PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM UNIT
GOVERNANCE REFORM SECRETARIAT
REFORM PROGRAMME PHASE 1
FOR THE PERIOD OCTOBER 2001
TO FEBRUARY 2002
8 WESLEY STREETMARCH 2002
FREETOWN
SIERRA LEONE
REPORT ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM PROGRAMME
PHASE 1 FOR THE PERIOD OCTOBER 2001 TO
FEBRUARY 2002
1.0BACKGROUND
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.
2.0WORK PROGRAMME
The Coordinator submitted an initial work programme for the period October 2001 to June 2002 which was discussed with Dr Garth Glentworth during his visit to Sierra Leone in December 2001. Some adjustments were made in terms of the indicative costs involved in the implementation of programmes. The Work Programme is attached as Annex l to this Report.
2.1MANAGEMENT AND FUNCTIONAL REVIEWS
In order to build institutional capacity to implement reform, the need has been identified for management and functional reviews of four key Ministries viz: Agriculture, Education, Health and Transport. These management diagnostic studies to be funded by DFID will among other things rationalize the functions, structures, administrative procedures and staffing in these Ministries and make recommendations on the following:-
(i)the redefinition of functions to enhance coherence and ensure efficient and effective performance;
(ii)the revised organizational structures required to best carry out the functions defined;
(iii)the changes required in administrative procedures to enhance decision-making and delivery;
(iv)the staff needed in terms of numbers, qualifications, experience and training requirements to introduce new structures, systems and procedures.
As peace is consolidated in our war-ravaged country, more areas have become accessible thereby creating the need for improved services to be extended to the provinces and the rural areas. The selected Ministries have a pivotal role to play in the resettlement process and should therefore benefit from performance improvement reforms.
The indicative costs and the draft terms of reference for the reviews are attached as Annex 11.
The initial priority would be completion of one or two out of the four reviews starting with the Ministry of Education. The World Bank is planning a multi-million dollar project for education and the expected output of that Ministry’s review would be useful to the Bank. In discussions with Michael Drabble of the Bank who consulted me on Wednesday 13th February, he intimated that with proper sequencing they could use the outcome of the DFID-sponsored review rather than conduct a separate review which would be a duplication of efforts. The education review could even be handled simultaneously with the health review thereby giving priority to the social sector. The merit in completing these two is that the reviews will reveal the difficult conditions in the Government bureaucracy and recommend reform measures that are required to build institutional capacity to implement reform in two crucial areas.
2.1.1CONSULTANCY
Messrs Keith Bastin and Peter Edmond who conducted the pilot diagnostic study in October 1998 are willing to be involved in these management and functional reviews and have held initial discussions with Dr Garth Glentworth. The main external input would come from Mr Edmond while Mr Bastin will help initially and possibly return for presentations and any other strategic discussions.
Following consultations with Dr Glentworth and Mr Mathew Lesslar, it is proposed that Messrs Bastin and Edmond should make a joint initial visit to Sierra Leone by early April 2002 for a period of 10 days to reassess the situation with the Coordinator and draw up a programme of work. In the October 1998 report, the two Consultants had recommended to both DFID and the Sierra Leone Government that for this follow up study we should opt for the coverage of all Ministries as it will produce the most satisfactory outcome and at the same time be cost-effective. The Steering Committee had proposed the coverage of big Ministries in depth plus a survey of small Ministries. This initial visit will provide the opportunity to revisit the two scenarios for coverage of the study and spell out the inputs required in covering either all or a much larger range of Ministries and creating a management services capability in the proposed Personnel Management Office. A clearer picture will emerge after the joint visit of the Consultants tentatively scheduled for early April. Indeed, it has been suggested by Mr David Scott that what we might undertake now need not necessarily resemble what was recommended in 1998. The initial visit will entail meeting the Minister of Presidential Affairs; preliminary visits to the four key Ministries; selection of the local consultants; reviewing the 1998 Report with the Coordinator including the recommendations and methodology; drawing up a work plan and possibly meeting with the Steering Committee of the Governance Reform Secretariat Public Service Reform Programme.
2.1.2PARTICIPATIVE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS AND REFORM PLANNING
In an attempt to encourage all Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments to start taking ownership of the review process and developing home-grown approaches to solving the problems in their Ministries, the Coordinator has taken the initiative to send out a questionnaire (attached as Annex 111) titled “Situation Analysis of the Machinery of Government”. It is anticipated that their response would provide useful information on the functions and coverage of activities of Ministries/Departments, the existing structures, administrative procedures, personnel in post, job descriptions, their perception of reform, human resource development and performance improvement. The outcome of this exercise will not only provide useful information for the Consultants but would also assist the Coordinator in identifying other reform needs and opportunities. This approach would also promote participative problem diagnosis and reform planning.
