Mpohor District Assembly Ranked Overall Best
…In 2023 District Level Performance Assessment & Ranking
The Mpohor District Assembly in the Western Region, has emerged the overall best assembly in the country in the latest 2023 District Level Performance Assessment and Ranking.
According to the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) in a report said, the Mpohor District, had overall score of 82.6 per cent, beating off competition from the others.
Further scrutiny of the report reveals, the district led by Ignatius Assah Mensah, as its District Chief Executive (DCE) was the only one with the highest score, whereas Ketu South Municipality in the Volta Region, was ranked last with a score of 26 per cent.
The top five ranked districts were, Mpohor District (82.6%), Akyemansa District came second with (78.2%), followed by Kwahu East as third with (77.5%), Dormaa West District came fourth with (75.3%) whiles Amansie South District in Ashanti Region, placed fifth position overall score of (74.1%).
Analysis of the report, sighted by The Anchor, shows only nine districts, had scores that indicate excellent performance (71% and above), whiles 53 Districts, had scores between 61 -70%, indicating (very good) whereas the 109 districts, had scores between 51-60%, representing (good).
Interestingly, it was observed that, none of the six Metropolitan areas, was among the top nine districts rated as excellent in local governance. They also missed out on the top 50, except Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, which was ranked 51st.
A Local Government Index (LOGIN) was designed to provide a comprehensive and holistic assessment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) from the perspectives of residents who interact with them.
This assesment was conducted by the ILGS in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development (MLGDRD) and the Office of the Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS) with financial support from the State Secretariat of Economic Affair (SECO) of Switzerland.
The LOGIN used residents’ score cards to rank the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies
(MMDAs) on seven local governance performance areas and forty-seven indicators.
The seven LOGIN areas were, Quality of administrative services, Quality of leadership exhibited by the District Chief Executive (DCE), Quality of representation by Assembly Members and Quality of professionalism exhibited by the staff of the District Assembly.
The rest, included Quality of social services provision, Quality of opportunities provided by the Local Government (LG) for residents to participate in their local governance and decision-making as well as Quality of opportunities provided by the LG for Local Economic Development
According to the report, the overall performance also shows that nine other districts, out of the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, scored 71 per cent and above that indicates excellent.
Also, fifty-three districts scored between 61 to 70 percent, whereas 109 districts scored between 51 to 60 percent.
The report said, the New Public Management (NPM) principles, have compelled public sector organizations to manage government businesses differently from the way they have administered them in the past.
“The principles offer directions on reforms that will make the provision of public services more responsive, effective, efficient, equitable and accountable. Nevertheless, because there is no nationwide assessment mechanism that takes into consideration the perspectives of residents, an impression is created that their voices are not considered, hence the need to use the residents” the report pointed out.
Meanwhile, some residents of Mpohor, have praised the DCE, Ignatius Assah Mensah, for this mile stone and for lifting the name of the district higher in the country.
Source: Anchorghana.com
