IMIHIGO EVALUATION FY 2013/2014
FINAL REPORT
Institute of Policy Analysis and Research- Rwanda (IPAR)
For
The Prime Ministers’ Office
Kigali, Rwanda
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September 2014
Contents
List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................................i
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................... ii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. iii
CHAP. I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.
Country Context ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.2.
The Concept of Imihigo ......................................................................................................... 2
1.3. The importance of the planning and Implementing Imihigo .................................................. 4
1.4. Monitoring and Evaluation of Imihigo ......................................................................................... 6
1.5. Evaluation of Imihigo as a Performance Management Tool ................................................... 6
1.6. Objectives of Imihigo Evaluation............................................................................................... 7
1.7 Rationale of the evaluation ......................................................................................................... 7
CHAP. II METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................................................. 9
2.1. Approach ..................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2. The Evaluation Process ............................................................................................................ 10
2.3. Data Collection Methods .......................................................................................................... 10
2.3.1 Audit of district Imihigo ....................................................................................................... 10
2.3.2. Key Informant Interviews.................................................................................................... 11
2.3.3. Focus Group Discussions ..................................................................................................... 11
2.3.4 Satisfaction Surveys ............................................................................................................. 12
2.4. Scoring of Imihigo Outputs ...................................................................................................... 12
2.5. Quality control measures ......................................................................................................... 15
2.6.
Ethical considerations ......................................................................................................... 16
CHAP. III THE NEXUS BETWEEN IMIHIGO AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES ... 17
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3.1. Imihigo Pillars and EDPRS ....................................................................................................... 18
3.1.1. Economic Transformation and Rural Development............................................................ 18
3.3. Social Development .................................................................................................................. 21
3.4. Good Governance...................................................................................................................... 22
CHAP.IV IMIHIGO EVALUATION FINDINGS .......................................................................................... 25
4.1. Scoring Ministries..................................................................................................................... 25
4.2. The District Scorecards: Imihigo Achievements for 2013-2014................................................. 28
4.3. Imihigo Challenges ................................................................................................................... 35
4.3.1. Across pillars: Measurements, Recording, and Reporting .................................................. 35
4.3.2. Structural Issues .................................................................................................................. 38
CHAP. V. CONCLUSIONS, LESSONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND WAY FORWARD .................... 45
Lessons Learned .............................................................................................................................. 46
Key Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 49
Way forward .................................................................................................................................... 49
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................... 51
List of Tables
Table 1. Criteria for weighting Imihigo performance ..................................................................................... 14
Table 2. Imihigo Indicative achievements for the Economic Pillar (2013-14) .................................... 20
Table 3. Imihigo Indicative achievements for the Social Pillar (2013-14) ............................................ 21
Table 4. Imihigo Pillars and the National Deveopment Strategies............................................................ 23
Table 5. Economic, Social and Governance and Justice Clusters .............................................................. 26
Table 6. Results from the Scorecard for Economic, Social and Governance and Justice pillars.... 28
Table 7. Indicative Imihigo achievements (2013-14) .................................................................................... 31
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List of Figures
Figure 1. GDP Per Capita 2003-2012 US$............................................................................................................... 1
Figure 2. Relationship between inputs, outputs and outcomes .................................................................... 7
Figure 3. Balanced Scorecard ................................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 4. Gross Domestic Product by Activity (%) 2006-2013 .................................................................. 17
Figure 5. Population below the National Poverty Line 1990-2010/11 (%) ......................................... 19
Figure 6. Average Score per cluster (Economic, Social and Governance and Justice) ...................... 26
Figure 7. Overall Performance of the Districts .................................................................................................. 31
List of Abbreviations
CD
DEC
EDPRS
EWSA
FGD
FY
GDP
ICT
IPAR
JADF
M&E
MDGs
MIFOTRA
MINALOC
NGO
PRSP
RALGA
RBM
RGB
RRA
RTDA
RTDA
SMART
TVET
VUP
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District Council
District Executive Committee
Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy
Energy Water and Sanitation Authority
Focus Group Discussion
Financial Year
Growth Domestic Product
Information Communication Technology
Institute Of Policy Analysis and Research
Joint Action Development Forum
Monitoring and Evaluation
Millennium Development Goals
Ministry of Public Service and Labour
Ministry of Local Government
Non Government Organiations
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities
Result Based Management
Rwanda Governance Board
Rwanda Revenue Authority
Rwanda Transport Development Authority
Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA)
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and time-bound
Technical and Vocational Training Education
Vision 2020 Umurenge programme
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Rwanda has provided a picture of promising change from the commitment to achieving
its vision 2020 goal of becoming a middle-income country. To achieve this, a number of
policies and strategies have been implemented. Currently, the country is implementing
its second generation of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy
(EDPRS 2) for the period between 2013 and 2018. One of vital tool to achieve EDPRS 2
targets is the “Imihigo”, re-initiated in 2006 as a tool to regularly monitor and evaluate
the general government’s performance in order to enhance service delivery in Districts,
Central Government, and Rwanda’s Diplomatic Missions abroad.
Every year, since 2006, Imihigo performance contracts are evaluated to inform the
Government on the relevance of the government’s interventions in changing people’s
lives, whether the public spending makes difference or value for the money, what policy
or programme works well, if policy makers are able to judge on the merit or worth of an
intervention, among others. Since then, the assessment of Imihigo was done by a team
comprised by members from the President’s Office, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of
Local Government, and Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
This year, the Prime Ministers’ Office commissioned the Institute of Policy Analysis and
Research- Rwanda (IPAR) as an external evaluator of Imihigo (Performance Contracts)
for the 2013/14 financial year to assess its processes from the planning to the
evaluation stage. Based on the results, IPAR is expected to inform the Government of
Rwanda in the following areas:
(1) Relevance of Imihigo targets in respect to the evolving development priorities of
the government and effectiveness of the collaboration between the Districts and
the Central Government in planning and implementation of Imihigo.
(2) The extent to which the outcomes have been achieved and whether the outputs
of Imihigo contributed to achieving the intended outcomes and impacts.
(3) How efficient is the resource allocation in achieving Imihigo and how this is
converted into tangible outputs such as goods and services.
(4) The degree of responses to the needs and complaints of the target population,
and whether Imihigo products and services address citizen’s social and economic
expectations.
(5) Level of beneficiaries or local populations’ involvement in the planning process
and implementation of Imihigo and assurance of sustaining the positive changes
observed beyond Imihigo.
The evaluation of 2013/14 Imihigo addressed the above questions based on the results
from the assessment of all entities both at Central and Local Government Levels – 18
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Government ministries and 30 Districts plus Kigali City- that signed the performance
contracts directly with His Excellence, The President of Rwanda Paul Kagame.
Information needed to validate this study’s objectives were obtained using different
data collection techniques including an audit of imihigo achievements against pledged
outputs, interviews with a range of stakeholders (from the Government, the private
sector, and the civil society), Focus Group Discussions with members of the community
and an individual perception survey. The views obtained from the data collected were
taken into account in the design of the scorecards used to measure the overall rate of
performance.
Results show that there are many positive changes brought by the Imihigo for the
period 2013/14 at both planning and implementation stages. At the level of planning,
the following are the merits or strengths, although these may bear some notions of
experiences gained from the planning of Imihigo in the past years:
(1) A structure of clear channels to ensure that priorities are identified. This channel
exists from the lowest administrative levels (village, cell, sector, and district) to the
highest where priorities of different communities are considered and consolidated.
Most importantly, they serve a purpose of ensuring that targets identified respond
to the needs of the citizens and that, for the most part, they are transformative in
nature;
(2) Enhanced coordination with the private sector, NGOs, faith based and civil society
organisations under the umbrella of JADF to ensure that their action plans are
considered in Imihigo. JADF members are eager to implement their items placed in
Imihigo which implies an increased spirit of ownership of Imihigo on their part as
key partners in local development;
(3) A spirit of consultation and common purpose between the central and local
government. The vast majority of the items in Imihigo reflect the intended social
economic change intended in sector strategies and national priorities. This link
between district targets and national priorities means that Imihigo are addressing
their intended objectives;
(4) An increased sense of self reliance where citizens are becoming more innovative
with home-grown solutions for responding to challenges in their communities.
Despite the above strengths in the planning process, there are still some challenges that
need proper consideration from the policy for Imihigo to become more an effective tool
of planning:
(1) There is room to improve the effectiveness of the existing consultation channels
through empowering all decentralized entities up to the household level in their
setting of Imihigo;
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(2) In some districts, there is a need to improve how performance indicators are
measured as well as providing a clear definition of Umuhigo to avoid multiple
interpretations including setting baselines that are used to establish targets.
Indicators need to be clearly defined. For instance, despite its importance,
‘mobilisation’ is immeasurable.
(3) District Councils still lack full control over the extent to which they can
contextualize sectoral targets from the central government; while there is a
positive spirit of consultation between central and local government, the ability of
the latter to adapt targets that are driven by the central government is inadequate
particularly in the context that every Umuhigo should be a response to a
particular problem in the local environment;
(4) Some items in the Imihigo do not provide a clear division of responsibility
between the central government and the district. This means that when a project
is successful it is likely to be claimed by both entities with failure placed on the
other. That means that where possible, two entities should not claim
responsibility over the same Umuhigo. Where they do, a clear division of
responsibility should be outlined;
(5) There doesn’t seem to be a clear process for monitoring targets to ensure
continuity in the progress of Imihigo from one period to another which is
necessary to ascertain the extent to which a particular outcome has been
achieved. The closest opportunity for such a progress report is presented through
the EDPRS midterm evaluation;
(6) Planning based on a future ranking of districts has the tendency to focus on
targets that are soft and therefore those that do not reflect the intended
objectives of accelerating national development priorities;
(7) The lag between the planning process of Imihigo and that of the budget means
that some activities may get inserted in Imihigo that are not planned for in the
budget.
Looking at the implementation phase of Imihigo, the following are some of the positive
changes observed during this evaluation:
(1) Enhanced collaboration and a sense of shared responsibility between JADF
members, District staff, and the District Council. For instance, apportioning
Imihigo among the district staff and other stakeholders to monitor
implementation is a positive practice.
(2) Increased sense of ownership of local challenges by citizens and a spirit of
innovation around these. Citizens are increasingly seeking solutions through
unconventional methods, which are a form of local resource mobilization and
saves money.
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(3) A culture of self-reliance among the vulnerable. They are taking the direct
support from VUP programmes and investing them into sustainable income
generating activities.
Some of the issues requiring attention from the policy makers in terms of Imihigo
implementation comprise the following:
(1) Most Imihigo are implemented in the last quarter due to delays in either the
transfer of financial resources to the districts or delays on the part of the district
to request for disbursement. When finances are disbursed late and they meet
with procurement processes, the intended implementation of a project may be
affected, especially if it is taking place in the fourth quarter of the FY.
(2) When priorities outside of Imihigo require urgent attention, resources (time,
finances, and human) are shifted away from implementing planned Imihigo.
(3) Audits by numerous agencies at different times of the year (MINALOC,
Parliamentary Committee, Auditor General, etc,) delay the implementation of
Imihigo. One period of planned consolidated audits would save time for
implementing Imihigo.
(4) Some targets are included in Imihigo without adequate control of the sources of
funds for implementation. Some of these are from the central government while
others are items added by some members of JADF. The efforts used to add an
item in the district Imihigo are not always matched with the same enthusiasms
when it comes to implementation to the extent that the concerned party may
simply say, “remove them.”
(5) In some situations, Imihigo without proper local contextualization were difficult
to implement.
(6) Some targets were not achieved due to a third party. Most of these were targets
on water, electricity and road construction where the challenge was related to
not having control over the operations of EWSA and RTDA.
(7) There are challenges in establishing measurement standards of output indicators
from one district to another.
(8) There is tendency to inflate imihigo achievements due to eagerness for higher
ranking.
(9) There are challenges in common planning for trans-boundary items. An example
is that one district may have road construction as a priority when its neighbor
does not, a case which should be addressed by joint planning to allow continuity.
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(10)
Understaffing and high turnover at the local administration level calls for
improved capacity building and need to improve the institution environment for
delivering.
In view of the above, Imihigo have set in motion development processes that are
significantly contributing to accelerating the achievement of national development
priorities. Imihigo are working as a tool for mobilising human and financial resources
needed to facilitate this transition. They are also merging different interests that in
other contexts would have competing objectives. The importance of Imihigo compels a
future where they:
(1) Fully integrated into the planning process from the central government to the
lowest administrative levels;
(2) Show continuity that links past and present achievements to the future that leads
to outcomes intended from the national development priorities. Their evaluation
should reflect intended progress in the achievement of sector strategies to
inform progress towards achieving national development priorities;
(3) Are evaluated based on annual measurements of outputs that track targets and
achievements that are directly linked to a long-term outcome;
(4) Have created a framework responsible for strategic intervention for empowering
Imihigo, given its current importance as a tool for development planning;
(5) Have appropriate features that lead to socioeconomic transformation. This
implies that districts and ministries should be empowered in the designing of
Imihigo that have the necessary features or characteristics of a “good Umuhigo,”:
locally contextualized, identified through a participatory process, compliance
with the national priorities, challenging in nature, it should be SMART, gives
value for money, and innovative, among others.
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CHAP. I INTRODUCTION
1.1. Country Context
Rwanda has been widely praised for the social and economic progress it has made since 2000.
Driven by Vision 2020, Rwanda aims to transform from a poor, post-conflict country to a
thriving, socially inclusive middle income country by 2020. The Government has put in practice
its development strategy through a series of implementation plans, the Poverty Reduction
Strategic Paper (PRSP, 2002), the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy
(EDPRS-1, 2008) and is currently implementing its second generation of EDPRS.
Since 2000 Rwanda has achieved strong economic growth with per capita GDP increasing from
$226 in 2000 to $605 in 2012 (Figure 1) and significant poverty reduction as well as improved
food security (Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning 2013). Achieving the objectives of
EDPRS-2 is guided by five principles. The first is the need to be innovative and develop new
initiatives and strategies. The second is, while focusing on emerging priorities captured in the
thematic areas, to continue to invest in foundation areas such as health and education. The third
is to be inclusive of all stakeholders at all levels inside and outside of government. The fourth is
recognising that there will need for development plans at the district level and strong linkages
between district plans and EDPRS-2 and Sector Strategic Plans. The fifth is to ensure that
sustainability is built into all development programmes.
Figure 1. GDP Per Capita 2003-2012 US$
GPD Per Capita (USD)
1400
1240
1200
1000
800
600
400
333
242 289
220
206
212
225
200
0
391
595
480 520 540
605
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Source: GDP National Account 20091; NISR 2012b; NIRS 2013
1
http://statistics.gov.rw Last accessed 04/04/2013.
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2020
Also inbuilt in the EDPRS are the mid-term and end of period evaluations through tracking
indicators, targets, and processes at national and district levels. Accordingly, the end of period
evaluation of EDPRS-1 revealed the following:
1.
Limited expertise in result based management and development of monitoring
indicators
2.
Inadequate skills in conducting evaluations with greater focus placed on the monitoring
function
3.
Insufficient focus on policy research and preparation of policy briefs
4.
Lack of a national monitoring and evaluation policy and consistent reporting
5.
Insufficient capacities at decentralized level on Results Based Management (RBM) and
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E).
Underway since 2013, the implementation of EDPRS-2 aims at overcoming some of these
obstacles at both the Central and Local government levels. The impetus for continuous
improvement informs Imihigo in their objective for fast-tracking, and domesticating,
development priorities at the district level, as well as the spirit for an exercise as this aimed at
examining the extent to which Imihigo are responding to citizen needs. As such, districts are
expected to engage with the citizens in design, implementation, monitoring, and assessment of
progress and impacts made.
1.2. The Concept of Imihigo
Imihigo is a performance management tool whereby most government ministers on behalf of
their ministries and all the district mayors, and the mayor of the City of Kigali, on behalf of
citizens sign a performance contract with His Excellence The President of Rwanda every year.
The initiation of Imihigo was intended to accelerate the achievements of government
development programmes and priorities. The government decentralisation policy that was
launched in 2000 required a greater level of accountability. The policy, therefore, had as its
main objective to make public agencies and institutions more effective and accountable in their
implementation of national programs and accelerate the socioeconomic development agenda.
The districts are responsible for implementing programs under this broad agenda while Central
Government assumes the task for planning and facilitating. Planning ensures that national
objectives of growth and poverty reduction are attained. The decentralisation policy is also
designed to deepen and sustain grassroots-based democratic governance and to promote
equitable local development by enhancing citizen participation and strengthening the local
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government system, while maintaining effective functional and mutually accountable linkages
between Central and Local Governments entities (MINALOC 2012). This entails enhancing
citizens’ participation, promoting the culture of accountability, fast-tracking and sustaining
equitable local development as a mechanism to enhance local fiscal autonomy, employment and
poverty reduction and enhancing effectiveness and efficiency in the planning, monitoring, and
delivery of services. The principle of subsidiary underpins the decentralisation policy, which is
designed to ensure transparency and accountability for local service delivery through citizen
participation in planning as well as civil society and faith-based organisations, the private sector
and development partners.
Imihigo are used across government as performance contracts to ensure accountability. All
levels of government from the local district level to ministries and embassies are required to
develop their Imihigo and to have them evaluated. Further, members of the public service also
sign Imihigo with their managers or heads of institutions. In this sense, Imihigo is a subset of a
district’s action plan showing priority activities to be used as a performance measure. District
Development Plans are designed to locally contextualize EDPRS-2 priorities in order to address
the needs of the local population. Districts are held accountable by the government for meeting
targets through the Imihigo performance contracts which the mayor signs with HE the
President on behalf of all citizens living in the district.
Partnership between the government and local communities is seen as essential to building
confidence in government and enabling ordinary Rwandans to take responsibility for their own
development. Residents are mobilised via sectors, cells and villages to contribute to the
realisation of the targets but local government is also answerable to local residents for the
quality of service that they deliver.
At its inception, a limited evaluation process took place between 2006 and 2009 whereby the
best ten performing Districts from across the nation were reviewed, two from each province
and the City of Kigali. Ever since, the Imihigo evaluations have been expanded as noted above
and have come to symbolise the tradition of accountability. The evaluation exercise is significant
because the government of Rwanda assesses the degree to which ministry and district priorities
and targets are realised against their Imihigo.
Over time, Imihigo have become institutionalised as a means to keep local leaders accountable
to their communities and the Government. It is a means of planning to accelerate the progress
towards economic development and poverty reduction and is designed to: speed up the
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implementation of government policies and programs; ensure stakeholder and citizen
ownership of the development agenda; promote transparency and accountability; and
encourage partnership between government, development partners, community based
organisations and the private sector. It is a compact between all Rwandans, public sector
institutions, public sector employees and citizens whereby they commit themselves to make the
best contribution they can towards the development of the country by agreeing on what they
will achieve. The performance targets are based on government priorities designed to drive
forward the development process and achieve Vision 2020. Central government ministries’ and
district councils’ performance targets are identified the outcomes for the districts are
announced at the National Dialogue Council. This process is designed to ensure that government
policies and priorities are implemented and there is a strong incentive in place for good
performance.
While Imihigo has undoubtedly played a significant role in the development progress that has
been achieved since 2006 (Byamukama and Makonnen 2010; Gatari 2013; Scher 2010;
Versailles 2012) a number of concerns have been expressed. Despite the importance of Imihigo
implementing national priorities the EDPRS-1 evaluation (Ministry of Finance 2012; Ministry of
Local Government 2012) concluded that to some extent there was a lack of synergy between
national priorities and local development plans. It was clear that there were some weaknesses
and perhaps break downs in the planning chains as is also noted in the 2012/13 evaluation of
Districts Imihigo (Ministry of Local Government 2013). This has made the tracking of progress
towards the desired outcomes somewhat challenging.
There have been challenges in data quality management and insufficient technical skills in M&E
in local government and central government (Byamukama and Makonnen 2010; Gatari 2013).
Baseline, targets and indicators have been not clearly defined to inform on output indicators
(Byamukama and Makonnen 2010; Gatari 2013; Versailles 2012). However, once continuously
improve, Imihigo is a best tool to accelerate socio-economic development and will be able to
play more significant role in the implementation of EDPRS 2 targets and realisation of vision
2020.
1.3. The importance of the planning and Implementing Imihigo
Given a properly constructed contract and operational plan and a simple but adequate records
system, evaluation is simply a matter of comparing outputs to targets – perhaps with some
negotiation as to whether a given target may be excluded because failure to achieve it was out of
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the control of the district or ministry in question. It is when the plan and contract are being
drawn up that careful thought and scrutiny are needed:
(1) Are the targets so organised that it is clear what measure should be used to assess
success and what level of performance is to be expected? Is there a baseline to help
establish what level of performance can be expected? (‘Open-ended’ commitments that
depend on the ministry identifying classes of case whose numbers are not known in
advance and then claiming success for dealing with them might be part of the assessable
operational plan but should have no place in imihigo).
(2) Are the actions to be taken clear, and is it clear what counts as a separate action?
(3) For the Imihigo contract, are the outcomes which the ministry is committed to
furthering clearly linked with an EDPRS2 priority or some other government policy or
commitment?
(4) Are the target outputs which they are committed to delivering clearly and logically
linked to the outcome they represent – is there good reason to believe that taking action
to deliver these outputs will make the achievement of the outcome more likely?
(5) Are the commitments realistic, in the light of available human and financial resource and
the extent to which their achievements depend on factors outside the District or
Ministry’s control?
Imihigo are the result of a participatory process of identifying priorities from the grass roots to
the national level. Imihigo are developed through a number of stages:
Step I: identification of National Priorities
Identification of national priorities: Based on EDPRS-2 as well as 7YR Government
priorities, each line ministry identifies national priorities to be implemented at the local
level for which they have earmarked resources that they will transfer to local
governments.
Central Government consolidates the priorities paying special attention to quick wins,
synergy and avoiding unnecessary duplication.
Step2: Communication of National Priorities to Local Government
List of central government priorities are communicated and discussed with local
government leaders in the Forum of Central and Local Government.
Step 3: Identification of Local Priorities
Districts consult their district development partners (DDPs) and consultative meetings
are held at the different local authority levels (district, sector, cell, village) to discuss and
consolidate emerging priorities.
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Step4: Preparation and Approval of District Imihigo
District level consultations with DDPs to integrate local priorities and national priorities
as communicated in the Forum of Central and Local Government.
Consolidation of national and local priorities at district level and discussion of draft
Imihigo.
Discussion of draft district Imihigo with Quality Assurance Technical Team (Prime
Minister’s Office, Ministry of Local Government and Ministry of Finance and Local
Government.
Presentation of priorities to stakeholders.
Approval of Imihigo.
1.4. Monitoring and Evaluation of Imihigo
The outcome of the evaluation has been an overall score for each district based on the extent to
which targets across the three pillars, economic development, social development and
governance have been achieved. Although information on process, innovation and challenges
has been collected it is not used in calculating the scores.
The overall planning instruments are Vision 2020 and EDPRS-2 so the targets for and outputs
from Imihigo are expected to be in line with these documents and support the driving forward
of the development process. During the development of Imihigo each output is linked to an
indicator, a target and an output. These are expected to be consistent with national targets and
district plans.
1.5. Evaluation of Imihigo as a Performance Management Tool
The Imihigo should flow from EDPRS-2 priorities and the districts strategic plans. They should
also meet the needs of residents and other stakeholders and be designed and implemented so
that it encourages good performance by staff. Imihigo can also be thought of as a contract
between local government and citizens where each pledges to play their role and they therefore
have the potential to transform the relationship between citizens and the state.
Previously, the evaluation of Imihigo was based on the extent to which targets have been met
(effectiveness) based on information provided by the districts. Although there were spot checks
carried out, other factors including the following were not given adequate consideration:
1. Citizen satisfaction including the extent to which central government consider
that the targets are priorities derived from EDPRS-2 etc., that district residents
agree that the targets are based on priorities that meet local needs or that the
outcomes have improved the lives of residents;
2. Ensuring that targets are relevant to the district and that the district is focusing
on the contribution that it is best placed to make to the overall achievement of
the country’s social and economic development;
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3. Process including the consultations undertaken with different stakeholders
(central government, JADF, district council members, residents, council
employees) and communication of the agreed Imihigo;
4. The contextualisation of the targets in the district development and
operationalization plans.
Outputs were the end product of a process. However, in order to ensure the sustainability of
Imihigo and continuous improvement, it is necessary to evaluate the process and the outcomes.
It is only when we link inputs with process, outputs and outcomes that we can see how inputs
led to outputs and outcomes and the steps that a district may need to take across a number of
years to achieve the intended outcomes in a sustainable way. Further examining the process
leads to understanding why outputs were not fully achieved or achieved in the most efficient
and effective manner and put in place remediation strategies. The following Figure (2) depicts a
true picture of the relationship between inputs, outputs, and outcomes.
Figure 2. Relationship between inputs, outputs and outcomes
Imihigo
Targets
Processes

Resources
Inputs
Outputs
Outcomes
1.6. Objectives of Imihigo Evaluation
The main objective of this exercise was to assess the processes from the planning to the
implementation/execution stage for all entities that signed a performance contract with His
Excellence The President and come up with a set of recommendations to address potential gaps
in the Imihigo process.
1.7 Rationale of the evaluation
As a performance management tool, Imihigo are designed to accelerate the achievement of
national development priorities with special focus at the local government. Their use is
primarily intended to facilitate district leadership to respond to local development needs while
remaining aligned to broader national development goals. Further, Imihigo can also be thought
of as a contract between local government and citizens where each pledges to play their role. It,
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therefore, has the potential to transform the relationship between citizens and the state, where
citizens become active partners in the development processes. In this regard, the evaluation is a
means to ensuring that development achievement are on track.
More specifically, findings from this evaluation of Imihigo are expected to inform the
Government of Rwanda in regards to:
Performance: Provide feedback on the delivery of outputs and the impact these have had on the
lives of the intended beneficiaries.
Accountability: Whether public spending is addressing the appropriate priorities and whether it
is making a difference in the lives of citizens.
Knowledge: Increasing knowledge about what policies and programmes work, enabling the
government at central and local levels to build an evidence base for future policy development
and enabling the identification of innovative ways of increasing effectiveness.
Decision-making: Providing evidence to enable policy-makers, planners and finance
departments to judge the merit or worth of an intervention.
Co-ordination:
Identifying
key
stakeholders
expected
to
be
involved
in
specific
areas/programs/projects and the extent to which they actually participated and how they were
coordinated.
Beneficiaries’ satisfaction: The extent to which beneficiaries are happy with the different
Government interventions and the extent to which they were consulted.
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CHAP. II METHODOLOGY
This chapter gives details of how the evaluation was conducted. In this regard, it defines the
approach used and the processes and methods employed to gather information, the sampling
process, and it provides quality assurance measures, among other methodological aspects.
2.1. Approach
The nature of the evaluation dictated the use of both qualitative and quantitative evaluation
approaches. For this reason, the evaluation combined a number of techniques for data collection
namely the desk research, audit, a survey and interviews with key or expert informants (mainly
government officials). It considered the synergy between district performance targets and
national priorities, and the extent to which local communities are able to articulate their needs
and to participate in the development of Imihigo targets. The appraisal also took into
consideration how local communities contribute in the implementation of Imihigo targets and
how they are benefiting from them. The evaluation linked the dissemination of priorities from
central government to districts to local communities and then back through village councils, to
cells and sectors and to districts where it informs the content and the process of Imihigo. The
approach was participatory in nature. Key district stakeholders participated in this evaluation.
Their views were taken into account in the construction of both the balanced scorecard.
The evaluation was conducted at both the national and local levels. At the national level,
attention was placed on 18 government ministries that sign Imihigo. At the local level, the
country’s 30 districts and the City of Kigali both of which sign Imihigo directly with the H.E. Paul
Kagame were evaluated. At each level, evaluators carried out an audit of Imihigo targets against
outputs, interviewed a range of stakeholders, held Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and
conducted perception surveys with a range of stakeholders and beneficiaries.
At the central government level, evaluators assessed Imihigo of each ministry and used a
qualitative approach to ascertain the views of senior ministry officials on the identification,
prioritisation, planning and implementation of the district Imihigo. The interview guides were
designed in ways that cover 2013-2014 priorities on key EDPRS 2 thematic areas, the
7YGovernment Program, MDGs, the resolutions of the December 2012 National Dialogue
Council and the 2013 Government Leadership Retreat.
At district level, members of the District Executive Committee (DEC), the District Council (CD)
and the Joint Action Development Forum (JADF) were interviewed. As part of the audit intended
9|Page
to verify claimed achievements, evaluators paid spot-check visits using a probability sample of
outputs to confirm or raise questions on such claims. In addition, evaluators conducted FGDs
with a sample of village leaders and citizens.
2.2. The Evaluation Process
The rigour of the evaluation of the 2013-2014 Imihigo can be discerned from the following key
stages that it passed through:

