Municipalities must compile five-year strategic plans

ALL municipalities must draw up five-year strategic plans, send them to the Office of the Prime Minister for approval and set up a performance management system to monitor progress, representatives of local authorities were told yesterday.

“The Ministry of Local and Regional Government and Housing has found it imperative that every local authority has a sound strategic plan to serve as a framework in decision-making and to determine priorities,” said Erastus Negonga, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary to the delegates of 40 local authorities. “A five-year strategic plan will be the tool to enhance good governance in municipalities and produce positive, transparent and sustainable results.”Behind a successful strategic plan is the full participation and contribution of the community with regard to its formulation and implementation,” Negonga said.Another novelty to be introduced soon is a performance report on chief executive officers, or town clerks, as they were previously called.”In future, the Ministry will require an evaluation and assessment report by town councils to prove the CEO was indeed inefficient, and useless before termination of his or her contract,” Negonga emphasised.The Government of Finland is supporting the Ministry in its effort to obtain the strategic plans from every local authority.Clifton Sabati, Deputy Director for Decentralisation Co-ordination in the Ministry, said municipalities would also have to send regular progress reports to Cabinet.”We will also see to it that local authorities have a consultant assigned to them to prepare and – once implementation state is reached – review their plans,” he said.”A five-year strategic plan will be the tool to enhance good governance in municipalities and produce positive, transparent and sustainable results.”Behind a successful strategic plan is the full participation and contribution of the community with regard to its formulation and implementation,” Negonga said.Another novelty to be introduced soon is a performance report on chief executive officers, or town clerks, as they were previously called.”In future, the Ministry will require an evaluation and assessment report by town councils to prove the CEO was indeed inefficient, and useless before termination of his or her contract,” Negonga emphasised.The Government of Finland is supporting the Ministry in its effort to obtain the strategic plans from every local authority.Clifton Sabati, Deputy Director for Decentralisation Co-ordination in the Ministry, said municipalities would also have to send regular progress reports to Cabinet.”We will also see to it that local authorities have a consultant assigned to them to prepare and – once implementation state is reached – review their plans,” he said.