Question NW2797 to the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation: [487]

Reply:

1.  REPLY(a)

2. The overall work of the office is strengthened by putting the National Development Plan (NDP) at the centre of the work and programmes being implemented. The National Planning Commission (NPC) is critical in this process through the periodic reviews of different sectors and production of diagnostic reports identifying challenges and opportunities in order to register progress.
3. Furthermore, the Minister has signed a Performance Agreement with the President outlining the priority areas which she will be reporting to the President on. This serves as a strategic guideline in the work of the Ministry.
4. The work of the Ministry is strengthened by the coordination between the Office of the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the department through the Office of the Director-General, the NPC through the Office of the Secretary of the NPC. This ensures that all the components under the leadership of the Minister are in sync and complement each other in the execution of the mandate of the Minister and the Department at large. Regular meetings are held to monitor work such as strategic stakeholder engagements and other priority areas.
5. The Minister has appointed a competent team of core support staff, in line with the Ministerial handbook, to support her in the execution of her duties. In this regard the Minister has appointed two Special Advisors in line with the Section 12 of the Public Service Act:-

a) to advise the executive authority on the exercise or performance of the executive authority's powers and duties;

b) to advise the executive authority on the development of policy that will promote the relevant department's objectives; and

c) to perform such other tasks as may be appropriate in respect of the exercise or performance of the executive authority's powers and duties.

 

 

REPLY (b)

1. planning for development means we must pursue or implement an integrated, multi-sectoral process through which governmental institutions streamline social, economic and spatial growth and development.
2. The NDP defines the desired development outcomes to be achieved by 2030 and it also provides a strategic framework within which more detailed planning and budgeting takes place.
3. The Minister is advocating active citizenry for the private sector and civil society to play an active role in to promote and accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union Agenda 2063, and the NDP.
4. The framework to repurpose the department is being developed. Among others it will seek to initiate coordination of development agencies within a “hub” for coherence and clear articulation of the role and contribution of different sectors and stakeholders in achieving the outcomes envisaged in the NDP.
5. The Integrated Planning Framework Bill is being finalised and will be presented to Cabinet. The Bill when finalised and passed into legislation is intended to help government focus more on planning for development:
6. We are also conducting benchmarking with our counterparts on the continent and elsewhere in order to share experiences and ideas on how to optimise the department for development planning.

 

 

THANK YOU