Starting next month, all families countrywide will start signing performance contracts (Imihigo) on what they plan to achieve.Imihigo is a programme modelled from the traditional practice where people present before a leader their targets to be achieved over a specific period of time, after which an evaluation is conducted.The signing of performance contracts has proved to be effective in the areas of development.The family performance notebook was launched late in February this year by the Minister of Local Government, James Musoni, during a ceremony held in Huye District, Southern Province.At the occasion, it was noted that the decision to introduce household performance contracts was driven by the spirit of encouraging citizenry involvement in their own development and aims at instilling a culture of competitiveness, excellence and proper planning.Officials said the exercise, which has been in its pilot phase since then, has contributed a lot to building strong families. Today, the plan is that all families start embracing it by July, the beginning of the 2012/2013 fiscal year.With the programme, each family will elaborate a list of targets in the domains of economic development, social welfare and good governance; set a timeline for its realization and come up with strategies which will guide them throughout the process, under the supervision and support of local leaders.Some of the targets listed in the performance notebook include building and maintaining good relationships within the family and in the neighbourhood; enrolling children in school, owning a radio and a mobile phone and adopting family planning.Other targets include owning vegetable gardens (uturima tw’igikoni), subscribing to community health insurance (Mutuelle de Santé), and rearing domestic animals; saving through the community-based SACCOs, increasing crop productivity, and protecting soils against erosion.The family contract notebook also allows individual households to add targets of their own.Residents’ commitment are outlined in a performance contract notebook, dubbed Ikayi y’Umuhuza mw’iterambere, a name which outline the partnership between residents and leaders towards the socio-economic transformation of people’s lives, according to officials."It is clear that residents understand the idea behind the performance contracts and their role in developing the country. We hope they will make use of the notebook,” said Alphonse Munyantwari, the Governor of the Southern Province."Mindset change requires that people are approached and sensitised on new policies, programmes and initiatives. Without that, we won’t reach our targets,” he noted, urging grassroots leaders to play a key role to ensure that all people embrace the programme.To fast track progress, local authorities will be conducting regular evaluation sessions aimed at helping residents meet their targets, and in a better way."We have prepared our residents for the programme and they are ready. With the help of grassroots leaders, community health volunteers, ‘Intore’ and opinion leaders, we will continue to sensitise them on the benefits accompanying such initiatives,” said Philbert Mugisha, Nyamagabe mayor."Some of our residents have been using the notebook and our experience shows that it plays an important role in transforming people’s lives. The continued support and advice from local leaders and working under commitment, impact on our population’s growth”.Nyanza District Mayor, Abdallah Murenzi, observed that the introduction of the notebook will help leaders monitor the changes occurring in the community."We will be following each and every family on a daily basis. This will give us the occasion to ascertain whether our population’s growth is increasing, allowing us to provide advise and take appropriate measures in case families failed to beat their targets,” Murenzi noted."We had been following the positive changes within our communities in a broader perspective, but this notebook gives us the opportunity to follow up on them on individual basis,” he said.During a recent visit to the Southern Province, Minister Musoni pledged continued support to residents in order to help them reach to their targets."We will play an advisory role to the population and we will make sure they work within a favourable environment to fulfil their commitments”.