by Senior reporter
Coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1) at policy level will be done by Cabinet while Ministers, Accounting Officers/Permanent Secretaries and Programme Managers will be held accountable for the delivery of identified outcomes and outputs.
Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube said this yesterday during the 44th Post Cabinet meeting while updating on the formulation of an NDS 1 implementation roadmap with clear benchmarks to show the attainment of set goals for purposes of effectively monitoring and evaluating progress made in fulfilment of the undertaking made at the launch of the NDS 1.
He said a high level of NDS 1 National Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Cabinet and comprising members from Office of the President and Cabinet, Public Service Commission and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, would produce periodic reports on Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation of the NDS1 for consideration by the Ministerial Committee chaired by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
“Monitoring and Evaluation of the NDS 1 will commence from the outset of the Strategy period and will be done through an e-enabled information management system. Government Miniseries, departments and agencies have already undertaken strategic planning workshops to come up with annual plans for the year 2021, which are based on an initial 3 year macro economic framework and the annual plans form the basis upon which performance contracts of Permanent Secretaries will be signed later this month,” said the Minister.
The Minister went on advise the nation that, “The NDS 1 Monitoring and Evaluation Framework is drawn from the National Sectorial Development Results Framework, which outline National Priorities, Key Result Areas, outcomes, key performance indicators, Baselines and targets. The Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation of NDS 1 will place great emphasis on the measurement of economic and livelihoods transformation results. In order to ensure effective and efficient implementation of NDS 1, bi-annual reviews coupled with mid-term and terminal evaluation will be undertaken.”
At the implementation level, the Minister said “the National Monitoring and Evaluation Joint Review Committee, chaired by a Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet and consisting of all NDS 1 Thematic Working Groups, Chairs and Co-Chairs will coordinate the work of NDS 1. Thematic Working Groups engage all key stakeholders; ensure that implementation of NDS 1 remains consistent with the country’s strategic policy direction as outlined by the National Steering Committee and produce periodic progress reports for consideration by the National Steering Committee.”
Minister Ncube highlighted that Thematic Working Groups, Monitoring and Evaluation committees chaired by lead ministries under the relevant Thematic Groups will ensure that priorities as outlined in National Sector Results Framework are implemented timeously, effectively and efficiently.
He went on to say that Ministry Department of Agency (MDA) management committees will report on their respective programme outputs and outcomes which will in turn contribute to the achievement of the development results at the national sector or sub-sector levels.
“In terms of Devolution and Decentralization results, Provincial Councils and Chiefs Councils will be critical in monitoring of associated NDS 1 outputs and outcomes. Furthermore planning, financing and implementing capacities at Provincial and district levels will be strengthened to support devolved activities in lower level tiers of Government,” he said.
The National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) will run for five years (2021-2025) and will replace the Transitional Stabilisation Program (TSP) whose shelf life will expire in December, this year.
Addressing attendees at the launch of the NDS 1 last month, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the NDS1 was the country's first five year Development Strategy which will take Zimbabwe to 2025, as the country march towards achieving an upper middle income economy status by 2030. He further revealed that the consultations of the Development Strategy began in October 2019 and were completed in September 2020.
President Mnangagwa highlighted the interconnected National Priority Areas of the NDS1, which are economic growth stability, food security and nutrition security, governance, moving the economy up the value chain and structural transformation, human capital development, environmental protection and housing delivery among others.
NDS1 will build on the successes of the TSP, which was meant and managed to stabilize the economy and lay the foundation for development.