2.1.3ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
With the cessation of hostilities and completion of the disarmament programme, the war has come to an end and we can now enter into a period of political stability. Presidential and Parliamentary Elections are scheduled for 14th May 2002 and electoral registration has already been completed. A number of potential complications have been cited that could affect the reviews. They include decentralization and re-creation of local government with the subsequent re-division of responsibilities; changes in Ministry portfolios following the elections; the completion of sectoral public expenditure reviews under the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for Health, Education Agriculture and Security; the implications of the payroll verification exercise and IMF strictures on pay. It should be noted that the selected Ministries are key ones and have always been at the core despite changes in portfolios over the years. For example Health and Education have always maintained their individuality despite becoming part of enlarged Ministries. The outcomes of the reviews could be adapted to suit prevailing circumstances and potential changes in Ministry portfolios would therefore not significantly affect the reviews. Also, I anticipate that the reviews would touch on decentralization of service delivery, moreso when improved services are to be extended to the provinces and the rural areas as one of the outcomes of the reform process.
The payroll verification exercise is expected to reduce the total number on the civil service payroll but there is a desperate need to rationalize whatever staffing remains in these Ministries in terms of numbers, qualifications experience etc. If savings are made in payroll expenditures, it would create scope for structured salary increases and recruitment of skilled staff in line with out development objectives. At a meeting held on Thursday 14th February 2002 between His Excellency the President and officials of the World Bank a commitment was made by them to appoint and fund a Coordinator to take part in the exercise of review of salaries and submit recommendations to Government by April 2002, which will form the basis for negotiations with the IMF/World Bank for a new salary structure.
Attention has been drawn to the fact that sectoral public expenditure reviews are to be conducted for Health, Education, Agriculture and Security with funding from DFID. It is noted that the management and functional reviews will provide vital inputs into action in implementing the whole Poverty Reduction Strategy.
2.2REVIEW OF CENTRAL POLICY –MAKING AND COORDINATION
MACHINERY IN GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE
DFID has been requested to provide technical assistance for the evaluation and detailed study of the central policy-making and coordination machinery in Government of Sierra Leone. The objective of the review is to increase efficiency and effectiveness in policy formulation, coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation within the central government machinery. Annex lV shows the indicative costs involved in carrying out the review. Following discussions with Dr Glentworth during his mission in December 2001, the Secretary to the President is to produce a concept paper which is awaited. Thereafter, DFID will put together the review team.
2.3SENSITISATION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE ABOUT PROPOSED
REFORM MEASURES
The objective of this activity is to raise awareness about public service reform and clear the way for consensus building among civil servants. It is envisaged that such sensitization meetings would help to change the negative mind-sets about reform and promote ownership of the reform programme by civil servants.
2.3.1SENSITISATION MEETINGS
Between 14th November 2001 and 29th January 2002 a series of meetings were held with sectoral Ministries and Departments in small clusters. The list of participants is attached hereto as Annex V. At each meeting the Coordinator gave an overview of the reform programme, touching inter alia on the proposed management and functional reviews of four key Ministries, strengthening the capacity of the Cabinet Secretariat, the proposed introduction of new personnel management regulations to replace the obsolete General Orders, weekend seminars for middle and senior level civil servants and the proposed introduction of a performance appraisal system.
The Coordinator appealed to officials to hold themselves in readiness and be in a state of preparedness for the enormous task that lies ahead. He emphasised that the command and control bureaucratic culture is giving way to a more flexible, innovative and participative culture in which civil servants are expected to be result-oriented and to focus on outcomes of their activities. For officials in Ministries where management diagnostic studies are to be conducted, the Coordinator briefed them about the draft terms of reference of the Consultants. He encouraged them to start collating information which will be required by the Consultants on the functions and coverage of activities of their Ministries, the existing structures, administrative procedures, personnel in post and job descriptions.
The Coordinator highlighted the compelling need for Administrators and Professionals in sectoral Ministries to work together in harmony and maintain their symbiotic relationship for the overall benefit of the civil service. He assured all concerned that the reform process would encompass the entire service and not give preferential treatment to any group or cadre of officers. He intimated them about a situation analysis of the administrative machinery of government that he would soon be carrying out, for which questionnaires would be sent to them for completion. He urged them to elicit the views, comments and suggestions of their subordinate officers before completing the questionnaires so that what is submitted to the Public Service Reform Unit would truly reflect the Ministry’s position.
