By Amadu Femoh Sesay, Communications Manager, PSC

Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Kalilu Omaro Bah has said that the PSC will strengthen institutional capacity to perform its constitutional role of providing the leadership and strategic direction in the overall management of the human resource of the Government of Sierra Leone.

Mr. K.O. Bah was on Thursday, 12th December, 2024 speaking at the Grand Launch of the ‘Strategic Master Plan for the Revamp of the Public Service Architecture’ of Sierra Leone at the Foreign Service Academy, Tower Hill in Freetown.

Strengthening its capacity is a vital component in the successful implementation of the Public Service Reform Programme aims at transforming the public sector to “deliver services of the highest standards”.

The Chairman informed the gathering that as part of the Commission’s capacity building effort, “the proposed legislative reform by the PSC which is intended to give birth to the first-ever Public Service Act in Sierra Leone” will play a crucial role in “streamlining public personnel management in a fragmented Public Service” ensuring greater efficiency and accountability.

Referring to the document as “an ambitious but realistic strategic plan”, Mr. K.O. Bah stated that the aspiration of the plan sits well with the government’s Public Sector reform programme that aims at revamping the Public Service Architecture to ensure the “delivery of services of the highest standards to the people of Sierra Leone”.

According to the PSC Chairman, the overall objective of the ongoing Public Service reform aims at strengthening and improving the capacity of Public Servants to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of services in line with the development priorities of government as articulated in the country’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) (2024-2030). He furthered that a capable and service-oriented Public Service is required to achieve the goals set out in the MTNDP.

Mr. Bah said the Strategic Plan was developed against the backdrop of the following assumptions; that revamping the Public Service Architecture as a key aspiration of the government’s agenda will continue to enjoy the necessary political support, transform the Public Sector into a service-oriented organization, that the proposed legislative reform by the PSC which is intended to give birth to the first-ever Public Service Act in Sierra Leone is intended to streamline public personnel management in a fragmented Public Service; and that our development partners will stay engaged and continue to support the ongoing efforts at revamping the Public Service Architecture.

In order to achieve this, the Chairman advised that “we should endeavour to create a skilled and diverse Public Service workforce that will address the complex challenges of modern governance” and “develop a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to help guide and assess the effectiveness of the delivery process”. He maintained that the need to modernize the management process of government for increased efficiency and accountability in service delivery cannot be over emphasized. Mr. Bah stressed that relevant skills and training are the currency of the 21st Century, making this reform agenda imperative, and added that it involves developing and implementing training and development programmes to equip Public Servants with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver on government programmes.

In his brief statement, the Minister of Public Administration and Political Affairs, Mr. Amara Kallon, informed the gathering that the Plan will not be implemented by the Ministry, rather it will play the coordinating role, mobilize resources and ensure that the plan is fully implemented by the implementing institutions. Referring to the moment as “a day of acknowledgement”, he thanked the Chairman of the Public Service Commission; Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service; Director General, Human Resource Management Office (HRMO); Director, Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU); Ambassador Soulay Daramy; World Bank; United Nations; United Nations Development Programme; staff of the Ministry, among others.

Mr. Kallon said before embarking on full implementation of the plan, “we need to strengthen the leadership institutions of the Public Service, including the PSC, HRMO, PSRU and the Ministry itself” to enable them to lead the reform process.

The Chairman of the event, Ambassador Soulay Daramy, noted that Public Service lies at the heart of the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP), which acts as the “backbone that supports our aspirations for a prosperous and equitable society”. He opined that reforming the public sector of Sierra Leone is “long overdue and highly desirable”.

“There is no denying that our Public Service has had its own share of challenges which has affected the effectiveness and efficiency in delivering” he stated. He maintained that the launch of the plan is a critical but very necessary activity.  Ambassador Daramy added that the plan aims to transform the Public Service to meet the needs of the citizenry by ensuring that all government institutions operate with integrity and genuine dedication to service. According to him, this will “promote the much-desired continued cultural improvement and high performance”.

United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, Ms. Seraphine Wakana, said the launch is a significant step in “our shared mission to enhance efficiency, transparency and responsiveness of Public Service Delivery”. “The UN Mission in Sierra Leone is therefore proud to stand alongside with government in its quest to build a professional, efficient and result oriented Public Service that will attract and retain the nation’s top talents” she stressed.

The UN Resident Coordinator pointed out that the public sector assessments have highlighted improvement opportunities such as addressing overlap roles, strengthening accountability structures, modernising regulatory frameworks and overcoming operational deficiencies. These challenges, she alluded have impacted on service delivery, result optimization and public trust in the Public Service.

Ms. Wakana said the plan makes a crucial step in addressing the issues highlighted above and provides clear path in overcoming them. On the implementation of the plan, she noted that its successes depend on the joint efforts of all stakeholders, including government agencies, civil organizations, private sector and international partners.

The World Bank Country Manager, Abdu Muwonge noted that “this is the beginning of a challenging journey,” while suggesting that public service institutions should focus on three key areas as they begin implementing the strategic roadmap for reform: political will, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building.

He added that success for Public Service reform is always underpinned by strong political will which has been articulated in the MTNDP as one of the pillars of the Big Five Changers of the current administration. Mr. Muwonge furthered that stakeholder engagement is key in the successful implementation of this plan, and there must be a deliberate effort to invest in the Public Service in terms of skills and training programmes.

The Plan was launched by the Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, Ms. Manty Tarawalli, on behalf of the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh.