Building Capacities to Implement The

Building Capacities to Implement the

Sierra Leone Poverty Reduction Strategy

Programme Framework

November2005

Table of Contents

List of Acronyms3

Abstract5

Introduction6

1. Overview of the Capacity Challenges the Programme Addresses7

1.1 Coordination, Monitoring, Evaluation and Resource Mobilization7

1.2 Policy Development, Service Delivery and Decentralization8

1.3 Institutional Environment11

1.4 Civil Society and Private Sector14

2. The Strategy15

2.1 Need for a Comprehensive Framework15

2.2 Guiding Principles16

2.3 Goals & Objectives17

2.4 Strategic Thrust and Basic Premise17

2.5 Programme Components17

3. Management Arrangements19

3.1 Implementation Arrangements19

3.2 Monitoring & Reporting20

4. Indicative Budget21

Annex 1: Implementation Matrix- Time Frame22

Annex 2: Project Matrix on Strengthening Institutional Framework for23

Coordination, Monitoring and Resource Mobilization

Annex 3: Project Matrix on Strengthening Policy Development, support26

to Service Delivery and Decentralization

Annex 4: Project Matrix on Improving Institutional Environment, Capacity29

Retention and Sustainability

Annex 5: Project Matrix on Strengthening civil society and private sector31

Annex 6: Matrix of Training, Staffing/Manpower, Technical Assistance33

and Other Needs Identified in Key MDAs

Appendix I: Draft Memorandum of Understanding among a Group of37

Development Partners on Cooperation for Support to the

Capacity Building Programme

Appendix II: DraftTerms of Reference for the Basket Steering Committee43

Appendix III: Draft Terms of Reference for the Programme Management Unit (PMU)45

Appendix IV: DraftTerms of Reference of Staff of Programme Unit

List of Acronyms

ACBFAfrican Capacity Building Foundation

AFRISAT

CHOCommunity Health Officer

CSM/SLCivil Society Movement/Sierra Leone

CSOCivil Society Organizations

DACODevelopment Aid Coordination Office

DECSECDecentralization Secretariat

DEPACDevelopment Partnership Committee (Sierra Leone)

DEVINFODevelopment Information

DFIDDepartment for International Development (UK)

DMODistrict Medical Officer

ECOWASEconomic Community of West African States

ENCISSEnhancing the Interaction and Interface between Civil Society and the State to improve poor people’s lives

ESOEstablishment Secretary’s Office

EUEuropean Union

FAOFood and Agricultural Organization

GIMPAGhana Institute of Management and Public Administration

GISGeographic Information System

GOSLGovernment of Sierra Leone

GRSGovernance Reform Secretariat

HDIHuman Development Index

HRMOHuman Resources Management Office

HQHeadquarters

ICTInformation Communication Technology

IMCInter-Ministerial Committee

IMFInternational Monetary Fund

IOMInternational Organization for Migration

IPAMInstitute for Public Administration and Management (University of Sierra Leone)

IRCBPInstitutional Reform and Capacity Building Project

ITInformation Technology

LCLocal Councils

MAFFSMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security

MCHMaternal and Child Health

MESTMinistry of Education, Science and Technology

MDAsMinistries, Departments and Agencies

MICSMultiple Indicator Cluster Survey

MIDAMigration for Development in Africa

MISManagement Information Systems

MFMRMinistry of Fisheries and Marine Resources

MODEPMinistry of Planning and Economic Development

MOFMinistry of Finance

MOHSMinistry of Health and Sanitation

MoUMemorandum of Understanding

MPPA/OPMinistry of Presidential and Public Affairs/Office of the President

MTIMinistry of Trade and Industry

M&EMonitoring and Evaluation

MTEFMedium Term Expenditure Framework

NASSITNational Social Security and Insurance Trust

NEXNational Execution (UNDP)

NGONon Governmental Organization

NRANational Revenue Authority

NTCNational Technical Committee

O & GObstetrician – gynaecologists

PEMSDPlanning, Evaluation, Monitoring and Statistics Division (MAFFS)

