Aide Memoire SIERRA LEONE PAY AND PERFORMANCE PROJECT (P128208) First Implementation Support Mission (September 24 – October 2, 2012) I. INTRODUCTION 1. This aide-memoire summarizes the findings of a World Bank Implementation Support Mission for the Sierra Leone Pay and Performance Project (P128208) that was in Freetown from September 21- October 3, 2012. 2. The Mission comprised Vivek Srivastava (Task Team Leader, Sr. Public Sector Specialist, PRMPS); Anders Jensen (M&E Specialist, AFTDE); Ben Roseth (JPA, LCSPS); Joyce Agunbiade (FM Specialist, AFTFM); Viorel Velea (Procurement Specialist, AFTPC); Kay Winning (Governance Specialist, WBILG); Chris Gabelle (Sr. Governance Specialist, AFTPR); and Sheriff Mahmud Ismail (Consultant, AFRSC). The mission was joined by Mark Thomas (Sector Manager, AFTP3). The team consulted with Diala Makdssi Afram (LEGAF), Masud Mozammel (Senior Communications Officer, EXTOC), Kevin Brown (Consultant - HRM), and Ismaila Ceesay (Lead FM Specialist, AFTFM). The Mission also drew support from Ato Brown, Country Manager. The Mission was assisted by Fatu Karim-Turay (Team Assistant, AFMSL), Adama Ginorlei (Program Assistant) and Salieu Jalloh (Program Assistant). 3. The Mission formally commenced with a kick-off meeting chaired by the Director of the Public Sector Reform Unit, Dr. Julius Sandy. The Mission also included a meeting of the project‟s Leadership Team, chaired by H.E. Samura Kamara, Minister of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED). The Mission had several working sessions and meetings with the key implementing agencies, including MOFED, the Human Resources Management Office (HRMO) and the Public Service Commission (PSC). A mission concluded with a wrap-up meeting on October 2, 2012 with Drr. Julius Sandy, Director PSRU. 4. The Mission also included a workshop on the Sierra Leone Public Service Fellowship (SLPSF), a proposed entry-level civil service leadership development program outlined in an “options paper� produced with a grant from the Bank‟s Youth Innovation Fund. The workshop was hosted by the PSRU and attended by representatives of the PSC, HRMO, Africa Governance Initiative and European Union. Written comments were submitted to the PSRU by UNDP. The PSRU, HRMO and PSC agreed to discuss the potential preparation of a Cabinet Paper on the SLPSF, or similar program, the meeting Civil Service Steering Committee during the week of 1st October and relay the outcome of the meeting to the Bank. 5. This aide memoire summarizes the Mission‟s conclusions, agreements and next steps which were discussed and agreed at the wrap up meeting held on Tuesday 2nd October, chaired by the Director of the PSRU. 6. The Mission is grateful to the officials of the GoSL, Development Partners and other stakeholders who very generously gave their time and collaborated with the Mission.1 1 A list of the people met by the Mission is at Annex 1. Page 1 of 19 II. MISSION OBJECTIVES 7. The main objectives of the Mission included: (i) Facilitating the finalization of the Project Implementation Manual (the final outstanding condition for effectiveness); (ii) reviewing progress towards DLIs for Year 0 and Year 1; (iii) discussing and agreeing next steps on the design and implementation of the Strategic Communications Program; (iv) working with the task team of the IPFMRP and the GoSL on the mainstreaming action plan for Local Technical Assistants; (v) reviewing progress under WBI's Leadership Program and next steps; (vi) conducting a workshop on the proposed Sierra Leone Public Service Fellowship (a parallel initiative supported by the Youth Innovation Fund). III. MISSION FINDINGS A. EFFECTIVENESS 8. The original effectiveness deadline for the project was September 24, 2012 - 90 days after the signing of the Financing Agreement (June 26, 2012). Due to unforeseen impediments to the timely fulfillment of all effectiveness conditions, the GoSL requested a one-month extension of the deadline. This request was granted by the Bank, establishing the new deadline at October 24, 2012. 9. The Mission reviewed progress on the Project Implementation Manual (PIM), the only remaining effectiveness condition. Government submitted a draft PIM to the Mission on which the Mission provided detailed technical comments. The PSRU agreed to incorporate the feedback received and submit a final PIM by Wednesday, October 15, 2012. 10. It is expected that the project will be declared effective within the revised deadline. B. REVIEW OF YEAR 0 DLIs 11. The Mission, together with GoSL team, reviewed the progress made towards the three Year 0 DLIs. Overall, progress is satisfactory and, pending finalization and fulfillment of the procedures required by the Verification Protocols contained within the PAD, Government will be ready to request the first disbursement corresponding to these three DLIs shortly after effectiveness.  DLI 1.1(Remuneration Survey) 12. The Mission was informed that the remuneration survey had been completed and that the report was being finalized. Raw data from the remuneration survey was shared with the Mission. Following internal discussions in government, the PSRU will submit a draft by October 22, 2012.  