PSRU Presents MFR Reports to Correctional Services and Maritime Administration

In his power point presentation, the Director of Public Sector Reform Unit, (PSRU), Mr. Sulaiman Phoray-Musa, noted that the essence of the reviews were to assess the functional efficiency and effectiveness of SLMA and SLCS with the Medium Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024-2030; align the two institutions mandates and capacities to national sectorial strategies and policies; identify duplication of roles/responsibilities with stakeholders; enhance good governance and ensure compliance with government regulations; and to enhance productivity and the quality of service delivery.

The review covered diverse areas of the two institutions among them are; their Mandates and Functions; Organisational Structure; Human Resource Management (staffing, training, rationalization.); Sectoral Coordination and Collaboration; Assets and Equipment Management; Communications and ICT and Supervisory framework of MDAs.

Among the findings and recommendations are that the SLMA Act of 2000 has been obsolete and it development was not determined by a policy or a regulation to guide its implementation, and therefore the review recommends for a review of the SLMA Act 2000, followed by the development of a National Maritime Policy and a regulation to guide it implementation. The review further recommend for the change of nomenclature from and Administration to an authority in order to give them enforcement powers to effectively implement its mandate.

The review revealed that the current organizational structure of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS) is not function-oriented, which has resulted in poorly defined job roles and a consequence, the SLCS is struggling to operate at optimal capacity, and its personnel are facing challenges with career progression. In that regard a new organizational structure has been developed by the review team which suggests changing the titles from Directors to Controllers. This adjustment will not only better aligns the institution’s functions with individual roles but also conforms to international best practices.

The review also highlighted the lack of a regulatory framework to enforce the SLCS Act 2014. Additionally, without an overarching policy, the Sierra Leone Correctional Service struggles to effectively transition from a traditional prison system to a reform-oriented penal correctional agency. Thus the review recommend for the development of a national policy and regulatory system to guide the implementation of the Act.
Mr. Phoray-Musa informed the management of the two institutions that a Change Management Teams were be constituted to ensure that the recommendations are fully implemented. PSRU will work assiduously with the two institutions by developing implementation matrix and result frameworks to guide the implementation, he added.
In receiving the report on behalf of the SLCS, the Controller General, Joseph J. Senessie, commended PSRU for a professional work and promised the institution’s determination to implement the recommendations in the report.
The Deputy Executive Director of SLMA, Mr. Emmanuel B. A Lansana, who received the report on behalf of the Executive Director expressed their commitment in implementing the recommendation for the effective functioning of the institution.