Performance management key to making devolution a success

As the journey of devolution unfolds, one of the biggest challenges faced by counties is developing the capacity to deliver services and track implementation.

Performance management is an indispensable requirement for effective county management, and although there are several reasons counties should consider measuring the performance of their programmes and services, the most compelling one is that citizens demand and deserve quality service.

Performance management can be described as the alignment of resources, processes, systems and people to the vision, strategic objectives and priorities of the county government.

The evidence of effective performance management in a county is essentially indicated by improved service delivery. It is fundamentally about driving and monitoring results and the correct behaviours of people.

Counties must demonstrate to their citizens and stakeholders that the available resources are optimally utilised and high-quality services are delivered. It is, therefore, essential that counties create ‘focus’ and ‘alignment’ in the execution of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).

Full potential

A focus on performance improvement, both at strategic and operational levels, would unlock the full potential of the available resources and infrastructure.

To achieve sustainable success, a county must take advantage of change (whether planned or unexpected) with the ultimate aim of never being sidelined by it. It will require agility — the ability to move quickly, adapt to change and address it smartly, while simultaneously keeping the county on course.

It is important for a county to produce timely and accurate information across all systems to provide one version of the truth, which would lead to faster, better decisions. This can consistently be achieved when a credible performance management system is adopted and implemented.

Many organisations frequently make the mistake of confusing performance management to be an electronic system. The content of a county strategy, CIDP and Annual Development and Implementation Plan, and quality of performance indicators and targets, are by far the most important elements of an effective performance management system.

The reality is that an electronic system is just a tool and only as good as the content it measures — the principle of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ is very applicable.

Performance management is achieved when there are indicators and targets measuring the inputs, outputs and outcomes of development projects, as well as financial and non-financial activities.

A quick win for improving performance management practices in counties is to establish individual accountability, where performance is assigned and measured within a defined period.

Effective system

It is also true that the quality of services is affected not only by the economy, politics and social conditions, but also by performance management practices. An effective system will aim at achieving agility for sustainable success and entrenching a performance-driven culture.

To become agile and effective, counties should move beyond legislated requirements and adopt a system that directs available resources to what is important, achieves service delivery improvement, and improves citizen and stakeholder satisfaction.

This system should also increase productivity and unlock hidden potential, while aligning operational performance with strategic objectives as well as the county’s vision with individual performance scorecards. The system needs to focus on the behaviour of people towards service delivery improvement and entrench a positive culture.

Adopting a reliable performance management system is not negotiable for county governments if they are to deliver on their core mandate, achieve their objectives and improve service delivery.

The writer is a director at PwC Kenya and a devolution and local government specialist adviser.

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