PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM UNIT
GOVERNANCE REFORM SECRETARIAT
REPORT ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM
PROGRAMME PHASE 1 FOR THE PERIOD
MARCH 2002 TO JUNE 2002
8 WESLEY STREET
FREETOWN
SIERRA LEONE JULY 2002
REPORT ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM PROGRAMME
PHASE 1 FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 2002 TO JUNE 2002
1.0 BACKGROUND
Under the Terms of Reference of the Coordinator of Public Service Reform, it is stipulated that in the first year of his appointment, he will report to DFID (WNAD and its Senior Governance Adviser) on a four-monthly basis in writing, covering a forward plan of work activities, progress made and specific achievements and problems. Thereafter, reporting will be on a six-monthly basis. The first four-monthly report for the period October 2001 – February 2002 was submitted on 5th March 2002. This is the second report covering the period March – June 2002.
2.0 WORK PROGRAMME
The initial work programme for the period October 2001 to June 2002 which was attached to the first four-monthly report is still relevant for this specific reporting period. The work programme for the period July 2002 to March 2003 is attached as Annex 1.
2.1 MANAGEMENT AND FUNCTIONAL REVIEWS
The management and functional reviews of four key Ministries are indeed a major activity of Phase 1 of the GRSP. Initially, the selected Ministries were Agriculture, Education, Health and Transport. During the initial visit of the Consultants Messrs Keith Bastin and Peter Edmond, a meeting was held with the Steering Committee on Good Governance at State House to discuss inter alia the general approach to conducting the reviews and the choice of Ministries. At that meeting it was agreed that the reviews of four key Ministries should be followed by the main study which would cover the remaining Ministries. The Committee expressed reservations about the selection of the Ministry of Transport among the four key Ministries to be reviewed at the first stage. The Committee felt that it was essential to bring on board the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government because of the high priority given by Government to local government reform and decentralization and the concomitant need to strengthen that Ministry for the enormous task that lies ahead. It was also agreed that the first tranche of reviews should be restricted to four and that the Ministry of Transport should be replaced by the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government. At its 10th meeting held on 24th April 2002, Cabinet noted the report by the Minister for Presidential Affairs which stated among other things that the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government would accordingly replace the Ministry of Transport. The Consultants have indicated that with this change, the total cost of the four reviews is likely to increase to some £150,000 inclusive of costs for the British and Sierra Leonean Consultants, office equipment and contingencies.
On 21st May 2002, a new Cabinet was announced reflecting a new configuration of Ministries and introducing some changes in those identified for reviews as follows:
- Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The Youth and Sports Division of the old YES Ministry has been hived off and set up as a new Ministry on its own.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Marine Resources and Forestry divisions have been hived off from the old Ministry with Marine Resources established again as a separate Ministry in its own right, while Forestry has been merged with the Ministry of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment.
- The old Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government has been renamed Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.
2.1.1 CONSULTANCIES
The two British Consultants Messrs Keith Bastin and Peter Edmond were commissioned by DFID to undertake the reviews. Following consultations, they visited Sierra Leone from 8 – 17 April 2002 for the purpose of selecting the local consultants, reviewing the 1998 Report including the recommendations and methodology with the Coordinator, drawing up a work plan, and meeting with the GRS Steering Committee. The initial visit also entailed the consultants meeting with the Minister of Presidential Affairs and making preliminary visits to the four Ministries to be reviewed. The Coordinator participated in all the preliminary meetings with officials of those Ministries and also arranged other meetings with relevant individuals/organizations as follows:
- Meeting with Ms Victoria Cooper of CoEn Consulting on the development of a public sector pay reform for the Government of Sierra Leone with funding from the World Bank. At this meeting it was established that while Ms Cooper would be involved with overall pay reform as the substance of her work, Messrs Bastin and Edmond would be handling rationalization of staffing in the selected Ministries as part of the reviews. It was agreed that there would be exchange of information between the Consultants on both activities.