2.3.2ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
The sensitisation meetings served as a useful platform for discussing the following issues and problems that significantly affect output and productivity in the civil service:-
(i)the need for a customer-driven civil service that will find out and meet the needs of its clients;
(ii)the need for positive change in the image and conditions of service of civil servants, moreso when totally inadequate incentives result in poor performance, brain drain and absence of work ethics;
(iii)the resuscitation of the Civil Service Training College and its pivotal role in the training of civil servants;
(iv)possible training and redeployment of personnel whose present credentials may not be suitable for job descriptions and duties in revised organisational structures;
(v)the need for experience sharing among civil servants using the thematic or sectoral approach;
(vi)decentralization of authority with a view to enhancing participatory management;
(vii)Regularising the role of contract officers so that they play a more advisory role rather than being line managers;
(viii)The question of sustainability of the reform programme when donor support ends;
(ix)Restoration of facilities like car loans, civil service housing scheme and refridgerator loans, previously enjoyed by civil servants;
(x)The need for clarity of roles within the central policy making and coordination machinery of Government;
(xi)Political interference in the day-to-day administration of Ministries and Departments;
(xii)The need for more interaction between the public and private sectors to enhance good governance;
(xiii)Inadequate financial allocations to Ministries/Departments;
(xiv)Erosion of public service responsibilities through intervention by non-
governmental organizations;
(xv)The need for more emphasis on improvement of physical and other facilities that improve the work environment and less emphasis on consultancy studies;
(xvi)Weak inter-ministerial coordinating mechanisms and lack of cooperation between core departments and sectors;
(xvii)Outdated management practices;
(xviii)Severely deteriorated and destroyed infrastructures;
(xix)The urgent need for training efforts to be intensified to enhance human resource capacity building;
(xx)The monetisation of non-cash benefits
Some of these issues will no doubt be examined within the framework of the management and functional reviews of key Ministries and it is anticipated that the proposed reform measures will address them.
2.4COMPUTERISATION OF CIVIL SERVICE PERSONNEL RECORDS
A World Bank–sponsored project had started in 1997 involving the provision of a simple computerized personnel information system in the Establishment Secretary’s Office utilizing personal computers designed in a flexible way to ensure its future integration with the existing computerized payroll system for permanent staff. This project was disrupted by the military coup in 1997. A joint project has also been established between the Establishment Secretary’s Office and the Accountant General’s Department to achieve a verification of the civil service payroll including Teachers. The ideal situation would be the resuscitation of the World Bank-sponsored project and its expansion. While that is being explored, the Coordinator has deemed it expedient for existing facilities to be utilized as a means of updating personnel details. To that end, he held a meeting with the Accountant-General, Establishment Secretary, the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Statistics Office and the Economic Adviser to the European Union Delegation to explore the possibility of incorporating the input of relevant personnel details into the existing computerized database within a revitalized EU-funded payroll verification project.
At that meeting, it was noted that the payroll verification exercise was not tailored to suit human resource management needs. However, agreement was reached that the verification exercise could be strengthened and developed into a Personnel Information System if the following conditions were fulfilled:-
(i)The full establishment structure of the civil service should be provided by the Establishment Secretary’s Office;
(ii)Established positions must be specifically defined;
(iii)Submissions on personal emoluments for the FY 2002 budget should be harmonized with established positions to determine the real staffing situation of the service.
(iv)The Central Statistics Office should make available the data compiled after the quick census of educational institutions scheduled to be conducted nationwide during the last week of November and first week of December 2001.
The Accountant-General will forward the request for technical assistance through the National Authorising Office to the European Union and it is expected that approval will be given for the re-engagement of Mr Roland Ulreich, EU Technical Assistant to continue with the project. On resumption of duty, Mr Ulreich will immediately start to input relevant personnel details and relate payroll database to the personnel information system. At the appropriate time, a Consultant would be required to consolidate the harmonized database.
In discussions with the Financial Secretary, the Coordinator has been informed that the Ministry of Finance will first make an assessment of the impact of the Payroll Verification Project on payroll expenditure prior to determining how its facilities could be customized to develop a Personnel Information System.
2.5DONOR SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM PROGRAMME
This activity is geared towards establishing contacts with donor partners and ensuring that their professional inputs and financial resources fit within the priorities established for Sierra Leone’s Public Service Reform programme. A matrix of donor support for selected public service reform programmes is attached as Annex Vl.
Pursuant to the above the Coordinator has held the following meetings with representatives of donor partners:-
(i) MEETING WITH DR JOHN KARIMU PROJECT ADVISER, WORLD BANK – FUNDED PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT SUPPORT (PSMS) PROJECT ON WEDNESDAY 31ST OCTOBER 2001
Discussions were centred on the overall reform programme and the specific aspects to be funded by the World Bank under the Second Public Sector Management Support Project (see Annex Vl). Information was shared on the Project’s proposed comprehensive assessment of the general functioning of the public sector in Sierra Leone and how DFID’s funding of management diagnostic studies of four key ministries will complement such a major study. It was agreed that the collaborative efforts of the Project Adviser and the Coordinator would be channeled towards ensuring optimum utilization of donor inputs to enhance the reform process. Further consultations are to be held on a regular basis.