Freetown, 27 July 2011 – Within the framework of the existing Public Sector Reform Programme, the European Commission has approved the sum of Euro 10.5 million towards the on-going Civil Service and other Institutional Reform initiatives in Sierra Leone.

It would be recalled that in August 2009, Development Partners, notably the European Commission, United Kingdom Department for International Development (DfID), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank under the leadership of the Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU) jointly designed a new Public Sector Reform Programme for Sierra Leone. Implementation of the new Programme commenced immediately after the official launch by HE President Ernest Bai Koroma.

Over the period, the Public Sector Reform programme has made considerable progress in number of areas, including, i) review of mandates and functions of Ministries, Departments and Agencies; ii) advancing a comprehensive pay reform programme; ii) implementing a merit-based recruitment system for Civil Servants through the Public Service Commission iv) rationalization of staff records including creating personnel files for all teachers and mounting of a teacher verification exercise; v) improving inter and intra-ministerial coordination, and; vi) design and roll-out of targeted training programmes for various cadres of civil servants, and vii) updating of the Staff Regulations and Civil Service Code, viii) design of a performance appraisal for civil servants, ix) review of systems, processes and organizational structures, etc.

The European Union support will build on the gains made so far, seeking to sustain and consolidate them in the following Components:

Component 1: Training and Staff Development within the Civil Service

Component 2: Institutional Support to the Human Resources Management Office and other Oversight Institutions, including the Public Service Commission, the Strategy and Policy Unit, the Office of the Chief Justice and Local Councils

Component 3: Mainstreaming Anti-Corruption into the Civil Service Reform

Component 4: Right-Sizing the Civil Service

Component 5: Audit and External Evaluation and Visibility

Overall, the funding will support Government in building a transparent, accountable, performance-oriented and disciplined civil service with the highest standards of professionalism, and the necessary capacity to efficiently and effectively deliver quality services. Creating a Public Service that works for all continues to be central to our mandate at the Public Sector Reform Unit

Public Sector Reform Unit Office of the President