The Malawi Public Service Management Policy (2018-2022) (continued)

Continuing from last week, the Malawi National Public Sector Reforms Policy has the following Policy Priority Areas:

Decentralisation Reforms; Institutional Restructuring; Recapitalisation and Performance of Statutory Corporations; Programming; Reforms in the Executive (Sectoral and MDA Reforms); Reforms in the Legislature; Reforms in the Judiciary and Coordination and Implementation of Reforms.

Among the challenges it faces, The Malawi Public Sector is not properly aligned to the priorities in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) III and service delivery demands. In addition, despite the intents in the Decentralisation Policy and Act of 1998, devolution in Malawi has been slow and partial.

In this regard, Government under the leadership of His Excellency President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika saw the need for the Public Sector Reforms Policy that spells out strategies for the positive realisation of the Public Sector Reforms Programme and that it is effectively aligned to the MGDS III. The two government policies ran side by side for effectively the same time period.

Strategies
The following are the strategies to achieve the intents of the policy:

• Complete the devolution process in line with the Decentralisation Policy.
• Formulate and implement comprehensive Decentralisation Reforms to support devolution.
• Develop capacity of the ministry responsible for Local Government to effectively manage and support the devolution process.
• Align the public service structure and size to the national vision and the MGDS III.
• Review the Public Service Act to provide for greater accountability, increased effectiveness and efficiency.
• Recapitalise strategic statutory corporations through various strategies such as Treasury Funding, Joint ventures, PPP and FDI.
• Enhance implementation of innovative programmes and use of innovative approaches.
• Align sectors and MDAs to the national results framework in MGDS III through a systematic and integrated strategic planning process.
• Strengthen collaboration and eliminate the silo approach in the implementation of the MGDS III and all reforms.
• Strengthen capacity of sectors and MDAs to implement the MGDS III.
• Formulate Sector and MDA reforms to support service delivery improvements and achievement of MGDS III outcomes.
• Strengthen Capacity of Parliamentarians, particularly the relevant parliamentary committees to effectively perform their oversight and law making roles.
• Strengthen the working relationship between the executive and the legislature to promote collaboration in the achievement of the national development goals.
• Review Parliamentary Committees in line with the MGDS III.
• Formulate a comprehensive reforms agenda for the judiciary to be approved by all relevant stakeholders and leadership of the judiciary.
• Develop a modern and cutting edge framework for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all public sector reforms.
• Establish a dedicated Treasury Fund to facilitate implementation of selected and strategic reforms in the public sector.
• Strengthen the Public Sector Reforms Management Unit (PSRMU) as a department to ably spearhead and recommend evidence-based options in the implementation of the reforms agenda.
• Increase commitment and accountability for implementation of reforms by continuing to implement Reforms Performance Contracts which will start with the President and his Ministers and cascade all the way down to the lower levels.
• Conduct evidence based grounded research on impact of reforms.

The Reforms Policy also highlights the need for continued political commitment and leadership at the highest level for the Public Sector Reforms to be realised.

His Excellency President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has timeously demonstrated such commitment, the recent being the passing of the Malawi National Public Sector Reforms Policy and Malawi Public Service Management Policy on 28 February 2018

Feedback: opcreforms@gmail.com