Progress Report on Public Sector Reform

PROGRESS REPORT ON PUBLIC SECTOR REFORMMarch 2009

ENT

ABBREVIATION

1.0 INTRODUCTION

2.0 WORK PROGRAMME

2.1 Management and Functional Review

2.2 Institutional Appraisals

2.3 Operationalisation of Human Resource Management Office (HRMO)

2.4 New Regulations and Rules and Civil Service Code

2.5 Records Management Improvement Programme

2.6 Rightsizing the Civil Service

2.7Comprehensive Pay and Grading Reform

2.8 Development of Public Sector Reform Strategy …………………………………………14

2.9 Development of a Multi-Donor Funded Public Sector Reform Programme……………...15

2.10 Capacity-Building at Public Sector Reform Unit………………………………………...16

2.8 Development of Communications Strategy for Public Sector Reform

3.0 STEERING COMMITTEE ON GOOD GOVERNANCE

3.1EQUIPMENT SUPPORT

4.0CONCLUSION AND THE NEXT PRIORITIES

Annex 1. LOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR TRANSITIONAL SUPPORT TO PSRU

Annex 2. WORK PLAN JAN-DEC 09………………………………………………………….24

ABBREVIATION

CONTENT

ABBREVIATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..4

2.0 Work Programme………………………………………………………………………….5

2.1Management and Functional Reviews……………………………………………………..5

2.2 Institutional Appraisals...... 8

2.3 Operationalisation of Human Resource Management Office (HRMO)

2.4 New Regulations and Rules and Civil Service Code

2.5 Records Management Improvement Programme

2.6 Rightsizing the Civil Service

2.7Comprehensive Pay and Grading Reform

2.8 Development of a Public Sector Reform Policy...... …...16

2.9 Development of a Public Sector Reform Programme…………………………………...17

2.10 Communication Strategy for Public Sector Reform…………………………………….18

3.0 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………..19

ABBREVIATION

CSCC--Civil Service Compensation Committee

DFID-- Department for International Development

GCRSP--Governance and Civil Service Reform Programme

GOSL--Government of Sierra Leone

GRS--Governance Reform Secretariat

HRMO--Human Resource Management Office

MDAs--Ministries, Department and Agencies

MEYS--Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports

MIC--Ministry of Information and Communications

MOFED-- Ministry of Finance and Economic Development

MIALGRD--Ministry of Internal Affairs, Local Government and

Rural Development

PRSP--Public Sector Reform Programme

PSC -- Public Service Commission

PSRU--Public Sector Reform Unit

RBM--Results Based Management

SCGG--Steering Committee on Good Governance

SC PSR--Steering Committee on Public Sector Reform

SPU--Strategic and Policy Unit

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The activities undertaken in developing good governance in Sierra Leone startingMarch 2008(the Transition period from the Governance and Civil Service Reform Programme to the new Public Sector Reform Programme slated to begin in October 2009), to present, have focused on laying a foundation for ensuring positive outcomes from the comprehensive interventions designed to rebuild the Government of Sierra Leone’s capacity to provide services and enhance the welfare of its citizens. By strategically implementing a number of key interventions and developing management and administrative structures, the Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU) aims to create an enabling environment capable of supporting and facilitating sustained improvements in public service delivery.

Phase II of the GCSRPcame to an end in February 2008, and Government in conjunction with its development partners[1]embarked on developing a new programme with emphasis on coordination and deeper implementation. The new government led by H.E. the President Dr Ernest Bai Koromahas shown commitment to revamping the Public Service for improved service delivery. To that end, in January 2008, His Excellency demonstrated strong political will by creating the Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU) as an integral part of the Office of the President to provide leadership, coordination and strategic guidance in the implementation and monitoring of the Government’s Public Sector Reform Programme.

Accordingly, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) agreed to fund transitional support to the PSRU and its related activities, including records management and payroll verification exercise for a period of 12 months (i.e. March 2008 to February 2009). This transition period was later extended until September 2009. DFID’s transitional support enabled the PSRU firstly to implement key reform activities outlined in the Public Sector Reform Work Plan approved by Cabinet; and secondly to lead the design of a new multi-donor funded programme on public service reform.

In keeping with Cabinet’s directive, the then Steering Committee on Good Governance (SCGG)[2], through its secretariat, the PSRU,was to monitor the implementation of the programme and provide progress reports to Cabinet on a quarterly basis. The monitoring framework developed by PSRU will form the basis foran annual comprehensive evaluation of the programme which will look beyond achieving targets to assess the outcomes and impact of the reform initiatives. This report covers the major activities undertaken during the period March 2008 to August 2009.

2.0 WORK PROGRAMME

At its 7th meeting held on Wednesday 5th March 2008, Cabinet approved the PSRU’s Work Plan and agreed that the Unit should coordinate all the reforms underway and work with Government Ministries/Departments/Agencies to accelerate implementation. The Work Plan reflects ongoing work in Public Sector Reform together with the priority programmes agreed at the Presidential Retreat held at Bumbuna in January 2008.

