Strengthening Governance Capacity for the Mozambican Cabinet

President Armando Guebuza and Prime Minister Luisa Dias Diogo with delegates at the three-day workshop in Maputo.

A training workshop on good governance was held for Mozambican cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and permanent secretaries in the country's capital, Maputo, from 27 to 29 July 2005. President Armando Guebuza and Prime Minister Luisa Dias Diogo also attended the event, which brought together 23 cabinet ministers, 11 deputy ministers, 20 permanent secretaries, and 14 presidential and ministerial advisers.

The workshop, which was aimed at promoting accountability and effectiveness in governance, was organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat's Governance and Institutional Development Division (GIDD) in collaboration with Mozambique's Ministry of State Administration. Funded by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation, it covered the country's development challenges and priorities, as well as the political, constitutional and administrative issues in Mozambique. Public sector management, including accountability and transparency, was also examined.

Facilitators included the former Prime Minister of Barbados, Sir Lloyd Sandiford; former Chairman of the UK Inland Revenue Authority, Sir Nicholas Montagu; former Permanent Secretary in New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Neil Walter; former Minister of Administration and Manpower Development of Seychelles, Noellie Alexander; and South Africa's Minister of Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi. They shared their experiences in governance and best practices, and guided the delegates on identifying the critical developmental challenges faced by Mozambique.

The country's Prime Minister stressed the need for citizens to be involved in the governance process. "We need to have planning systems that encourage participation. The Government has to be close to the people," said Ms Diogo. She was backed by Aiuba Cuereneia, Mozambique's Minister of Development and Planning, who added that social integration of citizens at the grassroots level was important for efforts to involve them through dialogue and participation in development programmes.

Professor Victor Ayeni, Director of GIDD, stated: "The workshop has enabled us to understand the context in which Mozambique operates and to identify its priorities. Capacity-building of the public sector and the strengthening of institutions in the country, including the establishment of the office of the ombudsman, are important for Mozambique's progress. Also crucial is the enhancement of its human resource management systems."

Professor Ayeni said the workshop was the first in a series of training programmes in the country by the Secretariat, and expressed hope of closer collaboration with the newly established Institute of Public Administration in Mozambique to develop seminars and workshops.

 

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 247, 10 August 2005

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• Governance and Institutional Development