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Oti Regional Minister Signs Performance Contract Between MDCEs And MDCDs

By Issah Asma-i
Regional News Oti Regional Minister Signs Performance Contract Between MDCEs And MDCDs
MAR 23, 2020 LISTEN

The Oti Regional Minister, Hon. Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, on Monday 16th March, signed a Performance Contract between the Municipal and District Chief Executives and their Coordinating Directors in the Oti Region.

The short ceremony took place at the Oti Regional Coordinating Council in Dambai.

Performance Contract is an integral component of Service Delivery Standards and Performance Management System which are systematic processes for improving performance by developing the individual performance of Staff of organizations to enhance productivity, competencies, and increased job satisfaction.

This is the first of its kind since the creation of the Region, and the minister attaches significant importance to this milestone.

Here is the full address from the Oti Regional Minister:

"Few weeks ago, I signed a similar one with the Regional Coordinating Director in Accra under the auspices of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Local Government Service Secretariat and thereafter RCCs were directed to conduct same at the Regional level for MDCEs and MDCDs.

The Local Government Service (LGS), I am told, designed and operationalized its Performance Management System through two Management Instruments; the Performance Contract and Performance Appraisal five years ago (2016).

As you are aware, under the Government’s decentralization and Local Government reform initiative, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been set up and assigned a wide range of responsibilities, including ensuring effective administration and management of Local Government, provision of basic services and infrastructure and the promotion of coordination of local economic development. The District Assemblies, in particular, have a critical role in addressing national poverty reduction objectives and contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The Fundamental Human Rights and Freedom as well as the Directive Principals of State Policy under the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana prescribes the manner and principles in which public administration at the local level should be carried out. They enjoin the Local Government agencies (MMDAs) to ensure that;

Services are provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias.

High Professional and ethical standards are promoted.

The utilization of resources is done in an effective and efficient manner.

Peoples’ needs should be responded to timeously.

Popular participation is promoted in decision making.

Accountability and transparency are ensured.

Invariably, these critical provisions that are set out in the Constitution are the guiding principles of the Service Delivery Standards of the Local Government.

As you are very much aware, the socio-economic development of the Oti Region lagged far behind the rest of the Regions in Ghana. It is not an understatement to say the underdevelopment of the Region was a deliberate policy design by the Traditional political elite from our sister Region (VOLTA) to relegate the area of Oti Region to the background of deprivation and poverty, and exclusion in terms of socio-economic infrastructural expansion.

This reflection brings to the fore and reinforces the need for you, as first-hand duty bearers, to identify the varying expectations and stake of the people within your administrative areas and formulate appropriate strategies to address the yawning development gaps to bring the Region to an even keel with its counterparts within the shortest possible time.

Indeed, as the principal actors in the decentralization and local governance at the local level, your commitment is absolutely crucial. It is your responsibility to develop a high-performance culture of your District Assemblies and ensure that you;

Take the lead, set the direction and act as role models to your staff.

Define and act upon core values relating to performance.

Influence the staff and other stakeholders so that they work as a team to achieve the goals and objectives of the District Assemblies.

Set out achievable Key Performance Areas and indicators.

Provide feedback, review and appraise performance.

Guide development and ensure that staff is adequately resourced, motivated and also rewarded for good performance to deliver quality service to the people.

As principal signatories of the Performance Contract, I wish to remind you to take into consideration, the tenets of the contract which enjoin you to deliver on your mandate, especially you the Municipal and District Chief Executives who are the direct representatives of the President at the District level.

What is most critical is that 2020 is an election year and your actions or omissions have the propensity to impact the outcome of votes to be secured from your constituencies. Similarly, I again reminded the Coordinating Directors that the Regional Coordinating Council, will not countenance or tolerate any act that seeks to undermine the interest of the government. We expect nothing more than an unalloyed loyalty and professionalism in the discharge of your duties.

I again wish to urge MDCEs AND MDCDs to take a serious view of the sanctions, rewards, and recognitions as applicable in the performance contract.

The Management Contract, you are signing today is about helping the District Assemblies in the Region to improve their performances. The Contract is based on the simple proposition that when the staff of MDAs know and understand what is expected of them and work to deliver on the Key Performance Areas they can develop their departments and units and most certainly determine their career path.

Therefore, let us all view it as result-oriented strategic planning. Strategic planning allows all the agencies in Local Government to clearly define their purposes or visions, goals and objectives and work assiduously to attain them to improve the quality of life of the people we serve."

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