Structure of Government Leadership in Tanzania - PDF

| TT ® Chapter Three Structure of government leadership Introduction In Standard Fo...

| TT ® Chapter Three Structure of government leadership Introduction In Standard Four, you learnt about the structure of government leadership at village and “mtaa’” levels. In this chapter, you will learn about the structure of government leadership at ward, district, and regional levels. You will also learn about the division of labour as well as responsibilities and advantages of each leadership structure. Leadership in the government Leadership in the government is an authority legally constructed via the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania. The term “government” refers to the supreme body at different levels with the power to make policy and important development decisions. Government leadership in Tanzania starts from the grass root to the national level. Leadership structure at ward level Award is an administrative area that constitutes several villages or mitaa. Wards are found in both rural and urban areas. The ward administration is made up of Ward Development Committee (WDC). The Ward Development Committee is the highest organ of the ward that coordinates development activities in the Ward. It comprises the Ward Councillor who is its chairperson, a special seat councillor, village/mtaa chairpersons, the ward executive officer, who is the secretary, heads of departments and invited members from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Leaders at the ward level include the following: Councillor: This leader is elected by citizens in general elections after every 5 years. The ward executive officer: This officer is responsible for all duties in | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 31 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | || TTT ® oe || the ward and he/she is a government employee. Usually, this officer is the secretary of all ward meetings. During elections, he/she is responsible for all election activities in the ward. This officer represents the district executive director, and he/she is responsible for the social services provided in the ward. In the structure of the ward administration, the village chairperson and mtaa or village executive officers are among the leaders who constitute the ward development committee. There are four kinds of leaders in a ward development committee: The councillor and special seats councillor WN The ward executive officer Heads of departments such as health, education, agriculture Village chairpersons or mtaa chairpersons F ( Exaiad). Mention the departments in the ward administration. & WN Who is the overall leader of all these departments? To whom is the ward executive officer responsible? Identify the leaders at the lowest level of the ward administration F structure. Briefly explain the main duties of the ward administration. 6. What is the difference between leadership and administration? \ Discuss with your fellow pupils the difference between the ward administration structure and the village or mtaa leadership structure. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 32 @ 2021/08/04 v6 | | || TTT ® oe || Structure of Ward Administration ( Ward Development Committee } [ Ward Executive Officer (we0)| ® —— —— ——— —— = ® _Cc c 9wn w ~ © Ee 5 5 & @ Oo * O oO © Lu € oO. 5 >oO Ooc Cc ® Oo ©Q a N@o © O> = © ~ oO c xv o oe © § = oe 3 = = © 5 9 Et a5 ® 5 © oO a 5 fo =J Lu 20 LY SA Se LO > Figure 1: Structure of Ward Administration | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5 FINAL.indd 33 @ 2021/08/04 v5 | | | TT ® oe | Duties and responsibilities of ward leaders Qe Ask yourself What does the word “responsibility” mean? Responsibility refers to a task or duty which needs someone to do and accomplish without obligation. In general, obligations and good responsibilities of ward leaders are important because they encourage citizens to participate fully in their development activities. Leaders supervise and implement government policies and plans at ward, hamlet, village, and mtaa levels. It is the leader’s obligations to find solutions to different problems and challenges facing their citizens, besides making follow ups on different directions provided by the higher authority levels of the government. Read the following introduction done by ward leaders and answer the questions that follow. Councillor: | ama councillor, a representative of citizens in all ward meetings in the district. | am the chairperson of various meetings conducted in a ward and the highest political leader in the ward. In addition, | usually collaborate with ward executive officers in a ward to run different projects and activities. Furthermore, | advise our member of parliament on development issues about our ward. | am also a member of full council of the respective municipal/ district. Special Seat Councillor : | am also a councillor, but | am elected in the general meeting by my political party. | am a member of the ward development committee. Usually, | cooperate with the elected councillor in realizing challenges and responsibilities in the ward. | am also a member of full council of the respective municipal/district. Ward Executive Officer: | am a ward executive officer. | coordinate development activities in the ward, serve as secretary in all ward meetings, represent the district executive director at ward level, and maintain peace and security in my ward. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 34 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | | ® oe | Ward Education Officer: | am the ward education officer. | am responsible for all issues related to primary, secondary, and adult education. | am the link between schools within the ward and the educational department in the district or municipal council. | implement all directives and orders from the top level of the government to the ward. Ward Community Development Officer: | am the ward community development officer. My duties and responsibilities are to supervise and coordinate development activities in the ward, to advocate the fight against traditional beliefs that can hinder community development, and to educate the citizens on the importance of a balanced diet and environmental conservation in the ward. | am an advocate of gender equality and development. | also work with the community in identifying development projects as well as in Supervising and coordinating implementation of ward plans. Moreover, | represent