Hi!
This is Dr. Pradeepa Serasinghe and I served as a Director-General at the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA). Taking this opportunity, let me share my thoughts on the importance of HRD and the partnership among institutions in the basis of my own experiences.

[About My Motherland Sri Lanka] I am sure that you have heard about the “Pearl of Indian Ocean.”
Yes!, It is Sri Lanka, surrounded by the Indian Ocean and a real pearl by shape, richness of natural resources and priceless human capital.
Sri Lanka is well known for its varied diversity, habitat diversity, remarkable heritages and most prominently people with hospitality.
Even though existing economic crisis is reaching unprecedented levels, human capacity development in the public sector of Sri Lanka has been recognized by the government as the key to the long term sustainability.


[About SLIDA] The public sector of Sri Lanka is like any other developing countries confronted with multiple situation relating to the public administration and management. SLIDA is a capacity development agency for public sector executives and it is functioning under the preview of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Local Governments. SLIDA is the premier national institute providing training programs and opportunities for research resulting in the development and knowledge enhancement of the public sector executives.

Over a long period of time, SLIDA has been providing comprehensive talent cultivation programs including knowledge enhancement, skills development and consultancies catering to the changing needs of the public sector. SLIDA extended its services to several other organizations even in overseas, on request. Since the impressive health and education indexes of the Sri Lanka are achievements of effective public sector, many countries need to enjoy their first hand experiences in this regards at SLIDA.
In Sri Lanka public sector, there are compulsory capacity building programs (CBP) for key executive services such as Sri Lanka Administrative Services, Accountant Services, Scientific Services etc.
Furthermore SLIDA is responsible to conduct all these CBP from the induction to the Grade 1 level.
Emerging crisis of COVID-19 affected the entire human kind and it severely destroyed our classroom gathering. Nevertheless as the prominent institution, SLIDA converted its training mode from in-class to online by introducing ICT and required training and learning methods and materials.

[Partnership with LOGODI] The solid relationship between LOGODI and SLIDA dates back to 2019 when LOGODI launched its first international forum with heads of government officials training institutions around the world.
It was a meaningful forum to share knowledge and experiences and to build networks. A year later, COVID-19 stroke the world though LOGODI Forum was continued to find a way to confront unexpected challenges.

I, myself, as a representative of SLIDA participated in the virtual forum to share mutual experiences on ‘ New Strategies on Local Government Officials Training Institute in the New Normal Era’ in 2021.
It was a great opportunities for all of us in several ways.
Firstly, to realize whether challenges are same and solution efforts are similar. Secondly, to evaluate the utilization of different resources in various contexts with comparing experiences from other countries.
At last, most importantly, share our success stories at a global virtual forum by winning all the geographical barriers and health related limitations rose by COVID-19. At the end of this above forum, SLIDA obtained another chance to have a strong and warm set of relationships.

At the later part of COVID-19 challenge in October 2022, the 4th LOGODI Global Forum held in the Republic of Korea on “ Next Steps for Local Government Officials Training in the Digital Transformation Era.”
It was a marvelous experience met virtual friends on a physical and warm platform. Across few days, we, who came from different countries shared experiences and interests with enjoying tangible and intangible cultural properties of Korea. Even though we said ‘Good-bye’ to each other, at the end of LOGODI Forum 2022, we never said ‘Good-bye’ to the valuable relationship which is grown among us.

[In Closing] Unlearning and Relearning in improving human capital is a significant challenge in current global arena. Hence, creating an environment where people, who serve the general public, can identify their talents and cultivate them is of utmost importance. Moreover, establishing a learning culture in the public sector will not be a reality if we do not concentrate on the other related factors which are associated with training and learning within this global village.
We can gain a lot by caring and sharing our intellectual assets specially through the knowledge management. On such background, the value of strong relationships with other institutions like LOGODI become more valuable day by day.
By utilizing such relationships, we can collectively create a better public sector enriched with competencies to serve the “Nation of Human Kind.”