Windhoek
Performance contracts for ministers in Dr Hage Geingob’s administration are expected to be signed in September.
Last Tuesday Dr John Steytler, economic advisor to the President, confirmed that the process towards signing the contracts is on schedule and that consultants from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) are currently advising ministers on the contracts.
At the beginning of his term of office, Geingob indicated that his strategy would require that ministers be adequately prepared for their respective portfolios. He noted that he would insist on an induction course for ministers, as well as key performance indicators and employment contracts.
In fact, as far back as 2007, Geingob noted that all senior public servants should be given performance management contracts, which should be reviewed after a number of years.
This, he said, would improve the efficiency of workers in the public service, failure of which they should be removed. “If MPs have overstayed their welcome they are removed, what about you?” he said, adding: “We must all have performance contracts.”
During a meeting with public officials during July, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila noted that permanent secretaries had already signed their performance agreements with her office, while the secretary to cabinet and ministers have all submitted their statement of intent to the President.
“As previously indicated, we shall all be held accountable through performance agreements both as political office-bearers and civil servants.”
The PM added that the performance management system should not only be seen as a tool for accountability, but should also be recognized for the important role it plays in facilitating appropriate planning, to ensure that actions are consistently aligned to national policy objectives and in monitoring the progress made in executing strategic plans, as well as assessing the impact of interventions.
“This makes it possible for us to make appropriate adjustments where evaluation results show that policy interventions are not effective. It also enables us to identify any institutional and personal capacity shortages so that we address them. I, therefore, encourage all of us to embrace this system and optimise it. This includes innovating new ways of doing business to improve outcomes and service to the public. Alongside implementing the performance management system, we are called upon to uphold the highest standard of professionalism, transparency and ethics,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
New Era last year reported that 20 permanent secretaries signed performance agreements in the presence of then Prime Minister Geingob. At that occasion, Geingob said that, like the private sector, the public sector also needs to continuously reinvent itself to remain relevant and deal with a myriad of ever changing needs, tastes and demands by customers.
“There is a need for government to improve its offerings in the form of the delivery of public goods, products and services. This is important in enhancing the competitiveness of Namibia, which will subsequently have a spillover effect into the private sector as well,” he said. Geingob added that he was hopeful that with the operationalisation of the performance management system of the public service, employees in the public service would work towards the achievement of clearly defined objectives and specific targets that are measurable.