That, he indicated, would enable the staff to be fully aware of the indicators to enable them to work towards the achievement of the goals.

The performance contract forms part of the Performance Management System (PMS) of the Local Government Service to improve productivity at the regional and district levels.

Representatives of all the 26 municipal and district assemblies signed the contract at Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, last Thursday under the supervision of the regional minister.

The main aim of the PMS is to create a high-performance culture among staff of the Local Government Service and to impress on them the need to perform collectively above expectations, for improved service delivery and enhance productivity in line with the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).

It also provides an opportunity for the RCC MDCEs to evaluate their performances and set new targets that will reflect on the government’s priorities in the performance of core service deliverables.

Indicators

According to Mr Acheampong, monitoring of the assemblies' performance contract by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) had revealed that in some of the assemblies, a section of staff was not usually aware of the indicators, while others claimed they only became aware when an assessment was about to take place.

That development, he stated, had been corroborated by the Local Government Service Annual Evaluation Report on the 2022 Performance Contract.

Mr Acheampong said although that contract was signed between the MDCEs and the MDCDs, the execution of deliverables was however done by staff.

The regional minister told the signatories to take keen interest in the execution of the 2024 Performance Contract.

That, Mr Acheampong stated, would enable the assemblies to meet the targets set in the development of their political entities.

Thereafter, he asked that officers be assigned to specific indicators which they were expected to deliver, as that would help measure or track their performances.

Targets

The minister continued that the key mechanism in the implementation of a PMS was to achieve targets or set goals, bearing in mind that the contract had become a force to ensure that management and staff of the RCCs and MMDAs knew the clear manifestation of commitment to duty call.

He noted that such responsibility was to ensure that work was assiduously performed to realise the targets set per the indicators by the end of the year.

Mr Acheampong pointed out that the assessment of the 2023 performance contract would soon commence, and appealed to the MDCEs to fully prepare for the exercise.

The Head of Human Resources at the ERCC, Cyril Dzinyanu Xatse, said his ultimate vision for the RCC was to ensure that the region topped all in the 2024 Performance Contract assessment.

The Deputy Dean of the Eastern Region Municipal and District Chief Executives who is also the Akyemansa District Chief Executive, Paul Asamoah, entreated his colleagues to work hard to justify the trust and confidence reposed in them by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who nominated them to occupy such high office.

He also promised that they would work with humility to achieve the targets set in the contract.

Strictly comply

The Dean of the Eastern Region Municipal and District Coordinating Directors who is also the New Juaben North Municipal Coordinating Director, Ndinga Nborinyi, on behalf of his colleagues assured the regional minister that they would strictly follow what was enshrined in the 2024 performance contract document.

That, he indicated, would be beneficial to the people in their respective municipalities and districts.

The Eastern Regional Coordinating Council placed 4th in the Performance Contract assessment of RCCs, while the New Juaben North Assembly in the region was ranked second best among all MMDAs nationwide.  

In all, 11 districts in the region had their scores classified as “Excellent” and there was no district from the Eastern Region which had a score falling in the category of “Unsatisfactory”.

Also, no district from the region fell within the rank of MMDAs in the last 20 in the Performance Contract.