The RGS, an annual independent publication by the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), assesses governance in Rwanda using comprehensive primary and secondary data sources.
It is designed to generate credible, reliable data on governance issues, serve as a practical tool to drive policy reform, and provide actionable recommendations for improvement while contributing to the broader knowledge of Rwanda's governance landscape.
Since its inception in 2010, the RGS has been a vital instrument for monitoring progress and identifying challenges in governance. Among the eight key pillars evaluated in 2024, the security and safety pillar once again ranked the highest, improving slightly from its score of 93.63% in 2023.
Despite this positive trend, specific concerns related to personal and property safety were highlighted, with this indicator scoring 87.51%, tempering the overall increase in the security pillar's performance.
General national security was rated at 95.54%, while efforts to maintain security achieved an impressive score of 96.92%.
Additionally, the emphasis on national unity, reconciliation, and social cohesion contributed to a strong score of 95.32%, reflecting the continued prioritization of stability and harmony in the country.
Other pillars of governance showed mixed results. The rule of law pillar experienced a slight decline, scoring 88.51% compared to 88.89% in 2023.
Political rights and civil liberties remained stable at 88.00%, a marginal decrease from 88.01% the previous year.
However, the pillar addressing corruption, transparency, and accountability experienced a notable drop, declining from 88.97% in 2023 to 86.64%. In contrast, the participation and inclusiveness pillar saw improvement, rising to 85.84% from 84.04%.
Within this pillar, indicators such as citizen participation in governance scored 88.06%, the participation of non-state actors reached 78.89%, and decentralization achieved 89.24%. Power-sharing and inclusiveness received the highest rating at 93.80%, while gender equality in leadership stood at 79.20%.
Meanwhile, the quality in service delivery pillar experienced a significant decline, dropping from 79.98% in 2023 to 75.79%. The human and social development pillar also scored relatively low at 75.21%, with social protection ranking the lowest in this category at 67.82%, while the health indicator performed the best with a score of 87.80%.
Dr. Doris Uwicyeza Picard, CEO of the Rwanda Governance Board, highlighted the RGS's evidence-based approach, which incorporates advanced research methods contextualized to Rwanda's realities.
She emphasized that the RGS leverages both global indicators tailored to the local context and data from citizen and expert perception surveys.
'The objectives of RGS are to generate credible and reliable data on governance and serve as an evidence-based source to inform policy, decision-making, and implementation,' Dr. Uwicyeza stated.
The insights provided by the scorecard enable stakeholders to identify areas of excellence and those requiring improvement in the governance framework.
Dr. Fatmata Lovetta Sesay, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Rwanda, praised the RGS findings, particularly the high ratings in the security and safety pillar.
She noted, 'The launch of this scorecard marks a significant milestone in Rwanda's ongoing efforts to ensure that governance remains responsive and effective for all citizens.'
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/security-and-safety-tops-11th-rwanda-governance-scorecard
