Ministry of Public Service Quarterly Bulletin July-September 2012

The implementation of ROMarises from a recommendationof the Public service Review andRe-organization Commission(PSRRC) 1989/90. It was firstpiloted in 1996/7 in five (5)Ministries and five (5) Districts,and thereafter approvedfor full implementationacross the Public Service in1998. ROM was introducedat strategic level to mostMinistries, Departments andAgencies (MDAs) and LocalGovernments (LGs) between2000 - 2001.An independent assessmentof the implementation of ROMin MDAs and LGs that wasundertaken in May 2008 andrecommended that the gainsfrom implementation shouldbe deepened by increasingthe output focus of thebudget through refinementof outputs and performanceindicators for MDAs and LGs;increasing compliance toindividual level staff appraisal;deepening implementation atthe Local Governments level;strengthening Monitoring andEvaluation and performancereporting and use ofperformance information. Thisled to the development of theROM and OOB framework thatwas endorsed in 2010.Technical support is currentlybeing provided to the sectorsof Education, Health, Waterand Works, and fifteen (15)Local Governments across the8regions. The objective of thissupport is to:-a) Promote and strengthenthe use of a commonframework for ROM andOOB.b) Support operationalestablishment and linkageof outputs and performanceindicators both at theinstitutional and individuallevel in respect of the planning,budgeting and accountabilityprocesses for both resourcesand results.c) Strengthen capacityof institutions both atindividual and team levelto manage performancethrough advice, coachingand mentoring.Results Oriented Management(ROM) and Output OrientedBudgeting (OOB) shouldform the basis for planning,budgeting, monitoring andevaluation of performanceboth at the individual andinstitutional levels as well asstrengthening the demandside of accountability.Integration of ROM and OOBis necessary to strengthenservice delivery and betterutilisation of resourceswithin the Ugandan PublicService. Using the ROMand OOB framework,Ministries,Departmentsand Agencies (MDAs) andLocal Governments (LGs)should prepare strategicplans that clearly identifytheir expected outputs andoutcomes in relation to thebudgets [resources] providedand how these contribute tothe national developmentobjectives.Once outputs are directlylinked to the budgets,resources should be allocatedaccording to set priorities.This approach will ensurethat there is value for moneythereby deepening the impactof service delivery, whilepromoting transparencyand accountability. Thesame framework shouldinform the development andimplementation of clientcharters to ensure thatMDAs and LGs make tangiblecommitments to their clientsthat can be evaluatedagainst the strategic plans.Regular internal and externalreporting as well as feedbackfrom clients should guidethe design of performanceimprovement initiativesand inculcate a culture ofcontinuous performanceimprovement in the PublicService.The Ministries of Public Service,Planning and EconomicDevelopment will continueto promote and providetechnical support for theimplementation of ROM andOOB until they are integratedin the management cultureof the Public Service. MDAsand LGs are encouraged todemand for technical supportfor their implementation. Itis the responsibility of everyindividual public servant to beresults focused. If all publicservants are results focused,there will be a positive changein the delivery of publicservices to the people ofUganda.