DLI 2.1 (Recruitment Procedures) 13. The Mission was informed that appropriate open, competitive and merit-based Recruitment Procedures have been designed by PSC in collaboration with HRMO and approved by CSSC. The document is being finalized and will be submitted to IDA by October 11, 2012. Page 2 of 19 14. The Mission noted that the process was greatly facilitated by the fact that the GoSL team had shared several versions of the Procedures with the IDA team at various stages and encouraged the GoSL team to follow this good practice wherever possible.  DLI 2.2 (Recruitment of staff for the PSC) 15. The Mission was informed that that the seven (7) staff had been recruited to PSC and trained to manage recruitment and selection. The Verification Protocol has been suitably modified to reflect the fact that the PSC is a subvented agency and receives monthly lump sum payments towards its operating costs and wage bill. In view of this, the Mission agreed that in lieu of verification of payments by the Accountant General, the “verification� in this case would be based on the following documentation: (i) Instruction letter from the PSC to its (commercial) banker for payment of the monthly salary against names specified; and (ii) confirmation letter from the commercial bank that the payment has been effectuated. The documentation providing details of the training of the seven staff is being finalized and includes details of the training in Sierra Leone (induction training, manpower training, leadership training) and abroad (Lesotho) as well as on-the-job training (preparation of the recruitment under guidance of the PSC Chairman). The PSRU will provide all the relevant documentation by October 11, 2012. C. REVIEW OF YEAR 1 DLIs  DLI 2.3(Recruitment and Staffing) 16. The Mission was informed that the process is on track to meet the Recruitment & Staffing DLI for Year 1 (“At least 60% of priority vacancies have been filled in accordance with the Annual Recruitment Plans and the approved Recruitment Procedures�). As established during the Appraisal Mission in agreement between the MoFED, HRMO and PSC, the priority recruitment target for 2012 is 350 filled vacancies, 60% of which is 210. To date, 24 priority vacancies have been filled and there are 208 remaining vacancies in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Energy & Water Resources slated to be filled this year, which (if completed) would thus exceed the DLI target of 210. The PSC reported that it will be able to meet this target given that it is provided the sufficient resources to do so (see section III F). The PSRU will provide the IDA team by October 8, 2012 the PSC‟s timetable for filling these vacancies.  DLI 3.1 ( Guidelines for Performance Management) 17. The Mission was informed that the progress is on track to complete this activity (“Appropriate guidelines for Performance Contract management in all Ministries for Civil Servants in Grade 11 and above have been prepared by HRMO and approved by CSSC�) in time. The IDA team will provided comments as needed during the process. Kevin Brown (HRM Consultant) will be available to support the HRMO team. D. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 18. The Mission met with the communications consultant, Kalilu Totangi, as well as representatives of the PSRU, PSC and HRMO to discuss the communications strategy for the project. The consultant delivered a second draft of the communications strategy document which the Mission accepted as a final deliverable pending minor adjustments. Moving forward, the Mission advised that the communications personnel of the PSC and HRMO, under the leadership of the PSRU form a Communications Working Group, to be supported by Bank communications staff, and that this group Page 3 of 19 will prepare a strategy and action plan for the first 6-8 months. The Communications Working Group held its first meeting on Monday 1st October and subsequently informed the Mission that it will develop a strategy and action plan by October 15, 2012. E. WBI SUPPORTED RRI/L4R 19. It was decided in April 2012 by the Minister of Finance and core members of the Leadership Team that the L4R program would be a potentially very useful support mechanism for implementation of the P&P Project DLIs. In response, WBI delivered a training session on the Rapid Results Approach (RRA) to teams within the key implementing agencies in June, and Rapid Result Initiatives (RRIs) aligned with DLIs were launched by leaders of these teams shortly thereafter. 20. During the current mission, progress towards achievement of these RRI goals were discussed with leaders and teams, along with challenges faced, mechanisms adopted to overcome some of them and support requested to progress towards full achievement. Progress documented has been good, for example, in terms of the completion of manpower hearings, the delivery of a remuneration survey report (in final stages of approval) and the creation of a Ministerial Performance Appraisal Committee in eight pilot MDAs. Feedback during interviews indicates an appreciation of the value- added of the Approach, but with the request for more continuous support from a RRA coach that would be based in Freetown, supported by regional and international RRA experts. Options to identify such a coach were explored with the Director of the Decentralisation Secretariat (which had previously implemented the RRA at a decentralized level) for potential already-trained and experienced candidates; a strong candidate has emerged from meetings. It was also requested that a mid-term review be held before elections in order to document achievements and lessons learned to date, as well as begin thinking on charting the way forward for Year 2. Preparations for this will begin as soon as the local coach has been recruited (TORs at Annex 7). 