North Dayi District Assembly emerges best in Volta, fourth nationwide

By Edward Williams

Ho, Dec. 24, GNA – The North Dayi District Assembly has emerged the best performing Assembly in the Volta Region in in the 2023 Performance Evaluation Report of Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) & Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

The district scored 82.75 per cent to win the first position slot out of 18 in the Region while gaining the fourth position among the 261 MMDAs nationwide.

Mr Edmund Kudjo Attah, North Dayi District Chief Executive (DCE) has been noted as one of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs,) who showed keen interest in the exercise.

The Ketu North Assembly came second in the Region and 10th nationwide with 79.75 per cent followed by Ketu South at third position and 19th nationwide with 76.56 per cent and Ho West at the fourth position in Volta and 25th in Ghana with 75.25 per cent.

South Dayi came fifth at the regional level and 36th nationwide with 71.69 per cent, Afadzato South came sixth in Volta and 74th nationwide with 65.81 per cent, Anloga came seventh in the Region and 86th nationwide with 63.63 per cent and Hohoe came eighth in the Region and 95th nationwide with 62.63 per cent.

The North Tongu took the ninth position in Volta and 112th nationwide with 60.50 per cent, Akatsi North had the tenth position in Volta and 114th nationwide with 60.25 per cent score, Central Tongu came 11th in the Region and 120th in Ghana with 59.69 per cent and South Tongu followed at the 12th position in Volta and 143rd nationwide with 57.19 percentage score.

Ho Municipal with the 13th position in the Region, came 147th nationwide with 56.88 per cent, followed by Kpando on the 14th position in Volta and 170th in Ghana with 54.44 per cent and Keta came 15th in the Region and 193rd nationwide with 50.69 per cent.

The Akatsi South got the 16th position in the Region and 194th nationwide with 50.50 per cent, Adaklu came 17th in Volta and 205th with 48.06 per cent and Agortime Ziope on the 18th position in the Volta Region and 221st in Ghana with a percentage score of 45.25.

However, only Hohoe produced a Disaster Preparedness Plan and Response Plan, while all other Districts had either no plans or a list of activities with no profiles relating to disaster in the Region.

Dr Nana Ato Arthur, Head of Service said the Local Government Service (LGS), per section 51 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), was established to secure effective administration and management of decentralized Local Government system in Ghana.

He said the Service “exists to support Local Government to deliver value for money services through the mobilisation, harmonisation and utilisation of qualified, human capacity and material resources to promote local and national development”.

“In line with this mission statement, the LGS had developed a comprehensive Performance Management System (PMS) that was based on agreed Service Delivery Standards (SDS) which were operationalised through the PMS at all levels.”

Some recommendations in the Report for Volta MMDAs included the prioritisation of the organisation of inter-sectoral coordinating committee meetings and be particular on stakeholder participation, MMDAs are asked to ensure that the sub-structures are made functional by providing offices, staff and logistics to them and ensure that their planned programmes are implemented and must commit to the preparation of spatial plans and disaster preparedness plans and ensure that activities therein are implemented and reported on.

MMDAs were also asked to ensure that the Performance Appraisal Tool was fully understood, and deadlines strictly adhered to, and appraisal of staff should be taken very seriously towards professionally building up staff and holding them accountable for their jobs and not waiting for promotions before appraisals are worked on.

The Performance Management System (PMS) is a systematic process for improving performance by developing the individual performance of staff and teams to enhance productivity, develop competencies, increase job satisfaction, and achieve the full potential of all staff in the Service.

It is operationalised through the Performance Management Instruments (Contract & Appraisal) in which the Service enters into agreement and commitment with its employees to set clear, quantifiable objectives and indicators for attainment within a given time.

The assessment of the 2023 RCC and MMDA performance contracts, the OHLGS received funding support from USAID through CARE International in Ghana to conduct the exercise which involved four phases namely: Planning, Mid-year Review, End of the Year Evaluation and Decision Making.

GNA