PERFORMANCE CONTRACT (IMIHIGO) AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RWANDA: A CASE OF NYAMASHEKE DISTRICT (2014-2019)
Authors:
Aline Ingabire & Dr. Ruvuna Eric
Abstract:
This study was conducted to assess the significance Performance Contract (Imihigo) on socio-economic development of Rwanda: A case of Nyamasheke District (2014-2019). The researcher has used both secondary data and primary data for assessing the study hypothesis. The researcher also used descriptive and correlative research design. Primary data were collected from 54 sampled staffs of Nyamasheke District. The study findings (secondary data) have been shown that 100% Nyamasheke district respect the format of Imihigo, Nyamasheke District also use national priorities, pillars for setting outcome, outputs, indicators sector by sector. In other case, indicators are well defined with clear baseline, targets, responsibilities and budget. These findings were used by the researcher to reject H01 “Nyamasheke District performance contracts (as a whole) and individual staff performance contracts are not well formulated”. The assessment of H02 “Imihigo signed by District in last 6 years (2014-2019) on socio-economic development was poorly performed” also have revealed that Nyamasheke District ensures moderate performance in terms of imihigo evaluation. On the case of the economic pillar, this district was ranked good with more than 80% marks the same case for individual performance. This was resulted in the authority to the researcher for not accepting this hypothesis. Assessment again of secondary data has shown that Nyamasheke district is a poor performer in the real economy (the researcher use this as the difference of paper evaluation and field visit (visiting households one by one) as made by NISR through EICV5 and find that Nyamasheke District ranked the last (30th) in 30 districts in poverty reduction. Due to that, the researcher has accepted the H03. For the H04, the researcher has tested primary data (findings from the field) on the perception of respondents (District staffs) on both variables). Pearson correlation (r) is 0.210 meaning that, there is a weak positive correlation between imihigo (performance contract) and socio-economic development. Sig. (2-tailed) is equal to 0.001 showing that, thus correlation resulted or signified by r is statistically significant. Thus, the researcher concludes that H04 is not accepted. Thus, evaluation of Imihigo may rank a district or a staff on good rank while on field people are suffering. A good ranking should be delivered from households looking changes they got in their living conditions with the support of local government authorities. In Other case performance contracts have a little (weak positive correlation) on socio-economic development; it counts only 21% while the remaining 79% is from other factors not captured by this study.