the district community development officer or municipal community development officer in the ward. Accordingly, | serve as a link between the ward and the district council in community development issues. Ward Agricultural and Livestock Officer: | am an employee in the district council. | am also known as an extension officer. My duty is to ensure that proper agricultural procedures are maintained in the ward. Ward Natural Resource Officer: | am the ward’s natural resources officer. In addition to being in charge of all national natural resources within the ward, | also work with citizens to stop vandalism and environmental pollution by creating awareness among citizens. Ward Health Officer: | am a ward health officer. My duties and responsibilities are to educate people on how they can protect themselves from diseases, to help them understand the importance of vaccination to children and infants, and to provide education on good health through maintaining environmental cleanliness. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5 FINAL.indd 35 2021/08/04 15:44 | | | TT ® sated ). Mention different departmental officers at ward level. — What are the tasks of the ward health officer? WN Who is the political leader in a ward? Who is responsible for coordinating development activities in a - ward? What are the duties of the ward education officer? 6. Westand against bad traditional beliefs in the society. Who is in charge of fighting against bad traditional beliefs? 7. What are the duties of an extension officer? XY y, Ka Ne Way Write in your exercise book the difference between the councillor and the special seats councillor. Submit your work to your subject teacher. Structure of the district government The leadership structure in a district is divided into two: District Government and District Council. The district government represents the central government while the district council represents the local government. The district government includes District Commissioner (DC), the District Administrative Secretary (DAS) and division officers. The district commissioner and district administrative secretary are usually appointed by the President. Figure 2 shows the district government leadership structure. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 36 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | | ® Leadership Structure of District Government [ District Commissioner (DC) | District Council District Council Advisory | VW Committee District Administrative Secretary (DAs) District Human District Bursar | Resources Officer | Division Officer } Figure 2: District leadership structure District Commissioner: The district commissioner is considered to as the highest political leader in the district. This leader helps the regional commissioner in facilitating district council activities. From the perspective of the central government, the district commissioner is the top leader of the district. He/she is appointed by the President and is sworn in by the regional commissioner who acts on behalf of the President. The district commissioner has the following responsibilities: to ensure peace and security within his/her district, to represent the district in the regional advisory committee, to serve as the chairperson of several committees created within the district. In addition to being a marriage counselor, the district commissioner helps local governments in fulfilling their legal duties. The district commissioner assesses the validity of decisions and actions taken by local governments in his district to make sure that the interests of the citizens and the nation are realized. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5 FINAL.indd 37 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | | TT ® District Advisory Committee: The district advisory committee is responsible for decisions made for the development of the district. It usually meets twice a year. This committee comprises the following members: the district commissioner, who is usually the chairperson; the district administrative secretary, who is the secretary of all committees; all members of parliament within the district; all chairpersons of the district council; leaders of political parties in the district; and experts from different district committees, including the defence and security committee in the district. District Administrative Secretary: The district administrative secretary is appointed by the President. Some of his or her duties are to advise the district commissioner on peace and security issues and to prepare national celebrations and events. The district administrative secretary has a duty to listen to citizens’ complaints related to the creation of a conducive environment for the district councils to fulfil their responsibilities. The district administrative secretary is an administrative leader at district level. He or she is responsible on registering birth and death information on the district level. The district administrative secretary prepares the district budget protocol and coordinates emergence disasters in the district. Division Officer: The division officer is responsible for the duties of the central government and local governments in his division. Therefore, he or she is responsible to the central government, which is the district administrative secretary and to the local government, which is the district executive director. Other responsibilities of the division officer include monitoring performance of ward, village, and mtaa executive officers in his/her division. In addition, he or she helps leaders in local governments to implement development projects in his division. Furthermore, this officer advises on development plans in his division. He or she is a government employee in the district. District, Town or Municipal Council Leadership District councils, town councils or municipal councils are concerned with development planning in their jurisdiction. These councils prepare the implementation of projects at village/mtaa, ward and district levels. The district council constitutes the following organs: | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5 FINAL.indd 38 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | | ® The full council: The full council is the highest leadership body in the district, town or municipal. The full council is comprises of councillors elected from each ward and those who are appointed as special seat councillors. A meeting of the full council is led by the