Exploration phase: examining existing literate for the philosophy that informs the
concept of Imihigo, the development context in which it operates, as well as the existing
challenges in their implementation

Preparation of evaluation tools and methodology design: after literature review, the
evaluation team developed evaluation instruments in accordance with the objectives of
the assignment

Field work: Gathering of primary data. This involved mainly perception survey with
citizens, interviews of officials, office audits, and spot-checks, among others.

Data analysis: Providing meaning for the data collected in line with the stated objectives.
This involved the use of SPSS for quantitative data analysis and thematic grouping for
qualitative data analysis.

Drafting: The presentation of results in a coherent document with meaningful
information in relation to the objectives for evaluating the Imihigo.

Presentation: Sharing of the evaluation findings with the technical team with the
purpose of receiving input aimed at improving the final report.
2.3. Data Collection Methods
Evaluators used a range of methods to collect data, both qualitative and quantitative. Tools used
included audit instruments and interview guides, FGD checklists and face-to-face administered
questionnaires. Each of these tools corresponds to specific objectives of the evaluation and
evaluators were able to triangulate data collection techniques to improve the quality of findings.
2.3.1 Audit of district Imihigo
At each ministry, district and the City of Kigali, a full audit of their 2013-14 Imihigo was
systematically carried out. The purpose of the audit was to capture the status of implementation
of Imihigo. In each district, a probability sample of targets was selected for spot-checks to
compare the progress in the field with the progress reported. Spot-checks included, for example,
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checking the sites of consolidated land, water pipelines laid, and so on. During the audit
particular attention was paid to the extent to which:

District targets are aligned with national development priorities as sustained by
major development frameworks such as Vision 2020, EDPRS, MDGs, etc.;

Planned outputs are achieved

The outputs have the potential for transformation;

The solutions are innovative to achieve meaningful outcomes;

Supporting documents are available and the quality and accuracy of information
provided, etc.
2.3.2. Key Informant Interviews
At each district and sample ministries, evaluators conducted a number of key informant
interviews where questions about the process of developing and implementing Imihigo, and the
reasons for setting particular targets were asked. Interviews also covered the role of the various
stakeholders in the entire Imihigo process. In addition, interviews sought to identify challenges
related to the implementation of Imihigo performance contracts. In total, group interviews were
conducted with 1,020 resource persons. Indicatively, the interviews covered the following
areas:

The process of developing Imihigo, their implementation, and the expected outcomes;

The extent to which Imihigo fits into the district/ministry development plans and the
sustainability of outputs;

The implementation and monitoring mechanisms of Imihigo;

What targets respondents think are potentially transformative;

What areas they think are hard to tackle and are not being adequately addressed;

Challenges that they faced in developing and implementing Imihigo in 2013/14 and
those that they face more generally.
Among key interviewees were the following: Mayors, Vice Mayors, Executive Secretaries,
members of District Councils, members of JADF, and Village leaders.
2.3.3. Focus Group Discussions
To augment the information gathered from the desk review, interviewees, and audits, the Focus
Group Discussions (FGDs) made it possible to engage and gain collective memories in open
dialogue with Imihigo beneficiaries at the lowest administrative level. The objective of such
discussions was to ascertain the involvement of households and authorities in the process of
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developing Imihigo at the lowest administrative levels. Accordingly, FGDs were held with
ordinary citizens, village leaders, district executive committee and council members, and with
JADF staff. In total, 370 focus group discussions were held countrywide. On average, five to six
people participated in each FGD, making it a total ranging between 1850 and 2220 participants.
The content of the discussions covered different thematic areas of Imihigo:

General knowledge about Imihigo;

Level of involvement of various stakeholders in the preparation of Imihigo;

How the implementation is monitored;

Whether targets respond to local development priorities;

How the relevant category under consideration finds out what the priorities are and if
they have any opportunity to say what they would like included in the district Imihigo;
and

What they consider as implementation challenges.
2.3.4 Satisfaction Surveys
Perception and satisfaction surveys were conducted to gather information on developing and
implementing Imihigo. Stakeholders participated in the surveys, responding to a number of
questions in accordance with their respective areas of interventions. Also factored was the
Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) Citizen Report Card2 on satisfaction with service delivery as
recommended by Resolution 14 of the 2014 Leadership Retreat.
More precisely, the following categories were covered by the survey:

Employees at the district level;

District Council Members;

