The Public Sector Reforms Management Department yesterday hosted an orientation workshop for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the Southern Region on revised reforms planning and monitoring tools to improve public service delivery.

The revised tools include a revised reforms contract President Lazarus Chakwera and Cabinet ministers will sign for the 2023 to 2025 period which has been aligned to the Malawi 2063 (MW2063), the country’s long-term development strategy, and the First 10 year Implementation Plan (MIP-1) of the same.

Speaking during the official opening of the workshop at Blantyre City Council Chamber, director of reforms responsible for planning services, Sibusiso Jere, said the department has reviewed its planning and monitoring tools to ensure that reforms continue to achieve their intended goals.

Representatives of MDAs sample the new tools in groups

He said: “As you are all aware, now the country has a new long-term agenda, the MW2063, so we have managed to revise our planning and monitoring tools so that all reforms should be aligned towards achieving either the three pillars in the MW2063 or the outlined enablers.”

Jere said there was a need for MDAs to align their reforms with their strategic plans, including the revised government financial calendar which starts on April 1.

On his part, director of reforms responsible for economic and financial reforms, Stanley Longwe, said the previous tools lacked a proper monitoring element which has now been developed.

He said the new tools will capacitate the Reforms Department and MDAs to comprehensively assess quarterly and bi-annual performance of the Reforms with respect to set annual targets as well as set end of contract period targets.

The revised Reforms Planning and Monitoring Tools were developed following a series of consultations and will also be able to calculate the achievement rate of each output and outcome indicator of all the Reforms being implemented.

Commenting on the workshop, Public Private Partnership Commission director of finance and administration Judith Gondwe commended the Public Sector Reforms Management Department for reviewing the Reform Planning and Monitoring tools, saying it will help in the implementation of Public Sector Reforms.

A similar workshop was held in the Central Region before the festive season break and from the Southern Region, MDAs in the Eastern and Northern Regions will undergo similar orientation on the revised tools.

The post Reforms Unit drills MDAs on revised planning tools appeared first on The Nation Online.