Starting this year, an independent committee will assess the performance

Agreement: Except for two ministries and a dzongkhag, all agencies that entered into an annual performance agreement (APA) last year claimed to have achieved more than 90 percent of its targets.

While results of some 35 agencies ranged between 86 to 100 percent, the assessments were conducted by the implementing agencies themselves.

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay who declared the results said that since the APA was being piloted, results of the self-assessment would not be scrutinised. But starting this year, he said a committee comprising members from the Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC), National Statistics Bureau (NSB) and finance ministry would independently assess the performance.

Lyonchoen also said that the results of the APA would be sent to the Royal Civil Service Commission for incorporation into individual civil servant’s performance evaluation.

All 35 agencies again entered into a new agreement for the fiscal year 2015-16 yesterday. “Since 23 percent of the 11th Plan budget has been allocated for this fiscal year, we should be able to achieve 23 percent of the 11th Plan target,” Lyonchoen said.

He said the office of the APA would be in constant touch with the implementing agencies and that he would personally either call the officials or visit the dzongkhags once a month.

To achieve results, the Trashigang Dzongda, Lungten Dorji said it was important to streamline data collection and chanelise it through a single source.

“We have worked hard for so long and yet today we don’t know where we are because of lack of data,” he said.

Lack of human resources, he said was another hindrance towards achieving the targets.

Paro Dzongda, Chencho Dorji said the most recent data Paro has is of 2007. “A lot has changed since then,” he said. For instance, he said many wetlands have been converted for construction.

He said data collection deserves a separate discussion involving all stakeholders. He also said that interaction with ministries and dzongkhags has to be strong in order to achieve results since some of the indicators required collaboration.

Albeit achieving 90 percent of the targets, Paro is placed just above the lowest, Gasa. Lyonchoen reminded that the intent was not to compare with one another.

Tshering Dorji

Advertisement