Local leaders in Eastern Province remain upbeat after the evaluation for this year’s districts performance contracts (Imihigo) kicked off last week. 

The evaluation team is composed of government officials, and experts from the private sector and the civil society. 

Emmanuel Rwakayigamba, the in charge of environmental protection in Rwamagana District, yesterday said district officials were doing well in presenting performance contracts. 

"I can assure you that we are doing well. I have presented my Imihigo to the panel with all the confidence and I feel satisfied,’ he said. 

"Poor presentation of Imihigo was previously Rwamagana’s undoing, but this time we have matured and we shall be up there. Our district is doing well in a number of areas.” 

Ambrose Ruboneza, the mayor of Gatsibo, said Eastern Province districts were doing well in the evaluation process. 

"The evaluators will tell, but in Gatsibo, for example, we hit the targets and the presentation was superb. I can see our district in flying colours,” Ruboneza said. 

Imihigo tenets

According to recent evaluation indicators, 60 per cent of the total evaluation goes on economic progress, social transformation accounts for at least 30 per cent, while governance will make up 10 per cent. 

The Imihigo programme was introduced in 2006 as a performance-based management tool to fast-track national development goals.  

Jean Marie Makombe, the provincial executive secretary, said: "The objective of this exercise is to establish whether the targeted goals in performance contracts were achieved, to know where the district managers went wrong and to get solutions to the challenges on time.” 

Makombe added that the exercise also promotes the spirit of competitiveness among districts, and acts as a plan for identifying best practices. 

According to the Ministry of Local Government, performance contracts have translated into gradual increase of national GDP, subsequently reducing poverty levels among the population.