KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 ― Pemandu Associate Sdn Bhd CEO Datuk Seri Idris Jala proudly proclaimed today that other countries can learn from the government-linked firm’s experiences in driving the public sector forward.

He cited from the World Bank report titled “Driving Performance from the Center: Malaysia’s Experience with Pemandu” which noted the success and challenges faced by Pemandu in managing a country’s transformation performance and goals.

“This report is to essentially share the lessons that other countries can learn from us. It also points out the challenges that exists in other countries.

“They can learn from Pemandu’s experiences, its successes and challenges so it can be better in their delivery units,” Idris told reporters.

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According to the report, a key feature in Pemandu’s success is its transparency in reporting the achievements and KPI’s through its annual report.

The report noted of Pemandu’s ability to explain in detail the progress of its respective initiatives and KPI’s.

It also pointed out that Pemandu’s effectiveness in driving performance stemmed from its methodology as well as how the unit works with service delivery agencies and respective stakeholders.

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“For example, ‘Labs’, a signature Pemandu innovation ― broadened ownership of the national transformation program among a wide variety of stakeholders.

“Through rigorous monitoring and reporting of KPI’s, incentives to deliver results were created at all levels. Pemandu also attracted top talent from the private sector, which infused the public sector with innovation and drive,” the report’s press statement read.

The report also noted that Pemandu’s biggest challenges are several shortcomings within its methodology.

“For example, designing the national transformation program through labs may have missed some important technical elements of project design, such as building in the structure for impact evaluation that would attribute results to the national transformation programme instead of other efforts.

“Similarly, while KPIs can drive a performance culture in government, they are limited by the quality of the indicators and the data.”

The report is part of World Bank’s Malaysia Development Experience Series, which aims to capture relevant knowledge from the Malaysian government that are relevant for developing countries around the in the transitioning phase from poverty.