District Executive Committee Members;

And JADF members
2.4. Scoring of Imihigo Outputs
Contrary to the purely output based scoring (used in past imihigo evaluations), which
considers all items on the performance contract to require the same resources (skills,
commitment, time, budget, mobilization efforts, etc) for implementation, this evaluation
introduces a new approach: the “Balanced scorecard” in scoring. This approach assigns
2
Citizen report card focuses on the extent to which citizens in different districts are satisfied by service delivery on
following nine indicators: Education, Agriculture and Livestock, Local Government, Justice, Infrastructure, Health,
Economic welfare, Land and Governance issues.
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weights based on the disparity in resources required to achieve a set target. It considers
the quality of documentation provided against which achievements are claimed, the
accuracy of the information, the clarity (coherence) of the content (objective, output,
baseline, targets, and achievements) of each item, as well as the extent to which the item
is challenging in terms invested efforts and most importantly whether it contributes to
local and national development goals. This led to a decision for attributing different
weights as summarised in the table below: minimal, moderate, greater (based on the
extent to which an output contributes to district and national development goals): Each
item was measured against these criteria and assigned scores in relation to its
achievement status.
Furthermore, the balanced scored card also incorporates a number of factors (Figure 3):
Citizen Satisfaction – as indicator of utility, effectiveness and impact. It is based on
individual testimonies and success stories of beneficiaries and other stakeholders, JADF
evaluation as a measure of relevance and utility; Employee measure (satisfaction,
turnover,…) as one indicator of sustainability; Spot-check score as a physical
verification of the status of reported achievements. Incorporating these elements has
increased the percentage assigned to the governance and justice pillar from the 10
percent used in previous evaluations to 20 percent. The balanced scorecard finally
considers the findings from the Citizen Report Card conducted by the RGB as
recommended in the resolutions of the last Leadership Retreat. This is assigned 10
percent of the overall performance score.
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Table 1. Criteria for weighting Imihigo
Criteria
Range in %
Explanatory notes
Extent to which Imihigo Contribute towards achieving national Development Agenda (
70%)
Minimal
1-20
Minimal contribution to DDP and EDPRS priorities,
requires negligible efforts, can be classified as
routine activity, can be achieved in short period with
minimal resources, does imply specific skills and
capacities.
Moderate
21-50
Moderate or reasonable contribution to DDP and
EDPRS priorities. Its achievement requires
reasonable efforts (time, financial resources, skills,
mobilization…)
Greater
51-70
Greater contribution to DDP and EDPRS priorities.
Its achievement requires significant efforts (time,
financial resources, skills, mobilization…)
Availability of the documentation and quality of information provided (30%)
Poor documentation and poor 1-5
information
Provided documentation is insufficient or no
supporting documents.
Partial documentation but with 6-19
quality
information,
Relationship
between
measurements
Fair part of the documentation is provided with
quality information.
Full required documentation 20-30
and
quality
information,
Counter verification (M&E)
Significant documentation is available and provide
quality
In the weighted score, the economic pillar contributes 50%, social pillar 30% and the
governance and justice pillar with 20%. In the balanced scorecard, the three pillars account
for 90% of the score, with the remaining 10% accounted by the RGB citizen report card
(Figure 3).
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Figure 3. Balanced Scorecard
Economic
(50%)
Social (30%)
90%
Citizen
Report Card
by RGB
Overall
score
(10%)
Governance
& Justice
(20%)
Source: Own construction
2.5. Quality control measures
Conducting such an evaluation requires a set of measures to assure quality data and
information. For this evaluation, the following activities and measures contributed to the quality
and integrity assurance of the data collection process:
 Development of the evaluation tools and methodology in a participatory way: several
meetings with the technical committee;
 Validation of the inception report by the steering committee;
 Triangulation: use of several techniques to gather maximum information and to
supplement the inherent weaknesses in each approach;
 A training of enumerators on the evaluation instruments;
 A supervision team established to ensure daily follow-up of field evaluation and the
cross-checking of the questionnaires on field;
 Daily transcriptions and reports in a bid not to overlook important information
 Anonymous questionnaire administered in order to encourage free and open expression
by some of the respondents.
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2.6.
Ethical considerations
This evaluation involved collecting information that some respondents may have a tendency to withhold due
to fear of adverse effects in relation to their employment status. For similar reasons, evaluators were likely to
be exposed to offers of favours from some of the respondents in an effort to influence aspects of the report. For
this purpose, the researchers observed a set of measures to comply with ethical standards
during the whole process of research such as:
 A formal consent from each informant was requested and obtained before interviewing
him or her or engaging in detailed discussions;
 Confidentiality was guaranteed regarding any information given and that it was to be
used exclusively for the purpose of this assignment;
 Anonymity was guaranteed where needed.
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CHAP. III THE NEXUS BETWEEN IMIHIGO AND
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES
The Government of Rwanda (GoR) has identified two key priorities for EDPRS-2: (1)
accelerating sustainable economic growth to an average of 11.5 percent per annum,
essential to meet the target of becoming a middle income economy by 2020, and (2)
accelerating poverty reduction so that the headline poverty figure is below the current
30% percent. To drive these there are four thematic areas to guide policy and
investment decisions: economic transformation, rural development, productivity and
youth employment, and accountable governance.
Under EDPRS economic transformation targets accelerated economic growth, requiring
that the contribution of agriculture to GDP declines as that of the service sector and
industry increased, however, as Figure 3 shows there has been little change in the
relative contribution of each sector since 2008. Furthermore the average growth in each
sector between 2010 and 2013 was well below the average annual growth rate required
to meet the Vision 2020 targets. It was 3.1 per cent in agriculture compared to a target
of 8.5 per cent, 10.5 per cent in industry compared to a target of 14 per cent and seven
per cent in the service sector compared to a target of 13.5 per cent.
Figure 4. Gross Domestic Product by Activity (%) 2006-2013
Agriculture Industry
45
42
38
36
14
2006
14
2007
(Source: NISR 2014)
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2008
Industry
Services
47
47
48
47
46
45
33
34
33
32
33
33
14
13
13
14
14
15
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
3.1. Imihigo Pillars and EDPRS
In this section, details are provided in relation to the links between national
development strategies and the Imihigo in general and the objectives and outputs
therein, with view to determining the extent to which targets are contributing to the
desired socioeconomic progress. Particularly, it provides a discussion of the feedback
loop between EDPRS and the three broad pillars of Imihigo: Economic development,
social development, and governance (including justice).
3.1.1. Economic Transformation and Rural Development
Imihigo, unlike the EDPRS, combine the goals of economic transformation with those of
rural development. This overlap may not be insignificant for purposes of tracking
progress made towards achieving EDPRS through Imihigo. However, their assignment
of a weight of 60 percent means that the framers of Imihigo considered the two themes
as the backbone for socioeconomic transformation and therefore justifying its provision
of the lion share of all Imihigo outputs which average to about 18, 10, and 8 in the
pillars of economic development, governance, and social development, respectively.
Economic Development
The economic development pillar focuses on the agricultural, infrastructure, and
employment and business promotion. Within these, the outputs being implemented at
the district level include key outputs being implemented focus on. Within these are
outputs on land use consolidation, productivity, fish farming production, milk collection
centres, rural settlements, improved infrastructure, the promotion of youth
employment, access to finance, and loan recovery. These outputs and improving the
collection of revenue serve as common development themes for all the 30 districts.
One of the priorities of economic transformation is to increase the domestic
interconnectivity of the economy through investments in hard and soft infrastructure
by meeting energy demands in the country. This is expected to be met through an
increase in electricity generated from 110 Mega Watts in 2012 to 349 Mega Watts
between 2015 and 2016 and a target 563 Mega Watts by 2018 (EDPRS-2). Increases in
the supply of electricity are also expected to spur rural development by increasing the
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number of rural settlements that are able to facilitate access to basic services as well as
increased access to basic infrastructure for rural households. As the number of rural
households living in planned settlements is expected to steadily increase from 37.5% in
2012 to 56% in 2015 and 70% in 2017 as well as an increase in rural households with
access to electricity increasing from 5% in 2012, 50% in 2015 , and 70% in 2017
(EDPRS-2). Data reported during this evaluation shows a 368,855 increase in
households with access to electricity this year alone, a remarkable improvement that
should increase confidence in the likelihood of reaching the 70% target set for 2017.3
Rural Development
The objectives under the theme of rural development are intended to ensure that
poverty is reduced from 44.9 percent in 2010 to 30 percent by 2018 and 20 percent by
2020 (Figure 5 ). It is worth noting that the poverty rate varies significantly between
districts, from 8.3 per cent in Kicukiro to 73 per cent in Nyamagabe while extreme
poverty varies from 2.8 per cent and 45.2 per cent in the same two districts. Since 2000,
Rwanda has achieved sustained poverty reduction, with a significant decline of twelve
percentage points, between 2005/6 and 2010/11, with the sharpest decline being in
rural areas.
Figure 5. Population below the National Poverty Line 1990-2010/11 (%)
Poverty Reduction (%)
70
58.9
60
50
56.7
47.5
44.9
40
30
23.3
20
10
0
1990
2000/1
2005/6
2010/11
2015
Sources: Republic of Rwanda and United Nations 2003; EICV 1, 2, 3.
A key strategy for sustainable poverty reduction is rural development. It pays particular
attention to increased productivity of agriculture, a sector that engages the vast
3
Particularly noting that four districts did not report statistics for access to electricity during this evaluation
19 | P a g e
majority of the population (EDPRS-2). EDPRS objectives are reinforced by the
agricultural sector strategies consisting of programs in: agriculture and animal resource
intensification; research technology transfer and professionalization of farmers; value
chain development and private sector investment; and institutional development,
among others.
Underpinning these objectives for economic transformation and rural development is
the expectation that both can contribute to boosting productivity and youth
employment through focus on developing skills for productive employment particularly
among the youth by creating at least 200,000 new jobs per annum going forwards to
2020. Skills development is expected to be achieved through reforms in the national
education curricula, strengthening the Technical and Vocational Centres (TVET), and
promoting adult literacy. Similarly significant in the area of employment creation is the
ability to stimulate entrepreneurship, access to finance, and business development
(EDPRS-2). This evaluation showed that in 2013-14 achievements in the districts
registered an impressive increase as evidenced by the following indicative figures:
Table 2. Imihigo Indicative achievements for the Economic Pillar (2013-14)
#
Type of achievement
1.
Total area of land consolidated
2.
Total area terraced (progressive and radical
terracing)
3.
Number of cows distributed
4.
Households with access and connection to
electricity
5.
Number of new people with access to water
Estimate
1,369,778.13 (ha)4
47,638 (ha)
33,7155
368,8556
1,449,567
Notes: Estimates obtained from District reports.
4
This figure includes consolidated land in both seasons A and B for all crops under 2013-114 Imihigo. It also includes
intercropped areas that in this case are likely to be double-counted
5 Out of a total of 184,614 cows distributed since program inception in 2006.
6 This figure include both households with access and those newly connected to electricity but does not distinguish
between the two
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3.3. Social Development
One of the priority areas of vision 2020 translated in EDPRS is enhanced social
protection programs that will be achieved through focus on productive and efficient
workforce, essential for Rwanda to become knowledge based economy. For this to
happen, efforts are intended to focus on two main areas: education and health. Further,
it is important that poor and vulnerable people are guaranteed an income and to access
core essential services, as well as ensuring that those who can work are offered support
in their efforts to escape poverty (MINALOC, 2005).
Observation of the national priorities of social development and those in the Imihigo
reveals an alignment that in theory should be mutually supportive. In the social
development pillar of Imihigo the key priorities include improving education and health
infrastructure as well as increasing access in both areas. The key outputs in education
comprise enhancing the quality of education and the multiplication of vocational and
technical training centres (TVET) with the aim of improving access to employment
among the youth through skills development. As for health, key outputs are targeted
towards increased coverage of community health insurance, health hygiene, sanitation
and social facilities and sustaining the fight against malnutrition against children under
five years of age.
Table 3. Imihigo Indicative achievements for the Social Pillar (2013-14)
#
Area of achievement
Estimate
1.
Classrooms built
2,010
2.
School toilets built
2,159
3.
% of people under health insurance scheme
82.4%
4.
% of population covered by MUSA
80.1%
5.
% of women using family planning methods
6.
Number of off-farm jobs created
61%
118,4897
Note: The estimates were obtained from the District reports
Most of these are casual and short term jobs (such as masonry) and due to high mobility of people involved in this types
of jobs, there is a possibility that some people might have been counted more than once
7
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3.4. Good Governance
Good governance has been at the heart of the country’s development strategy. Central to
this has been accountability and citizen participation. Further, increasing citizen
participation ensures ownership and feedback for efficiency and sustainability. It is also
expected to improve through use of “home-grown initiatives.”As revealed by the
Rwanda Governance Scorecard (2012), the average satisfaction expressed by the
citizens in the public service at the national level is 74.9% while it was 77.2% at the
local government level. These findings show that service delivery at local government
has drastically improved from the 64.5% score in 2010. Indeed, if this momentum is
maintained, 2018 EDPRS II target of 80% satisfaction on service delivery will likely be
achieved ahead of time. The innovation of the Imihigo performance contracts partly
explains this accelerated progress in service delivery.
In the governance and justice pillar of Imihigo, the districts commit themselves to
promote access to equitable justice, to enhance accountability and citizen participation,
to promote access to information and social media, to increase skills in public finance
management, to strengthen security, and to promote the quality of service delivery, in
line with the good governance priorities outlined in the 2000 National Decentralisation
Policy, the 7YGovernment Program, EDPRS-2, and Vision 2020.
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Table 4. Imihigo Pillars and the National Development Strategies
Development
Pillar
Economic
EDPRS relevant priority
areas



