Implementation Of A New Performance Contract And Staff Appraisal Instruments Kicks Off In 1ST July, 2015

The Local Government Service (LGS) has developed a new instrument that will be used to measure the performance of its staff. The document consists of a Performance Contract and Staff Appraisal. The Performance Contract has been designed to measure the performance of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Coordinating Directors (MMDCDs) and Directors at the Local Government Service Secretariat (LGSS). The Staff Appraisal instrument on the other hand is meant to measure and assess the performance of the other staff of the Service.

The MMDCDs will sign the Performance Contract with their Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to be witnessed by the Regional Coordinating Directors and Honourable Regional Ministers respectively. The document clearly spells out six (6) Key Performance Areas (KPAs) based on which parties to the contract will be assessed. The Contract document is customized and has been carefully designed to include Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) specific priority areas (local content). The Key Performance Areas are as follows:

1)    Top Priorities of the Assembly;

2)    Performance Reporting;

3)   Implementation of Annual Action Plan (AAP) and Financial Management;

4)    Human Resource (HR) Management;

5)    Customer Service Initiatives;

6)    Work Environment Improvement Initiatives and Cross-Cutting Issues.

In addition to the KPAs, the document also recognizes and rewards hardwork, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) as well as sanctions for consistent non-performance.

All MMDCDs are required to appraise their Departmental Heads who in turn will appraise their staff. It is expected that the staff appraisal will cascade down to all junior staff in the Service.

The Service has already carried out extensive nationwide sensitization workshops to introduce key officers (MMDCDs & Human Resource (HR) Officers) to the document and also build their skills in completing the forms. For effective and smooth implementation of the new system, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) have also been taken through the documents during their recent Conference held in Sunyani.

The Local Government Service Secretariat (LGSS) which is mandated to ensure Administrative Decentralization played a major role in facilitating the processes. The Secretariat has come up with a roadmap to guide the smooth implementation of the two (2) documents. The signing of the Performance Contract has been scheduled to take place between 8th June, 2015 and 22nd June, 2015 with an effective date of 1st July, 2015. There will be a review in September, 2015 and a final evaluation is scheduled to take place in January, 2016.

The benefits of the new instruments are numerous; it will do away with the ‘old’ perception and practice of staff appraisal which was only geared towards promotion purposes. The new dispensation has been designed to promote all year round planning, reviews and continuous monitoring and assessment.

It is hoped that the implementation will mark a new beginning in the Service where scientific methods will be applied to assess staff performance objectively.

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