21. In addition, the Minister of Finance requested that a proposal be prepared for the use of L4R to support implementation of the Agenda for Prosperity – to be implemented in 2013. A draft proposal was shared with the Director, PSRU who would pass it on to the Minister. F. RESOURCING FOR IMPLEMENTATION AGENCIES 22. The Implementing Agencies for the Project, in particular the PSC, reported to the Mission that resource constraints were threatening to impede progress towards the fulfillment of their activities under the project, and thus, achievement of the DLIs. This concern was expressed in the Leadership Team meeting with the Minister of Finance. The Minister of Finance requested that the PSRU prepare a consolidated detailed resource request for the Implementation Agencies upon receipt of which, the Minister committed, the MoFED will make the necessary resources available. A copy of this request is at Annex 5. The Mission was assured that the resources would be made available by October 30, 2012. G. JOB EVALUATION AND REGRADING EXERCISE 23. The Mission and GoSL counterparts discussed the need to accelerate work on the Job Evaluation and Regrading Exercise (Year 2 DLI), given the complexity of both the procurement and technical aspects of this task. The HRMO informed the Mission that a Request for Expressions of Interest had been prepared and would be emitted shortly. The Mission offered its technical support in the preparation of the Terms of Reference for the task. H. LTA MAINSTREAMING Page 4 of 19 24. The HRMO informed the Mission that the LTA Mainstreaming Policy had been finalized, including a revised timeline. A draft policy document and implementation plan was shared with the Mission (Annex 3). We look forward to regular reporting on the implementation of the plan. I. PAYROLL INTEGRITY 25. The HRMO informed the Mission that the timeline for the Payroll Integrity Action Plan had been revised (see Annex 4). Implementation will be reviewed during the next mission. J. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, REPORTING  Financial Management 26. Clearance has been provided for the FM section of the draft PIM , an effectiveness condition for the SL Pay & Performance Project. Relevant implementation readiness activities are on-going at the MoFED, PSRU, Accountant General„s Department (AGD), Audit Service of Sierra Leone (ASSL), Budget Bureau, BoSL and other coordinating agencies in addition to the acceptable FM arrangements already in place. 27. The PSRU will, in conjunction with the Office of the Accountant General, initiate the preparation of the Interim Financial reports (IFRs) for the first withdrawal against components 1 & 2, the program component and the Technical Assistance (TA) component, respectively so that withdrawals can be effected as soon as the effectiveness is declared. In addition, the Accountant General's Office is advised to have the designated account (pooled) for the program component and a designated account (segregated) for the TA component established with the Bank of SL as a matter of urgency. Both of these accounts shall constitute sub-accounts of the Consolidated Fund of the GoSL. The FM Specialist in the World Bank‟s country office will provide assistance and advice as needed.  Procurement 28. Procurement arrangements under the project, including the part-time procurement specialist for the PSRU hired in June 2012, are generally satisfactory. A detailed update on procurement aspects of the project and several recommendations are found in Annex 6.  Monitoring and Evaluation 29. The M&E arrangements and capacity under the project is rated Satisfactory. Verification of the years zero and year one DLIs has taken off timely and as described in the verification protocol in the PAD. Proposals for necessary amendments to the verification protocols as regards verification of recruitment to PSC (year zero) and the approval of the recruitment procedures (year one) have been undertaken by the PSRU M&E function and are agreeable and supported by the Bank. All results indicators in the results framework should be reported soon including the core indicator on project beneficiaries. IV. NEXT STEPS AND AGREED ACTIONS Action Responsible Deadline Submission of final PIM PSRU October 15 Submission of remuneration survey HRMO October 22 Page 5 of 19 Submission of final Recruitment Procedures PSC October 11 Submission of verification documentation for PSC staff PSC October 11 recruitment and training Submission of timetable to fill priority vacancies PSC October 12 Allocation of resources to Implementation Agencies MOFED October 30 Communications Strategy Action Plan PSRU October 15 Recruitment of local RRI coach WB October 15 Mid-term review of RRI initiatives supporting year 0 