by Ashley Kondo
Many people will agree that, the world over, Governments are the biggest employers in their home countries.
The same is true of the Zimbabwean Government which is the biggest employer in the country where there is high unemployment rate.
However, this is not sustainable as there is need to create more job opportunities for the unemployed through the revival of the country’s industry which would provide employment and production for additional revenue for the country
There has been a lot of concern about Government’s wage bill, which reportedly has been chewing up more than 80 percent of the National Budget.
The country has not had enough financial resources to capitalise and capacitate most industries into becoming efficient producers who are able to provide jobs, hence, calls for foreign investors.
As a result, since 2015 people began talks on the need for a restructuring exercise which would witness the abolition of some posts and trimming of staff across Government structures.
While consensus was built among stakeholders on the need for restructuring, little or no progress was made in terms of implementing the resolution.
Nevertheless, since November 2017 and the subsequent July 30 elections, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration committed itself to drastic public sector reforms in an effort to minimise Government’s administrative expenditure.
This has led Government to retire some of the longest serving civil servants such as the former Registrar General, Tobaiwa Mudede and former Public Service Commission Chairperson, Mariyawanda Nzuwa, who both had passed the manadatory age of retirement.
Furthermore, Government also had to cut down some of the perks that were previously accorded to senior Government officials including Ministry Directors.
Recently, the Civil Service Commission Chairperson, Dr Vincent Hungwe, announced the introduction of 5-year performance-based contracts for Permanent Secretaries (PSs).
Hungwe also indicated that Government had sets targets for PSs in a bid to enhance public administration and achieve efficiency and professionalism in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030.
The introduction of the performance based contracts for PS marks a break-away from the past, where Government has had to contend with some non-performing office bearers.
The move to introduce periodic performance-based contracts for high ranking public officials is premised on the need to establish the impact and success of interventions, which borrows from tenets of the Results Based Management approach.
Results-based management principle integrates strategy, people, resources and processes in order to achieve specific outputs, outcomes and impact.
This in turn improves decision making, transparency and accountability of officials.
Under the Results Based Management system, those entrusted with leadership or managerial responsibilities do not find comfort in just undertaking numerous interventions and keeping staff on their toes.
Instead, they are interested in the attainment of the results of their interventions.
As Government moves to restructure and reform the public service, the thrust should no doubt bring about positive transformation of the livelihoods of the people of Zimbabwe.
It would be prudent for the Government to extend such best practice (performance-based contracts) to other sectors of the public service to allow positive change management and continuity to prevail.
Such a development would enhance the efficiency of the public sector, through ensuring that human resources are evenly and competently deployed.
Thus far, Zimbabwe’s economic fortunes under the new dispensation are evidently on the right path as the annual economic growth rate continues on an upward review from a low of 2.9 percent to a high of 6.7 percent.
While the growth projections have largely been premised on investment commitments, reforms in the public sector are no doubt a contributing factor as they have also boosted investor confidence.
