By Dr William Nyakwada WMO Consult (nyakwada@gmail.com) NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLANNING AND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY By Dr William Nyakwada WMO Consult (nyakwada@gmail.com)

Introduction National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, like other public institutions, are established by their Governments to provide services to improve lives of citizens. Sustainability and funding of NMHSs is influenced by their capability to provide efficient and effective services, and the perceived benefits of their services by citizens. As governments continue to be faced with several competing priorities and limited resources only those institutions that demonstrate to be of benefits to citizens are considered to be of high priority in funding. In a world faced with increased air travel, and frequent severe weather and climate extreme events, the services provided by NMHSs are on high demand. Actions to improve services require focused and targeted solutions based on the needs of users.

National Strategic Planning Strategic planning is one of the most important management tools since it enables leaders and managers to identify their priorities so as to focus on what matters most for their institutions. Rapidly evolving societal needs requires leaders to have the capacity to design and execute long- term solutions to complex problems.

National Strategic Planning cont’d Strategic planning enables institutions to: Understand their internal and external environments; Define their mission, visions and core values; Set strategic goals and objectives, and define appropriate strategies to achieve their goals and objectives; Mobilize resources; Engage stakeholders to foster partnerships and to understand their needs and motivate employees to be dedicated. Good planning and effective implementation of the plan are key factors for improving service delivery.

Operational planning The performance of an institution is not as a result of having strategic plan, but rather its capacity to implement it effectively. Sometimes experts are engaged to develop strategic plans without operating plans. This would be practical for NMHSs with the capacity to translate their strategic plans into specific actions.

Operational planning cont’d An operating plan with time-bound and costed activities together with performance metrics supports the implementation, performance monitoring and resource mobilization. A strategic plan without an operating plan can not achieve what is expected of it.

Linking strategic Plans to legal frameworks The existence of NMHSs is externally justified. They should focus on the best way to provide services to citizens and other stakeholders. The government and other stakeholders have their legal frameworks that influence their needs for weather, water and climate services. Strategic planning must include a review of relevant legal frameworks of the Government, and relevant sectors. Relevant sub-regional, regional and international legal frameworks should be reviewed. Linking strategic plans to relevant legal frameworks is vital for enhancing government support, partnerships and resource mobilization.

Conclusions Strategic planning is an important process for identifying and implementing targeted improvements to achieve efficient and effective service delivery. The Stakeholders should be involved in the entire strategic planning process. An operating plan with time-bound and costed activities together with performance metrics should be developed. Linking strategic plans to relevant legal frameworks is vital for attracting resources and fostering partnerships.

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