and WB Early November year 1 DLIs Documentation of experience with RRI under SLP&PP PSRU Early December emerging from the mid-term review Publish Request for Expressions of Interest for Job HRMO Early December Evaluation and Regrading Exercise Submission of LTA Mainstreaming Policy HRMO October 11 Page 6 of 19 Annex 1 Sierra Leone Pay and Performance Project – First Implementation Support Mission List of People Met NAME POSITION ORGANISATION Government of Sierra Leone Minister of Finance and Ministry of Finance and Hon. Dr. Samura Kamara Economic Development Economic Development Deputy Financial Secretary, Ministry of Finance and A. I. Bundu Admin Economic Development Public Service Val T. Collier Chairman Commission Public Sector Reform Dr. Julius Sandy Director Unit Human Resources Ernest Surrur Director-General Management Office Human Resources M R Koroma Director, Corporate Strategy Management Office Director, Manpower Planning and Human Resources Ansu Tucker Budgeting Management Office Director, Performance Human Resources David W S Banya Management Management Office Technical Coordinator, Human Resources Mary Rogers Performance Management Management Office Human Resources Osman S. Kamara H. R. Officer Management Office Human Resources L. A. Kai-Whonneh Communications Manager Management Office Human Resources Salamatu Turay Communications Officer Management Office Human Resource Unisa T. Kalokoh Communications Officer Management Office Public Service Amadu Juana Kamanda Career Development Officer Commission Public Service Daniel Banya Braima M&E Officer Commission Accountant General‟s Department, Ministry of Finance and Economic Abu Bakarr Conteh Head, Payroll Development Accountant General‟s Department, Ministry of Finance and Economic Raymond Coker Assistant Accountant General Development Accountant General‟s Richard Williams Deputy Accountant General Department, Ministry of Page 7 of 19 Finance and Economic Development Public Sector Reform Mohammed Yoki Programme Officer, M&E Unit Public Sector Reform Siaka Wusha-Conteh IEC Specialist Unit Public Sector Reform Francis Jabati Management Analyst Unit Public Sector Reform Emmanuel Greywoode ICT Specialist Unit Public Sector Reform Sonia Umu Karim M&E Specialist Unit Public Sector Reform Joe Seiwoh Short-term Procurement Specialist Unit Public Service Alex S Konteh Commission Commission Vidal Paul Coker Assistant Auditor General ASSL Development Partners Africa Governance Malte Gerhold Country Head Initiative Mathis Hemberger Governance Specialist EU Other Ousman Barrie Consultant IPFMRP/MOFED Communications Kalilu Totangi Consultant Strategy Page 8 of 19 Annex 2: Status of results indicators for Year 0 and Year 1 Year 0 PDO Indicator Six: Direct project beneficiaries, of which are female: No data yet - PSRU M&E officer to provide when available. Component 3 Intermediate Result indicator One: Appropriate guidelines for staff performance appraisal for civil servants in grade seven to 10 jobs in all ministries prepared by HRMO: Completed and approved. HRMO report given to PSRU. Year 1 PDO Indicator Six: Direct project beneficiaries, of which are female. No data yet. PSRU M&E officer to provide. Component One: Intermediate Result indicator Two: Job evaluation set-up completed. TORs should be completed by 5 October. Component two: Intermediate Result indicator Two: Recruitment strategy approved by CSSC. Recruitment Strategy drafting process not yet started. Component two: Intermediate Result indicator Four: Annual recruitment plan developed by HRMO: Manpower plan is completed, recruitment plan under development. Component Three - Intermediate Result indicator Two: Staff in MDAs HR PM recruited and trained for performance management (disaggregate by recruitment and training). Eight growth ministries: units set up, recruited and under training for all of the eight. Component Three - Intermediate Result Indicator Three: Staff in HRMO PM unit recruited and trained for performance management (disaggregated by recruitment and training): Set up, staff recruited and under training. Page 9 of 19 Annex 3: Five-step plan & policy for LTA mainstreaming Sequence of Steps Description Implementing Collaborating Implementation Verification Approvals Agency Agency Timelines Development of the An articulation of an official HRMO PSC,MOFED September 2012 Civil Service Steering policy decision by the Goal to Committee mainstream existing LTAs in the public service (as defined in (2) below) by appointing them through the existing civil service rules, regulations and procedures, including the preconditions for appointment, the selection criteria, the associated pay and conditions of service, and the source of funding of the implied remuneration of the mainstreamed civil servants. The policy will also include a clear definition of an LTA and a statement of the rules for retention of LTAs. Identification of LTAs A comprehensive listing of all HRMO MOFED, other End November, non-politically appointed GoSL MDAs 2012 employees in the MOFED and other MDAs currently in post and who were in post as at January 2009, who were officially appointed to positions on contract for services through recruitment procedures other than the existing civil service procedures applicable