in Rwanda since 2013, as Peal’s sales and business development manager.

Mr Wong, 47, who had run a consumer electronics company and second-hand car business, had planned to return home when Covid-19 hit his businesses badly. Peal’s offer had him reconsidering.

“It allowed me to stay here and it was a new market for me. So, when Shumei offered this to me, I thought, why not? It’s something new, something else I can learn,” he said.

Rwanda had not been Mr Wong’s first pick for a venture, as he was considering setting up in Uganda.

But all it took was a road trip there for him to change his mind. “I thought Rwanda was more attractive, safer, and it is also the heart of Africa… It felt very familiar and very clean. It felt like home, put it this way,” said Mr Wong, who is single, with no children.

Rwanda was also where Filipino entrepreneur Royce Roselle Sinoy, 35, found his footing after years of job-hopping across Africa. He arrived in 2016 when he was offered a job as the chief engineer and maintenance manager at a hotel.

He lost his job during the Covid-19 pandemic, and was doing odd jobs to support his wife and teenage daughter when a friend and fellow Filipino entrepreneur encouraged him to start his own construction and contracting works company. In 2022, Xtrim General Contractor and Services was born.

“‘Why don’t you start your own company? Why are you working for other people and making them richer?’ He said that to me, and it got me thinking,” Mr Sinoy said. By then, he had garnered a wealth of experience working in Rwanda and saw that the country was lacking in interior design and construction expertise.

Business is picking up, he said, and he has worked on projects for major hotel chains like Four Points by Sheraton and Marriott Hotels.

For Malaysia-based consulting firm Pemandu Associates, it was the Rwandan government that hired it to help with the country’s development in 2022.

The team of 13 Malaysians oversees national projects from infrastructure to energy to pension funds. One of its key projects is the Bizwa Riverside Estate housing plan. The team also acts as the point of contact for Malaysian companies interested in tapping the Rwandan market. Stream lead manager Vinod Naidu said: “Rwanda is the best welcome to Africa. It’s the best stepping stone because it has good infrastructure, clean roads and a good government.”

That said, while over 30 Malaysian companies have contacted them, none has yet started a business here. “I think business is about risk and they understand that. But because it’s a new continent that Malaysians are exploring, they are more cautious and would want to be more certain,” said Mr Naidu, 33.

Mr Jain, 50, who is also a frontier market specialist, remains hopeful that Rwanda’s business links with South-east Asia will continue to grow. “Only time can tell if this small momentum can be sustained. But if there is a huge success story of a South-east Asia business in Rwanda, that will definitely help.”

• The writer is a final-year communication studies student at the Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information. The report is produced as part of the school’s Going Overseas for Advanced Reporting (Go-Far) programme.

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Idris Jala said the approach is two-pronged – one to detect teachers who are performing poorly and helping them to improve their teaching methods; and the other, motivation for students to do better.

The former minister in the prime minister’s department said when the system was put in place, there was a big shift in academic performance, with the “worst performers” jumping up to higher bands, while the average ones did better.

“We have had a 75% reduction in worst-performing schools such as band six and seven (the lowest rung), while there was a 47% jump in the top tier band one and two.

“It was a silent revolution. By publishing these rankings publicly, we were putting their feet close to the fire – teachers, principals and students,” he said in a G25 talk titled “Reflections On The Malaysia Education Blueprint”.

In the mid-2010s, a rank system was introduced for all schools, with band one and band two being the higher-performing schools, and bands five, six and seven being the lower-performing schools.

Idris said without granular data on how schools were performing through data analytics, one was going “blind”. He said key data from top schools could be used for other schools so results can be obtained.

However, he lamented the doing away of public exams such as the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR). He said without public exams, schools were given a free hand to assess themselves to be the best.

“I am going to bet with anybody, a few years down the road, this is going to be a big-time misadventure. We need exams that are robust,” he said.

On the topic of English, Idris said some years back, all 70,000 English teachers were made to sit for the Cambridge Placement Test, but 70% of them did not pass at a satisfactory level.

He said the action plan was to have these teachers undergo remedial classes to improve their English.

Idris also dismissed the notion that the poor curriculum used in our schools was the reason the country’s education system fared badly.

He said it boiled down to students and teachers, with the latter’s teaching method playing an important role. He cited the example of SK Ulu Lubai in Limbang, Sarawak, which had often come out tops academically despite being in an interior region.

Idris said the teachers were from the same pool of 400,000-odd teachers in the country, trained in the same teaching institute, but they outperformed schools in the city.

He said a school in Kelantan had sent 20 of its worst-performing students there and two months later they returned to their hometown and became among the brightest students in school.

“That is why I say that we need to emulate the same teaching methods from these success-story schools. We don’t need to look at Finland or Norway,” he said.

Teach For Malaysia trustee Chen Li-Kai said that while one could learn from the best schools through how they fared in public exams, the focus should be on schools that have made a leap.

“It is not about learning from the best schools, but from the most improved schools,” he said.

Source: FMT

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Sir Michael Barber and Idris Jala were joined by Dr. Rifat Atun, professor of global health systems at Harvard University, and Dr. Jemilah Mehmood, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, to discuss the opportunities for global collaboration and learning.

Source: Sir Michael Barber

Watch full webinar here.

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Source: Qatar News Agency

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