Online Reporter
Dr Martin Rushwaya
IN order to ensure that the Second Republic delivers on the people-given mandate, in a systematic and well-coordinated manner, President Mnangagwa instituted the High-Level Forum on Public Sector Reforms and Transformation (Tripartite) to enable the Government to integrate policy direction, public service management and resource allocation, hence reform initiatives are vicariously backstopped by consensus and appropriate institutional management systems.
This comes on the backdrop of the promulgation of the Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 (CAA3) on July 7, 2026.
The Act provides a legitimate framework for the consistent execution of long-term development and impactful programmes across the public sector.
CAA3 further gives impetus to the accelerated implementation of the transformative and reform agenda under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), and ultimately Vision 2030, by promoting good governance and macroeconomic stability; investor and business confidence; and sustained implementation of long-term national development programmes.
No longer business as usual
However, the Act does not produce results to the citizens by itself.
It now essentially demands that, as bureaucrats, we roll up our sleeves and measure up to the high-performance and quality service delivery requirements now anticipated by the citizens.
It is, therefore, no longer business as usual; it requires a transformative work culture built on agility, innovation and our own Zimbabwean resilience, which has made us succeed under the adversity of illegal sanctions and other natural endogenous and exogenous shocks.
The Tripartite should, therefore, repurpose itself for the greater work ahead, of leading the entire Government in accelerating the implementation of NDS2.
Indeed, the Forum should ensure that Government reforms produce measurable improvements in public sector efficiency and service delivery.
This must start with the strategy that we are developing.
The blueprint should be a cocktail of strategies that transform the public sector into an ecosystem that manages for measurable and impactful results, leveraging the diversified and complementary comparative advantages that the Tripartite possesses.
This requires that we make the public sector perform and work harder to deliver impactful development outcomes to the people.
Indeed, if we continue on this trajectory, even in a much-reverberated manner, the targets for Vision 2030 can be achieved even earlier than planned.
The early attainment of Vision 2030 targets presents us with a golden opportunity, and huge responsibility to look beyond the current vision and begin shaping the country’s next development horizon towards a high-income society, which is now the trajectory that our neighbouring countries and others are pursuing.
This requires a process of future envisioning that is bold, inclusive and forward-looking, building on the progress already made while anticipating emerging opportunities and challenges.
Performance management and accountability
Since its establishment, the Tripartite has made commendable progress in advancing the public sector’s transformative agenda.
One of its major achievements has been institutionalising a culture of performance management and accountability by introducing regular performance evaluations for ministries, departments and. agencies (MDAs) through the utilisation of performance contracts by respective senior public sector officials.
This has, without doubt, enhanced transparency, encouraged results-oriented leadership and created incentives for improved service delivery through the recognition of high-performing institutions and individuals.
The recognition of the success of reform initiatives as a contributor to good governance by the African Peer Review Mechanism is also a manifestation of the highly commendable feat achieved by the country.
The Forum has also promoted the adoption of Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) principles and systems.
This has allowed Government institutions to establish measurable targets, monitor progress and focus on achieving tangible and impactful outcomes rather than simply completing activities.
The full embracing of IRBM has strengthened strategic planning and improved performance monitoring across the public sector.
In addition, the Forum has enhanced coordination among MDAs and key stakeholders by providing a platform to review reform progress, address implementation challenges and align public sector reforms with Vision 2030, and the attendant national development strategies piggybacked by whole-of-Government-and-society approach.
Additionally, the Forum has supported the digital transformation of the public sector by encouraging the adoption of e-Government systems and digital technologies to improve efficiency, transparency and accessibility of public services without leaving anyone behind.
It has also shifted the emphasis of public administration towards citizen-centred service delivery by focusing on measurable outputs and outcomes that directly benefit the public.
This is achieved, among other mechanisms, by identification of service delivery hotspots for redress.
Notable among them are the reform initiatives that were employed by the Tripartite on the administrative and operational bottlenecks that had crippled the National Civil Registry under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.
It took the decisive action of the Tripartite, working in collaboration with the responsible ministry and related agencies, to bring back smiles to the faces of the people as civil documents are now obtainable quickly and efficiently.
The decentralisation of the civil registry function is even greatly appreciated by the people.
Despite the successes, the Tripartite institutional arrangement has experienced its fair share of challenges which militated against optimal performance and delivery of results.