Economic
Transformation;
Rural Development
Productivity and Youth
Employment
PSTAIII Strategic Programmes




Agriculture
and
animal
intensification;
Research and technology transfer;
Professionalization of farmers;
Agricultural crosscutting issues
Imihigo 2013-2014objectives
resource




Increase agriculture and livestock
production, productivity and value
addition;
Enhance
urbanisation,
rural
settlement
&
sustainable
infrastructure development;
Promote
entrepreneurship
and
business development
Improve
natural
resources
management
for
sustainable
development
Social
Vision 2020/MDGs relevant Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP 2013-2018) Imihigo 2013-2014objectives
priority areas
/Education Sector Policy (2003)/National Social
Protection Strategy
 Universal Education for  To ensure that education is available and  Ensure access to quality education &
all
accessible to all Rwandese people
skills development
 To improve the quality and relevance of
 Focus on vocational and
 Improve access & use of quality health
education
technical training
 To promote the teaching of science and
technology with a special focus on ICT
 Ensure effectiveness of social safety
 To promote trilingualism in the country
 Reduction of infant  To promote an integral, comprehensive
nets for poverty alleviation
mortality rate (from
education orientated towards the respect of
107 to 50 per 1000)
human rights and adapted to the present
situation of the country
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Development
Pillar
Economic
EDPRS relevant priority
areas


Reduction of maternal
mortality rate (from
1,070 to 200 per
100,000)
Increase life expectancy
(from 49 to 55 years)
PSTAIII Strategic Programmes




Good Governance (& justice)
EDPRS relevant
areas



24 | P a g e
Strengthen
participation
demand
accountability
Improve
delivery
To inculcate in children and sensitise them to
the importance of environment, hygiene and
health and protection against HIV/AIDS
To improve the capacity for planning,
management and administration of education
To promote research as a mobilising factor for
national development and harmonise the
research agenda
Ensure universal accessibility (in geographical
and financial terms) of quality of health
services for Rwandans.
priority National Decentralization Policy
citizen
and
for


service


Imihigo 2013-2014objectives
Ensure full participation of citizens
Equip citizens with necessary knowledge and
skills to plan for and manage themselves the
local development processes
Develop ownership of development process
by local populations
Imihigo 2013-2014 objectives