to the grade and position. However, the recruitment process will start at MOFED and later rolled out to other MDAs. Approval of an An agreed organisational MOFED HRMO, PSC End October, Civil Service Steering organogram for MoFED structure of the MOFED that 2012 Committee Page 10 of 19 reflects the requirements of its mandate and functions, along with an associated establishment structure, including authorised positions and numbers of employees authorised to fill each position Determining Each position to be graded by HRMO MOFED End March, Civil Service Steering remuneration for each the re-grading committee in 2013 Committee position (including a accordance within the civil market premium where service grading system; A necessary based on the remuneration rate determined benchmarking survey) for each position incorporating (a) the salary rate applicable to the civil service grade; and (b) a market premium deriving from a remuneration survey and determined as an agreed proportion of the gap between the civil service rate attached to the position and the market rate. Recruiting staffs This means the employment by PSC HRMO, April 2013 competitively through the GoSL, of current LTAs as MOFED the PSC defined in (2) above through open, competitive recruitment, appointments, absorption or any other appropriate and applicable method that is consistent with the provisions of the Public Service Commission Regulations in force, and the recruitment policies and procedures of the civil service DLI: Positions presently staffed by LTAs filled in accordance with GOSL procedures and rules. Page 11 of 19 INTEGRATION OF LTAs INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE BACKGROUND Government recognizes that the current poor remuneration and extremely uncompetitive wages in the Civil Service are disincentives to attracting and retaining the services of essential skilled professionals, particularly in the middle and upper echelons of the Service. The existence of these skills gaps has over the years seriously impaired the functional effectiveness of the Service resulting in poor performance and sometimes non-performance. Following the end of the civil war in 2002, Government and its development partners urgently needed the services of a number of professionals with critical skills to develop and manage vital government programmes and projects. Therefore, at the instance of government and its development partners, the services of a number of professionals with critical skills were engaged in the Civil Service as Local Technical Assistants (LTAs) on annual, renewable contracts. In order to retain the services of these professionals, they were awarded special and competitive rates of pay outside the existing Civil Service pay structure. This arrangement was intended to be a stop-gap measure to ensure the smooth operations of certain key institutions of government. Some of the personnel in question were initially paid from funds provided by the donors in respect of the projects for which they were appointed. Almost all of them are now being paid by government. This arrangement has characterized the Service for many years to date. While the services of the LTAs are still essential, their continued retention in the Service under the current annual service contracts, is considered to be unsuitable due to the irregular nature of their appointment and the funding mechanism of their remuneration, both of which are at variance with the Code, Regulations and Rules of the Civil Service. However, LTAs perform critical jobs, and both government and development partners have over the years expended considerable resources in building their capacities and therefore want to retain their services. There is therefore a compelling need to regularize the appointment of LTAs by absorbing into the Civil Service those deemed to be eligible in accordance with the Code, Regulations and Rules of the Civil Service. Definition of Local Technical Assistant (LTA) For the purpose of this Policy, an LTA means all non-politically appointed Government of Sierra Leone employees currently engaged in the Civil Service, whose recruitment and appointment was not effected by the Public Service Commission or the Human Resource Management Office. Purpose of the Policy The purpose of this Policy is to articulate the rationale and the approach for the absorption of LTAs into the Civil Service by the Public Service Commission. Policy on Mainstreaming LTAs Government recognizes that LTAs constitute readily available and required essential skills for effective and efficient service delivery across the Civil Service. Accordingly, Page 12 of 19 Government has resolved that in order to regularize their status they should be mainstreamed as permanent and pensionable officers in the existing Civil Service structure. In order not to de-motivate LTAs that will be mainstreamed into the Civil Service, they will retain their current rate of salary, and such salary will not be adjusted until there is a convergence between their salaries and that of their counterparts that are already in the Civil Service. Identification of LTAs As a step towards mainstreaming LTAs, the affected sector MDAs are required to provide the HRMO, the following details in respect of LTAs: name, date of birth, qualifications, current designation, date of first appointment and designation, and job description. This information is required by the HRMO for its database and also the Re- grading Committee in determining their appropriate grades and salaries. Modus Operandi of Mainstreaming of LTAs (i) LTAs will be mainstreamed into the existing/approved organogram that reflects the requirements of the MDAs’ mandate and functions; (ii) Each position will be approved and graded by the Re-grading Committee in accordance with the Civil Service Code, Rules and Regulations; (iii) Mainstreaming of LTAs shall follow merit-based recruitment procedures governing recruitment and selection in the Civil Service, as laid out in the Public Service Commission Regulations and the Civil Service Code, Regulations and Rules. It may take the form of direct appointment or absorption or open competition as may be appropriate and determined by the Public Service Commission; (iv) The mainstreaming of LTAs will not foreclose the engagement of contract staff if deemed absolutely necessary. Therefore, where critical skills required are not readily available or difficult to procure on a permanent basis, Government will engage the services of such personnel on contract terms consistent with the Civil Service Code, Regulations and Rules. Page 13 of 19 Annex 4: Payroll Integrity Action Plan Timeline Action Responsible Timing Agency 1. Prepare a comprehensive list of all civil HRMO October 31 service employees by MDA stating their grade. 2. Ensure that all movements and changes to HRMO/Internal Monthly with effect from June 2012 the payroll for appointments, promotions, Audit transfers, resignations, dismissals and retirements are supported by adequate approved documentation in the personnel files. 3. Internal Audit to verify all Internal Audit By the 20th of every month October- movements/changes to the Civil Service December payroll for the months of October, November, December 2012 and submit a report on findings. 4. Ensure all Civil Service employees are paid HRMO April 2013 on a grade and composite salary across all job categories. 5. Ensure that all new recruitments into the HRMO/BB Continuous as and when recruitment Civil Service are supported by adequate takes place budgetary provision based on the approved manpower plan. 6. Ensure that the date of birth of birth field for HRMO Half yearly review to be carried out all personnel in the data base (HCA) is by Internal Audit with effect from properly filled with their correct dates of birth end October 2012 and those who have attained the official retirement age of 60 years are automatically removed from the payroll. 7. Prepare payroll report highlighting reasons HRMO/BB Monthly for changes in the payroll. 8. (a) Provide quarterly statistics (including AGD December 2012 cost implications) on the number of public servants that retired prior to the establishment of NASSIT). (b) Prepare monthly/ half-yearly (July) and annual (January) reports of early retirees, wounded-in-action, and chronically ill personnel particularly in the forces. 9. Provide a comprehensive list of all Civil HRMO End October 2012 Servants in the payroll and their associated social security numbers. 10. Field consultant for the development of a HRMO 15th December 2012 manual on the operational procedures for payroll management in order to establish the basis for future audit of the payroll. Page 14 of 19 Annex 5: Consolidated Resource Request to MOFED for PSC and HRMO PSRU/9/3/5 1st October 2012 Dr Samura Kamara Minister of Finance & Economic Development Treasury Building George Street Dear Minister IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH MANAGEMENT AND PAY REFORMS - SIERRA LEONE PAY AND PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME - LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING You would recall that at the last meeting of the Leadership Team for the Pay and Performance Project held on 25th September 2012 in your office, it was agreed that a special dispensation be made for the Project Coordinating Unit, and Implementing Agencies to undertake activities relating to Year 1 and meet the DLIs, as per the Financing Agreement with the World Bank As you are aware, all funds disbursed to this account would be reimbursed upon project effectiveness on 24 October 2012. Accordingly, I hereby forward budgets from the PSRU, HRMO and PSC for your approval and payment: Public Sector Reform Unit- Le 64,066,100 Public Service Commission – Le 56, 596,100 Human Resource Management Office- Le 100,000,000 Yours sincerely JULIUS F. SANDY (DR) Director Copy: Chairman, PSC Dir. Genl. HRMO Fin. Secy. Auditor-General Director, Budget Bureau Acct. Genl. Page 15 of 19 Annex 6: Procurement Observations The mission reviewed the status of project implementation and procurement process, and reports as follows: Goods: PSRU made some progress with procurement of goods since the last mission. The procurement for activities 1 and 2 of the Procurement plan, covering the procurement of IT and office equipment and of the furniture for PSRU, HRMO and PSC were launched and are on- going. PSRU issued the RFQ to five firms on August 2010 for both activities and the quotations were received on August 