By: Majlinda Jupolli and Shqiponja Vokshi

The municipal sector is complex in that it involves many stakeholders – the mayor, the opposition, the municipal assembly, the media, citizens, and central government – all of whom are demanding greater transparency and access to a large amount of information. Kosovo institutions have the need for evidence-based/empirical decision-making, and lack of data is actually a critical contributor to the lack of quality services, in general.

Municipalities in Kosovo offer a wide range of services, from building and maintenance of local roads and provision of other public services, provision of health and education to policing and issuing of administrative documents. Each of these services has different legal requirements and operational realities. To respond to information requests regarding all areas of operation, municipalities must have the tools they need to communicate with as many partners as possible.

The Municipal Performance Management System (MPMS) is a mechanism within the Ministry of Local Government Administration that aims to provide monitoring of service delivery through performance measurement, provide the necessary information to facilitate decision-making in the municipality, motivate government bodies and promote responsibility and accountability during their work in creating conditions for a dignified life of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo.

Performance management includes collecting, analysing, and reporting on indicators that show how well the municipality performs, both internally (good governance and municipal management) and in the delivery of services to the public. In addition, the MPMS can also exhibit how this performance compares between several years or with other municipalities. More importantly, as a management tool, performance data is intended not as an end result, but rather as a means to more informed decision making at the municipal level and a more engaged community, ultimately leading to better services.

This system has been assessed – since the beginning – as a very important tool for monitoring the work of municipalities, providing data as a basis for planning the investment and identifying needs for improvement of services delivered by municipalities. MPMS, in addition to being important to the MLGA, in the way it provided the data, got also the attention of:

• Municipalities – mayors, municipal assemblies, senior managers and staff who want to know how their municipality is performing, how they stand compared to other municipalities and where they need to improve; the latter – for accountability to citizens;
• Citizens, communities and civil society – all experience the results of municipal service delivery and local government. They want good, efficient and economical services, transparency and accountability in municipal decision-making, always based on data;
• Other line ministries – local government competencies are distributed in many parts of the Government and many ministries are interested in the performance of municipalities in their areas of responsibility. MPMS has the potential to help central government better understand municipal performance in their areas of responsibility by producing reliable data, based on which the needs for investments and new policy development can be identified.

How MPMS started?

It all started 15 years ago, as an endeavour of USAID, to measure basic municipal service delivery and develop a system for this purpose. However, increasing citizen expectations and high commitment from national and local partners led to a gradual expansion into other services and governance sectors.

For more than 10 years of operation of the Municipal Performance Management System, work has been done on creating a legal basis for the system, its administration and ensure its operation. Municipalities have welcomed performance measurement by appointing officials responsible for data management and coordinators responsible for the smooth running of the system at the local level. The performance measurement system has been linked to the reward scheme through performance grant, which is financed by Kosovo Government through MLGA and EU, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway, which award municipalities for their performance.

How it works?

Municipalities report on an annual basis on their performance to the MLGA. There are a total of 342 pieces of information reported by each municipality, grouped into 119 indicators and 19 fields in which municipalities have competence and responsibility.

Municipalities submit reports for their performance on annual basis. MLGA receives approximately 13,000 data from 38 municipalities during the reporting period, and then ministry officials verify all the data.

“The Performance Management System has yielded tangible results in improving local governance, increasing transparency, and providing public services. The measurement mechanism has proven to be a key factor in changing the behaviours of local employees and deliver quality services. The introduction of local institutions to a rigorous data quality methodology in relation to their legal obligations and the achievement of planned commitments, has promoted the element of competition inside and outside the organization, and has produced positive effects on the quality of services” – states Haxhi Krasniqi, from the Department of Municipal Performance and Transparency.

Although it looks like the system provides a lot of information about a large number of municipal activities, tracking them down and processing data in the ministry, were seen as quite challenging. In 2014, DEMOS was engaged to advance the system. After two years of work, the system was simplified and each step of the process is documented with factual data. Further advancement of the system occurred in the 2019 revision, as the system was enriched with new fields, being more comprehensive. Also, the way of data verification at both levels (municipality and ministry) was further developed using the electronic system for reporting.

The data of MPMS activities are accessible for public through MPMS Interface.  To have access in the MPMS interface, click here.

More than a system, a performance management tool!

Today, around 95% of municipalities use the system and report their performance data regularly. The system includes 19 themes as part of the municipal own competencies in Kosovo. 3 out of these 19 themes measure good governance and 1 theme measures gender equality.

Civil society organizations have started to use the data to advocate for better policies. The data are used a lot during electoral campaigns too.

Many municipalities in Kosovo use the performance management information for accountability purposes mainly, and not sufficiently for improvement purposes. Municipalities should be able to use the information on their day-to-day management and in the budget planning and forecasting process, not just collect and report them. They need also to improve using data in their management. Using performance information during the fiscal year, the mayor and his/her team can explain to Municipal Assembly, opposition and citizens their performance level and targets as well as the financial implications. It all comes together around regular meetings of the mayor with municipal directors and performance management coordinators looking at current performance data compared to where they want to be. They together identify problems, develop improvement strategies and actions and celebrate success.

Going forward, municipalities should focus on making the performance information transparent, ensuring accountability throughout the performance management system, and aligning the performance management system with their vision, goals and development plans.