chairperson of the respective council. This leader is usually chosen from among ward councillors constituting the respective council. The district executive director is usually the secretary of the meetings of councillors. The functions of the full council is to formulate by laws and regulations by considering circumstances of the respective council. The full council is responsible for the financial budget of the district, town or municipal council to make sure that the citizens within the council receive social services such as health care, electricity, water, transport, and education. This full council advises the district executive director or municipal on various developmental issues in the district or municipal. It is a very important organ in spearheading citizens’ development in the division, ward, village, and mtaa. Three standing committees: The district council has three permanent committees that serve different functions according to their respective sections. These include the finance, administration and planning committee chaired by the district council chairperson, the economic affairs, work and environment committee, and education, health and water committee. Members of the full council, who are ward councillors, come from these committees. Six sections: These units in the district council comprise legal, election, beekeeping, ICT, public relations, and procurement. They facilitate development within the district council. Departments of the district council: There are thirteen departments in the district council. These deal with different issues. They are headed by the heads of departments, who are employed as experts in specific fields. According to local government rules and regulations, all administrative units and departments have the same authority. In other words, all employees are accountable to the district executive director or the municipal executive director. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5 FINAL.indd 39 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | | TT ® The leadership structure of the district council or municipal is divided into five categories: the full council, standing committees, the district executive director, the heads of departments, and sections of the respective council. In the structure of this leadership, there are six sections and 13 departments as shown in Figure 3. District Council Chairperson The chairperson of the district council is the highest political leader in the district. Accordingly, he or she is the mirror of the council in and out of it. The following are the main duties and responsibilities of the district council chairperson: Firstly, he is a chairperson of the full council as well as the finance, planning, and administration committee. Secondly, he or she signs and stamps documents of the council and leads the full council to make decisions that are relevant to all citizens in the council. Lastly, he or she has the duty to ensure fairness to all councillors irrespective of their political ideologies, party affiliation, religion, race or tribe. The district council chairperson is supposed to be given an office that can be used to meet with all citizens who have problems or suggestion geared towards improving the situation in the district council. He or she is supposed to meet the citizens twice a week and the timetable of those two days is supposed to be available to all concerned. When the chairperson wants to visit the council under his jurisdiction for the purpose of promoting development, he or she is supposed to do so on those two days, which are allowed by the law. District Executive Director The district executive director is the chief executive officer of the council. His or her duties and responsibilities include the following: Firstly, he or she to ensures that all tasks and responsibilities in the council are implemented according to law and according to the directives and plans of the council concerned. Secondly, he or she is the secretary to the full council. He or she signs and stamps different types of council documents such as contracts on behalf of the citizens of the respective council, be it for investment or different development projects. Thirdly, the director receives and listens to problems, challenges and complaints from the citizens in the council concerned. He or she has the duty to find solutions to challenges presented to him by asking his assistants to make sure that such challenges are given proper and quick solutions. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 40 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | |  Leadership Structure in the District/Municipal Council [ Full Council | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5 FINAL.indd 41 Finance, Administration Economic Affairs, Works and Education, Health and and Planning Committee Environmental Committee Water Committee | [ DisTRICT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ MUNICIPAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ] | Internal Information and Legal Procurement Bee Election Auditor Communication Technology, section section keeping section section and Public relation section section Administration Agriculture, Community Health Primary Secondary Irrigation and Land and Development and Human Education Education Cooperatives Recnnn and Social Resources esources Welfare Sanitation Livestock Planning and Water Construction and Finance and Trade and and Fishing Statistics Resources Fire Rescue Environment Figure 3: Leadership structure in the district council/ municipal council 2021/08/04 15:44 | TT ® Fourthly, he or she calls and steers management meetings in which decisions about different issues are made. As a public relation officer and the spokesperson of the council, the district executive director has the duty and responsibility to explain to the public the rationale behind decisions and resolutions made by the council. If the district executive director provides misleading information about resolutions, he or she will be responsible. Finally, the district executive director is the chairperson of the electoral commission in the electoral constituents under his council. He or she is the one who is responsible for coordinating the election exercise in his or her council. Duties and Responsibilities of Heads of Departments In the council, the heads of different departments are usually employed by the respective council. At district level, the heads include the district education officer, the district