GREATER SENSE OF URGENCY NOW TO FULFILL KPIs & NKRAs

By Jamaluddin Mohamed

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- KPIs, for Key Performance Indicators, and
lately, NKRAs, for National Key Result Areas, appear to be the most popular
buzzwords in the nation's federal administrative capital here.

Ever since they were introduced by Najib Razak's administration after he
took office as Prime Minister on April 3 this year, it has been discerned that
there is a greater sense of urgency and attention on KPIs and NKRAs these days.

And some even say that those in key positions are beginning to feel the
heat, to some extent. Right up from ministers and deputy ministers to
secretaries-general of government ministries and heads of government
departments, it can be discerned that they are always on their toes now.

The media fraternity in Putrajaya has not been spared either -- there has
been an exponential demand for coverage by ministries and government agencies of
late.

What used to be an average of two to five media assignments a day in
Putrajaya has increased to five to 10 assignments daily.

"Probably they want to be seen as working proactively and effectively and
not just working, in following the KPIs," said a senior journalist, here.

Some ministers even go the extra mile by blogging and frequently sending
statements to the press to get their messages across to the rakyat.

There have been a number of many cases where certain ministries place
information about their mission and activities in special newspaper supplements.

And Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan, for instance, had half a page
of his thoughts in a newspaper recently on how the people can work with the
police force to tackle crime more effectively and even gave his email address
(musa@rmp.gov.my) for direct contact.

Some deputy ministers who were previously media-shy are now asking the press
to come to their functions.

Even secretaries-general are now on the media bandwagon. During a recent
visit by a public relations team from a ministry to a news organisation here,
the latter was even asked why there was scant coverage on that ministry's
secretary-general.

Now even routine visits by heads of department to department installations
are also made known to the media so that there may be some publicity.

"It is good to see things are moving on the ground as the result of the
KPIs," said Rashid Abas, 60, a pensioner who has always taken a keen interest in
the activities of government officials.

"We can now see more ministers leaving their jackets behind and rolling up
their sleeves to see for themselves the problems faced by the people first hand
so that they may be able to solve them," he said.

That was why, he said, the people can now chance upon ministers at crowded
flats, markets and bus stations, on busy highways, schools, hospitals, and even
flood-prone areas.

"Gone are the days when we could only see ministers in their designer suits
walking on the red carpet and receiving mementoes after delivering their
speeches.

"I think they are beginning to listen to the heartbeat of the people...just
as what Najib has always wanted," he added.

The KPIs introduced by Najib on April 9 were to evaluate the performance of
his team members -- ministers and deputy ministers -- in realising his
administration's creed of "People First, Performance Now".

They were part of the affirmative action for change and greater transparency
promised by the government to fulfil the aspirations of the people.

KPIs are not a mere slogan anymore among those in government circles. They
have become a systematic approach to measure performances, focusing not only on
the quantitative and qualitative aspects but also the people's satisfaction as
the ultimate yardstick.

Now there are even two ministers in the Prime Minister's Department to
oversee the implementation of KPIs.

The latest appointment of Idris Jala, the former chief executive officer and
managing director of Malaysia Airlines, as a minister and chief executive
officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) to
complement and support Senator Dr Koh Tsu Koon in the implementation of KPIs,
strongly reflects the fact that Najib means business in this key area.

The Prime Minister himself will make his evaluation on 28 ministers and 40
deputy ministers come this November.

On top of the KPIs, Najib's administration has also introduced six NKRAs --
reducing crime, combating corruption, widening access to affordable and quality
education, raising living standards of the poor, improving infrastructure in
rural areas and improving public transport -- to be achieved between the end of
next year and 2012.

By implementing the KPIs and NKRAs, the current performance-based government
wants to show that it is open and transparent for the rakyat to judge its
delivery system and how it has benefited them.

The prime minister recently pointed out that the implementation of the KPIs
and NKRAs meant that the government was treating its achievements as something
very transparent and open.

"Accountability (then) becomes the primary principle and this will be
assessed by the people when the time comes," said Najib, who is seen by many as
having the foresight and being courageous in tackling the many bread-and-butter
issues head-on.

By being more accountable, it is hoped that approval ratings for and
perception of the government will go up further.

"The people will determine whether they (the government) did it right and
sincerely or for publicity's sake," said Rashid, the pensioner.

"The people will vote -- not through SMSes as in reality TV shows but
through the ballot box -- on the government's performance when the next general
election comes.

"At that time, the only lifeline they have is the people," Rashid said
candidly.

Hence the greater urgency now to actualise results in Putrajaya and beyond.
-- BERNAMA