A Capacity Building Framework for the SLPRSP

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A Capacity Building Framework for the SL-PRSP

• Preliminary Overview of Gaps and Strategies
• Presentation By Amadou Tijan Jallow
• UNDP Consultant
• At the 12th DEPAC Meeting
• 8th September 2005, Country Lodge, Freetown

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Outline of Presentation

• Introduction
• Rationale for a Comprehensive CB Framework
• Guiding Principles
• Design Process
• Preliminary Overview of Gaps
• Proposed Strategies
• Proposed Areas of Focus
• Implementation Arrangements
• Next Steps
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• Country is emerging from decades of conflict and
  mass displacement severe erosion of Human and
  Social capital acute lack of capacity
• Post-conflict transition lays the basis for
  long-term development, including poverty
  reduction but time for change!
• New situation calls into question the creation of
  programme implementation units, commissions and
  other specialized entities
• Progressively phase out special units replace
  with longer-term support to strengthen state
  institutions to formulate and coordinate policies
  and deliver services on a sustained basis
• Effective state and local government institutions
  vital - building capacities for the PRS cannot be
  divorced from civil service reform
• Governments proposals for a Senior Executive
  Service (SES)
• Outcomes of the Functional Reviews and other
  processes
• Factor in the departure of UNAMSIL
• Factor other capacity building efforts underway
  or planned

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Rationale for a Comprehensive CB Framework

• Past efforts have often been piece- meal,
  sector-based, ad hoc and mostly supply-driven
  in a post conflict context with general and acute
  manpower gaps this is inadequate
• Need to address the issue of institutional
  incentives that shape the utilization and
  retention of capacities this is vital for
  sustainability
• The comprehensive reform agenda underway in the
  country calls for a comprehensive approach to
  capacity building
• Various actors in PRSP, including the poor need
  to develop and/or strengthen their capacities -
  need for a holistic approach
• A comprehensive framework does not preclude a
  sector approach - will in fact strengthen such
  processes

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Guiding Principles

• Foster national ownership, be demand-driven not
  supply-led
• Comprehensive in nature - pulling together needs
  across sectors and different stakeholder groups
• Address various dimensions of capacity
  development - individual, institutional and
  societal - organizational processes that make for
  effective institutions (see FRs)
• Focus on quick-win options while paying
  attention to longer-term needs
• Pay attention to sustainability - an enabling
  institutional environment fundamental to
  effective use and retention of capacities created
  or in place
• Address software and not hardware capacity
  needs

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Design Process

• Review of ongoing work on civil service and
  public sector institutional reform
• Institutional mapping and stakeholder inventory
• Inventory of ongoing and planned capacity
  building initiatives
• Assessment of capacity gaps within key MDAs and
  other stakeholders
• Formulation of strategies to address these gaps
• Development of a comprehensive programme document
• Documents review
• Interviews and Focus Group Discussions
• Preparation of a Preliminary Note for discussion
  by DEPAC 8th September 2005
• Submission of a CB Programme Document to the CG
  in October 2005

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Preliminary Overview of Gaps

• Cluster I Specific Gaps
• Institutional Structure (Secretariat?)
• Gaps in Manpower and Expertise
• Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
• Civil Society Relatively Weak
• Community Capacities Undermined by Dependency
• Private Sector
• Parliament PRSP Implementation
• Cluster II General Gaps
• Poor Institutional Environment
• Weak Planning Financial Mngt Capacities in MDAs

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Proposed Strategies

• Strategic Thrust and Basic Premise
• The CB Framework will focus on ensuring that
  targets of PRS are achieved
• CB framework based on five interlinked
  strategies
• Strengthen institutional framework for the PRS -
  enhance coherence and coordination
• Establish minimum core capacities in key MDAs,
  civil society organizations and private sector
  actors
• Strengthen abilities of the poor to make better
  use of incentives
• Contribute to an effective civil service -
  promote and facilitate provision of core public
  goods and service delivery
• The end result
• Targets of PRS met in a timely manner - Flexible
  and Speedy Implementation
• Better skilled and oriented cadres and
  individuals
• Responsive and effective institutions - Public
  service that is effective and efficient for
  longer-term sustainability and national ownership
  

