The Central Delivery Coordinating Unit (CDCU), is a unit in the office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, recently launched the Presidential Delivery Tracker app and website to enhance participation and integration of the citizens’ feedback of the government’s performance system. Boss Mustapha, the Secretary of the Government during the launch of the app and website, noted that the CDCU has over the past two years, succeeded in driving the delivery initiative of the Federal Government to add a systematic review/feedback mechanism from the general public into the operation of its Performance Management System. This is in line with recognizing the role of citizens in enhancing inclusiveness in governance.
The CDCU was set up for tracking, reviewing and reporting the performances of the various ministries to the President and signed in 2019 to oversee the achievement of the nine priorities of the Federal Government. Mustapha regarded the objective of the Presidential Delivery Tracker app as a co-creation platform prioritizing a connection between the citizens and government by improving the citizens’ access to Federal Government’s policies, programs, implemented projects by the various governmental ministries and agencies. He noted that the app was not designed to give access to every activity of the Federal Government, as there are restrictions in the political scope and programs. The development of this Citizens’ app will enable accurate reports, feedback and assessments on implemented governmental programs.
PDT to provide citizens with opportunity to engage with policy makers.
He further noted that this engagement initiative was in accordance with the increasing global demand by the civil society and general public for a proactive participation in the public decision-making process, as well as the desire of many governmental organizations to improve public trust, gender inclusiveness and effective responsiveness to the needs of every citizen. Mustapha stated that this idea was further strengthened by the technological developments that are designed to provide citizens with an overt opportunity to facilitate a direct engagement with policy makers. With this, the participation of the general public in local policies that affect them is enhanced and opinions of marginalized groups are inclusively projected.
The CDCU with this innovation, will empower the citizens by facilitating functioning engagement programs and participation that will be hugely beneficial per a platform for general opinions. This Presidential Delivery Tracker and the CDCU website will respectively serve as platforms for the dissemination of information on public service delivery, receiving feedbacks and suggesting paradigms for further improvements on governmental policies. Mustapha however appealed to numerous stakeholders, especially the media and CSOs to also create awareness about these platforms to the public. Also, Chris Pycroft, the Development Director of of Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office in Nigeria asserted that this platform was a step further in the quest for governmental transparency and accountability. He also stated that with the public participation on some of the policy making, government is expected to perform essential services and the citizens, overtly adhering to civil duties.
Strengthened partnership with Civil Society to sustain this initiative.
Pycroft further suggested that the government must also strengthen partnership with a network of civil society groups across the country, in a bid to sustain this initiative. The initiative which aligns with the open government partnership principle will ensure an improved transparent ambience, accountability and citizens’ participation and responsiveness, using technology and innovation as a pivotal medium. For sustainability, it is quite important to institutionalize this initiative and demonstrate its effectiveness. Pycroft commended the Office of the Secretary for ensuring an improvement in the Public Performance Management Systems.
He however stated that the Presidential Delivery Tracker continually ensures greater governance and citizens’ partnership, promising that the United Kingdom will also support incentives that well promotes citizens participation in governance. The Co-Chair of Nigeria’s Civil Society, Obialumanma Nnaobi-Ayodele noted that numerous thematic organizations had been responsible for the creation of review of this tracker, and were delighted at the availability of the project to the general public. She also asserted that the app had an objective to record delivery across the nine priority projects of the Federal government.
Civil society to collaborate with the government for delivery of values.
Nnaobi-Ayodele further stated that the Presidential Delivery Tracker and web application projects the importance of open governance, transparency, enhanced public service delivery, and accountability as well as citizens’ participation in governmental policies that affects them. She noted that the Civil Society would continually work with the government for the delivery of the projected values, whilst also holding the government accountable to their responsibilities. She said that from the use of these platforms, they would be interested in seeing results that well reflect the government’s transparency and measure of trust from the citizens.
Related Link:
Perl Nigeria: Website
