PARVEEN BALA
TALKS VITAL ISSUES AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT FORUM
Abusiness plan to assess the performance of municipal councils, departments and individuals will come into effect before the end of this month. Minister for Local Government, Housing, Environment, Infrastructure and Transport Parveen Bala said this would be used as a basis to assess the performance of municipal councils, departments and individuals. “Whilst improvements have been noted in service delivery and asset management over the reform period, it is important that our Municipal Institutions are strengthened to ensure desired results.”
He said for the purpose of Institution building, a number of measures would be introduced during this year and this would include the Organisational Structure Review and Duty Statement and work has commenced in this area and one council having had a review completed in December last year. Within the next six months, other municipal councils shall go through the same exercise. As for Performance Management, Mr Bala said there was a need to further enhance performance management in municipal councils. He said a workshop organised earlier by the ministry was held to practically introduce the concept of shared services and to structure a workable performance management system through a business plan and establishing institutional goals, department work plans and individual work plans.
“The plans shall be established before the end of February, 2017 and be used as a basis to assess the performance of municipal councils, departments and individuals,” he said “Key municipal documents shall be prepared for the purpose of establishing framework for local governance.” Mr Bala said two draft documents that have been forwarded to municipal councils for comments were the Municipal Service Charter and Municipal Human Resource Management Policy. The closing day of submission from the municipal councils had been extended to tomorrow after which the documents shall be reviewed and be implemented. Edited by Rusiate Mataika