community development officer, the district agricultural and livestock officer, the district land and natural resources officer, the district trade officer, and the district medical officer. These are experts in their own fields, and they are in charge of these areas. They are advisors to the district executive director and they are accountable to him for all matters regarding their respective competencies. District Community Development Officer The district community development officer coordinates development plans of the community in the district so as to achieve the desired goals. He or she coordinates different development projects including women and children by considering gender. The district community development officer enables communities to participate in conceiving, planning, implementing, supervising and assessing development projects. The district community development officer coordinates activities aimed at fighting diseases such as AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis (TB). District Agricultural and Livestock Officer The functions of the district agricultural and livestock officer include making sure that good farming and livestock rearing are emphasised in the district and protecting crops and plants from pests and diseases. This helps farmers engage in rewarding farming. To attain that objective, he or she initiates different training programs on agriculture and animal expertise. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 42 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | || ® The officer also investigates the quality of the tools used in agriculture and animal husbandry. Besides, he/she is responsible for directing good methods of farming and animal keeping. District Land and Natural Resources Officer The officer’s duty is to protect the natural resources available in the district. He or she takes care of natural resources, such as forests, animals, and the whole environment. This officer also deals with those who destroy the environment in the district. He or she also has the duty to educate the citizens about proper ways of taking care of the environment in the district. District Trade Officer The district trade officer has the duty to initiate business projects in the district. The officer provides education to the citizens on how to initiate such projects and how to manage cooperative unions. Besides, the officer is responsible for advising and motivating citizens with financial resources to establish small scale industries that can employ other people living in or out of the district. The officer is also responsible for educating business men and women on the importance of paying tax and of having business licenses. District Education Officer The district education officer is responsible for educational issues in primary, Secondary, and adult education in the district. He or she serves as a link between schools in his or her district and the ministry of education in the region. Besides, the district education officer has the responsibility to implement orders and programs related to education. He or she also defends interests and duties of all employees under him/her or employees in the education sector. District Medical Officer The district medical officer has the duty to educate citizens on how to protect themselves from diseases, public health, and child vaccinations. In addition, he/she has the duty to provide education to citizens about the advantages of aclean environment. Furthermore, the officer is responsible for making sure that health rules and regulations in the district are observed. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 43 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | |  What is the importance of the heads of departments in the district? 2. Who its the leader responsible for registering birth and death information at district level? 3. Mention the duties of the district commissioner. QNELQ TE Discuss with your fellow pupils the duties of the ICT Unit at district level. Write in your exercise book and submit it to your subject teacher. Leadership structure of the regional government The regional government is a body of implementation of the local and central governments within the region. Through the regional development committee, the government explains and interprets its policies and other national duties. Structurally, the regional government has the following leaders: the regional commissioner, the regional administrative secretary, heads of sections/units such as information and technology, procurement, legal, accounting, and auditing. Departments are responsible for programs such as planning and coordination, health and social welfare, economy and productive sector, and education. Other departments are the administration and human resource management, water supply, infrastructure, and local government management. The regional government structure is shown in Figure 4. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 44 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | |  ® Regional Government Structure [ Regional Commissioner ] c CIVIC & MORAL STD 5 FINAL.indd Regional Advisory 45 Committee [ Regional Administrative Secretary | —-\ ( Information Unit Finance Unit [ Procurement Unit (~~) Internal Auditing Unit © Legal Unit [ Infrastructure Department | Health Economy and Planning and Local and Social Production Coordinating Government Welfare Sector Department Department Administration Authority Department Department and Human Water resources Regional management Education Hospital Supply Department Department Figure 4: Regional government structure 2021/08/04 15:44 |! ® | TT ® Read the following and do the given activity. Regional Commissioner: | am appointed by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania. | represent him/her in this region. | am in charge of all activities in my region. | swear in district commissioners on behalf of the President. | am also the chairperson of the peace and security committee as well as the regional advisory committee. Regional Consultative Committee: | am the highest committee in the region. | am responsible for making decisions on different developmental issues. | conduct meetings twice a year which are legally recognised. | am comprised of members, such as the regional commissioner, who is the chairperson of the committee; the regional administrative secretary, who is the secretary of all regional meetings; all members of the parliament in the region and all political