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Proposed Areas of Focus

• Strengthen Institutional Framework
• for PRS Implementation
• Short-term, provide resources DACO to fill the
  critical manpower gaps secretariat functions,
  ME, CB, etc.
• Ensure closer working relationships with certain
  key Entities
• Decentralization secretariat linkage with LGDG
  system
• PETS Taskforce - tracking and monitoring of the
  flow of funds down to district level for PRSP
  designated activities.
• Establish ME Capabilities

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Proposed Areas of Focus

• Address Manpower and Expertise Gaps in MDAs
• Existing technical expertise gaps in key MDAs to
  be addressed through reform of the tertiary
  education - long-term
• Short-term strategies should target in particular
  middle level cadre responsible for
  outputs/deliverables under the PRS and should
  include the following
• Short-term in-country training, coaching and
  mentoring
• Extended training both in-country and outside
• Gap-filling strategy to meets immediate
  short-term needs - south-south exchanges, peace
  corps, NGOs, UNVs
• Carefully targeted technical assistance in key
  areas.

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Proposed Areas of Focus

• Enhance Capacities of Communities and
• the Poor to Fight Poverty
• Rebuild social capital depleted by years of
  conflict and mass displacement
• Reinforce community mobilization-placement of
  community facilitators, build upon efforts of
  ENCISS and Action Aid
• Improve access of communities to information to
  broaden choices through setting up of community
  resource and information centers community
  radios
• Expand NaCSA type- direct community financing

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Proposed Areas of Focus

• Enhance Capacities of Civil Society Organizations
• Strengthen consultation forum for NGOs
• Strengthen policy research, analysis and
  development skills in NGO
• Strengthen organizational capacities
• Provide training e.g. budget tracking for
  poverty related expenditure
• Fund a second phase of the DFID supported Action
  Aid Civic engagement project that ends in August
  2005
• Provide systematic support to rural based Civil
  Society Organizations

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Proposed Areas of Focus

• Strengthen Strategic Planning, Policy Analysis,
  Formulation and Budgeting Capabilities
• Continue present efforts - in-country training
  combined with external expertise, training within
  the region and other parts of the continent.
• Set up an Indigenous Capacity for Training on
  Development Management
• Build upon IPAM /University of Sierra Leone and
  the Milton Maggai College of Education and
  Technology/Congo Cross Campus.

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Proposed Areas of Focus

• Issues Related to the Institutional Environment
• An enabling institutional environment is critical
  for creating and retaining capacities -
  institutional incentives shape the utilization
  and retention of skilled individuals and
  therefore determine sustainability
• A government-led and nationally driven process,
  address the overall incentive structure, not just
  salary related ones - even strong institutions
  will collapse under poor governance situation
• A joint government-donor taskforce to look into
  various proposals and develop a plan of action
  acceptable to all parties
• Implement recommendations of the FRs as starting
  point
• Tie the restructuring process with
  re-dimensioning of CS link to privatization
  process

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IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS

• Institutional Arrangements
• MDAs - responsible for the detailed planning of
  training and capacity building-enhancement needs
  identified
• Locus of CB programme will await final outcome of
  discussions regarding the PRS secretariat
  meanwhile Office of the President/MPA will have
  overall responsibility for coordinating the CB
  framework
• Programme Unit in MPA use staff of MPA and
  strengthen with a senior Capacity Development
  Advisor (eventually a civil service post).
• Establish a Capacity Building BASKET Fund
• Establish a system to Monitor and Evaluate
• Capacity Enhancement efforts

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NEXT STEPS

• Finalize the inventory of capacity building
  efforts
• Finalize Capacity Gap Assessment
• Develop detailed strategy to meet the specific
  needs of various MDAs and other relevant actors
• Elaborate Programme Document
• Submit to the CG.

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CONCLUSION

• Appears ambitious but necessary to adopt a broad
  framework in order to have a global overview of
  needs and the interconnections
• Detailed elaboration will require prioritization
  and focus programme cannot address all needs
  choices have to be made
• Further work to transform SL-PRSP into an
  operational programme short, medium and
  long-term actions