Families to sign performance contracts, says Musoni

SOUTHERN PROVINCE HUYE —As the culture of working and planning takes root in local administration, individual families in 2008 will joining the system by forming their own ‘performance contracts’ with clearly-defined goals. Speaking during the presentation of third and final performance contract reports at the province level recently, Minister of Local Government Protais Musoni said that the family, as the smallest administrative unit, “had to embrace the culture of planned development.” “With effect from next year, families will be required to indicate what they want to achieve in a given time frame. They will be helped by local authorities in setting goals and ways of achieving them,” said Musoni. “Families will be helped in quantifying their produce and in giving it monetary value.” The minister said that such a practice envisaged would bring about social cohesion in families because of the team spirit in striving to achieve set targets as a family. “Men will learn responsibly because at the end of the season, they will be expected, by village authorities, to present how they implemented the set goals,” said Musoni. There was no mention of what would happen if individuals did not meet contracts. He also revealed that next year, evaluation of performance contracts would be based on the impact certain programmes have had on the people. “We are working with a team of experts in designing a system of assessing the impact of development activities on the people. It is no longer going to be a matter of giving out figures,” said Musoni. “For example if a district says that the achieved 100 percent enrolment in the national health scheme Mituel de Sante we want to find out if the mortality rate has reduced as a result.” The third phase of the presentation of performance contract reports was graced by the Prime Minister and a host of cabinet Ministers. The final presentation of performance contract reports is expected to take place in December during the National Dialogue with President Paul Kagame. Ends