Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Takoradi, May 23, GNA – The Mpohor District of the Western Region has emerged as the best district in the 2023 District Level Performance Assessment and Ranking with a score point of 82.6 per cent.
The feat was chalked under the leadership of Mr. Ignatius Assah Mensah, the District Chief Executive.
A report issued by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) said other equally performing districts on the top chart were Dormaa West, Akyemansa, and Kwahu East districts and the Cape Coast Metropolis.
A Local Government Index (LOGIN) was designed to provide a comprehensive and holistic assessment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) from the perspectives of residents who interacted with research officers.
The collaborative assessment was conducted by the ILGS in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development and the Office of the Head of Local Government Service, with financial support from the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs of Switzerland.
The LOGIN used residents’ scorecards to rank the 261 MMDAs on seven local governance performance areas and 47 indicators.
The seven LOGIN areas were Quality of administrative services, Quality of leadership exhibited by the District Chief Executive, Quality of representation by Assembly Members, and Quality of professionalism exhibited by the staff of the District Assembly.
The others were the Quality of social services provision, the Quality of opportunities provided by the Local Government for residents’ participation in decision-making, and the Quality of opportunities provided for Local Economic Development.
It mainly worked with the responses of citizens within an administrative area to ensure a participatory approach.
The report showed that nine other districts out of the 261 MMDAs scored 71 per cent (excellent).
Some 53 districts scored between 61 to 70 per cent whereas 109 districts scored between 51 to 60 per cent.
The New Public Management principles had compelled public sector organisations to manage government businesses more efficiently through a responsive, effective, equitable and accountable manner, it said.
GNA