- Meeting with C.J. Thomas, National Coordinator, Poverty Alleviation Strategy Coordinating Office (PASCO). At this meeting it was noted that the management and functional reviews will provide vital inputs into action in implementing the whole Poverty Reduction Strategy, moreso when sector reviews of Education, Health and Agriculture will form part of the development of that strategy. It was agreed that there will be information sharing between the Consultants and PASCO.
- Meeting with S.G. Pessima, Acting Establishment Secretary on the conversion of the Establishment Secretary’s Office into a modern Personnel Management Office (PMO), records management reform and improved institutional arrangements.
- Meeting with interim executive of National Association of Civil Servants. This was basically an information-sharing meeting in which the Consultants explained their scope of work, while the executive of the Union explained their mandate and highlighted areas that required reform in the civil service in general and the Ministries to be reviewed in particular.
During the initial visit, the two Consultants together with the Coordinator interviewed four candidates for two posts of Management Analysts based on a job description and person specification prepared by the Consultants. The four candidates were invited after reviewing a number of CVs of local candidates. Messrs Llewellyn Williams and Alfred Kandeh were deemed suitable for the assignment and accordingly selected. After obtaining the necessary approval, the Coordinator proceeded to sign Consultancy Agreements with the two local Consultants effective 6th June 2002. Arrangements were then finalized with the Ministry of Education to receive the Consultants with effect from 10th June 2002 for a period of six weeks. Meanwhile, work has been progressing very well. In order to satisfy the need for the consultants to be self reliant during their assignments in the Ministries, the following equipment and materials were procured in the UK and dispatched to the Unit.
- 2 laptops and appropriate software
- 1 portable printer
- 1 portable photocopier
- 1 scanner
- 1 portable white board and easel
- stock of photocopier/printer paper
The scanner was however found to be defective and Mr Lesslar is in touch with the supplier regarding warranty. All of the equipment mentioned above will be passed on to the Unit on completion of the reviews.
2.1.2 PARTICIPATIVE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS AND REFORM PLANNING
The Coordinator’s initiative to send out a questionnaire titled “Situation Analysis of the Machinery of Government” was mentioned in the last report. Some Ministries and Departments including the ones identified for the reviews responded promptly and their completed Situation Analysis Reports provided useful information to the Consultants on their functions, structures, administrative procedures, staffing, their perception of reform, human resource development and performance improvement. The Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments who have been negligent in returning the completed questionnaire have been entreated by the Coordinator to handle the exercise seriously since it will assist us in developing home-grown approaches to solving the problems that plague their Ministries/Departments.
Meanwhile, the reports submitted so far reveal a uniformity of views pertaining to how the weaknesses in the service could be addressed such as records management reform, introduction of a performance evaluation system, new personnel management regulations, provision of physical and financial resources, computerization and use of the new information technology, staff rationalization, revamping the recruitment and promotion criteria and developing a training policy. Some of these issues are being addressed under GRSP Phase 1. Other issues mentioned were:-
- the need to enhance organizational performance through granting corporate status to existing departments or the setting up of executive agencies;
- decentralization of financial service delivery through the re-introduction of
Provincial Tender Boards and Sub Treasuries;
- the need for all Ministries to develop national policies and action plans.
A more detailed analysis will be carried out when the remaining Ministries/Departments send in their responses.
2.1.3 ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
In the last report, a number of potential complications were cited that could affect the reviews. Indeed, as anticipated, there were changes in Ministry portfolios following the elections which are mentioned elsewhere in this report. The reviews have therefore commenced at an opportune time when due cognizance would be taken of the new organizational arrangements and any changes that would have a major impact on the work programmes of the Ministries concerned. In the case of the Ministry of Education that is presently being reviewed, the Science and Technology elements have to be established in new units. Arrangements are presently being worked out regarding the required staff complement, their job descriptions, and other variables.
2.2 REVIEW OF CENTRAL POLICY-MAKING AND COORDINATION
MACHINERY IN GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE
This activity is now featured under the new work programme for July 2002 – March 2003. Some understanding has been reached between the Secretary to the President and Dr Garth Glentworth that we can now proceed with the review. It is proposed that DFID puts together a review team between July and September 2002 depending on the availability of suitable British Government
officials/private consultants to undertake the review. The evaluation of the existing machinery to be followed by a detailed study and submission of report could then be carried out between October and December 2002. If the Review Team is put together earlier than planned, we can then bring forward the actual review and submission of report.