PETSPublic Expenditure Tracking System

PHPublic Health

PHCPrimary Health Care

PMUProject Management Unit

PRSPPoverty Reduction Strategy Paper

PIUProgramme Implementation Unit

SESSenior Executive Service

SLEDICSierra Leone Export Development and Investment Corporation

SLIBASierra Leone Indigenous Business Association

SL-PRSPSierra Leone Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

SLSBSierra Leone Standards Bureau

SMESmall and Medium Enterprises

SRNState Registered Nurse

SSLStatistics Sierra Leone

TOKTENTransfer of Knowledge through Expatriate Nationals

ToRTerms of Reference

UNUnited Nations

UNCTUnited Nations Country Team

UNDPUnited Nations Development Programme

UNICEFUnited Nations Children’s Fund

UNMANSILUnited Nations Mission in Sierra Leone

UNVUnited Nations Volunteers

VSATVery Small Aperture Terminal

VVFVesico Vaginal Fistulae

WAIFEMWest African Institute for Financial and Economic Management

WATSANWater and Sanitation

WBWorld Bank

WTOWorld Trade Organization

WHOWorld Health Organization

Abstract

This programme aims to build capacities to implement the SL-PRSP. It focuses on actions to enhance the capacities of key ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), Local governments and other stakeholders (civil society, private sector and Parliament) in order that the outcomes, impacts and goals of the PRSP can be fully met and to strengthen synergies in capacity building efforts.

The specific objectives are to:

1.Facilitate timely and full implementation of the PRSP;

2.Ensure coherent support to capacity building efforts by government and its partners; and

3.Strengthen national ownership and sustainability of capacity building in the public service.

In line with the goal and objectives outlined above, the programme will intervene in four key areas, namely:

• Strengthen the national, regional and local institutional framework for coordination, resource mobilization, delivering and monitoring of the PRSP and strategic development of Sierra leone
• Improve capacity and key competencies of MDAs for policy development, design and support for service delivery and the decentralization process, with priority focus on the key MDAs;
• Support improvement of the institutional environment through a comprehensive public service reform to ensure capacity retention and sustainability; and
• Enhance capacities of civil society organizations and the private sector to play a more effective role in PRSP implementation.

The end result is to have:

Targets of PRSP met in a timely manner;

Better skilled and oriented cadres;

Enhancement of management cadres as change leaders in the civil service;

Improved capacities to plan, absorb and utilize resources; and

Responsive and effective public institutions through a comprehensive public service reform.

INTRODUCTION

Sierra Leone has experienced decades of economic decline, starting in the mid-1980s and an 11-year brutal armed conflict that saw the breakdown of civil and political authority, widespread destruction of economic and social infrastructure and untold human suffering – over 20,000 dead, countless wounded and/or maimed and millions displaced. With the strong support of the international community (UN, Bilateral and Multilateral donors, International Financial Institutions, NGOs, etc) a comprehensive recovery strategy has been implemented which has restored stability and rebuilt basic social and economic infrastructure destroyed by war and years of economic decline. Most of the war-affected populations have now been successfully reintegrated into their villages and communities and state authority re-established throughout the country. A Local Government Act was enacted in 2004 and elections for local councils held the same year. The country is at a crucial turning point in the transition from post-conflict recovery to longer-term economic and social development. Although many challenges still lie ahead, the foundation for peace and stability has been laid. The formulation and adoption of a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (the SL- PRSP) marks an important step on the road to long-term social and economic development of the country.

Poverty in Sierra Leone is endemic and pervasive with about 80% of the population below the poverty line; i.e. expenditures less than 1US$ a day. The cumulative effect of years of economic decline, bad governance and the war is to place Sierra Leone near the bottom of the ranking for Human Development Index (HDI) - ahead of only Niger in 2005. The human development and social indicators, including illiteracy, primary school enrolments, life expectancy, maternal deaths, malnutrition, and child mortality rates, rank among the worst in the world. The SL-PRSP aims to address the deep and pervasive poverty in a comprehensive manner, taking into account the country’s war-torn history.

