‘Managing people requires excellence’

Malawi Government has applauded the Institute of People Management Malawi (IPMM) for taking a rigorous and effective approach to improve the quality and effectiveness of human resource management.

Speaking in Mangochi when he opened the IPMM annual conference on Friday, Principal Secretary for Labour, Wezi Kayira, noted that managing people requires excellence and the meeting confirmed the excellent execution of people management function.

“Over the years, IPMM has turned out to be one of the most popular and viable professional bodies which has reached out to many professionals and other groups in the country. 

“Through this profession, the human resource professionals and other groups have acquired relevant skills that have helped to improve the quality of services,” said Kayira.

IPMM has been around for about 27 years and this year’s annual conference was held under the theme ‘Human Resource, 2012 and Beyond’.

The conference, among others, covered topics such as talent management, organisational leadership and development, strategic positioning of human resource in turbulent business environment, dispute/conflict resolutions in African workplaces: what has gone wrong?

Meanwhile, IPMM has been appointed by government to be a member of African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) Malawi chapter.

Kayira described this as a positive development, saying it emphasises the fact that government recognises the importance of human resources profession.

IPMM president Richard Kunjawa said the appointment of the human resources body is a clear testimony that government recognises the existence of the body and that human resource is critical to economic growth.

He said IPMM is in the process of coming up with a legislation which will transform the profession once enacted into law.

“The aim of the law will be to bring order into the human resource profession in Malawi so that only qualified personnel are allowed to practise,” he said.

Kunjawa thanked government for recognising the importance of the function of human resources by the recent creation of human resources directors in some ministries.