Effective wrangling and performance evaluation
Going forward, we need to have in the strategic plan an in-built results framework that will form the basis for effective tracking and performance evaluation.
The dashboard will also provide for a systematic and prudent allocation of the budget, as this was not the case before.
Strategic planning is about defining the next steps that we need to take to strengthen the work of the Tripartite, and indeed the Government going forward towards Vision 2030.
Committing to this call for action requires us to fully commit to a new process of envisioning that builds on the results achieved over the past years and setting a more ambitious development trajectory that takes the following, among other key variables, into consideration:
Policy entrepreneurship: Policy entrepreneurship is critical to the success of the High-Level Forum on Public Sector Reforms as it promotes transformative leadership, collaboration and innovation.
It aligns the strategic roles of the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to mobilise resources, overcome resistance and effectively implement the Vision 2030 reform agenda, thereby strengthening governance and improving public service delivery.
Citizen engagement: The way we have interfaced and engaged the citizens in our past programming needs to be further strengthened and consider the citizens as active partners in governance, and not limiting them to being passive beneficiaries.
By participating in policy development, service design, implementation and evaluation, citizens help our Government to be more transparent, accountable, innovative and responsive.
This collaborative approach promotes good governance while improving the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of public service delivery.
The Office of the President, in partnership with the Harare Institute of Technology, is developing a citizen engagement platform to gather citizens’ feedback on public sector governance and the performance of MDAs.
This locally developed initiative promotes home-grown solutions to public sector challenges.
The platform will also strengthen the performance contracting system by incorporating citizens’ views into MDAs’ periodic performance evaluation. The ultimate aim is to develop governance scorecards that align with NDS2 sectors, to enhance accountability and service delivery.
Strengthening policy coordination and implementation
The Tripartite institutional arrangement should continue serving as the central mechanism for coordinating the implementation of Government priorities across MDAs.
By promoting policy coherence, reducing duplication, addressing institutional overlaps and resolving cross-cutting implementation challenges, it can strengthen the delivery of national programmes and create a more supportive environment for private sector development and national competitiveness.
The Second Republic has made significant progress in institutionalising a performance management culture through the introduction of performance contracts in 2021, aligned with the implementation of national development strategies.
To sustain these gains, there is a need to broaden the coverage of performance contracts, strengthen accountability for non-performance and support the system through the promulgation of an appropriate legislative framework.
In this regard, the proposed Government Performance and Results Bill is expected to reinforce results-based management.
A Government Performance and Results Act will provide the following:
Give legal effect to performance contracting.
Clarify institutional roles and responsibilities guided by the Integrated Results-Based Management principles.
Mandate periodic reporting and independent evaluations.
Establish enforcement mechanisms for non-performance.
Furthermore, an independent evaluation of the performance contracting system during the NDS1 cycle helped in providing valuable evidence on its efficacy, impact, sustainability and lessons to strengthen implementation under NDS2.
Improving the ease of doing business
The Government has also advanced the ease of doing business reform agenda by reviewing licences, permits, levies and fees across 13 priority sectors to improve regulatory efficiency, reduce compliance costs and encourage private investment.
As Statutory Instruments are being developed to operationalise these reforms, the Tripartite institutional arrangement should continue monitoring implementation with a view to identifying remnant bottlenecks, while safeguarding the gains achieved to ensure lasting improvements in the business environment.
Strengthening deliverology at the centre of the Government requires establishing systems that ensure Government priorities are translated into measurable results, implementation bottlenecks are resolved quickly and accountability is enforced.
The Tripartite should consider establishing an integrated Government delivery dashboard that provides real-time visibility on the implementation status of key national programmes and projects as we steadfastly journey towards Vision 2030.
Such a system would enable evidence-based decision-making, early identification of constraints and faster interventions.
This will, no doubt, enhance confidence amongst the citizens and other stakeholders by providing greater transparency on Government commitments, timelines and progress on reforms that directly impact economic activity.
Strengthening stakeholder engagement
As the Tripartite, we have no option, but to sustain and institutionalise regular engagement with business, investors, professional bodies, development partners and other stakeholders to identify implementation challenges, inform policy decisions, mobilise technical and financial support, and enhance service delivery through responsive feedback mechanisms.
A responsive feedback mechanism would allow the Government to identify regulatory barriers, improve service delivery and ensure that reforms remain aligned with economic realities.