During this transitional period, the Government and its development partners embarked on developing a new Public Sector Reform Programme to be implemented over a period of 4 years. In the second quarter of 2008PSRU developed a new work planforcontinued realisation of the objectives and activitiesof the overall Public Sector Reform strategy for the transition period as well as the first year (October 2009-2010) of the programme. Implementation will overlap with the new PSR Programme and some activities will have to be shifted to new reform environments as appropriate.

2.1 Management and Functional Review

A total of 14 Management and Functional Reviews were conductedprior to March 2008, and, of these, seven reports had been approved by Cabinet for the Ministries of Education (before the merger with Youth and Sports), Health & Sanitation; Defence; Trade; Local Government (before the merger with Internal Affairs); Agriculture; and Fisheries & Marine Resources. Efforts are being made during this transitional period to conclude Cabinet action on the remaining 7. The Reports for the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and Ministry of Information and Communicationshave been considered by the Steering Committee on Good Governance, and submitted to Cabinet for approval. The PSRU is currently working with the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Office;Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Ministry of Internal Affairs, Local Government, and Rural Development, to fast track approval by Cabinet, and to commence with implementation, beginning with the development of time bound, targeted implementation plans.

In accordance with its Work Programme for 2009, PSRU is currently engaged in conducting MFRs of the last 7 remaining Ministries before the end of September 2009. The MFR for the Ministry of Lands and Country Planning was recently completed in June 2009 and copies of the draft report have been submitted to the top management in the Ministry for review and commentary. The report for the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources is in the final stages of drafting and will be submitted to the Ministry before the end of August. By the start of September 2009, PSRU will have commenced MFRs of the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. A MFR will also be conducted for The Cooperatives Department during this period.

Many of the management structures and practicesbeingintroduced under the MFR process such as Policy and Planning Units, Monitoring Officers, Records Officers, Audit Units, weekly management meetings, computerised data collection systems, inter-Ministerial Sector Committees, etc, are designed to address the low productivity of the civil service. They will also serve as tools for enhancing accountability and transparency.

Implementation of the recommendations from the MFRs remains slow for a variety of reasons including lack of leadership, resources, and coordination. Ministries remain severelyincapacitated and the majority lack the most basic of office equipment. An Essential Equipment Fund component has been built into the reform programme which will provide essential equipment for Ministries. In an effort to address the slow pace of implementation of the recommendations contained in the various MFR reports for the Ministries, the PSRU has utilised a strategy of priority implementation through which specific key recommendations from the MFRs take centre stage in each Ministry. These are highlighted below:

• Ministry of Education, Youths and Sports: Creation of Teacher’s Service Commission
• Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs: Operationalization of Child Rights Act and integration of NACWAC into Ministry
• Ministry of Trade and Industry:Assessment of Department of Cooperatives with the ultimate objective of improving performance, increasing revenue, and developing the National Cooperative Movement, assisting with the development of a strategicplan for the National Cooperative Movement
• Ministry of Agriculture: assessment of District Agricultural Plans to ensure service delivery at local level
• Ministry of Health and Sanitation: review of Births and Deaths Office to increase revenue and make it self-sustaining; operationalization of recommendation on mandate of Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Council.

In addition several meetings have been held with top management of each Ministry in an effort to discuss the constraints on implementation, and suggestions for effective implementation.

It was recommended in the GRS October 2007 Report that the reform measures covered by MFRs should be incorporated into the results matrix of the Results Based Management(RBM) framework coordinated by the Office of the Vice-President. In the present circumstances, the issuing of performance contracts to Ministers now provides a window of opportunity for the Presidency through the Strategy and Policy Unit (SPU) to monitor the progress of implementation of agreed targets and make it part and parcel of their assessment and reporting. As part of its renewed focus on results-based management, the HRMO will extend these performance contracts to MDAsall of whom will be evaluated under a rigorous performance appraisal system,which directly links their performance to targets set within the organization’s work plan. It is hoped that this approach will yield positive results in terms of implementation.

One of the key results from the Management and Functional Reviews has been the use of strategic planning sessions. In a bid to effectivelyrestructure and improve its service delivery mechanisms as recommended in their MFR, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, for example, developed a project document seeking funding from the EU to provide support for a facilitator to lead the Ministry in a strategic planning session during which they will evaluate their vision, mission, mandate, structure, budget, capacity, and needs. Similarly, the Ministry of Employment and Social Security included the PSRU in their strategic planning process with the aim of aligning their work plan to the reform objectives, and to seek support for implementation. The end result of a participatory and creative three day workshop attended by all senior staff including the Minister, erstwhile Deputy Minister, and Permanent Secretary, with support from PSRU and the International Labour Organization (ILO),is a time-bound five year strategic plan which re-directs the Ministry’s focus to employment promotion. Clearly, the objective of creating anefficient public institution has permeated throughout the civilservice, and Ministries in partnership with the PSRU are making an effort to meet this goal.

