Govt policy, RBM

1. Republic of the Gambia
African Training and Research
Centre in Administration for
Development
Islamic Research and Training
Institute
Performance and Results-Based
Management in the African Public Sector
Institutions and State Agencies:
Implementation Strategies, Challenges and
Practical Solutions
A Capacity-Improvement Workshop for
CAFRAD National Focal Points
Concept Paper
Banjul, The Gambia
15-17 March 2010

2. Performance and Results-based Management in the African Public Sector Institutions and State Agencies:
Implementation Strategies, Challenges and Practical Solutions
1
Background
The importance of results-based management, within the context of policy failures and crises
of public administration in Africa, cannot be over-emphasised. Public services and institutions
at all levels of governance, local, national, regional, continental and global, are set up to fulfill
certain missions and achieve certain results that correspond to specific needs of the populace,
in relation to a specific developmental agenda. Accordingly, public institutions, like their
private counterparts, should be required to be called upon at regular intervals to account for
their activities in terms of their mangement techniques and strategies to facilitate optimal
attainments of the objectives for which they are set up. In this vein, the management of public
institutions must focus on the need to meet targeted results.
In the private sector, companies have the obligation to submit a balance sheet every year
showing their achievements and results, as measured against the overall goals/objectives of
the company. Such an obligation should also be essential for government parastatals,
publicly-funded companies, public institutions and state agencies. At the level of international
development institutions and donor agencies such as the Islamic Development Bank, USAID,
IDRC, OECD, UNDP, World Bank, etc., accountability is a must. A regular evaluation of
performance is carried out to ensure project success in terms of results. These institutions
increasingly resort to the methods and strategies of Performance- and Results-Based
Management (PRBM).
PRBM, as a modern management technique, requires private and public institutions to adopt
such practices and procedures that minimise resources and simultaneously allow them to
achieve their missions. Whether it takes the form of a balance sheet, an annual report or audit
findings, what is sought is a regular and objective evaluation of each administration, based on
criteria of performance, results and impact produced.
In these circumstances, one may ask, “what is the current situation of public services and state
agencies, at a time when the majority of governments are becoming aware of their obligations
to be accountable and meet the needs of their populations?” It is evident, economic and social
development cannot be achieved without public service and state agencies. Accelerating
economic and social development, including poverty reduction, has become a major priority
for all governments. All public services and state institutions are, for that reason, called upon
to conform to the current development requirements, in particular:
(i) Rigour and thrift in the management of state resources. Officers, at
every level, are challenged to respect budget constraints and optimise
expenditures, making judicious use of public resources;
(ii) Accountability and the obligation to achieve results. Governments are
increasingly requiring public institutions to be dutiful, productive and
accountable for the use of resources at their disposal, and show
demonstrable results of their actions. Accountability is also demanded by
the population, which requires public officers to exhibit the virtues of
transparency, integrity and equity in the discharge of their duties;

3. Performance and Results-based Management in the African Public Sector Institutions and State Agencies:
Implementation Strategies, Challenges and Practical Solutions
2
(iii) Adaptation of work and results to populations' needs and requirements.
Demographic growth and the diversification of development needs are
characteristics of all African countries. Public services are challenged to adapt
their objectives and service deliveries to the specific needs of the populations. In
essence, the need to meet the populations' needs and requirements should guide
the work of public services and state institutions.
Against this background, how can government institutions and state agencies in Africa meet
the challenges of PRBM? In other words, what should be done to make government
institutions, public institutions, public companies and all other state entities perform highly
and effectively fulfill the missions assigned to them? Two policy options remain open to
African countries, like their South-East Asian counterparts who faced similar challenges in
the past: to either modernize their management and governance strategies or keep the status
quo. Reasonably, like the South-East Asian countries, African countries should summon the
needed determination and political will and opt for the rapid modernisation and reform of
their development strategies and embrace new techniques for the management of their public
institutions and state agencies.
PRBM is a modern management method that corresponds to the new development strategies
of the developing world, Africa inclusive. Drawing largely from traditional techniques such as
Management-by-Objectives (MBO) and Performance Evaluation, PRBM goes further to
require, as a necessity, that every individual, every service, every institution, every state
agency and every government: (i) formulate a clear vision of the missions to be fulfilled; (ii)
plan the implementation of activities leading to the fulfillment of such missions; (iii) evaluate
at regular intervals the implementation of activities, measure performance, productivity and
results achieved; and (iv) examine the impact produced from an economic, social and
technical point of view.
The Workshop which CAFRAD (African Training and Research Centre in Administration for
Development) proposes to organize in partnership with the Islamic Institute for Research and
Training/Islamic Development Bank and the Government of The Gambia forms part of the
search for innovative strategies and modern management methods to meet the current
challenges faced by African public services. This will involve an in-depth and critical
examination of the various applications of the PRBM technique in public services.
The main aim of the Workshop is to back up efforts currently being deployed by African
countries to reform, innovate and modernize the management and governance systems of
public institutions. Debates will be held, experiences will be shared, and conclusions will be
reached to enable African States to improve the performance of the various public services in
terms of verifiable results related to the attainment of their objectives and missions.
Objectives
The workshop’s objectives are to explore regional knowledge and heighten the awareness of
high-ranking managers of African public institutions and state agencies of the opportunities
and challenges of PRBM strategies, to examine the practical methods needed to implement
such strategies in the African public services, to identify the capacity-building needs of the
African governments in this regard, and to create a network for capacity-building and sharing
of experiences on best practices.

