Four district councils recently got an US $25,000. 00 (approximately K27 million dollars) worth of awards after emerging winners in the Public Sector Innovation Challenge (PSIC).

The four include Dowa, Mwanza Zomba and Chiradzulu. The PSIC is a Malawi Government initiative being implemented with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funding with an aim of improving public service delivery by promoting efficiency.

 Under the challenge, councils are expected to provide proposals on innovative programmes they would implement on International Systems and Processes and Client Facing Services and Products. As finalists under the International Systems and Processes category, Dowa and Mwanza are set to implement projects including development and linking of an e-ticketing system to IFMIS and connecting the Health Management Information System to the National Registration Bureau System, respectively.

On the contrary, Client Facing Services and Products category qualifiers, Zomba and Chiradzulu, will implement projects in waste management using biogas technology and production of organic fertilizer, respectively. In his speech, Former Local Government Minister, Blessing Chinsinga applauded the winners for their service improving innovations and expressed hope they would be a source of inspiration and knowledge for other councils.

“This is a milestone in the history of the Ministry of Local Government and it is my view that the winning councils will act as hub of innovation from which other councils can learn,” he said. The former Minister observed that “The e-ticketing linked to IFMIS will generally help improve revenue generation and prevent pilferage of government resources.

Linking the Health Management System to the NRB System will also help improve service delivery and with the continued need for fertilizer for farming, the fertilizer production will greatly assist farmers in the country. ” UNDP Resident Coordinator Shigeki Komatsubara called on councils to use innovation to surmount public sector challenges and still deliver services efficiently.

He also tipped the councils to use the grants as seed money to deliver greater service. .

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