The Krachi East Municipal Assembly in the Oti Region has emerged as the best Assembly topping seven other Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the 2023 Performance Evaluation Report. 

The Assembly scored 73.31 per cent to emerge the first in the Region but was at the 30th position among 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country. 

The Nkwanta North Assembly with a 62.94 per cent score came second in the Region and 93rd nationwide, Jasikan had the third position in Oti and 136th nationwide with 58.19 per cent and Krachi West at the fourth position in the Region and 147th nationwide with 56.88 per cent. 

Biakoye Assembly had the fifth position in the Region and 152nd nationwide with 56.38 per cent, Kadjebi on the sixth position in Oti and 158th nationwide with 55.56 per cent and Nkwanta South on the seventh position in the Region and 210th in Ghana with 47.00 per cent. 

The Krachi Nchumuru came eighth in the Region and 231st nationwide with 43.63 per cent and the Guan District came ninth in Oti and 237th in Ghana with a percentage score of 42.25. 

The Report revealed that in most MDAs visited, key staff were present to provide the needed evidence for assessment by the team however, it was generally observed that almost all NADMO heads were not available for the assessment exercise and no official reasons were given for the absence of these officers by the administrative heads of the MMDAs. 

It also observed that none of the nine MDAs in the Oti Region had developed a comprehensive Disaster Preparedness Plan with an implementation report while there was little to no financial commitment towards the development of District Specific Disaster Preparedness Plans. 

Some recommendations for the Oti MDAs are to start seeing and positioning the MDAs as corporate organisations that exist to provide services and raise the required revenue for sustained development and come up with practical strategies towards achieving this objective.  

“The websites and the information that is put on them, the cleanliness of the visitors’ washrooms as well as the effective and efficient management of clients’ needs and expectations should serve as good avenues to achieving this objective”. 

The MDAs are to ensure that the Performance Appraisal Tool is fully understood and deadlines strictly adhered to and appraisal of staff should be taken very seriously towards professionally building up staff and holding them accountable for their jobs. 

They were also asked to ensure that the structures, roles and responsibilities in the operational manuals for the various Departments and Units are being followed to avoid collision or conflict of roles while Management must show more commitment in the implementation of reforms as spelt out in the newly developed operational manuals of Records Management and Client Service Units. 

Oti MDAs were asked to ensure that formats for reporting as well as reporting deadlines are strictly enforced to enhance accountability from the various Departments and Units and also ensure that funds were made available for the development and implementation of a District Specific Disaster Preparedness Plan to serve as a broad framework that guides disaster prevention and response to reduce to the minimum the impact on lives and livelihoods; 

The Performance Management System (PMS) is a systematic process for improving performance by developing the individual performance of staff and teams to enhance productivity, develop competencies, increase job satisfaction and achieve the full potential of all staff in the Service. 

Dr Nana Ato Arthur, Head of Service,  said the Local Government Service (LGS), per section 51 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), was established to secure effective administration and management of the decentralised Local Government system in Ghana. 

He said the Service “exists to support Local Government to deliver value for money services through the mobilisation, harmonisation and utilisation of qualified, human capacity and material resources to promote local and national development”. 

“In line with this mission statement, the LGS had developed a comprehensive Performance Management System (PMS) that was based on agreed Service Delivery Standards (SDS) which were operationalised through the PMS at all levels.” 

In the assessment of the 2023 RCC and MMDA performance contracts, the OHLGS received funding support from USAID through CARE International in Ghana to conduct the exercise which involved four phases namely: Planning, Mid-year Review, End of Year Evaluation and Decision Making.