PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM UNIT

REPORT ON 2nd QUARTER (APRIL-JUNE) 2009 ACTIVITIES

NO. / ACTIVITY / OBJECTIVE / EXPECTED OUTPUTS / CURRENT STATUS / REMARKS
1. / Implementation of Management and Functional Reviews of Government Ministries / To build institutional capacity to implement reform and the efficient delivery of public services / Rationalised structures, functions, procedures and staffing that promote efficiency in Ministries / 14 Management and Functional Reviews, 4 Institutional Appraisals have been conducted.
Seven reports approved by Cabinet for Education, Health & Sanitation, Defence, Trade, Local Government, Agriculture, and Fisheries & Marine Resources.
Report for Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs has been considered by the Steering Committee on Good Governance, and sent to Cabinet for approval.
Finalization of Ministry of Finance and Economic Development(MOFED) Merger
Unit working with the following remaining Ministries to fast track approval by Cabinet:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Ministry of Information and Communication; Ministry of Internal Affairs, Local Govt & Rural Development; Ministry of Justice.
The Unit has utilised a strategic of priority implementation through which specific key recommendations from the MFRs take centre stage.
Ministry of Education, Youths and Sports: creation of Teacher’s Service Union
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 de-linking it from Ministry and increasing revenue
Ministry of Agriculture: assessment of District Agricultural Plans to ensure service delivery at local level
Ministry of Health and Sanitation: de-linking of Births and Deaths to increase revenue and make it self-sustaining; operationalization of recommendation on mandate of Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Council. / Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist recruited
Management Analyst recruited
Slow progress in implementation of recommendations in Ministries whose reports have already been approved is due to various constraints, including lack of leadership and capacity. PSRU is currently focusing on key items to be implemented in each Ministry to facilitate compliance.
Development of informative meetings/workshop on reform and MFRs with Heads of Department and Permanent Secretaries of all Ministries
b. / New Management and Functional Reviews (MFR) / To build institutional capacity to implement reform and the efficient delivery of public services / Rationalised structures, functions, procedures and staffing that promote efficiency in Ministries / 6 remaining Ministries, including Lands, Country Planning and the Environment; Energy and Water Resources; Tourism; Employment and Social Security; Works, Housing and Infrastructure; Transport and Aviation, to be reviewed.
MFR concluded with Ministry of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment and draft report created.
MFR commences for Ministry of Energy and Power
2. / Capacitating of new Human Resources Management Office (HRMO) / To build civil service management capacity and increase efficiency and effectiveness in its performance / Improved HRM policies, practices and institutional arrangements / Directorate system in place with Director-General and Directors of units.
Recruitment Training and Development, Performance Management, Manpower Planning and Budgeting procedural instructions developed and manuals in draft stages.
Policy document on composite Civil Service Law prepared in consultation with stakeholders and Law Officer’s Department.
TORS for records officers, ICT officers developed and sent to HRMO
Meetings with HRMO to coordinate capacity-building within Ministries / Need to urgently focus on transfer and/or recruitment of suitably qualified or trainable staff into HRMO to enable development of capacity and continuation of training programmes. Need to reduce burden on ESO to support old procedures and focus on implementation of new practices.
3. / Records Management Improvement Programme (RMIP) / To enhance the efficiency of storage and retrieval of information and the management of records in MDAs / Introduction of a modern records management system / To decongest registries, Retention Schedules developed and closed files removed to interim records centre and archives. Draft Scheme of Service developed for proposed new cadre of records management staff.
Training of records staff in the principles of managing records. New records management team has been trained in the use of the Records Management Capacity Assessment System (RMCAS). This training is being replicated in Ministry teams. Ultimately, there will be a capacitated records management cadre in the HRMO to be deployed to the Ministries.
Records management exercise completed at State House.
Civil Service Personnel and Payroll Verification Exercise / Accurate statistics of the civil service workforce, determine capacity levels and more importantly right-size the civil service including eliminating the ignoble phenomenon of ghost workers, by collecting both biometric and hard data. / Smaller, well motivated and professional service / Personnel and Payroll Verification exercise commenced in August and concluded in November 2008.
Final Report presented to SCGG and sent to HRMO for action.
HRMO working on evaluating appeals from suspended workers, legitimacy of workers reinstated after pilot programme in August.
15950 civil servants on the June 2008 payroll were included in the interview population and invited to participate in the process which ended in November 2008. The outcome of the verification has made some savings for the government as 2,692 civil servants have been either removed or are in the process of being removed from the payroll. Ultimately the exercise will not only save the government millions each month, but it will result in a leaner more efficient civil service.
Phase II work has commenced. PSRU received a total of 10 proposals from local, regional and international firms. Evaluation matrix developed to guide the process, and consultations held with DFID. / Phase I of exercise completed.
Final Report being reviewed at HRMO
Phase II contract awarded and
Implementing modalities being
Developed.
Initial focus is on immediate removal
of workers who have reached statutory age of 60. Medically unfit workers will also be removed from the payroll.
Retrenchment inevitable but to be
handled together with measures
aimed at mitigating the social costs
4. / Development of a Public Sector Reform Strategy / To prepare a long-term framework for the reform of the public service and capacity building that will prioritise reform initiatives within the context of the PRSP and also present a coherent strategy / Existence of a comprehensive policy document and strategic action plan on public sector reform / Public Sector Reform strategy approved by SCGG. / Synergy and coordination required across the board so that the public service will function as a whole. The strategy will inter alia promote horizontal governance that facilitates coordination and cohesion across MDAs at central, regional and local levels
5. / Development of a Multi-Donor Funded Public Sector Reform Programme / To present a framework for the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) to implement and manage
public sector reform in a holistic manner
_ To provide a focal point / framework in which all development partners will respond to with
respect to their programmes for public sector reforms.
_ To provide guidelines for the preparation of reform programmes in the public sector / A comprehensive costed and time bound programme of work guiding the reform process across the entire public service. / Public Sector Reform Programme approved by President on 21st April.
Project proposals from UNDP, EC, and DFID received and reviewed.
Implementation of reform programme has commenced with MFRs, restructuring and capacitating of HRMO and PSC. / The over-arching framework for the public sector reform programme is the Poverty Reduction
Strategy Paper (Mark ll) 2008-2012 which seeks to reduce the level of poverty through « Generating
a sustainable rate of economic growth through encouraging the private sector to play a greater role
in the economy ». An efficient and effective public sector has a fundamental role to play in achieving the government’s overall economic objectives. All of these objectives are clearly reflected in H. E. Agenda for Change.
6. / Adoption of new Regulations and Rules and Civil Service Code / To replace existing General Orders / New Regulations and Rules embodying modern management system and practices / Consultation draft completed and circulated to key stakeholders and SCGG for comments prior to submission to Cabinet
Document submitted to HRMO / In particular, the existence of an administratively enforceable ethical code will help to promote transparency and accountability in the Civil Service
7. / Develop Communications strategy for public sector reform / To improve communications with MDAs and between the PSRU and external stakeholders / Existence of a strategy document, a newsletter and a website / 5TH edition of newsletter published.
Comprehensive communication strategy targeting all stakeholders in the process has been incorporated into the overall draft reform strategy.
Website operational and under development
http://www.publicsectorreform.sl.gov