The same platform that is being developed for the citizens would also cater for these critical stakeholders.
Accelerating digital transformation
The successful implementation of the e-Government programme rests under our purview.
We must continue prioritising digital transformation as a key enabler of Vision 2030 and NDS2.
They can be effectively achieved by implementing a whole-of-Government digital ecosystem supported by a National Digital Transformation Policy Framework, interoperable systems, online services, shared platforms and data-driven decision-making to improve efficiency, transparency and citizen-centred service delivery.
Without a digitally driven public sector, the reform agenda will remain at the programmatic breakeven point where the costs so far ploughed in the implementation process are not matched by meaningful service delivery dividends to citizens.
The Tripartite should ensure that Government resources are aligned with national priorities, institutional mandates, budgets and implementation, and absorption capacity to maximise value for money and deliver measurable development outcomes under NDS2.
The collaborative programming seen at the centre of the Government through the Tripartite has not been diffused to the rest of MDAs.
Going forward, we need to foster integrated planning, collaborative programming and joint implementation across MDAs through joint performance contracts.
This will improve policy coherence, eliminate duplication, optimise resource utilisation, prevent project delays and enhance the delivery of impactful results to the citizens.
A circular will be issued to operationalise this collaborative approach across the entire public sector.
Adopting of best practices
The Tripartite will continue to learn from and share experiences with countries that have demonstrated excellence in public sector governance and administration, both within the region and internationally.
This will facilitate the adoption and adaptation of proven best practices through knowledge exchange, technical cooperation and institutional learning.
Such initiatives provide Zimbabwean Government officials with valuable opportunities to strengthen public administration, improve service delivery, accelerate digital transformation and promote innovation.
A notable example is the Government Experience Exchange Programme (GEEP), signed between the Governments of Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February 2026.
However, the implementation of the programme has since been delayed at the advice of the UAE.
A memorandum of agreement (MoU) is also being pursued with the government of Rwanda to learn from each other to strengthen several reform and governance areas.
Accelerating the implementation of devolution
The success of devolution in Zimbabwe depends on a strong partnership between the OPC, the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service Commission (PSC).
The Ministry of Finance provides the fiscal resources necessary for implementing provincial development priorities, the PSC ensures the availability of skilled and accountable personnel to support service delivery, while the OPC provides strategic coordination and policy oversight to align devolution with national priorities.
Together, these three institutions form the foundation for effective implementation of the constitutional devolution agenda.
Ultimately, the success of devolution will be measured by improved service delivery, increased investment, job creation and meaningful citizen participation.
The High-Level Forum on Public Sector Reforms and Transformation supports this process by promoting policy coherence, institutional strengthening, stakeholder collaboration and performance monitoring.
However, its effectiveness depends on sustained commitment from Government institutions to implement its recommendations, allocate adequate resources and empower provincial and local authorities.
As the Government’s apex delivery coordination mechanism, the Tripartite should serve as a strategic oversight and intervention platform that supports MDAs in addressing critical service delivery challenges without replacing their mandates.
It should identify and respond to persistent service delivery bottlenecks through coordinated policy support, technical expertise, institutional collaboration and resource mobilisation.
Central to this role is the establishment of an early warning and rapid response system that uses performance data, citizen feedback and service delivery indicators to detect emerging challenges and trigger timely interventions.
Through rapid diagnostics, coordinated action, resolution of policy and operational bottlenecks, continuous monitoring and institutional learning, the Tripartite can restore service delivery performance and strengthen the resilience of public institutions in achieving national development objectives.
It is the President’s prerogative to assign the administration of Acts to ministers, in line with Section 104(1) of the Constitution.
However, as the societal needs and expectations evolve, new demands emerge which may seem to obliterate the clear lines of intervention as stated in the various pieces of legislation.
Resultantly, duplications and overlapping mandates leading to misallocation of resources, poor coordination and turf wars have been noted.
This situation has led to policy inconsistencies, with different signals emanating from different ministries and confusing Government business and the public.
It is important that the OPC, the PSC and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion come together and provide guidance to resolve these issues.
Dr Martin Rushwaya is the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet. We are reproducing an abridged version of remarks he delivered at the High-Level Forum on Public Sector Reforms and Transformation (Tripartite) workshop in Kadoma. The Tripartite brings together the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service Commission (PSC).
