IDGS and local authorities: Reimagining service delivery at the frontline of governance

By Paul Nyausaru

Local authorities are the frontline of public service delivery in Zimbabwe.
It is at the municipal and rural district council level that citizens most directly experience government—through water provision, refuse collection, road maintenance, housing, licensing and community development.
When local authorities function well, trust in public institutions grows. When they struggle, frustration and disengagement deepen.

While resource constraints and infrastructure challenges are real, the quality of service delivery is ultimately shaped by the people who lead and operate these institutions.

For years, reform efforts in local government have focused on compliance, financial controls and procedural efficiency.

These interventions are necessary, but they are not sufficient. Councils can have policies, by-laws and strategic plans in place, yet still fail to deliver services consistently or humanely.

This gap reveals a deeper issue—one rooted not in structure, but in organisational culture and leadership maturity.

The Inner Development Goals (IDGs) provide a powerful framework for addressing this challenge. They emphasise inner capacities such as self-awareness, integrity, empathy, collaboration and resilience—qualities that directly influence how council officials engage residents, manage conflict and make decisions under pressure.
In the context of local authorities, these capacities are not optional; they are essential.

Council leadership operates in a complex environment marked by political oversight, citizen expectations, financial stress and operational constraints.
Without strong inner capacity, leaders become reactive, defensive or risk-averse. Decision-making slows, accountability weakens and service delivery suffers.
By contrast, leaders grounded in self-leadership and emotional intelligence are better able to balance competing demands while remaining focused on community needs.

Service delivery at local level is inherently relational. Residents do not interact with abstract institutions; they engage with town clerks, engineers, revenue officers and frontline staff.
How these officials listen, communicate and respond matters as much as technical efficiency. An official who lacks empathy may follow procedure correctly yet still alienate the very citizens they are meant to serve.
IDGs help re-humanise public service by restoring dignity, respect and purpose to everyday interactions.

Reimagining local authorities through the IDG lens requires a shift in how councils develop talent and leadership.
Training programmes must go beyond technical compliance to include reflective leadership, values-based governance and ethical decision-making. Performance management systems should recognise behaviours that build trust, collaboration and accountability—not just task completion.
Recruitment and promotion must prioritise character, adaptability and service orientation alongside professional qualifications.

This approach resonates deeply with Zimbabwe’s Ubuntu philosophy, which emphasises community, shared responsibility and humane leadership. Local authorities, more than any other tier of government, are uniquely positioned to translate these values into lived experience.
When councils operate with empathy and integrity, communities become partners rather than adversaries in development.

Importantly, integrating IDGs into local governance does not weaken accountability; it strengthens it. Officials who understand the purpose of their role are less likely to hide behind bureaucracy. Leaders who are self-aware are more open to feedback and correction. Councils that cultivate trust reduce conflict, litigation and resistance to service charges.

The future of local governance in Zimbabwe will not be secured by policy reform alone. It will depend on the inner readiness of those entrusted with public resources and community wellbeing.
By investing in inner development, local authorities can build resilient institutions capable of delivering services even under constrained conditions.

Reimagining service delivery at local level begins with an inner shift—from control to service, from compliance to commitment, from authority to stewardship.

When councils develop leaders who are grounded, ethical and people-centred, service delivery improves not only in efficiency, but in humanity.

That is the promise of Inner Development Goals for local authorities: stronger leadership, restored trust and communities that feel served, not managed.