Harare launches 9th phase of 100-day plan

Municipal Correspondent

Harare City Council has launched its ninth phase of the Rapid Results Initiative under the 100-Day Cycle, as it seeks to speed up the implementation of various projects including water provision, revenue collection and regularisation of illegal settlements that have sprouted across the city.

The RRI system was introduced by the Second Republic as a working schedule to track progress of all projects.

Speaking during the launch of the ninth phase at Town House last week, town clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango said they started institutionalising the RRI in 2017 as a way of kick-starting the implementation of goals in their strategic plan.

Since then, they have done eight waves of the RRI with “varying degrees of success”, said Eng Chisango.

“When we reviewed our strategic plan in January this year, we had hoped that we would implement the strategic objectives using the rapid results approach, but this was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown which began on March 30, 2020.”

He said his dream was that RRI becomes “the new normal”, because the concept had proven that it was possible to be ambitious and to achieve greater things in short periods of time.

“Rapid Results Initiative ensures that there is accountability for results. During this period, we will be tracking progress using our monitoring and evaluation division. The first dashboard must be submitted every Friday 1600 hours. Attendance to the weekly meetings by all team members is compulsory and attendance registers must be maintained. We have internal coaches who will be assigned to the teams for technical assistance,” he said.

Eng Chisango said although the Covid-19 pandemic was still posing a threat to the nation, there was need to get used to the new normal so that they do not lose track of other strategic objectives that must be implemented.

“This is why we are here today to reignite ourselves so that we deliver on a selected number of goals in the waste water sector, infrastructure development, regularisation, urban renewal, greening of the City and enhancing revenue collection.

“These are the key thematic areas we will be focusing on from today until October this year.”