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In a move aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability across government functions, the Office of the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, with support from the U.S. Embassy and the Institute for State Effectiveness, has launched a Fiscal Transparency and Innovation Fund (FTIF) project.
This initiative, part of a broader Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) for 2024-2030, seeks to create systems for monitoring public finances and tracking the performance of public service programs.
The project’s primary goal is to develop an accountability system for the MTNDP and the government’s “Big Five Game Changers” agenda, allowing for real-time monitoring of public sector commitments and progress.
On Tuesday, a workshop at the New Brookfields Hotel gathered government officials and civil society leaders to collaborate on the design of a dashboard for this monitoring system.
At the workshop, Parker Essick from the Institute for State Effectiveness explained the project’s collaborative focus: “We aim to engage stakeholders across government and civil society to set design priorities for the monitoring system. This will ensure it aligns with existing government processes and establishes clear roles for implementation.”
Chief Minister Moinina David Sengeh, delivering the keynote address, emphasized the initiative’s commitment to transparency by making performance contracts public.
“This isn’t about rewarding or punishing but about tracking our promises to the people. It helps us to understand our development pace and challenges,” he stated. Sengeh also highlighted the importance of collaborative planning, involving technical staff from various ministries in designing a system that meets the needs of all departments.
The FTIF project will be implemented by the Institute for State Effectiveness in partnership with the Sierra Leone government’s Presidential Delivery Unit and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. U.S. Embassy Economic Officer Chloe Combes affirmed the embassy’s commitment to supporting the initiative.
“This project will significantly enhance transparency and accountability within the government, creating a strong foundation for effective service delivery in Sierra Leone,” she said.
The project aims to establish a comprehensive budgetary and performance monitoring system, increase government transparency at the local level, and create public tools for open government. The dashboard’s public availability is expected to foster accountability, allowing citizens to track the government’s progress on development goals in real time.