Promote responsible and accountable
governance
CHAP.IV IMIHIGO EVALUATION FINDINGS
This chapter presents findings from the evaluation of Imihigi articulated in the following order:
in the first section are the major achievements of the Imihigo over the FY 2013-2014. In the
second section, is the presentation of Imihigo scorecards using three different approaches. The
third section presents the general challenges faced in the entire Imihigo process.
4.1. Scoring Ministries
Districts’ Imihigo has been evaluated annually by a team of central government officials together
with representatives of the private sector and civil society. Although central government
ministries also sign Imihigo directly with HE the President, as well as the City of Kigali, only
districts have been evaluated by the national evaluation team. The outcome of the evaluation
has been an overall score for each district based on the extent to which targets across the three
pillars, economic development, social development and governance have been achieved.
This year it has been decided that ministries would be scored as part of a wider project on the
imihigo process and how it can be improved. At each ministry a full audit was carried out of
progress towards achieving 2013-14 Imihigo targets, using a template which organises the
activities of the ministry under
The scoring system used scores the individual ministry against the targets in its Imihigo. The 18
ministries are then placed in clusters8 (economic, social, and governance) after which an
average is provided in percentage terms reflecting how the ministries in a particular cluster
performed in Imihigo.
8
These were determined by the evaluation team and may defer from the traditional clusters used by the
government.
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Table 5. Economic, Social and Governance and Justice Clusters
Economic Cluster
Social Cluster
Ministry of Finance and Economic
Planning (MINECOFIN)
Ministry
(MINEDUC)
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal
Resources (MINAGRI)
Ministry of Health (MoH)
Ministry of
(MININTER)
Ministry
of
(MINIRENA)
Resources
Ministry of Gender and Family
Promotion (MIGEPROF)
Ministry of Justice (MINIJUST)
Infrastructure
Ministry
for
Disaster
Management and Refugee Affairs
(MIDIMAR)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Cooperation (MINAFET)
Ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT)
Ministry of Sports and Culture
(MINISPOC)
Ministry of Defense (MINADEF)
Ministry of
(MINICOM)
Ministry of Public Service and
Labor (MIFOTRA)
Ministry
(MININFRA)
Natural
of
Trade
and
Industry
of
Governance
Cluster
Education
and
Ministry of Local Government
(MINALOC)
Internal
Ministry of East African Community
(MINIEAC)
Figure 6. Average Score per cluster (Economic, Social and Governance and Justice)
Cluster average perfomance (%)
69
68.4
68
67
66.5
66
64.9
65
64.6
64
63
62
Economic
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Social
Governance and
Justice
Justice
Overall average
performance
Security
Source: Own construction based on the evaluation
Overall, the 18 ministries evaluated performed at a 66.5 percent average level. When
considered along the clusters to which they belong, the ministries in the governance and justice
cluster performed better (68.4%) than those in the social (64.6%) and Economic (64.9%)
clusters. What may appear as underperformance by the economic cluster is likely explained by
the nature of the outputs that the concerned ministries focus on. Some of these such as road
construction, agricultural mechanisation, irrigation, etc., require a significant amount of
resources.
While they have the highest multiplier effects for socioeconomic transformation, they require
the coordination with a number of stakeholders in efforts geared at resource mobilisation.
Further, some of the major projects in that cluster require joint planning and implementation
with external partners, sometimes countries. Under such conditions, it means that the
ministries in these clusters do not have full control over implementation. This may be
contrasted with ministries in the best performing cluster (governance and justice) where
implementation is for the most part fully under the control of the concerned ministries.
Consequently, the extent of resource mobilisation and coordination required is within the
cluster.
Two related challenges were noticed in the Imihigo of the Ministries: coordination and
duplication. There is a tendency for more than one ministry to target the same output. In such a
case, it is not clear which ministry plays which role in its realisation. An example is an output on
Television penetration in the public which may be found in the Imihigo of the Ministries of ICT
and MINALOC, or when the Ministry of Justice and that of Sports and Culture share the output of
conducting a research on a particular topic of mutual interest.
Also problematic is that more than 75% of targets in the Ministry Imihigo are not met on time.
Structured along quarters, most of the targets are not delivered in the quarter in which it was
intended. Delays suggest issues in their planning, monitoring and evaluation systems. Similarly,
some ministries have reporting challenges. This challenge is most prevalent in outputs that are
implemented in partnership with externals partners, such as the World Bank or UNDP. In such
arrangements, the ministry may keep records for only the portion of the task it implemented
and tracking the remaining part becomes difficult.
Also problematic is the tendency for ministries to have soft targets in their Imihigo, with tasks
such as organising a conference, sending invitations, procuring a venue broken down under
27 | P a g e
separate items of Imihigo when at best they should be combined into one. The same is true in an
output of conducting a research that is then subdivided into validating an inception report,
organising a seminar, etc. Finally the Imihigo of the Ministries suffer from a practice of shifting
priorities. What is considered a priority changes and is replaced by another, thus making it
difficult to monitor progress in regards to such targets.
4.2. The District Scorecards: Imihigo Achievements for 2013-2014
This section presents the findings from the audit of the FY 2013-2014 Imihigo. It
provides scores from the three pillars of Imihigo as how these inform the balanced
scorecard, itself based on a weighting technique that takes into account a number of
criteria: the availability of supporting documentations, the quality of information
provided, and whether the item listed in the Imihigo responds to national development
objectives outlined EDPRS and Vision 2020. The balanced approach further considers
the satisfaction of key stakeholders (JADF, District Council, district employees, and the
beneficiaries) in the entire process: design, implementation, and evaluation.
Table 6. Results from the Scorecard for Economic, Social and Governance and Justice Pillars
District
Bugesera
Burera
Gakenke
Gasabo
Gatsibo
Gicumbi
Gisagara
Huye
Kamonyi
Karongi
Kayonza
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Performance
Performance
Scores for
Scores for
Economic pillar Social pillar
Performance
Scores for
Governance and
Justice Pillar
Rate (%)
Rate (%)
Rate (%)
76
72.3
76.2
71
74.2
76.1
75
78.4
76.3
77.1
77.3
71.7
73.5
69.6
71.9
68.4
74.8
77.7
75.7
71.7
68.9
70.7
73.8
72.9
75.8
73
72.2
69.3
69.5
71
76.8
76.4
76.2
Overall district
performance
Rate (%)
Rank
74.38
73.38
74.15
71.64
70.74
74.29
75.12
75.68
73.86
74.59
75.17
13
20
15
28
30
14
7
4
16
11
6
District
Kicukiro
Kirehe
Muhanga
Musanze
Ngoma
Ngororero
Nyabihu
Nyagatare
Nyamagabe
Nyamasheke
Nyanza
Nyarugenge
Nyaruguru
Rubavu
Ruhango
Rulindo
Rusizi
Rutsiro
Rwamagana
Performance
Performance
Scores for
Scores for
Economic pillar Social pillar
77.4
75
75
70.1
78
77.8
76.5
77
75.7
76.7
77
75.4
76.1
76.2
74.9
76.7
77.5
76.9
71.4
74.7
74.7
69.7
74.5
70.7
77
67.9
76.2
74.7
74.7
74.7
73.7
74.7
66.6
67.7
62.8
73.7
67.3
70.7
Performance
Scores for
Governance and
Justice Pillar
77.3
76.3
72.5
72.2
74.2
72
72.1
72.7
74.1
75.5
74.9
75
76.2
71.7
75.4
73.6
75.5
74.8
70
Overall district
performance
76.12
75.59
72.21
71.73
75.85
75.7
72.91
74.7
73.31
73.68
75.11
73.48
74.68
71.81
72.09
71.82
74.54
73.64
71.6
1
5
23
27
2
3
22
9
21
17
8
19
10
26
24
25
12
18
29
The tradition of Imihigo has brought about tremendous achievements in Rwanda. These
achievements are noticeable in all the three development pillars of Imihigo namely
economic, social, and governance (including justice). While challenges persist,
suggesting room for improvement, the achievements thus far lead to the conclusion that
Imihigo are an effective tool for local development and socioeconomic transformation.
The table below illustrates some key positive developments brought about by Imihigo
for the period 2013-2014.
From the Table (6) above, it is clear that the general rankings reflect the performance of
a district against some of the key priorities in both the District Development Plans and
EDPRS-2. Differential positions reflect district performance against each output in the
economic pillar and how that output contributes to national priorities. Within each
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output, all districts may have the same targets. However, some district may perform
better than another. For instance, performance against the target of road construction
depends on the level of completion as well as the size (length) of the road completed,
such as two districts both targeting road construction with one completing only 50%.
The best performing districts in the economic pillar are those that performed well in
infrastructure development as well as in agriculture development. Those districts were
able to provide water and electricity to a large number of people as well as building
feeder roads connecting a sizeable population. In agriculture, the districts that
performed better than others invested in irrigation, mechanisation, and agro processing
intended for value addition in agricultural production. Similarly, excellent performance
in crop production and post harvest facilities raised the scores of some districts. The
Girinka programme and its multiplier effects in terms of reduction in malnutrition and
its use for manure also raised points for some districts.
Also significant in
distinguishing districts was the extent to which districts were able to provide jobs to a
sizeable number of people. Again, while most districts may have these as targets, the
extent to which these targets were reached counted most in the scoring.
In the social pillar, some districts performed better than others in the construction of
schools and health facilities. Scores also reflected the extent to which districts provided
support for vulnerable groups, and whether beneficiaries turned into income
generating activities also helped raise scores for some districts. Similarly, some districts
had more effective programs for fighting malnutrition than others as did those for
sensitising or promoting maternal health.
In governance, mobilisation and sensitisation of citizens towards development
programmes as outlined in the social sector contributed to scores earned by districts.
Higher scores were earned by districts’ efforts in service delivery, activities related to
security, and how accountable they are to the beneficiaries. Overall, most districts had
these indicators in their Imihigo but were separated in scores by the extent to which
targets were delivered. The following Figure 5 depicts the overall performance score at
district level while Table (6) gives a summary of indicative achievements in Imihigo for
the period 2013-2014.
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Figure 7. Overall Performance of the Districts
Overall Score (%)
77.0
76.1
76.0
75.8 75.7 75.7
75.6
75.2 75.1 75.1
75.0
74.0
73.0
72.0
71.0
70.0
69.0
68.0
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74.7 74.7 74.6 74.5
74.4 74.3
74.2
73.9 73.7
73.6 73.5
73.4 73.3
72.9
72.2 72.1
71.8 71.8 71.7 71.6
71.6
70.7
Table 7. Indicative Imihigo achievements (2013-14)
Economic
Development Pillar
1.
Created
employment
opportunities
2.
Increased access
to infrastructure
facilities
Increased sense
of accountability
among leaders
3.
4.
5.
9
Indicator
Achievement
Since the decentralization policy in 2000 and more particularly since the inception
of the Imihigo tradition in 2006, district and other local government entities have
initiated development programs. The implementation of these programs has
created opportunities for employment creation for citizens mostly in infrastructure
projects such as in construction of roads, schools, and health facilities.. In FY 201314, a total of 118489 Rwandans benefited from employment opportunities,
according to district reports.9
One of the outstanding achievements of Imihigo is expanding access of households
to water and electricity. Figures from the evaluation indicate that In FY 2013-14
368,855 and 1,449,567 households got access to electricity and water, respectively.
Imihigo is a contract between the President and district leaders. As such, it sets
grounds against which development and accountability are measured. It is an
aspect of positive competition where leaders are focused on delivering a set of
targets since they understand that they are accountable for what they promise to
deliver. It is worth noting that in the past such practices of accountability were nonexistent and are an innovation of post-genocide leadership that places a premium
on accountability and the obligation to deliver.
Strengthened
The Imihigo tradition has strengthened the culture of planning at both the local
culture
of administration entities and at the household level. Households are also
planning
progressively building that culture of planning that is important for self sustenance,
kwigira. Overall, there is noticeable progress in planning of Imihigo at district level,
more efforts are to be made at lower levels of local administrative entities and the
household.
Public
Private Rwanda’s good governance strategy identifies public private partnerships as a key
Four districts did not include job creation in their Imihigo of FY 2013-14.
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Partnership
(PPP)
pillar for sustainable development. Through Imihigo, public private partnerships
are becoming an important vehicle for socioeconomic transformation. They
facilitate coordination and synergy and enhance engagement, important elements
for achieving a common purpose.
For instance, according to respondents, when an entrepreneur understands that his
targets are part of the district Imihigo, significant energies are spent ensuring that
the targets are implemented, with the understanding that failure impacts the image
of the entire district. It thus, facilitates enhanced drive/commitment.
6.
7.
8.
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Increased
participation
citizens
development
Previously considered as passive beneficiaries of government goodwill, citizens
of were often left out of planning processes and therefore little regard for their real
in needs and priorities. This led to minimal ownership of local development projects.
With Imihigo, considerable efforts to involve citizens in the planning and
implementation of development projects/programs were noticed. Yet, some areas
need to be sustained for more benefits in the future (e.g. in setting development
priorities and putting in place mechanisms).
Home-grown
The involvement of citizens in the Imihigo process has to some extent motivated
solutions
and them in regards to the value of innovation. Itself a home-grown solution, the
innovation
success of Imihigo enables citizens to appreciate the innovative potential in regards
to responding to problems in their communities. The 2013-14 evaluation noticed
encouraging innovations linked to Imihigo practices. For instance, the E-kaye is
becoming an effective tool for cataloguing citizen dissatisfaction/complaints. It is
an electronic tool whereby citizens directly register their complaints in order to
facilitate their resolution by local authorities.
A similar initiative is “Maman Lumiere”. This is a practice aimed at fighting
malnutrition. Women gather in the communities where a knowledgeable resource
person (usually an elder mother) provides them with insights on how to prepare a
balanced diet, for instance. Maman Lumiere has particularly targeted fighting
childhood nutrition in the local communities.
Thinking Big
The culture of Imihigo has raised citizen expectations in terms of development
targets. As such, Imihigo are quickly becoming drivers for great ambitions. Field
9.
10.
10
visits and discussions with citizens revealed that the demands from the population
have graduated from minor items10 such as school uniforms and materials (pens,
pencils, and excise books) to bigger items such as demanding for things such as
feeder roads, access to markets, electricity and water, among other things.
Contributed to EICV 3 indicated a tremendous decrease of 12 percent points in poverty and that
poverty
sharp decreases were mainly in the rural areas. The decrease in poverty is related
reduction
& to an increase in food security and the rise in outputs in rural development,
improved living particularly in the agricultural sector. Those achievements are somewhat linked to
conditions
increases in areas of land consolidated (1,488,581 hectares) and terraced (47,638
hectares) in FY 2013-14.
Improved
Service Delivery
Imihigo targets have set service delivery as one of the priority areas of good
governance. In regards to citizen satisfaction in service delivery, the EDPRS target
is at 80% by 2018. In 2012, the level of citizen satisfaction in service delivery at the
local government level was at 77.2%, according to RGB. If the momentum is
maintained, it is likely that EDPRS targets will be achieved ahead of time.
A respondent in Ruhango referred to such minute things as “Ubwajaba.”
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4.3. Imihigo Challenges
Despite the achievements, the evaluation observed a number of challenges in the way
targets are set against a given output and therefore how to interpret the achievements.
4.3.1. Across pillars: Measurements, Recording, and Reporting
One of the objectives under the economic development pillar is to increase agriculture
and livestock production, productivity and value addition. The main issue involved in
items under this objective has to do with inconsistent measurements. Consideration of
two outputs can illustrate this problem: land consolidation and productivity. The
evaluation noticed that under land consolidation some cultivated areas were double
counted due to intercropping. On its own this is not a problem; however, double
counting distorts the actual area under consolidation. Measurements for productivity
also proved problematic. In some districts, for instance, information provided on this
measure was gathered from “model farmers.” This practice distorts the true picture of
productivity levels on the average since the model farmer cannot be considered to be
representative of the average farmer in the district. Related challenges make it difficult
for cross district comparison, which would require standardising measurement criteria.
A related challenge was uncovered in livestock production. The output of insemination of cows
has a significant number of districts basing their count on the number of cows inseminated.
However, data cows inseminated versus those successfully fertilised should be disaggregated
for a true picture of the achievements under the output of cow insemination. For the evaluation,
this posed a difficulty in efforts to measure progress in line with the objective of increasing
livestock production. It is worth noting, however, that logistical challenges to access
beneficiaries were faced by many sector veterinarians.
Remarkable progress was registered aspects of the broader objective of enhancing
urbanization, rural settlement and sustainable infrastructure development. Particularly
impressive is the progress that districts are making in the provision of water and,
especially, electricity. On these two outputs, some districts were unable to hit their
targets due mainly to delays in service delivery on the part of the parastatal responsible
for water and electricity provision (former EWSA). Exogenous challenges were also
observed in assessing the output of road construction where a significant part of the
35 | P a g e
responsibility was on the side of the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA).
Rounding out outputs under this broad objective is the item of affordable housing, a
problem mainly found in the districts in the urban areas. Affordable housing as defined
in district Imihigo, costing in the range of 65m to 85m francs, is clearly outside
affordability and financial capacity of many city dwellers and therefore making it
difficult to align the concept with the costs and to track progress on that particular
output.
Reporting challenges were noticed in efforts to track progress under the objective of
promoting entrepreneurship and business development. The evaluation noted the
absence of an appropriate mechanism for recording or counter verification in regards to
the output of increasing access to employment. The practice was such that most offfarm jobs were casual jobs in nature. That is, an individual is likely to shift from job to
job, moving from on one project to another in a very short period of time, while
potentially being counted numerous times among employment beneficiaries.
The indicator of access to finance also proved problematic in a number of ways. First,
records showed the number of people who opened bank accounts without indicating