Weak institutional capacities in the public sector and civil society are a major challenge for implementation of the SL-PRSP. The capacities of state institutions in Sierra Leone have been in serious decline for decades and were further considerably degraded as a result of the 11-year civil war. Shortage of personnel, gaps in expertise and skills and poor motivation are pervasive in state institutions, civil society and the business sector. As a consequence of the bottlenecks arising from a poorly functioning public service, post-conflict reconstruction relied heavily on institutional arrangements that by-passed state structures to ensure speedy and effective implementation of planned activities. The changed situation/context now calls into question many of these operational modalities – programme implementation units (PIUs), commissions and other specialized entities created to deliver assistance. While effective in the short-term, they have tended to distort the incentive structure in the public service and must now be progressively phased out and be replaced by longer-term support that strengthens the ability of state institutions to formulate and coordinate policies and ensure deliver of services on a sustained basis. This issue is central to the capacity building challenge in Sierra Leone and implementing the PRSP as well as the long –term development of Sierra Leone.

This paper presents a comprehensive programme to build capacities required to implement the PRSP. The programme builds upon prior and ongoing assistance provided by Government and Sierra Leone’s development partners, and seeks to ensure that the outcomes, impacts and goals of the PRSP are fully met. By offering a framework for capacity building, the programme aims to strengthen synergies and reduce duplication of efforts. Institutional issues that shape the retention of capacities are addressed in order to ensure that capacity building efforts are sustainable and demand-led.

The paper is structured as follows: Section I provides an overview of the capacity challenges the programme will address. This is followed in Section II by the strategy to address the challenges, including the programme objectives and main outcomes. The management arrangements and budget are in Sections III and IV respectively.

1. Overview of the Main Capacity Challenges the Programme Addresses

The main capacity gaps the programme is designed to address are grouped under the following clusters:

• Coordination, resource mobilization, monitoring, and evaluation;
• Policy development, strategic planning, and support to service delivery and decentralization process.
• The institutional environment and its impact on capacity creation and retention in the public service; and
• Civil society and private sector.

1.1 Coordination, Monitoring, Evaluation and Resource Mobilization

Institutional Framework for Coordination and Strategy Development

In keeping with its participatory and inclusive principles, implementation of the PRSP will involve a diverse number of actors/stakeholders – at national, district, chiefdom and ward levels, and various stakeholders (government entities, civil society and donors). A robust institutional framework to coordinate and direct actions is therefore vital to success. At present, the institutional architecture to coordinate implementation consists of the Development Aid Coordination Office (DACO) tasked with performing the functions of a PRSP secretariat, and the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) and the National Technical Committee to provide policy, strategic and technical guidance. The aim is to establish a permanent coordination structure embedded within government institutions to coordinate implementation. The institutional anchor to coordinate the PRSP will be decided based on the outcome of the current management and functional reviews of MODEP and MOF, which includes the ‘architecture of government’ review across all ministries. In the interim, the mandate of the Development Aid Coordination Office has been expanded to perform this coordination function in addition to its aid coordination role. Given the many challenges to be faced during this initial phase of implementation, DACO in its present form will require significant strengthening in order to carry out these new functions. The competencies built within DACO in the interim phase will be subsequently transferred to the host institution for the PRSP and future development programmes. DACO is understaffed and it currently lacks the expertise to undertake the functions of the PRSP secretariat, including overseeing monitoring and evaluation of the PRSP and its staff would require additional training to be effective. The functional linkages of DACO with other initiatives also need to be reviewed and strengthened. For example, improved links with the decentralization secretariat are necessary to ensure proper alignment between the funding of the PRSP activities at district level with arrangements for financing Local Councils. The Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) and the National Technical Committee (NTC) will require further strengthening as well.

Resource Mobilization

The ability of government to mobilize, absorb and effectively use resources is a critical factor for success. According to estimates, the PRSP would require additional expenditure of approximately US$ 200-300 million above the MTEF. The current low institutional absorption capacity will lead to slow and ineffective implementation of the PRSP. An improved resource mobilization capacity for Local Councils and Ministries is also essential; a pilot UNDP programme (Agricultural Business Units) and the DFID support to GRS(2) is aimed at strengthening such capacities. Further support is needed to expand the resource mobilization capacities of local councils.

