by Khamphone Syvongxay

20 August 2008

Vientiane, Lao PDR: Government management and service to communities are being improved by the Government Public Administration Reform Project in Xekong province.

Project partners, including the departments of information and culture, planning and investment, justice and education and the Lao Women’s Union, met last week at the provincial club for a seminar on results based management.

Project Manager, Dr Lamthong Chanmivong, yesterday said the objective of results based management was to provide a coherent framework for strategic planning and management based on learning and accountability in a decentralised environment.

The results-based approach aims to improve management effectiveness and accountability by defining realistic expectations, monitoring progress and reporting on performance.

He said this style of management focused on basic information, targets and previous outputs.

Participants were trained to identify problems, process feedback, collaborate and plan the operation of activities for successful results, Dr Lamthong said.

The seminar also aimed to improve participant’s skills in developing new plans and implementing them in a responsible manner, he said.

At the end of the training workshop, participants will have increased their capacity for more effective and efficient project management through the use of results based management concepts and tools, risk analysis and issue monitoring.

The project aims to support gender development in society by encouraging more women to participate in socio-economic development.

The project was also supporting 10 scholarships per year to outstanding disadvantaged students to continue their study at vocational schools, said Dr Lamthong.

The project began in 2007 and will finish in 2011. It is supported by the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Volunteers and United Nations Capital Development Fund.