4. Performance and Results-based Management in the African Public Sector Institutions and State Agencies:
Implementation Strategies, Challenges and Practical Solutions
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The specific objectives are as follows:
To examine PRBM strategies and methods, to learn lessons and draw
conclusions with respect to their application in African public services;
To develop capacities and skills in the use of PRBM methods;
To devise appropriate mechanisms and methods to allow for an effective and
efficient application of PRBM strategies and methods;
To facilitate active dialogue and develop partnerships for cooperation and
follow-up in the implementation of the workshop conclusions.
Programme Contents
The Workshop will examine the following sub-themes:
1. Towards a Reform of the African Public Services and State Institutions for
Performance and Results: Reforms, innovations and modernization programmes
should serve development and aim for concrete results;
2. Visionary Planning as the Basis of Performance and Results: Formulation of
strategic action plans and work programmes based on vision, missions and results
(illustration with concrete examples);
3. Determination of Results within Public Services and State Institutions: Results,
deliverables, objectives, final products(illustration with concrete examples);
4. Capacity-building Needs and Challenges/Constraints: Country Presentations on
Implementation of Performance and Results-based Management Strategies and
Methods, and Lessons Learnt;
5. Results Determination for Financial and Budget Management
- preparation of the budget
- implementation of the budget
- monitoring, and auditing of the use of the funds
- evaluation of the impacts of the use of the funds
6. Evaluation of Performance, Efficiency and Results:
- Who should carry out an evaluation?
- How should an evaluation be conducted?
- Evaluation procedures and tools
7. Mechanisms of Implementation and Follow-up of Evaluation Conclusions
- Drawing conclusions from evaluation results
- Formulating recommendations
- Following up the application of recommendations
8. Impact Assessment Analysis:

5. Performance and Results-based Management in the African Public Sector Institutions and State Agencies:
Implementation Strategies, Challenges and Practical Solutions
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- Individuals
- Services / Institutions
- Populations / Users / Customers
- The Country's development
9. Intra-African Partnerships and Cooperation for Implementation and Sharing of
Experiences on Best Practices: Network of CAFRAD Focal Points.
Participants
The Workshop will bring together African public service professionals who are active in the
design, planning, coordination and implementation of development strategies and
programmes, especially those in charge of managing and/or implementing the programmes of
reform and modernization of public services and state institutions. For the purposes of follow-
up monitoring and capacity-building, each country is required to send officers from the rank
of Directors and above who have been or could become focal points of CAFRAD activities in
the individual countries. These mainly include the following officers:
Permanent Secretaries, Director-General, Direcors and/or their aides from
Ministries of Civil Service, Reform and Modernization of Public Services and State
Institutions; Planning, Economy and Development; Finances, Budget,
Decentralization and Local Development; Labour; Foreign Affairs, etc.;
Secretaries/Directors-General/Directors and/or Members of National Reform
Commissions, Economic and Social Councils, the senior branches of the Civil
Service, etc.;
Directors and/or Teachers of National Administration Schools and similar higher
institutions;
Representatives of regional and international organizations interested in the
Workshop topics.
Resource Persons
The Workshop will be animated by distinguished experts in the field, whose responsibility
will include introducing topics, moderating debates and participating in the discussions.
Expected Results
The Workshop is expected to serve as a platform to examine new management and
governance approaches based on efficiency, productivity and results. As an outcome, after the
Workshop, participants will be able to fully understand such methods, and also consider their
feasibility in African administrative systems. It is also expected that the Workshop will bring
forward a new management and governance vision within public services, enabling every
service and every State entity to achieve results in accordance with the missions and
objectives assigned to it.
The Workshop proceedings will be published for widespread dissemination in countries and
institutions across the Continent.

6. Performance and Results-based Management in the African Public Sector Institutions and State Agencies:
Implementation Strategies, Challenges and Practical Solutions
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Methodology
Given the level and professional responsibilities of participants, the Workshop activities will
be carried out in an active, participatory way. Priority will be given to debates, as well as
experience, knowledge and viewpoint exchange. Papers will be supported with PowerPoint
presentations, concrete examples and case studies.
Throughout the Workshop, emphasis will be on problems and challenges facing the African
public services, and practical solutions to be suggested. The Workshop will take place in
plenary sessions.
Partner Institutions: CAFRAD, IIRT/IDB (Islamic Research and Training Institute of the
Islamic Development Bank), and the Government of the Gambia.
Venue : Banjul, The Gambia
Date : 15 - 17 March 2010
Duration : Three working days
Languages : English