System of ranking ministries ‘has flaws’

By SAMUEL SIRINGI, ssiringi@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, April 17 2011 at 20:27

A government team has exposed flaws in the performance ranking of ministries and departments and called for a shake-up of the evaluation system.

The panel appointed by Prime Minister Raila Odinga has recommended that views of wananchi be sought before drawing conclusions on departments considered to have served the public better.

In their 183-page report, the team faulted the performance contracting system, saying some ministries negotiated for “soft” targets which they knew were easily achievable as a way of scooping top slots.

They sometimes ensured the soft targets were allocated higher marks than the tougher tasks, says the report.

The team led by former permanent secretary James Ongwae called for an overhaul of the controversial system and proposed that the performance contracting process shoulf reflect the perceptions of the public.

Last year, there was a public outcry after the Internal Security ministry was ranked first at a time it had been heavily criticised for police executions and other human rights violations.

But the Tourism ministry, which had done well in rising from the ashes of the 2008 post-election violence, was rated among the worst, prompting minister Najib Balala to term the performance contracting results a sham.

The panel said the process “does not provide adequate mechanisms to engage the public, who are the primary consumers of public services”.

Meanwhile, Parliament and the Judiciary are to be put on performance contracting if new proposals by the panel are adopted.

But the two arms of government would be given freedom to adopt performance contracts when they are tailored to their mandates, says the report.