Local and central government leaders will today sign new performance contracts, best known as Imihigo, with the Head of State.

The signing of the 2018/19 performance contracts will be combined with the presentation of an appraisal report from last year’s performance contracts.

The 2017/18 performance results were compiled by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) and the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR).

The statistics body said yesterday that last year’s performance results, which will be published today, are based on scientific findings and hence fact-based, independent and reliable.

This is the first time that NISR is involved in the evaluation of Imihigo.

The NISR involvement is a result of last year’s request by President Paul Kagame that the evaluation of Imihigo should be conducted by institutions that can scientifically provide evidence-based results.

The signing of the 2018/19 performance contracts, at parliament, will also feature awards of last year’s best performers.

Introduced in 2006, Imihigo, has been credited with improving accountability and speeding up the pace of citizen-centered development activities and programmes.

Leaders will set targets in various activities ranging from energy, urbanisation and rural settlement, to agro-processing exportation, water supply, and job creation.

Last year, Rwamagana District emerged the best performer in the implementation of the performance contracts for 2016-17, having scored scoring 82.02 per cent.

Musanze District emerged second while Huye District was the third.

The last three performing districts in the implementation of the performance contracts included Rubavu with 72.8 per cent which was last on the list, at number 30, while Rulindo ranked 29 and Ruhango 28.

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