leaders. Additionally, there are all district commissioners of the region, mayors, the council chairpersons, municipal and district directors, all departments’ experts in the region, and the regional defence and security committee. Regional Administrative Secretary: | am coordinating all secretarial duties in the region. | am the top advisor to the regional commissioner on legal principles and procedures for running local government activities. | am responsible for controlling money sent to the region and those collected from different sources. | also receive and analyze statistics and implementation reports from different councils and different organisations. Regional Internal Auditor: | am in charge of the auditing department in the region. | am the internal auditor of finance and government assets in the region. | collaborate with other auditors in the region to prepare and provide inspection reports on procurement and government expenditure in the region. Regional Procurement Officer: One of my duties in the region is to supervise the procurement of all items in the office of the regional commissioner. | purchase different items such as car spare parts. | also prepare and provide reports on the procurement process by the regional government officer. Assistant Administrative Secretary-Health: As a regional medical officer, my task is to make sure that health policy and issues related to social welfare are implemented. | cooperate with district medical doctors. | also advise the regional commissioner on health and social welfare issues. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 46 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | || TTT ® oe || Regional Accountant: As a regional accountant, my task is to control monetary issues in the region as well as to prepare and produce financial reports for the government in the region. Assistant Administrative Secretary-Education: In collaboration with district education officers, | coordinate all issues related to education in the region. | am also in charge of national examinations and adult education in the region. Regional Police Commander: | am the commander of police forces in the region. | collaborate with other forces to protect and provide security to citizens and their properties in the region. Importance of the regional leadership structure The government leadership structure helps to know government responsibilities and obligations of the leaders. It helps us to know who is responsible to whom. The structure also simplifies the implementation of responsibilities. It helps to set boundaries of responsibilities between government leaders. It makes it possible to assess or evaluate goals in the public sector. (Eurand ) , 1. Identify different departments found in the regional government. 2. Mention the responsibilities of the Assistant Administrative Secretary-Health. 3. — Identify and describe development activities conducted at regional level. 4. __ Briefly explain the importance of the government structure. Mention the duties of the regional commissioner. on 6. _Howdothe regional commissioner, the district commissioner and the director of the council get into power? \Y / Activity 4 Discuss with your subject teacher the challenges you face in your region. How do the leaders and citizens cooperate in solving them? Write your answers in the exercise book and submit it to your subject teacher. | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 47 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | | TT ® ~ (Bento ) Choose the correct answer and write its letter in your exercise book. , 1. Who assists the regional commissioner? (a) The Assistant Administrative Secretary-Education (_) (b) The regional administrative secretary (c) The head of administration and public servant department (d) The regional health officer The district council chairperson leads --------- ; (a) mtaa chairpersons (b) the administrative secretary (_) (c) the district councillors (d) the ward executive director In the ward, the chief executive is Known as ------------- (a) ) the ward executive director (b) the ward executive officer (c) the ward environment officer (_) (d) the ward development officer How is the municipal director elected? (a) Through voting by ward executives directors (b) Through being employed by the public servant management (c) Appointed by the President (d)d) Through voting by the citizens in the respective (_) municipal Who is the Secretary of the full council? (a) The council chairperson (b)b) The ward executive director special seat (_) (c) The administrative secretary (d)d The municipal/district director | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 48 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | || ® The head of department in the district council is responsible to (a) the council director. (b) the district commissioner. (c) the regional commissioner. (d) the district administrative secretary. \ J “Cae ) Write True for a true statement and False for a false one. 1. The chairperson of the full council and planning finance committee is the district executive director. 2. The duty of the Assistant Administrative Secretary - Education is to fight against diseases such as HIV/AIDS. 3. | The regional commissioner is appointed by the President. ® 4. The district commissioner is sworn in by the regional commissioner. 5. The district administrative secretary is the advisor to the district commissioner. 6. The division officer has the responsibility to manipulate executive officers in the ward, villages and townships. \ ) | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5FINAL.indd 49 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | | || FEO ® Vocabulary Bail the temporary release of an accused person waiting trial, sometimes on condition that a sum of money is lodged to guarantee their appearance in court Councillor a member of a council: He or she is a ward representative elected by citizens of a particular ward District an administrative area in the region which is smaller than the region but bigger than a division District Executive Director the chief executive officer of the council: He or she is appointed by the President. Division anadministrative area in a region which is smaller than the district but larger than a ward Financing responsible with all issues related to operation and management of funds Region an administrative area which includes several districts | | CIVIC & MORAL STD 5 FINAL.indd 50 @ 2021/08/04 15:44 | |