whether those who opened accounts did in fact access banking services such as credit.
Second, banks provide officials with the number of people who opened an account over
a given period of time without consideration that some of these may be residents of
other districts working there. In similar vein, a district may not record their resident
who has opened an account in another district due to the fact that they either work
there or that they reside along the border to another district. Third, a situation where a
person opens two accounts is likely to be interpreted as if it were two individuals
opening bank accounts. Overall, therefore, the evaluation noticed challenges in the
governance pillar that demand the standardisation of measurements, disaggregation of
data, and improvements in record keeping, key elements for tracking progress.
In social development, one of the key objectives is to ensure access to quality education
and skills development. On the output of quality education, the findings from this
evaluation point to significant shortcomings. Most problematic was that while the target
is to improve the quality of education, the targets identified to achieve this objective
36 | P a g e
focus primarily on infrastructure (constructing classrooms and toilettes). Important as
infrastructure is for effective education, they should not be the primary indicators for
measuring the quality of education. The second concern is in the area of inspection. As
an output, its targets are not clear in terms of what is expected to be inspected. Related
to the first concern, the evaluation found that targets of inspection disproportionately
focus on the quality of infrastructure and sanitation, except for the inspection that aims
to ensure that the teacher is present.
The pillar of good governance and justice aims at promoting responsible and
accountable governance. Indicators under this objective show that the districts are
performing well, except for a number of outstanding issues. The first has to do with the
output on increasing the value and participation in Umuganda. The evaluation revealed
an absence of a clear standard on how to measure the value of Umuganda. For instance,
some districts measure its value based on the number of people participating on the day
multiplied by the daily labour (mostly farming) rate applicable in that district, whereas
other districts attempt to estimate the financial cost of achievements on the day of
Umuganda. However, in both cases it is known that Umuganda lasts only three hours. A
key defect from the first approach is that when calculations are based on a full day’s
work rate when Umuganda lasts an average of three hours means that the value
assigned could potentially mislead by overestimating the achievement.
Citizen participation and satisfaction rates have been steadily increasing. However, the
evaluation noticed a tendency for local authorities to exaggerate the extent to which
households inform Imihigo. The citizen notebook will illustrate this point. Citizens are
asked to purchase a note book in which they note their Imihigo targets for the upcoming
year. Instead, they often scribe in their notebooks the assets they already possess
instead of the targets they intend to achieve in the coming year. Most problematic was
where testimonies from ordinary people that some local authorities are the ones to
complete their family Imihigo notebooks, practice that undermines the whole idea of
family Imihigo. The evaluation team also found situations where some families do not
possess these notebooks. Taken together, therefore, these accounts seem to contradict
the claims by local leadership about the extent of citizen participation in the Imihigo
processes.
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4.3.2. Structural Issues
In 2000, in an effort to improve local service delivery, the government of Rwanda began
a program of decentralization. Under this program, mayors are responsible for
implementing local development programs. On the side of the central government is the
responsibility to ensure that mayors are accountable. Accordingly, in 2006 the
government launched an innovative system known as the Imihigo process. In the long
run, it is believed that Imihigo will build a culture of accountability while promoting
participation of the population in determining the direction that their country takes.
The Imihigo retain great potential for socioeconomic transformation. Byamukama and
Makonnen (2010) point out that Imihigo have undoubtedly played a significant role in
Rwanda’s progress since 2006.11 However, a number of concerns have been expressed
about Imihigo, despite its recognition as important in development processes. In their
assessment of the Imihigo, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the
Ministry of Local government (2012) raised concerns about a lack of synergy between
national priorities and local development plans.
In similar vein, this evaluation has observed a number of challenges (exogenous and
endogenous) that are likely to negatively affect the expected outcomes of Imihigo.
1. Budget versus needs
There is a clear discrepancy between allocated budget and the magnitude of citizen
needs at the local administrative level. This challenge was raised by a number of leaders
at the district level from the Executive Committee, Councils, and the Joint Action
Development Forum (JADFs). In all focus group discussions with district authorities,
harmonising citizen needs with the available budget was pointed out as a key challenge.
While there are always several competing needs for a limited budget, appropriate
apportionment implies that the limited resources should respond to the most pressing
demands.
11
See also Gatari 2013; Scher 2010; Versailles 2012
38 | P a g e
In this evaluation, the most pressing needs were infrastructure development (water,
electricity, and feeder roads), access to vocational training (TVET), and access to
employment, especially for the youth. It is worth noting that unique circumstances
dictated different pressing needs; for instance demands for radical terraces in highlandscape zones, irrigation in dry regions like Bugesera, and access to affordable housing in
urban areas.
The budget issue is worsened by weak capacity for local tax collection. A recent
evaluation (2011) of the decentralization process that implies fiscal and financial
decentralization indicated that low tax collection capacity is part of the challenges
hampering optimal functioning of districts (MINALOC). The decentralization plan
intended to promote an efficient and sustainable resource mobilization at the local
government level. One of the strategies that are to be used is the enhancement of local
revenue collection capacity using partnership between districts and Rwanda Revenue
Authority (RRA). In its pilot phase, once the strategy is rolled out it is expected to
facilitate the mobilization of resources for districts to be able to implement their
Imihigo. In the current circumstances, this evaluation found that districts are still
weakly equipped to mobilize internal resources.
2. Competing Agendas
The evaluation team noticed the existence of competing agendas between central and
local government. In all districts, respondents reported that urgent assignments from
line ministries and other central government agencies interfere with local planning.
Despite efforts for joint planning meetings between the central and local levels,
unplanned for requests emerging from channels outside of joint planning often come
from the central government consume local resources (finances and time) particularly
when the demands are not accompanied with implementing funds. In some instances,
money to implement an inserted item will be promised but the promise is not delivered
when it comes to the implementation phase or local authorities are told to insert items
and are then told to expect the resources to come from private sources. In general, local
implementers would be less concerned if all the requests from central government were
accompanied with implementing resources.
39 | P a g e
Despite strong political will and commitment towards decentralization, line ministries
have remained with substantial power over local policy making. Further, although the
process of development supposes wide consultation of all sectors of the population, it is
evident that the central agenda is given priority. What this reveals is that at a certain
point local and national development priorities are likely to conflicting, which might
affect local prioritization as well as resource allocation. The time that could be used to
implement local priorities is also shifted away from those of the district to those
priorities that have come from the top.
3. Low Ownership of Imihigo
Ideally, district Imihigo should be informed by the needs of citizens at the local level
while being aligned to national development priorities that themselves stem from those
needs. However, findings from this evaluation suggest that Imihigo ownership is
relatively low among the intended beneficiaries. In some respects, districts officials
pointed to a “dependency syndrome” where citizens would rather depend on
government to provide them with free or subsidised goods. In some instances, the
officials pointed out, citizens will compete for lower categories of Ubudehe in order to
become eligible for free healthcare and VUP programmes. Overall, officials point to
these programs as responsible for diminished ownership of Imihigo.
On the other hand citizens point to a distance between what they consider their needs
and those that officials place in the district Imihigo. This raises questions about the
interpretation of officials on the failure of ownership and that suggested by the
beneficiaries, implying a need for common ground on the issue of ownership of
development priorities at the local level.
40 | P a g e
4. Understaffing and Low Capacity
Understaffing and capacity gaps at the local government level are widely documented.
Studies have provided evidence on the subject (MIFOTRA 2008; RALGA 2010).
According to RALGA, lack of staff, insufficient financial means, lack of data base to
facilitate planning, monitoring, and evaluation and heavy workload constitute “the most
pressings factors influencing service delivery in local government” (RALGA 2010:8). In
2008 the District Capacity Building Needs Assessment conducted by the Ministry of
Public Service and Labour showed that in many districts posts are occupied by staff
without the requisite skills. The same study pointed to challenges in staff recruitment
and low staff retention rate at the levels of the sector and the cell (MIFOTRA 2008).
While these are factors that affect service delivery at the local level, these shortages
have particular effects on the implementation of Imihigo. On one hand, district staff is
overloaded to the extent that they may not have the requisite time to implement
Imihigo targets. On the other hand, as evidenced by the above studies, local government
staff are not skilled enough in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), a key element if the
Imihigo are to achieve optimum impact.
5. Delays in Funds Disbursement
Some of the key detriments to Imihigo are delays in funds disbursement, be it from the
central government or from other development partners. The same RALGA study
pointed to delays in funds disbursement as the most important issue affecting service
delivery at local government level, equally important as insufficient staff. This
evaluation process has pointed to two related issues that make it difficult to implement
Imihigo targets in a timely manner. First, there is a discrepancy between the fiscal year
and the period of Imihigo signing. This challenge comes from the relationship with
stakeholders most of whom use the calendar which starts in January against the
district’s fiscal year which starts in July. Overall, time discrepancies mean that there is a
period of time that is lost before Imihigo can be effectively implemented. More
specifically, Imihigo are usually signed 2-3 months after the fiscal year has started. This
means that almost a quarter is lost.
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Further, it is difficult to rely on sources of funds for which the district does not have
total control. This concern is particularly pertinent with partners in the private sector.
In some instances they commit to funding the implementation of certain targets, only to
withdraw at the period of implementation. A possible explanation may be due to
challenges in capital mobilisation. Furthermore, delayed disbursement has an impact on
both procurement and implementation at the district. In a situation where the
disbursement is released towards the end of the fiscal year, little time is left for
procurement processes to run their course, which lives little time for implementation
and therefore negatively affecting achievement of Imihigo targets.
6. Reporting
The evaluation exercise revealed that there was no single reporting format in relation to
Imihigo. One of the main consequences is that tracking progress is difficult. There are no
standard measurements from district to district, and sometimes from the district to the
line ministries. The use of fertiliser can be considered an illustration. In one district,
progress on the use of fertilisers may be measured in the number of hectares on which
fertiliser has been used whereas in other districts progress on the same output may be
measured by the number of households that apply fertiliser on their crops. In such
circumstances cross district comparison on fertiliser use is not possible. Further, there
are not mechanisms for capturing the use of organic fertilizers. Since this is the case, it is
difficult to give credit for information that is not recorded. This complicates the work of
monitoring in general and for evaluation such as this, in particular.
7. Division of Responsibilities and Follow up
Imihigo bring together various stakeholders in a bid to supplement each other’s efforts.
Among these are the ministries and central government agencies, private sector, civil
society organizations, faith-based organizations, and local government. The multiplicity
of stakeholders implies shared responsibilities in the design and implementation of
Imihigo.
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The evaluation revealed a number of challenges related to the division of
responsibilities among the above mentioned stakeholders. One of these was poor
follow-up in the implementation of Imihigo targets by concerned entities after their
inclusion in the district Imihigo. Here, the evaluation noted that the chief concern is for
each entity to ensure that their outputs are included in the Imihigo, after which little
follow up is done. A key consequence is that concerned entities are not updated on the
status of progress. What is likely to happen under such conditions is that an entity may
succeed in placing an item of interest in the Imihigo but fail to provide the promised
resources for its implementation, thus negatively impacting the extent to which Imihigo
are achieved.
An illustration provided in a different context fits in yet another challenge faced by
districts when it comes to the division of responsibilities between the district and those
of other government agencies. Again we have a scenario of constructing a hospital in
one of the districts. The Ministry of Health hires a construction and supervising
company for the hospital, signs a contract with both. In terms of evaluation, the district
would produce progress reports using documents from the supervising company which
in fact is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. In such circumstances, the
district in which the hospital is built is likely to place such a project in its Imihigo when
its role is clearly doubtful, except for “mobilisation,” itself immeasurable.
8. Local Context in Imihigo
This evaluation has pointed to serious shortcomings in Imihigo in relation to
consideration of local specificities (particularities). Close analysis of the Imihigo format
suggests that districts are using a one-size-fits-all approach. While setting Imihigo, little
is done to consider the local viability of each district. For example, earmarked funds for
large infrastructure projects such as road construction may be the same for a district
with flat terrain like Nyagatare and that of mountainous terrains such as Ngororero,
Burera, Kalongi, and Rutsiro, for example. Similar context specific situations that are not
captured in Imihigo may involve a situation where internal migration, say, from the
Northern Province that may affect Nyagatare and Gatsibo districts, are not taken into
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consideration during local planning. This provides an additional burden to the district
budget that is not considered in the Imihigo of the affected districts.
9. Ranking Driven Planning
A closer analysis of Imihigo documents as well as extensive interactions with concerned
officials suggests that some district authorities are largely interested in scores. This
significantly impacts the design of Imihigo by including soft targets that in reality should
be routine activities. In this spirit, a one-time activity such as purchasing a television set
for a cell office, trainings and seminars, as well as beatifying public spaces ought to be
considered routine activities rather than items to be placed in Imihigo. One potential
consequence from this situation is diverting the spirit of Imihigo from being a tool for
socioeconomic transformation to a mere competition between various entities.
Crucially, citizens would likely withhold support, and to assume ownership, for Imihigo
if they fail to see how they are contributing to changing their lives.
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CHAP. V. CONCLUSIONS, LESSONS,
RECOMMENDATIONS AND WAY FORWARD
The 2013/2-14 Imihigo evaluation has revealed that tremendous socioeconomic
progress has been registered over that period. All districts were able to achieve the
majority of their targets at an impressive rate. The evaluation also noted the continued
planning of Imihigo along key national development priorities as outlined in EDPRS2
and Vision 2020.
The results show, for instance, that in the economic pillar the agricultural outputs in
Imihigo have increased land terracing by 47,638 hectares in 2013/2014. Over the same
time, 368,855 households have accessed electricity and an estimate of 1,449,567 people
with access to water, a remarkable achievement in terms of socioeconomic progress.
Imihigo targets have also seen achievements of 118,489 off-farm jobs created during the
FY.
In the social pillar 2,010 classrooms and 2,159 toilets have been built. The percentage of
people under health insurance scheme is estimated at an average of 82.4% while the
average percentage of people covered by the community health insurance is estimated
at 80.1. Imihigo evaluation has also revealed that the number of women using family
planning method is estimated at an average of 61%. Also significant in achieving some
of the results in the social pillar has been the role of local government in citizen
mobilisation.
In governance, Imihigo have raised citizen expectations on service delivery and
ownership of their development processes. Their demands have shifted to projects with
multipliers effects like roads, electricity and water and are increasingly searching for
solutions to problems in their communities and are doing this in the most innovative
ways using unconventional methods. Umuganda is continuing to be an important
element in mobilising efforts for socioeconomic change.
Challenges remain in Imihigo, however. Inconsistency of measurements, baseline
setting, and reporting were observed which point to the need to strengthen systems of
recording, monitoring, and evaluation. Structural challenges were more debilitating.
These included understaffing and low capacity in implementing Imihigo, delays in funds
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disbursement, unclear division of responsibility between central government and
districts, discrepancy between the magnitude of citizen needs and available resources,
and to a lesser extent, competing agendas between central government and districts.
The presence of clear structures for the Imihigo process (design, implementation, and
monitoring) was also not used to its optimum, which, if well utilise, could potentially
lead to significantly increased levels of ownership of Imihigo. Empowering these
structures would also address shortcomings where achievements continue to be
reported orally (and therefore not recorded) at the lower administrative levels. Most
problematic is that Imihigo as a ranking-driven process has tended to focus on soft
targets that are of minimal value in relation to accelerating national development goals.
Overall, it is evident that Imihigo are positively impacting the people by improving their
lives and livelihoods. Indeed, progressive improvement suggests that the districts are
performing their intended role of accelerating socioeconomic progress towards the
targets set out as national development priorities in EDPRS-2 and Vision 2020.
Lessons Learned
The tradition of Imihigo has improved development planning in the broad sense. More
particularly, the evaluation has noted a number of observations in the areas of planning,
implementation, and monitoring and evaluation as well as providing a glance into the
future utility of Imihigo. The evaluation exercise specifically provided the following key
lessons.
In the areas of planning there are overall improvements in priority setting and
coordination with the relevant administrative levels and entities, as follows:
Strengths in planning:



