In its bid to ensure effective service delivery within a period of time, the Kwara state government has introduced what it terms ‘performance contracting’ in the state civil service.
In the new arrangement, it is very clear that it would no longer be business as usual in the state’ civil service, as civil servants would henceforth get promotion based on their performance and service delivery.
Though the civil servants’ promotion would still be done within the stipulated period, having been on a grade level within the stipulated time will no longer be enough to guarantee a civil servant his/her promotion.
Letting the cat out of the bag last week at a news conference he addressed in Ilorin, the state capital, the state Head of Service (HOS), Alh. Dabarako Mohammed said that public servants in the state are to sign a new contract to perform according to set criteria in line with performance contracting.
He said performance contracting is a new approach to public sector service delivery pioneered in Nigeria by the Kwara State government.
Performance contracting he added, “is a means of improving the performance of public organisations and officials based on published performance indicators, critical success factors and resource availability.
It entails affected officials agreeing to a set of indices against which their performance will be measured as well as the clear division of roles and responsibilities. Organisations also commit to specific standards of service delivery. Given that these targets are usually published, they also provide a chance to implement participatory governance”.
Shedding more light on the issue, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on media to the state government, Dr. Muhdeen Akorede noted that, “while there have been interest from the citizenry to make governance more responsive to their needs, the response from the government side has been often token and lacking impact. This lack of transparent engagement from the government side often cuts across all tiers of government.
He disclosed the preparedness of the state governor, Alh. AbdulFatah Ahmed to buck this trend, noting that since his assumption of office, he has shown a determination to drive the process of governance through a transparent, empirical and result-driven perspective.
“This approach is based on the perception that the governance must be open, timely, effective and efficient.? In effect, Performance Contracting,” he stated.
According to Akorede, the governor signalled his determination to pursue this new concept of governance? inJune 2011 when he convoked a policy retreat in Lagos shortly after he took over the reins of power.
The retreat, he said reviewed the previous administration’s policies in line with current needs, identified key policy thrusts for the administration, designed key performance indicators and devised low hanging fruits of governance to be delivered within Ahmed’s first 100 days in office.
Speaking at the event, Ahmed emphasised his determination to drive governance from an empirical perspective, to ensure that the business of governance is based on a solid foundation of planning as well as ensure that all stakeholders within and outside government have a clear understanding of policy objectives and the path to their attainment.
Akorede further explained that, “the road map identified for all ministries, departments and agencies in the state formed the basis of a Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) which contained key policy strategies and programmes of the administration for the next four years. It also forms the basis of budgeting for the same period.
“Since then, the Ahmed administration has been driving governance from the perspective of measurable performance and public participation by clearly identifying and communicating the direction of government policies”.
The SSA added that the new approach to governance in the state is also driven by Governor Ahmed’s determination to drive governance through private sector-oriented policies which emphasise empirical planning, clear delineation of duties and responsibilities, measurable deliverables and performance appraisals.
Akorede said this is reflective of the presence in Ahmed’s cabinet of technocrats with diverse backgrounds and experience with the governor at the vanguard.
He recalled that while swearing in his first set commissioners, Ahmed told the newly-appointed cabinet members that their performance will be constantly evaluated through published performance indicators and peer review mechanisms.
He told the appointees that in view of the public’s high expectations of the administration, the commissioners had to meet and exceed their expectations based on the road map outlined in the MTSS. Ahmed also directed the state ministry of information to ensure the MTSS was fully internalised and understood by all segments of the state’s population.
Following the preparation of the 2012 appropriation bill which has been passed into law by the State House of Assembly, the state government has taken swift steps to enthrone performance contracting as the new approach to governance in the state.
He added that, “what the scheme implies is that, each public official from commissioners downwards will agree a job schedule and action plans for a specified period with their superiors based on set criteria and resources. Once agreed, these indices will form the basis for measuring performance and ensuring that service delivery becomes more efficient and empirical across the spectrum.
“Ahmed kick-started the process by briefing of his commissioners in January. The governor directed each commissioner to breakdown the budget provisions into action plans for the next two quarters which would not only form the basis for their assessment but also for communicating proposed capital projects to the public.
Again, Ahmed emphasised the need to be conscious of the need to deliver effective governance on a timely and efficient basis. That meeting was followed with another one with permanent secretaries of all ministries, departments and agencies in the state.
“At the meeting which was also attended by the Head of Service, Alhaji Dabarako Mohammed and Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Alh. Adelodun Ibrahim, Governor Ahmed outlined his vision of service reforms driven by performance contracting”.
Akorede quoted governor Ahmed to have informed his aides that, “we need to reduce our jobs into measurable deliverables. The time has come to move away from career progression based on tenure to one based on the results of performance appraisal”.
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