What explains recent drop in Imihigo performance scores?

Imihigo performance rankings for the 2024/2025 fiscal year, released on Monday, March 23, show a decline in districts’ general performance, with a drop of more than 7 percentage points compared to 2021/2022. Data from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) shows that the decline is reflected not only in the overall national average but also in increasingly lower bottom-end scores among districts. ALSO READ: Ngoma tops Imihigo ranking as publication resumes According to NISR, the trend is largely attributed to a three-year hiatus in the publication of results, as well as changes in the grading methodology. In 2021/2022, the average district performance stood at 76.50 per cent. Only three districts scored below 70 per cent. Nyagatare ranked first with 81.64 per cent, while Burera was last with 61.79 per cent. Two districts scored above 80 per cent, 22 were above 70 per cent, and three were above 60 per cent. ALSO READ: Imihigo: Do the scores reflect what’s on ground? Performance improved in 2022/2023, with the national average rising to 79.54 per cent. Gisagara led with 85.8 per cent, while Nyamasheke ranked last with 64.7 per cent. Seventeen out of 27 districts scored above 80 per cent, and only three fell below 70 per cent. However, the trend reversed in 2023/2024, when the average dropped to 71.7 per cent. Nyamagabe topped the rankings with 78.6 per cent, while Rusizi recorded the lowest score at 58.5 per cent. Eighteen districts scored above 70 per cent, eight were above 60 per cent, and only one fell below 60 per cent. ALSO READ: Imihigo should translate into better livelihood The decline continued in 2024/2025, with the national average falling further to 69 per cent. Ngoma ranked first with 77.2 per cent, while Nyabihu came last with 54.4 per cent. Fourteen districts scored above 70 per cent, 11 were above 60 per cent, and two remained in the 50 per cent range. Gilbert Semana, Imihigo Evaluation Teamleader at NISR, said the drop can be explained by two main factors. “The latest results show the national average at 69 per cent. The decline can be grouped into two main categories,” he said. He explained that the absence of published results for about three years led some implementers, particularly in local government, to reduce the level of follow-up on targets. “The lack of regular publication made some implementers take the process less seriously. Monitoring of targets and implementation was not as consistent as before,” he noted. Semana added that reforms in the evaluation system have also contributed to the lower scores. Previously, districts were assessed based on the achievement of targets set within a single fiscal year. The revised methodology introduces a sustainability component, which evaluates whether projects implemented in previous years are still delivering intended results. “We are now assessing sustainability. We look at whether projects achieved in previous years are still functional and serving their purpose,” he said. He cited examples such as irrigation schemes, milk collection centres, abattoirs and bridges, noting that evaluation teams now verify whether such facilities and infrastructure are maintained and continue to benefit communities. “For instance, one district may have established an irrigation system targeting two hectares. We now assess whether that system is still operational and serving the intended area,” he explained.

News

What explains recent drop in Imihigo performance scores?