Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency representative Fadzayi Ndlovu has called for stronger coordination among institutions that produce and use data, saying credible and timely evidence is essential for assessing government performance and informing Parliament’s budget decisions.
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Read E-PaperAccording to an update from Parliament of Zimbabwe, Ndlovu made the remarks during a Monitoring and Evaluation Workshop in Bulawayo, where she presented on “From Data Collection and Analysis to Evidence for Informed Decision-Making”.
She emphasised that effective monitoring requires information that is accurate, complete, timely, consistent and reliable.
Her presentation highlighted the need to connect institutions responsible for collecting, managing, sharing, analysing and applying data.
For Parliament, she said, that evidence supports legislation, representation, oversight and accountability, including decisions on budgets and the allocation of public resources.
Ndlovu also identified data as a tool for measuring development, evaluating programmes, detecting emerging issues and supporting forecasting and planning.
The presentation places attention on the evidence Parliament needs to distinguish government activity from measurable results. Expenditure records can establish how much a programme costs, while reliable performance information helps legislators assess what that spending achieves.
Parliament’s published description of its functions says committees scrutinise government policies and programmes to assess the efficient use of public resources. That responsibility extends to institutions at provincial and local government level.
Its Budget Office supports this work through analysis of national budgets, quarterly budget performance and Auditor-General’s reports.
The office also examines the impact of government programmes and assists committees in evaluating competing spending priorities.
Ndlovu’s emphasis on institutional coordination reflects ZIMSTAT’s broader role in the National Statistical System.
The agency says its responsibilities include coordinating statistical producers, promoting common standards and methodologies, and collecting and disseminating information in cooperation with government institutions.
Common standards matter when information from different institutions is used to assess the same programme. Figures collected at different times or using different definitions may not be directly comparable, making it harder to establish whether performance is improving.
However, Parliament’s update did not identify particular datasets that were deficient or ministries whose reporting had fallen below the standards outlined. It also did not announce a new data-sharing agreement, funding commitment or implementation timetable.
The presentation therefore sets out priorities for strengthening evidence-based oversight rather than documenting a specific failure by an institution.
Further details on the workshop’s resolutions would establish whether the discussions will lead to changes in reporting requirements, institutional coordination or the evidence supplied to parliamentary committees.