Monitoring and Evaluating the PRSP

Effective monitoring and evaluation of the PRSP entails capacity to generate and effectively use high-quality and timely data to track progress and capacity for participatory M&E involving communities, civil society and the public at large. While a positive step has been taken with the development of an M&E framework, important and significant capacity gaps exist for M&E at all levels and among the key actors. An important challenge and priority is to establish the baseline conditions against which to measure progress.

Statistics Sierra Leone (SSL) and the PETS taskforce are key to a poverty-monitoring framework. SSL has improved institutional capacities for data collection and analysis through the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the Core Welfare Indicator Survey, DEVINFO, and other routine surveys (e.g. UNICEF-sponsored Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey - MICS-3 survey), which makes it a lead institution for a comprehensive poverty monitoring architecture. SSL can help harmonize data collection protocols and definitions, ensure data quality and reliability and provide guidance and training in data collection and survey methods and data analysis for MDA staff, local council personnel and other stakeholders. Yet SSL continues to lose staff to other organizations (e.g. NASSIT, NRA) due to non-competitive salaries. The gap left behind is difficult to fill as most of the skills are acquired by on-the-job training, which newly recruited staff do not have.

Within MDAs, greater efforts are also needed to establish and/or rehabilitate management information systems and upgrade the skills of relevant staff to undertake M&E. Centralized planning and decision-making have in the past marginalized communities and civil society in public policy processes. Support will therefore be needed to ensure that civil society and communities have the capacities to play their role in M&E. Parliament’s oversight role also needs strengthening.

1.2 Policy Development and Coordination, Strategic Planning, Service Delivery and Support to Decentralization.

The main tasks of MDAs in the implementation of the PRSP are to develop effective policies, and to develop mechanisms and management structures to support service delivery and decentralization. There is also the need for the creation of a focal point for the development and co-ordination of policy across government and SL enterprise. The review of the institutional framework currently underway will address this along with the placement of the successor to DACO These roles have not fully matured yet and substantial support would be needed to accomplish these tasks and facilitate institutional transformation. These capacities need to be enhanced as a matter of urgency but be closely coordinated with and take into account the more comprehensive public service reform process underway.

Support to Service Delivery

With respect to support to service delivery, a major problem is the inadequate number of staff in both the professional and other categories and lack of expertise in critical areas. Poor remuneration for civil servants combined with imbalances in incentives created by donor-supported implementation units, NGO recruitments and other factors have led to severe loss of personnel in MDAs. For example, MODEP reports that it has lost about 70% of its professional staff to projects, NGOs and other higher paying organizations. In MOHS, there are only 66 medical officers while 300 are needed[1]. The lack of personnel is further compounded by poorly qualified staff particularly at the middle and upper levels responsible for output/deliverables. Existing staff are also not effectively utilized due to lack of clear strategies in MDAS and poor staff supervision. Staff have limited opportunity to upgrade their skills and many have not received training in more than a decade. Transfer of skills from expatriate technical staff to nationals is also limited. Training budgets for MDAs are so small as to have only symbolic value. Staff promoted to new positions (e.g. from technical to managerial positions) often do not get trained to assume their new functions. Training is uncoordinated, haphazard and based more on personal than institutional needs. There is no training policy in place although a draft policy was recently developed. The capacity of local institutions to provide training also needs attention as they may also be handicapped by lack of facilities and adequately trained instructors. In the long-term the existing technical expertise gaps in key MDAs is best addressed through public sector linkages[2] to a reform of the tertiary education institutions so that they produce people with the right skills and orientation to support development of the country. Once schooled and trained, there should be a speedy and effective process to absorb and develop them into a public service with the right structures and incentives. Plans to establish a Distance Learning Centre by the World Bank and the ESO/ HRMO review will help address some of the training needs and co-ordination gaps.