Better Technology Helps Tanzanian Government Plan for and Deliver Services
Stakeholders talk about the redesigned Planning, Reporting and Budgeting (PlanRep) system, and its benefits to citizens of Tanzania. Work is Part of Abt’s Efforts to Improve Governance Globally
Good governance is the critical ingredient that ensures responsive institutions, equitable access to public services, and, ultimately, greater economic opportunity for all.
Experts at Abt Global are working to improve governance around the world by leading projects that:
- Fight corruption, increase citizen engagement, and improve government efficiency in Mexico;
- Empower communities to move forward in Papua New Guinea by resolving boundary disputes, some of which were centuries old;
- Strengthen health systems around the world in ways that benefit all health services, including those for maternal and child health, malaria, and HIV and AIDS.
We also are dramatically improving the efficiency and capabilities of local government officials in Tanzania by launching new computer systems and expanding bandwidth. This was made possible by the USAID-funded, Abt-led Public Sector Systems Strengthening (PS3) project, a five-year effort that ends in 2020.
Stakeholders talk about the new Facility Financial Accounting and Reporting System (FFARS), and its benefits to citizens of Tanzania.
Tanzania Benefits from Technology at the Local and Facility Levels
In September, PS3 launched two critical products: A redesigned planning and reporting software (PlanRep) to be used by local government authorities, and a new facility financial accounting and reporting system (FFARS) designed for service providers to plan, budget, and manage funds.
PS3 also installed or extended local area networks (LANs) in half of the local government areas in Tanzania, providing a solution to chronic bandwidth problems faced by local officials.
At the local government level, better information and management systems increase financial efficiency, transparency, and accountability. At the facility level, they save considerable time and effort, allowing health providers to focus on serving the community.
“We used to travel out of our council area to find a reliable network when we wanted to access different systems,” reports Benedict Sailes, Makete District Council Human Resources Officer. “Sometimes we had to work in the middle of the night when the network was not too busy.”
For the first time, and as a result of these products and infrastructure improvements, Tanzanian local government officials are planning, budgeting, and reporting on modern computer systems they can access whenever they need.
Read more about Abt’s global presence in governance:
