ORD and its complicated functions

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THE Office of Rural Development (ORD) was established in 1998 by NEC Decision 169/98 and Gazetted in Gazette Notice No. 990 on Aug 14, 1998.
It became fully operational in 1999 and was tasked to implement the Government’s rural development programmes.
The ORD was subsumed into the Department of Planning and Monitoring in 2002 until 2005.
In 2005, by NEC Decision 251/2005, the ORD was separated from the Department of Rural Development.
Decision 251/2005 made the ORD a line agency under an organisational structure approved by the Department of Personnel Management on Oct 4, 2001.
The ORD used to answer to the secretary of the Department of Rural Development but now answers to the Department of National Planning and Monitoring.
The PAC concluded in its report to Parliament that relations between the Department of National Planning and Monitoring and the ORD are “poor with little or no preparation or ability in either entity to work with the other”.
The ORD exists to formulate, co-ordinate and implement the Government’s rural development policies and programmes which contributes to improving service delivery, raising the quality of life and attaining sustainable growth through.
This charge is wide and very general.
To further complicate the functions of the ORD, the office is responsible for the management in whole or in part of the statutory grants or other programs which include the district support grant and the provincial support grant.