Capacity Assessment for Effective Delivery of Development Results in Sierra Leone

The Government of Sierra Leone decided to self-assess its capacity to Manage for Development Results (MfDR) using the Capacity Scan (CAP-Scan) methodology to identify its strengths and weaknesses, as well as to develop an action plan to improve delivery of public goods. I led, with colleagues from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED), preparatory meetings and coordinated a workshop from October 14-21 to that effect.

More than fifty government officials from seven strategic public sectors – Energy and Water Resources; Transport and Aviation; Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security; Fisheries and Marine Resources; Education, Youth and Sport; MoFED; and Health and Sanitation – contributed to identify the national MfDR capacity using the CAP-Scan measurement framework adapted to the country context for the following five main areas: Leadership, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Planning and Budgeting, Accountability and Partnerships, and Statistics. With an average score of 2 on a 4-point scale, Sierra Leone is starting to implement results-oriented approaches, with a need to be adequately equipped to increase its effectiveness and widen its coverage for increased performance. The figure below presents an overview of the ranking of the national MfDR capacity by results components for the five MfDR pillars.

The strongest national MfDR capacity exists in the Statistics area, as well as in the Planning and Budgeting domain. Specifically, budget consistency with national priorities was recognized as an effective practice by all sectors and stems from the performance-based budgeting approaches implemented within the Medium Term Expenditure Framework. The Finance Ministry is the only sector capable to conduct statistical strategies and plans, while the Health sector is outstanding on linking administrative performance to results and the Transport sector in applying change management.

The scores are fairly low in both the Leadership and M&E pillars. The most serious weakness, as pointed by almost all sectors, is the capacity to manage human resources. Without clear line of responsibilities and staff geared to results, the ability to deliver results is undermined. Continued training, staff retention and incentive mechanism in the civil service are also scored low. Sectors noted gaps in implementing intra- and inter-sectoral coordination, system for measuring user satisfaction and alignment of partners to national priorities. Few sectors also mentioned the lack of staff in M&E units and pointed inconsistencies in donor alignment to national priorities.

Improvement in the capacity to manage for results could be achieved in the short term. Participants prepared recommendations for their own sectors and a national action plan focusing on low cost quick wins to fully implement in the next 18 months. If improved, these results areas could have great multiplier and reinforcing effects on other areas, thereby improving the overall country capacity to manage for results in the foreseeable future. For example, the improvement on Human Resource Management component (scored 0.8), within the Leadership pillar, is critical as it hinges on the government-wide capacity to deliver results. For the Monitoring and Evaluation pillar, priorities are given to strengthening capacity for M&E in all sectors and increasing the use of the data obtained for evidence-based decision and policy making. In terms of Accountability and Partnerships, civil servants underlined the need to establish guidelines to improve alignment of partners on national priorities and to ease the public access to results. A focus has also been put on promoting intra-departmental coordination and enhancing implementation of statistics strategy for results. The accomplishment of these actions would largely improve the results of this assessment and capacity to manage for development results in Sierra Leone. With inclusive planning and follow-up, these measures could be introduced in the first quarter of 2011.

The CAP-Scan in Sierra Leone is very timely as the Government is on the verge to assuming stronger control over its development and restructuring its public sector as donors are planning to end direct involvement in project implementation and execution in the country. The findings aim to foster delivery of the national objectives set out in the second poverty reduction strategy paper, The Agenda for Change, and will be validated in a stakeholders’ workshop.

The full report is available here, with pictures of the workshop there.

Sheka Bangura
Monitoring and Evaluation Expert
Central Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Division
Ministry of Finance and Economic Development
Freetown, Sierra Leone
AfCoP Core Management Team Member