Zimbabwe Launches Community of Practice on MfDR

Zimbabwe is a developing country which is facing a number of socio-economic challenges. In spite of these challenges the country is making frantic efforts to meet its citizens’ aspirations as enunciated in the National Development Priorities and the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets. Citizens are calling upon the government to be more accountable against a background of very tight budgets. Government is also being called upon to be more transparent and to demonstrate results.

In line with the second phase of the African Community of Practice on Managing for Development Results (AfCoP-MfDR)’ s strategy to form national CoPs to spearhead the MfDR agenda at national level, establish linkages with national processes, and shift from individual to institutional capacity building, the Zimbabwe Community of Practice in Managing for Development Results (ZimCoP/MfDR) was launched on 28 July, 2010, in Harare, Zimbabwe, with the support of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Development (UNDP).

The highlight of this national event was the holding of a workshop, where participants agreed to form the ZimCoP/MfDR. The workshop also developed the ZimCoP Terms of Reference (ToRs), Pillars and Thematic Areas. A Core Management Team comprising 14 members drawn from Government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), private sector, development partners, independent development consultants, local authorities and the academia was selected at the end of the workshop. The Core Management Team will report to the ZimCoP members on the allocation of responsibilities and the roadmap on the 1^st of September 2010.

The Deputy Chief Secretary responsible for Modernisation, Finance and Administration in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr RC Ndhlukula presided at the opening ceremony in the presence of the AfDB representative in Zimbabwe and the officials from the AfDB headquarters in Tunisia. About ninety people took part in this workshop, including civil servants, parliament staff, non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations, local government practitioners, results based management trainers, development partners, independent researchers and monitoring and evaluation experts. The occasion was also graced by AfCoP members from South Africa and Malawi who shared their country experiences with the participants.

The ZimCoP laucnh proceedings were carried out in a free and participatory way, and discussions were open, honest, and constructive.

The ZimCoP/MfDR seeks to strengthen public sector capacity to enable it to carryout systematic policy planning, formulation, coordination, implementation and monitoring and evaluation. This is aimed at enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability in the public sector so as to achieve National Development Priorities and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets through improved service delivery. The Results Based Management effort commenced in 2005 and seeks to establish a direct link between the budget, public sector performance and results produced at the output, outcome and impact levels. This initiative also aims to align the budget with the National Development Priorities and the 2015 MDGs targets.

BACKGROUND TO THE ZimCoP

In the context of determined efforts to achieve results, the Modernisation Department in the Office of the President and Cabinet whose officers are members of the African Community of Practice in Management for Development Results (AfCoP-MfDR) saw it appropriate to establish a national community of practice in Zimbabwe. Two meetings were arranged in early 2009 and participants were drawn mainly from government, the academia and the local government fraternity. Following these activities, practitioners were invited to volunteer to become involved in planning the ZimCoP launch workshop. A roadmap was developed in this regard, and a Core Management Team was formed.

The year 2010 saw the need for intensifying a coordinated approach in the provision of services by all players pursuing the development agenda in Zimbabwe. To this end, again the Modernisation Department led by Mr Solomon Mhlanga, a Core Management Team member of the AfCoP, approached the AfDB to sponsor a stakeholders workshop for players involved in development in Zimbabwe and this request was acceded to.

It is envisaged that the concept and practice of MfDR in Zimbabwe will be a manageable challenge since the Government and most NGOs and development partners are implementing Results Based Management.