Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande
Mashonaland Central Bureau
A software launched by Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE) in collaboration with the Social Services Cluster last year to track progress in the implementation of key national projects has revolutionised governance in the country.
Developed by BUSE’s Software Innovation Hub, the Chiringa Monitoring and Evaluation Dashboard is currently being piloted across 87 active projects within the Social Services Cluster. Of the 10 key ministries, seven have started uploading regular progress updates, complete with photographs and milestone documentation.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Eddie Mwenje described Chiringa as “more than software” and said it represents a cultural shift from episodic, paper-based reporting to continuous digital management of public value. “Achieving Vision 2030 requires relentless follow-through,” said Professor Mwenje.
“Chiringa allows us to measure that follow-through, project by project, day by day.”
The development of Chiringa was initiated following a directive issued in February 2024 to enhance project oversight across the Government.
Over eight months, the system was co-designed through intensive workshops, coding sprints, and user training sessions involving both BUSE developers and Government officials. Now, the platform serves as a centralised, real-time source of information for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), from field officers to Cabinet decision-makers.
Its user-friendly interface offers colour-coded dashboards and automated alerts, helping leadership detect delays early and replacing cumbersome paper trails with instant, actionable insights.
Recently, while addressing the Social Services Cluster high-level meeting, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Martin Rushwaya, underscored the strategic importance of the dashboard.
“The Social Services Cluster is at the cornerstone of our efforts to uplift communities, particularly youth and women, through initiatives in education, healthcare, ICT, housing, and welfare. This dashboard allows us to track progress in real time and reinforces accountability. This tool marks a turning point in how we deliver public value. It will streamline supervision and deepen impact across our programmes,” he said.
During his visit to the Software Innovation Hub last year, Dr Bensen Martins Dube, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Vice President Cde Kembo Mohadi, praised the dashboard’s role in fostering accountability, transparency, and efficiency as Zimbabwe aims to meet most of its developmental targets by 2028.
“This platform ensures that deficiencies and gaps are quickly identified and addressed,” Dr Dube said. “It enhances oversight and ensures that the Office of the Vice President and relevant ministries are continuously informed about project statuses.”
Going forward, five key strategic initiatives were announced to strengthen and scale this innovation.
This includes migration to Government-controlled hosting to enhance data security and ownership, ongoing capacity building through refresher courses for users, integration with Zimbabwe’s Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) system, development of sector-specific versions tailored for local authorities and NGOs, and implementation of a long-term licensing model to ensure sustainability and continuous innovation.
