Holistic approach to service delivery

19 Feb, 2021 - 00:02 0 Views
Holistic approach to service delivery

The ManicaPost

Post Correspondent

The United Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Trust (UMRRT) is a non-profit, community driven, individual based residents’ body founded in December 2013 with human rights at heart.

It represents the residents of Mutare and advocates for good governance, accountability and transparency by Mutare City Council.

The Trust has ward committees in each ward representing all the 19 wards in Mutare. UMRRT as a socially and environmentally responsible organisation that opened its doors informed by the need to provide a credible people centered platform for Mutare Residents and ratepayers to participate in decision making processes for the sustainable development and maintenance of Mutare city.

The tension between Council and residents for a long time had been impacting service delivery and UMRRT as a mediator took it upon themselves to try and deal with this tension.

It can be difficult to drive focused negotiation for positive change if conflict is present, so UMRRT opened its doors to foster engagement with all stakeholders will minimise conflict. UMRRT aims to provide residents with a platform to come together and present their needs to the service providers and also help them monitor and audit the performance of City Council to ensure they deliver quality, favourable and affordable services to the citizenry.

UMRRT’s focus is centred on service delivery issues such as budget tracking, community development, membership mobilisation, governance, leadership and democracy, public and/or civic education, human rights issues and gender mainstreaming. There is a great need for voluntarism to join hands in order to promote the old image of Mutare. UMRRT cannot do it alone, that is why it needs help from people who can offer certain services to bring about a sense of commitment and responsibility to the city of Mutare.

As a civic association, UMRRT hold public zoning meetings that provide residents with a platform to interact with each other and provide input towards the development of the city.

Additionally, UMRRT serves as an important link between the residents and local authorities by organizing public forums, summits and workshops with elected officials with the belief that engaging with or involving residents helps to ensure that the service providers meet residents and ratepayers’ needs.

As such, conventions are held for all parties to share their needs and experiences as the citizenry.

UMRRT’s other key programs include membership mobilisation to make the citizens aware of their responsibilities, community forums to enhance the competence of council officials when responding to the needs of the citizenry and research and documentation of the state of the city and performance of service providers.

It may take years before residents truly feel confident, but we must look to the future to keep the City running and developing and promoting relevant stakeholder engagement for accepted outcomes that benefit the city-ultimately quality service delivery. Ultimately, emphasis remains on residents and city fathers complementing each other and pulling in the same direction for the betterment of Mutare city.

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