By Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
The Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, has admonished Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) not to view the performance contract as an external requirement imposed by the central government, but rather as an internal management tool to guide planning, track progress, and improve performance.
He made the observation during the signing of the 2026 performance contract with the eleven MMDAs in Upper West at the Regional Coordinating Council in Wa.
Mr. Lwanga Puozuing indicated that the 2026 Performance Contract presents an opportunity to reset their approach and strengthen implementation, and charged the various Assemblies to mobilize available resources efficiently and adopt innovative strategies to surmount existing challenges.
Touching on the 2025 contract, the Regional Minister noted that performance was not up to the mark, stating, “While some Assemblies demonstrated commitment and recorded modest improvements in selected areas, overall performance across the Region fell below expectations.”
Mr. Lwanga Puozuing added that the assessment revealed recurring challenges that continue to affect effective implementation. The most important of these were: inadequate financial resources to support statutory meetings and core administrative activities; limited institutional ownership of the performance reform agenda; and weak follow-through on agreed targets and action plans.
“These constraints undoubtedly affected outcomes. However, it must also be emphasied that beyond resource limitations, the success of the Performance Management System largely depends on leadership commitment and institutional discipline,” he noted.
Mr. Lwanga Puozuing said the people of the Upper West Region expect visible improvements in governance and development outcomes, and entreated all MMDCEs, Coordinating Directors, Presiding Members, and Heads of Departments to collaborate to ensure that targets set for the 2026 operational year are achieved.
The Dean of MMDCEs in Upper West, Issah Nurah Danwana, on behalf of colleagues, made a pledge to deliver, saying, “We pledge our commitment to ensuring compliance and fostering development to the benefit of our people. Let us work together to deliver an impactful result,” he emphasised.
The Chief Director of the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, Pognaa Hajia Fati Koray, who set the ball rolling at the ceremony, pointed out that the event is a reminder for all actors in the decentralization chain to uphold their responsibilities in tandem with the performance contract.