20, 2012. PSRU received four quotations for IT and office equipment and three quotations for office furniture (the mission did not access them). PSRU clarified that the evaluation will be completed and the contracts awarded for both activities by October 05, 2012. The estimated amount for these activities is USD 75,000. The mission had the chance to look through the RFQs for these activities and would like to recommend the following: - The record keeping of the procurement documentation shall be done separately per activity. This will facilitate the work of PSRU during the procurement audit. - The mission noted that two from five invited firms had the same legal address (29, Rawdon street) and the mission would like to draw the attention of the PSRU on the need to conduct the due diligence of the firms included in the list invited for shopping. Such cases can conduct to collusion, especially in Sierra Leone where one person have a number of firms or can indirectly control other firms. The firms invited for shopping shall be specialized in the area of the assignment and with previous experience in this area, free of conflict of interest and collusive practice. The procurement of station wagon (activity 4 of the Procurement Plan) will be launched next week. PSRU shall forward to the World Bank the request with justification to start the procurement through Direct Contracting of UNOPS. The mission is reminding PSRU on the need to send the prior review requests through PROCYS. Consulting Services: Since the last mission PSRU signed the contract with the procurement specialist, who is already in place. Also, PSRU is finalising the TOR for the Job evaluation and labor market survey and it is expected that the TOR will be sent officially for WB review and clearance through PROCYS by October 8, 2012. There were some delays in launching the selection of the consultant to support the communication strategy and of the consultant for impact evaluation. The mission and PSRU assessed the needs and agreed on the new days for launching these activities. Procurement capacity: The part-time procurement specialist is in place since June 2012 as per PAD requirements. Procurement bottlenecks: PSRU has not reported any procurement problems under the Project. The mission advises that adequate steps be taken to fast track ALL outstanding activities to ensure all procurements are launched as per Procurement Plan, avoiding further delays and the assignments are contracted and carried out on time. The mission also advices that the Project Procurement Plan shall be supported by a table indicating each procurement activity detailing action steps with responsibilities and deadlines. In addition, regular progress meetings shall be organized (for instance bi-monthly meetings) with participation of the Project coordinator, Procurement specialists, end-users discussing the procurement/project progress, deficiencies and actions to address them. Page 16 of 19 Annex 7: ToRs – Rapid Results Coach Program Title: Leadership for Results, World Bank Institute TTL: Ceren Ozer and Benjamina Randrianarivelo Dates: 17th October 2012 – 31st January 2013 Rate: $TBD Contract Days: 40 days BACKGROUND With increased recognition and focus on leadership support in the World Bank Group’s operations and the need for non-lending instruments to contribute in a meaningful manner to strengthening government and non-government leadership in client countries, there has been a growing interest and demand for leadership-focused capacity development services, especially in conflict-affected countries. In response to this demand, the World Bank Institute (WBI), as part of its Leadership for Results program, utilizes a results based-management and problem-driven action learning methodology - the Rapid Results Approach (RRA) - as a tool for developing and strengthening leadership capacities and competencies in developing countries. Since 2006, WBI has been providing support to the governments of Burundi, DRC, Cameroon, Madagascar, Morocco etc. in the application of the RRA to a number of government ministry projects. Activities have involved identification and implementation of a series of collectively defined Rapid Results Initiatives (RRIs) which aim, ultimately, to build national capacity to deliver on national development goals by providing support to public and non-state institutions and improving service delivery to citizens. The Leadership for Results program has been requested to support World Bank Operations and the Government of Sierra Leone in its implementation of the Pay and Performance (P&P) Project as part of the governments wider public sector reform agenda. Based on a WBI scoping mission to Sierra Leone in early April 2012, aimed at determining appropriateness and openness amongst key counterparts within the government to a leadership intervention in this project, the L4R program was deemed a useful component to supporting successful implementation of the P&P Project. In response to this, a WBI team travelled to Freetown in June and identified, in collaboration with key unit staff, priority areas that were considered appropriate as Rapid Results Initiatives to demonstrate quick wins and successes over the coming months. The WBI team delivered