Seven C-CEOs forum resolutions set new course for public institutions

ARUSHA: A NATIONAL development ambition becomes meaningful when it shapes the decisions public institutions make, how they allocate resources and the results they deliver.

For Tanzania’s public institutions and enterprises, that connection was central to the seven resolutions adopted at the fourth Forum of Chairpersons of Boards and Chief Executive Officers of Public Institutions and Enterprises (CCEOs Forum), held in Arusha from September 28 to 30, 2026.

Presented by Director of Administration and Human Resources Management at the Office of the Treasury Registrar (OTR), Mr Chacha Marigiri, during the forum’s closing session, the resolutions focus on practical training for young people; strengthening performance assessment and recognising institutions that contribute to youth training and employment; and establishing a Ministerial Dialogue and strengthening private sector participation.

They also call for aligning institutional strategic plans with Dira 2050; reducing dependence on government while increasing the value of public investment; strengthening security and disaster preparedness; and improving performance indicators to capture economic and social outcomes.

“The resolutions seek to strengthen the contribution of public institutions to a competitive, inclusive and resilient economy by linking institutional responsibilities with national development priorities,” said Mr Marigiri.

Together, the resolutions provide a framework for translating the country’s long-term development ambitions into institutional action, with responsibilities, timelines and measurable results.

Youth training and employment emerged as a key priority, building on the directive issued by Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi during the forum’s opening.

He directed OTR, working with relevant ministries and other stakeholders, to prepare a plan for providing practical training opportunities to at least 10,000 young people annually in public institutions and enterprises.

The plan is expected to clarify arrangements for placements, subsistence support, duration of training and monitoring. These details are important because expanding opportunities for young people requires more than announcing placement numbers.

Institutions need clear arrangements to ensure that trainees gain practical experience, develop relevant skills and understand workplace expectations.

For public institutions, the initiative also offers an opportunity to strengthen their contribution to national employment priorities while developing a potential pool of future professionals.

Its success will depend on whether placements are relevant to institutional needs and whether young people receive meaningful exposure to professional responsibilities. The resolutions seek to reinforce this commitment by linking youth development to institutional performance assessment.

OTR will introduce a criterion in the C-CEOs Forum awards from 2027 to recognise institutions that contribute to youth training and employment. The proposed criterion would make youth development more visible in assessments of institutional performance.

It would also encourage boards and management teams to treat training and employment initiatives as part of their wider contribution to national development rather than as activities separate from their core responsibilities.

Recognition will be most meaningful when supported by evidence of results, including the opportunities provided, the quality of training and the extent to which programmes equip young people with relevant skills.

Beyond youth development, the resolutions propose a Ministerial Dialogue at the 2027 C-CEOs Forum to strengthen coordination between Government and public institutions and create space for greater private sector participation.

OTR, in consultation with the ministry responsible for planning and investment, is expected to prepare for the dialogue, subject to the availability of leaders and resources.

The proposed engagement would bring together ministers, permanent secretaries, board chairpersons and heads of public institutions to assess progress in implementing Dira 2050, build a shared understanding of national priorities and improve coordination.

Private sector participation is also envisaged, recognising that the country’s development ambitions require stronger links between public institutions and businesses. Such a dialogue could help address the gap between policy direction and implementation.

Public institutions operate across different sectors and have distinct mandates, but their decisions often affect one another. A structured platform for discussing priorities, constraints and opportunities could help align their efforts and identify areas where collaboration with private enterprises would add value.

The resolutions move from strengthening coordination across institutions to ensuring that each entity translates Dira 2050 into its own strategic priorities. Public entities are therefore required to align or update their strategic plans to reflect the national vision, specifying their contributions, measurable targets, performance indicators, required resources and responsible implementers.

This requirement is intended to connect the national v i s i o n with the e v e r y d a y work of individual institutions.

Rather than treating Dira 2050 as a broad policy statement, each entity will need to demonstrate how its mandate contributes to the country’s development priorities and how that contribution will be measured. The quality of these plans will matter as much as their timely submission.

Targets need to be realistic; indicators must capture meaningful results and the resources allocated should match the commitments being made. Without these elements, alignment risks becoming a compliance exercise rather than a tool for improving performance.

The resolutions also address the financial sustainability of public institutions and enterprises, calling for reduced dependence on Government support and greater value from public investment.

The proposed approach includes controlling unproductive expenditure, developing sustainable sources of revenue and improving resource management. The commitment reflects the need for public entities to demonstrate greater discipline in how they use public resources.

Institutions must balance their mandates with the need to manage costs, strengthen operational efficiency and identify opportunities to generate sustainable income where appropriate.

However, financial sustainability cannot be measured by revenue alone. Public institutions have different mandates and some exist primarily to provide essential services rather than maximise profits.

Their contribution must therefore be assessed against the value they create, the efficiency with which they use resources and the quality of services delivered to citizens. Protecting those public investments is closely linked to the resolution on security, safety and disaster preparedness.

The resolutions call for stronger preparedness across public institutions and enterprises, including readiness for the effects of El Niño-related rainfall and other emergencies. Under this commitment, boards are expected to provide oversight, while chief executive officers and management teams are responsible for implementation in coordination with relevant security and disaster-management authorities.

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The objective is to protect lives, public assets, infrastructure and investments while ensuring continuity of essential services during emergencies. For institutions responsible for critical infrastructure and public services, preparedness cannot be left until a crisis occurs.

It requires risk assessments, clear responsibilities, appropriate response arrangements and regular reviews of readiness. Effective preparation can reduce disruption, limit losses and help institutions recover more quickly when emergencies arise.

The resolutions also underscored the importance of strengthening performance indicators to ensure institutional assessments capture economic and social outcomes alongside financial results.

The indicators should reflect each institution’s mandate, as Treasury Registrar Mr Nehemiah Mchechu emphasised during the C-CEOs Forum 2026. Commercial enterprises, he said, should demonstrate productivity, sustainability and profitability, while public service institutions should focus on the quality, accessibility and efficiency of the services they provide.

This distinction echoes the observation by Head of the Institute of Adult Education, Prof Philipo Sanga, that some public institutions exist primarily to provide services society needs rather than generate substantial financial profits. Their contribution, therefore, cannot be measured by commercial returns alone.

Both commercial and service-oriented institutions must maintain financial discipline, but their performance should be assessed against the results expected of them.

This calls for indicators that measure not only financial performance and completed activities but also the outcomes of institutional interventions.

An institution may meet its revenue target or complete planned activities without necessarily demonstrating that services have improved or that citizens have benefited.

Outcome-based indicators can help establish whether institutional efforts are translating into the intended economic and social gains.

Closing the forum, Chief Secretary Dr Moses Kusiluka emphasised the need for public institutions to make timely decisions within the law and translate the Forum’s commitments into their plans and operations.

The resolutions place responsibility on boards and management teams to move beyond general commitments towards implementation.

Their effectiveness will ultimately depend on whether institutions meet the agreed timelines, allocate the necessary resources and demonstrate measurable progress.

As Tanzania pursues its ambition of becoming a one trillion-dollar-economy by 2050, the challenge is to ensure that public institutions contribute collectively to that goal through stronger coordination, responsible management of public investment, improved services and tangible benefits for citizens.

The seven resolutions provide a basis for that effort. Their significance will be determined not by their adoption alone, but by the changes they produce in institutional performance and the contribution they make to the country’s long-term development.