Salary increases and the creation of new positions are among the reforms introduced in the administrative cell structure to improve staff welfare and speed up service delivery to citizens, according to the Ministry of Local Government.
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The ministry said changes had been made to the staffing structure at the cell level. Rwanda has 2,148 administrative cells.
"Under the reforms, each cell has been allocated one additional staff member, and some job titles have been changed to ensure that employees’ responsibilities align with their positions and to speed up service delivery,” the ministry said in a statement sent to The New Times.
The number of staff at each cell has increased from two to three. They are the Executive Secretary (ES), a newly introduced Human Capital and Social Development Officer (HCSD), and an officer whose previous title, Social Economic Development Officer (SEDO), has been changed to Economic Development Officer or Urban-Economic Development Officer in cities.
"The revision of responsibilities at the cell level has been accompanied by salary increases for staff working at this level, with the aim of improving their livelihoods,” the statement says.
However, the Ministry of Local Government did not disclose the amount or percentage of the salary increases.
"Details of the salary adjustments remain confidential as some aspects are still being finalised,” a ministry official told The New Times.
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Commenting on the salary increases, Theogene Munyentwari, a cell leader in Musanze District, said: "We are still waiting this October.”
"Things are going to get easier, even though we are being given more responsibilities,” he said, referring to the creation of the new position.
The recruitment and appointment of cell-level staff are ongoing in districts.
"The appointment process began with staff already in service. Recruitment through competitive selection has also started for other positions to ensure that all posts are filled as required,” the ministry said.
Vacant positions announced
The Ministry of Labour has announced 586 vacant positions for Cell Executive Secretaries, 931 for Economic Development Officers and 757 for Human Capital and Social Development Officers.
What the new reforms mean
Evariste Murwanashyaka, Head of Programmes at CLADHO, an umbrella organisation of human rights organisations and a national children’s rights observer, welcomed the reforms.
"From a civil society perspective, the reforms at the cell level are a positive step towards strengthening local governance and improving service delivery, particularly if the changes lead to clearer responsibilities, greater accountability and more responsive services for citizens,” he said.
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The addition of a Human Capital and Social Development Officer, he said, could help strengthen attention to social welfare, education, health, child protection and the needs of vulnerable groups.
He added that the Economic Development Officer could focus more directly on local economic development, livelihood opportunities and supporting citizens to improve their socio-economic conditions.
"However, the success of these reforms should not be measured only by the number of staff recruited, changes in job titles or salary adjustments. It should be assessed by whether citizens can access services more easily, receive timely responses to their concerns and obtain effective solutions to the challenges they face,” he said.
Civil society also emphasised the importance of ensuring that the new positions are fully staffed, that officers have the necessary skills and resources to perform their duties, and that citizens understand the responsibilities of each officer and where to seek assistance.
"Particular attention should be given to vulnerable households, children, persons with disabilities and other groups that may face barriers in accessing public services,” Murwanashyaka said.
He added that the reforms should be accompanied by accessible complaint and feedback mechanisms, regular engagement with citizens and measurable performance indicators.
"Local leaders should monitor whether service delivery has improved in terms of accessibility, timeliness, responsiveness, transparency and citizen satisfaction,” he said.
In September, Never Again Rwanda (NAR) expressed optimism that Rwanda can further advance decentralisation by bringing more public services, resources, and decision-making closer to citizens, following renewed government commitment to conduct a review of additional services that can be decentralised.
At a dialogue organised by NAR, participants noted 44 per cent of the 522 services identified for decentralisation have so far been decentralised, while 56 per cent remain under central government management.
Paola Yvette Cyuzuzo, Head of Governance and Democracy at NAR, said that more services need to be decentralised, although this would require more than simply transferring responsibilities from ministries to local authorities.
Cyuzuzo said one of the major challenges is limited capacity at the local administrative level, particularly at the cell level, where some authorities do not yet have the skills, equipment and other resources required to take on additional responsibilities.