Launching the capacity building program on “Government-Wide Institutional Performance Management”

The model was developed by the Council of Ministers Secretariat (CoMSEC), with UNDP technical support, in consultation concerned public sector instititions in Iraq, and is based on the “European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM)” standards”. It was endorsed by the government in March, 2017 for piloting in three ministries for validation: Youth & Sports, Electricity and Commerce. Lessons learnedduring the piloting phase completed in Nov, 2017 were taken into account to further develop the model, which will be scaled up in May, 2018 across public sector institutions.

This series of capacity building workshops target the “Performance Management Teams” at the participating public sector Institutions, who will be entrusted with applying the “Iraqi Government-Wide Institutional Performance Management Model” at the ministries they represent. The first workshop targeted 31 participants from the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Industry and Minerals, and CoMSEC. Participants discusssed the fundamentals of institutional performancemManagement and went through the “Excellence Journey”. The workshop implementation strategy was based on the fundamentals of adult learning, where peer and experiential learning combined with high degree of participates’ involvement took place. The workshop activities were divided between methodological presentations and practical exercises. The contents built on the insight and experience available in the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM)”.

Addressing the workshop participants, the Head of Control and Audit Directorate at CoMSEC, Mr. Riyad Fadil, emphasised the fact that the government is closely monitoring the development and deployment of the model and looking forward to seeing the results of replication across all public sector institutions at the federal Level. He also added that, “Our team is ready and willing to provide all the support possible to advance this initiative further”.

The Iraq Public Sector Modernization Program Manager, Mr. Hisham EL Azzouni, highlighted that “This is a nationally-owned and led initiate that is currently supported by UNDP". He also added that “The model isn’t an end in itself, but a mean for improving the performance of public sector in Iraq”. He also assured the participants that IPSM-UNDP will spare no effort to make the model a reality and will provide GoI with the support they need in this regard.

The implementation of this program comes within the framework of IPSM-UNDP support to GoI to have more efficient, accountable and participatory governance at national and sub-national levels. The program aims also at improving the administrative systems at federal and sub-natoinal level, coupled with strengthening the sub-national governance and decentralised service delivery systems through enhanced participatory processes.