Human Resource Directors and Managers in public sector institutions have been urged to uphold high ethical standards in performing their duties to achieve optimal productivity. They were expected to provide exceptional service in a timely manner and to treat all people equally, regardless of status or affiliation. Professor Victor Kwame Agyeman, Chairman of the Public Services Commission, made the remarks in Accra at the opening ceremony of a two-day training session for Human Resource Directors and Managers in the public sector. The programme, organised by the Public Services Commission, is on the theme 'Empowering Human Resource Excellence in the Public Sector.' Prof. Agyeman said that adhering to human resource standards would prevent situations where some Chief Executive Officers used their discretion to promote employees without proper process. He said that the Commission had discovered instances of corruption and recruitment violations in which applicants were hired without having the required qua lifications. Those irregularities, Prof. Agyeman stressed, could affect the image of the profession and should addressed effectively. He said the training programme would help practitioners to advance measures to address challenges in the sector for improved productivity. Prof. Agyeman reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to maintaining zero tolerance for violations and rigorous adherence to the code of standards. He stated that the effectiveness and competence of human resources were key to the success and survival of any establishment since they played an important part in accomplishing organizational goals. He said that evolving trends in public sector human resource management provided opportunities for those in human resource to improve employee performance and service delivery processes. Dr Ebenezer Ofori Agbetor, former Chief Executive Officer of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management, advised practitioners to drive the profession's transformational agenda to preserve its future. H e noted that the 2015 development and implementation of the HR policy framework, which was now being reviewed, as well as other measures, would help streamline the management system in the public sector. Dr. Agbetor urged professionals to modernise and add value to their operations if they were to reach peak performance. He stated that challenges like budget constraints and political pressure should provide an opportunity for them to demonstrate their value and lead a strategic transformation in the sector. The participants were taken through topics like the General Overview of Human Resource Management (HRM): Evolving Trends; Highlights of the Revised HRM Policy Framework; and Manuals for the Ghana Public Services. Others include Managing Employer-Employee Relations under the Ghana Labour Law and Effective Labour-Management Cooperation. Source: Ghana News Agency