Profound and central to the APRM is the country self-assessment process with its elaborate methodology encompassing nation-wide consultations with various stakeholders in political, economic, corporate and socio-economic governance. The product of this exercise is a critical document named the National Programme of Action (NPOA). NPOAs identify and highlight discrepancies in a nation’s socio-economic, political, economic and corporate governance. However, the aim is not only to bring to the fore the various deficiencies in these governance areas, NPOAs also seek to provide clear commitments that are realisable within a specific time period by the responsible ministry or focal point for implementing the outlined recommendations. The objectives, which are captured in a matrix, are aimed at guiding and mobilising efforts from the requisite institutions to implement the necessary changes that should witness improvements in socio-economic development, political governance, economic and corporate management and governance. NPOAs also outline the necessary capacities to be put in place both in terms of monetary injection and expertise to achieve the objectives targeted. NPOAs are envisaged to be the guiding document of actions towards a country’s holistic national development. The conspicuous difference between NPOAs and National Development Plans is that whereas the former are programmes of action strategically articulating tangible changes in the four pillars of governance, the latter are elaborate policies that primarily guide the socio-economic developmental path of a country.
