OPINION: NRM can lead for 100 years as long as it improves service delivery

By: Mubiru George

The National Resistance Movement – NRM is arguably the best political party to manage the affairs of this country very well and for a long time but the tenure of it’s leadership can only be interrupted by poor service delivery which has increasing started to manifest.

The causes of poor service delivery and the strategies to improve service delivery is a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods.

The major causes of poor service delivery are;

1. Selfish political interference and manipulation.
2. Corruption and lack of accountability and transparency.
3. Inadequate citizen participation.
4. Poor human resource policy.
5. Failure to manage change.
6. Poor planning
7. Poor monitoring and evaluation.

WHAT’S THE PLAN?

1. There should be increased citizen participation in the affairs of their local communities in service delivery. Locals should guard against public servants who do shoddy work in their communities for example teachers and headteachers who dodge school and embark on boda boda riding, alcoholism, etc. Form local brigades in line with RDC offices to guard against health workers who steal govt drugs. If the community turns out to be strict, cheating will stop. The community should act responsible towards their assets.
2. Crucial responsibility of govt and govt institutions should deliver services that society requires to maintain its welfare. Remember, the NRM through UPE, USE,UPOLET, Loan scheme and district quota system has tremendously increased the level of education of the population which now have a more vocal and more discerning citizenry that expects better services and accountability from it’s government as well.
3. Increase on monitoring and evaluation of government projects and service delivery. It’s very unfortunate that the leading stake in monitoring, ie RDCs have turned out to be the chief thieves and corrupt officers ( save to a few ). Most of them have become dealers and blockers and hence conive with civil servants and politicians to steal. Govt should therefore clean up this department and appoint patriotic officers being the spine of monitoring and evaluation of government projects and services. These should monitor progress from time to time so as to be able to take corrective action if there are deviations from the plan.
4. Offering value for money and ensuring that service users pay their bills on time(with friendly charges). UMEME and national water should revise their work methods. Govt should play it’s role through regulatory policy.
5. Strategic public service planning, sound human resource policy that includes capacity building and employee motivation.
6. Managing change. Resistance to change mostly by the local authorities is a Cancer. This leads to failure to adapt to the pertinent changes so as to meet the intended objectives. There is organization inertia and lack of management will to challenge the status quo.
7. Dealing with corruption and improving accountability. I’m happy govt is tirelessly putting up strategies to curb this. Selfish politicians are a disgrace to society. Unfortunately they have a lot of propaganda to hoodwink the Masses. I remember how a certain politician tirelessly, intentionally and successful delayed the progress and construction of KITAYUNJWA SEED SCHOOL in his own constituency because if it had been completed early, it would fetch more votes for his political opponent. Up to now it’s the only seed school which has not been completed in the whole country. Shame!!!! Segregation of duties between councilors and management of the local authorities should be urgently done and partnering with other players and outsourcing services.

If these and other methods are employed, service delivery will at no doubt improve and the NRM will be like ANC and CCM.

The writer is a Jinja based researcher, senior teacher and NRM mobiliser.
0754877595 | georgemubiru93@gmail.com