Mpohor District emerges best in 2023 district-level performance assessment 

The Mpohor District in the Western Region has emerged as the best district in the 2023 District Level Performance Assessment and Ranking, with a score of 82.6 percent.

This achievement was attained under the leadership of Ignatius Assah Mensah, the District Chief Executive.

A report issued by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) stated that other top-performing districts included Dormaa West, Akyemansa, Kwahu East, and the Cape Coast Metropolis.

The Local Government Index (LOGIN) was designed to provide a comprehensive and holistic assessment of metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) from the perspectives of residents who interacted with research officers.

The collaborative assessment was conducted by ILGS in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development and the Office of the Head of Local Government Service, with financial support from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland.

LOGIN used residents' scorecards to rank the 261 MMDAs on seven local governance performance areas and 47 indicators.

The seven LOGIN areas were the quality of administrative services, the quality of leadership exhibited by the District Chief Executive, the quality of representation by Assembly members, and the quality of professionalism exhibited by the staff of the District Assembly.

The others were the quality of social service provision, the quality of opportunities provided by the local government for residents' participation in decision-making, and the quality of opportunities provided for local economic development.

It primarily worked with the responses of citizens within an administrative area to ensure a participatory approach.

The report showed that nine other districts out of the 261 MMDAs scored 71 percent (excellent).

Some 53 districts scored between 61 and 70 percent, while 109 districts scored between 51 and 60 percent.

The New Public Management principles have compelled public sector organizations to manage government businesses more efficiently in a responsive, effective, equitable, and accountable manner, it said.