2.2 Institutional Appraisals

One of the results of the Management and Functional Reviews was the decision to merge certain Ministries in orderto reduce duplicity, wastage, and increase efficiency. As part of the scope of work during the Governance Reform Secretariat, institutional appraisals were conducted in the newly combined Ministries of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS); Finance and Economic Development (MOFED); Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development (MIALGRD); and Information and Communications (MIC). Follow-up activities relating to these appraisals are being pursued by the PSRU, and several meetings have been held with each of these institutions. The MIC hassubmitted its reaction to the reportand its implementation plan has been forwarded to Cabinet. The MEYS is currently working with PSRU on effective implementation of the recommendations from theInstitutional Appraisal of the Ministry. Recommendations in the previous MFR report relating to the former Ministry of Education, Science and Technology are still pertinent, and will be incorporated in the implementation plans of the Ministry in its present form. With relation to MoFED a committeechaired by the Secretary to the Cabinet was created to examine the modalities and constraints of the merger. Most recently, the MoFED submitted a detailed organizational and management framework, highlighting its mandate, vision, functional units and their responsibilities, which illustrates a coherent merger between Economic Developmentand Finance. The process remains slow with the other mergers, and PSRU intends to use the participatory, consultative strategy employed by the MoFED. The MIALGRD has not submitted its reactions to the report and this is being addressed under the PSRU’s priority implementation strategy. The objective is for all outstandingappraisal reports to be considered by Cabinet for approval by December 2009. In the meantime strategic issues relating to each Ministry are being pursued such as the development of the National Youth Commission and Teachers Service Commission in the Ministry of Education, Youths and Sports.

2.3 Operationalisation of Human Resource Management Office (HRMO)

The HRMO was formally launched on 7th August 2008 by H. E. thePresident. The ceremony was attended by members of Cabinet and government officials, and public servants.

As part of its renewed commitment to creatingcapable and responsive public service personnel, the HRMO, in collaboration with PSRU, has developed policies on recruitment, training and development, performance management, manpower planning and budgeting. The HRMO is also engaged in reviewing the schemes of service for each Ministry to ensure functional and administrative efficiency. A policy document on composite Civil Service Law is being prepared in consultation with stakeholders and the Law Officer’s Department. One of the primary objectives is to have adequately trained professional Human Resource Officers, Records ManagementOfficers, and Information Communication and Technology Officers, placed within each Ministry. Towards this end, the PSRU has prepared terms of references for these positions, and is effectively collaborating with the HRMO and MDAs. As the HRMO is expected to oversee the civil service reform, key staffs have been working closely with the PSRU as we conduct MFRs and monitor implementation. In effect, skills transfer from PSRU to capacitate the HRMO for its new and expanded role is on-going.

Training remains one of the key priorities for the HRMO, and a Training Policy for the Civil Service has been developed. The Public Sector Reform Programme includes support for short-term and long-term training for Civil Servants at all levels. In the long-term the intent is to resuscitate the Civil Service Training College.Work on this has commenced to identification of possible locations. In the meantime, collaboration with tertiary institutions such as IPAM will prove helpful in capacity-building initiatives. MDAs have already been taking advantage of the benefits of collaborating with academic institutions; the Ministry of Mineral Resources and HRMO were instrumental in facilitating the creation of a degree programme in Mining Engineering at FourahBayCollege. The PSRU is currently assisting the Ministry and the University in studying the possibility of acquiring support from private companies in the industry for students in the mining engineering programme. This and other Public-Private Partnerships are being looked at under the Public Sector Reform Programme. The HRMO continues to develop the capacity of its staff as it takes its place alongside PSRU in administering and monitoring the reform process; recently, the Director –General of the HRMO and a Management Analyst from the PSRU attended a workshop in Arusha, Tanzania on Human Resource Development, the results of which will be put to good use in our work.

2.4 New Regulations and Rules and Civil Service Code

In the latter part of March 2008, a special committee was constituted by the then Establishment Secretary to review the draft of the new Regulations and Rules and Civil Service Code. The Committee started its work in April 2008 and the final draft report has been completed and will soon be presented to Cabinet for approval. A review committee was set up in the HRMO andcivil servants were given the opportunity to review the document which was sent to each MDA. The PSRU had earlier recommended that the HRMO in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should work out the financial cost involved in implementing the new Regulations and Rules to determine availability of funds and affordability of implementation. The HRMO and Cabinet Secretariat are jointly pursuing this matter. Ongoing work has also focused on developing effective policies on recruitment, appointment, transfer, retention, promotion, and separation in the Civil Service. Draft manuals and forms relating to these subject matters have been developed and are undergoing final review. The Records Management Improvement Team is working with the HRMO to develop more proficient forms and processes in HR and personnel management.