a training on the Rapid Results Approach (RRA) for 45 government staff in key units to create awareness and a sense of value-added of the RRA, and to generate draft work-plans for Rapid Result Initiatives (RRIs) to assist in delivery of results on DLIs. It then delivered a stakeholder orientation session (12 stakeholders attended) at which the refined work-plans for RRIs were presented to leaders to gain their buy-in for continued support throughout their implementation. OBJECTIVES Work has been progressing well since June under the Rapid Results Initiatives launched at that time within the P&P Project. However, it is agreed between RRI teams, team leaders and strategic leaders in PSC, HRMO and PSRU that greater impact may be achieved by involving a local coach based in Freetown in the process. The objective being that this individual would be in a position to support four teams as and when required, as well as monitor and communicate progress and challenges to strategic leaders in the implementing agencies, WB in Sierra Leone and WBI. Page 17 of 19 TASKS Under the supervision and support of WBI, the local coach will:  Bring methodological support on RRA and organisational skills to RRI teams throughout the first wave of RRIs which began in June and will run until end December 2012;  Reactivate RRI teams and clearly define roles and responsibilities of team members;  Review action plans and timelines for RRIs launched in June 2012;  Accompany RRI teams to support them in: o identifying bottlenecks and constraints to progress and o conducting the monitoring of implementation of their RRIs that will help determine whether, and to what extent, they have realized their desired results within the planned period. (Information gathered through the monitoring process will also enable the coach to better adapt the support that he/she provides to the Project to better meet team needs and demands);  Assist in facilitating communications (liaising) between HRMO, PSRU, PSC and, where necessary, the MDA’s to smooth work processes and help avoid delays;  Maintain at a sustained level the morale of the different RRI teams until throughout the duration of the RRI/until the end of the contract, and challenge team members individually and as a team to be ambitious – to do more and do it faster - and to be innovative in finding solutions to challenges;  Meet periodically with key strategic leaders within the Public Sector Reform Unit, the Human Resource Management Office and the Public Sector Commission to de- brief on progress in RRIs towards the indicators they must achieve before end December 2012 and any challenges to this they may be facing and which these leaders may assist in overcoming;  Collaborate with teams and coordinate to organise, with support from WBI, WB in Sierra Leone and PSRU, a mid-term review of RRIs – expected early November - and a final review expected in January;  Throughout the duration of the coach contract, document the RRI process and communicate through frequent and effective reporting: o The progress towards achievement of RRIs; o Any evidence on how the teams may be operating differently from before; o Any challenges encountered and how they may have been overcome or whether further support is required  Participate in Video-conferences with team leaders, strategic leaders and colleagues in Washington and deliver summary minutes of discussions;  Seek support and guidance from WBI and government counterparts when needed to ensure most effective execution of the review process. DELIVERABLES  Organise and facilitate a Mid-Term Review process of RRIs underway to bring together RRI teams, discuss progress, share experiences and lessons learned; Page 18 of 19  Report of the Mid-Term Review and Final review including details on the RRIs such as: o The progress towards achievement of RRIs; o Any evidence on how the teams may be operating differently from before; o Any challenges encountered and how they may have been overcome or whether further support is required  Meeting minutes from video-conferences with Washington;  Short weekly report/note on updates on RRIs between contract start date and Dec. 31st 2012;  An analytical summary at the end of the year for each RRI reviewing progress, to include: o Progress/ Results of RRIs; o Feedbacks on the use of practical tools in the Sierra Leone context; o Lessons learned and Recommendations for Year 2 (Jan 2013 – Dec 2013). REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES Short weekly update report/note on RRI team work and meeting minutes from Video-conferences must be sent to: o Ceren Ozer, Benjamina Randrianarivelo and Kay Winning in WBI, and Vivek Srivastava in PRMPS and Chris Gabelle in AFTP3 Sierra Leone; o Dr. Julius Sandy, Mr. Val Collier, and Mr. Ernest Surrur - key counterparts in relevant unit of the government (PSRU, HRMO and PSC). CONDITIONS OF THE CONTRACT The contract will be for 30 days, under the formal supervision of Ms. Ceren Ozer, Economist at WBI and Mr. Benjamina Randrianarivelo, Operations Officer at WBI. PAYMENT: Upon submission of payment request and deliverable(s) satisfactorily completed and approved by the Task Team Leaders. This will be paid directly to local bank account via direct deposit. Page 19 of 19