Channels exist to identify local priorities at the village, cell, sector and district
levels. These channels serve an important purpose of ensuring that targets
identified respond to the needs of the citizens and that they are transformative;
There is sufficient coordination with the private sector, NGOs, faith based and
civil society organisations under the umbrella of JADF that ensures that the
Imihigo are inclusive which increases the level of ownership among key
stakeholders;
The central and local government have enhanced extent of consultation which
ensures a sense of common purpose.
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

The vast majority of the items in Imihigo reflect the intended social economic
change intended in sector strategies and national priorities.
Citizens are increasingly aware of their responsibility to respond to challenges in
their community. This is increasingly done through innovative home-grown
solutions.
Challenges in planning

Despite the existence of channels for consultation, there is room to improve their
effectiveness. Empowering all decentralized entities up to the household level in
their setting of imihigo would improve effectiveness;

Consistent measurements of performing indicators is needed in order to avoid
multiple interpretations including setting baselines.

District Councils still lack full control over the extent to which they adapt targets
that are driven by the central government;

There is a need to provide a clear division of responsibility between the central
government and the district. There is a tendency for two entities to claim
responsibility over the same output.
There doesn’t seem to be a clear process for monitoring targets to ensure
continuity in the progress of Imihigo from one period to another.
There is a tendency to focus on soft targets;


Strengths in implementation:

There is a sense of shared responsibility between JADF and the District Council.

There is an enhanced sense of ownership of local challenges by citizens.

A culture of self-reliance among the vulnerable is developing. Most are investing
the direct support money they receive from government into sustainable income
generating activities.
Issues in implementation

The lag between the passing of the budget and the Imihigo translates to a loss of
the first quarter in implementation.

Most Imihigo are implemented in the last quarter due to delays in either the
transfer of financial resources to the districts or delays on the part of the district
to request for disbursement.

Shifting priorities take away resources (time, finances) from implementing
Imihigo.
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
Some targets are included in Imihigo without adequate control of the sources of
funds for implementation.

In some situations, Imihigo without proper local contextualization were difficult
to implement. A good example was when the evaluators found farmers in some
hilly parts of the country using land tillers on terraces in efforts that were clearly
designed to reach the target of agricultural mechanization. The tool was not
appropriate for the terrain.

Some targets were not achieved due to a third party such as those on water,
electricity and road construction where delays in implementation were related
to not having control over the operations of EWSA and RTDA.

There are challenges in establishing measurement standards from one district to
another. An output that requires building households for the vulnerable may
have a house value ranging between 2m and 15 million. There is an assumption
that an implemented item meets requisite standards which themselves are not
outlined anywhere. Guidance from the central government for standard setting
should be strengthened as well as a team for quality assurance to ensure
implemented items meet the quality standards.

Some achievements were inflated. A good example is an output for building a
house claimed to be 60% complete when a site visit would place it at a far less
percentage.

There are challenges in common planning for district trans-boundary items such
as feeder road construction.

Understaffing and high turnover at the local administration level calls for
improved capacity building and need to improve the institution environment for
delivering.
Advances in Monitoring and Evaluation

There is a growing attention to the role of JADF and District Council in
monitoring through their ad hoc commissions.
Challenges in M &E

Counter verification mechanisms to reported achievements need improving;

Recording was problematic; lower administrative entities that are said to
generate data may not have records, with reporting between village and cell
largely oral in nature. As such, many achievements are undocumented;

Overall record keeping (reporting and filing) system need strengthening;
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
Monitoring and evaluation is largely not based on standard tools for measuring
progress;
Key Recommendations
In relation to the above observations, the evaluation team recommends that:
1. There should be improved consultations to increase effectiveness of existing
channels for enhanced penetration of Imihigo
2. Strengthen monitoring and evaluation frameworks (tools, baselines, indicators,
time bounded reviews, reporting, etc) at the central and local government levels
for Imihigo
3. Umuhigo should not be claimed by more than one entity unless clear division of
responsibility is clearly defined;
4. Core features (challenging and transformative) of Imihigo should be retained to
avoid tendency for soft targets that do not impact peoples lives.
5. Ensure timely facilitation, guidance, budgetary transfer from the central
government to the districts.
6. Data on service delivery should be disaggregated by gender
7. Imihigo should be limited in number (not to exceed 10).
Way forward
Imihigo have set in motion development processes that are significantly contributing to
accelerating the achievement of national development priorities. Imihigo are working as
a tool for mobilising human and financial resources needed to facilitate this transition.
They are also merging different interests that in other contexts would have competing
objectives. The importance of Imihigo compels a future where they:
1. Fully integrated into the planning process from the central government to the
lowest administrative levels;
2. Show continuity that links past and present achievements to the future that leads
to outcomes intended from the national development priorities. Their evaluation
should reflect intended progress in the achievement of sector strategies to
inform progress towards achieving national development priorities;
3. Are evaluated based on annual measurements of outputs that track targets and
achievements that are directly linked to a long-term outcome;
4. Have created a framework responsible for strategic intervention for empowering
Imihigo, given its current importance as a tool for development planning;
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5. Have appropriate features that lead to socioeconomic transformation. This
implies that districts and ministries should be empowered in the designing of
Imihigo that have the features or characteristics of a “good Umuhigo,” as below:

It should be locally contextualised to respond to specific needs of the
citizens;

It should identified through participatory approach (to enhance
ownership and effective implementation);

It should comply with national priorities, leading to socioeconomic
transformation;

It should be challenging in nature;

It should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time
bound);

It should consider value for money;

It should be innovative (to allow for unconventional approaches for
resource mobilisation).
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Delivery – Lessons from Rwanda. Kigali: African Development Bank.
Gatari, E. (2013). Addressing Inequality and Poverty through Home-Grown Traditional
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Ideas General Assembly, Bridgetown, May.
Government of Rwanda (2011) the 7YGovernment Program,
Government of Rwanda (2002). Vision 2020
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (2002). Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
RSP
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (2008). Economic Development and Poverty
Reduction Strategy (EDPRS1)
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (2013). Economic Development and Poverty
Reduction Strategy (EDPRS2)
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