It is pertinent to mention that two components of the central policy and coordination machinery were affected by the recent announcement of a new Cabinet. The new set-up does not include the position of Minister of Public Affairs and clarification is being sought on whether the Ministry no longer exists. In addition, the present Presidential Spokesman has been appointed Minister of Information and Broadcasting leaving the post vacant. Again, some clarification is being sought on the continued existence of that post.
2.3 SENSITISATION MEETINGS
During the period under review, the Coordinator met with the Chairman Public Service Commission to discuss progress made so far in the reform programme and how some proposed reform measures like the introduction of a new personnel management regulations and a performance appraisal system would impact on the work of the Commission. The constraints facing the Commission in the delivery of its services are highlighted elsewhere in this report.
The Coordinator also gave an interview over the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (Radio) on 5th June 2002, explaining DFID’s funding of the weekend training seminars, the purpose, content, and expected output of that particular activity. That interview sent a clear message to the public about the partnership between DFID and Government of Sierra Leone geared towards building capacity and enhancing productivity in the Civil Service.
2.4 COMPUTERISATION OF CIVIL SERVICE PERSONNEL RECORDS
This activity seeks to work out an arrangement for incorporating the input of relevant personnel details into the existing computerized database within a revitalized EU-funded Payroll Verification Project. The Financial Secretary had indicated that the Ministry of Finance would first make an assessment of the impact of the Payroll Verification Project on the payroll expenditure prior to determining how its facilities could be customized to develop a Personnel Information System. Action is still awaited by the Ministry of Finance. Meanwhile, the Coordinator is exploring another avenue with the World Bank through PSMS ll.
2.5 DONOR SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM PROGRAMME
The Office of the President has the overall responsibility for the coordination of good governance in Sierra Leone and the Minister for Presidential Affairs has been coordinating the good governance programme. As Chairman of the Steering Committee on Good Governance, he oversees all the work of the programme and facilitates its internal coherence. In the Capacity Building for Good Governance Project Document of 1996, provision was made for the establishment of a Governance Coordination (GCU) to be established in the President’s Office which will have sectoral/thematic linkages with line Ministries and provide counterpart support capacity. Consequently Government created the organizational capacity for a long term programme of reconstruction and reform in the public sector through the setting up of the Governance Reform Secretariat (GRS) with DFID funding. Its Steering Committee and Sub-Committees provide the machinery that can initiate, define and manage reform programmes over a broad area with a wide range of donor support. The GRS can therefore provide counterpart
support capacity to the donor community and ensure that their professional inputs and financial resources fit within the priorities established for Sierra Leone’s public service reform programme. It is therefore of utmost importance that donors recognize the role played by the GRS and channel support through it to avoid duplication of efforts.
The Coordinator’s interaction with the donor community during the period under review involved the following:-
(i) UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)
The Coordinator participated in a Project Appraisal Committee (PAC) meeting of UNDP on Thursday 28 March 2002. The project reviewed was designed to establish a Practice Team on Governance at the UNDP Country Office to help elaborate a post-war governance programme for Sierra Leone. The project titled “Preparatory Assistance to launch the Practice Team of Analysis on Governance (TANGO) and Develop the Post-war Governance Interim Programme in Sierra Leone (GIPSIL)” will assist in moving from the relief and emergency response to medium and long-term development strategy in the governance sector. UNDP intends to address the problem of the development of democratic governance institutions in the country by establishing a think-tank that would be able to discuss and identify priorities together with the national counterparts and the bilateral and multilateral donors. Also UNDP proposes to use the participatory approach to get all concerned actors supported by appropriate expertise to elaborate on action plan in the governance field and mobilize resources towards the implementation of that programme, the GIPSIL. UNDP acknowledges the need to enhance donor-coordination and their present strategy involves such a component. The project attempts to serve as an efficient and flexible coordination mechanism in the following areas:-