GoSL receives $20million for Decentralised Service Delivery
On the 19th of November 2009, the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) signed a Financing Agreement with the International Development Association (IDA) for a $20 million credit for the Decentralized Service Delivery Program (DSDP). The overall objective of the DSDP is to support decentralized delivery of basic services in health care, education, water and solid waste management, as well as providing Local Councils (LCs) with substantial funding. The program will also focus on strengthening institutional and organizational capacity at the central and local levels to enable LCs fulfill their core devolved functions.
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| Hon. Dauda Kamara, Minister of MIALG&RD (L) launches the DSDP |
The DSDP was launched at a National Program Information Session at the Miatta Conference Hall on Thursday, 28th January 2010, by the Minister of of Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Dauda Kamara. Dauda Kamara expressed his sincere thanks to the World Bank for their support. He said that as the basic service delivery programme will address health care, education, water and solid waste management, it is seen as a positive response to His Excellency the President Ernest Bai Koroma’s Agenda for change and the Millennium Development Goals which he said cannot be realized without substantial multi donor cooperation and inputs. The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED), Richard Conteh also thanked the World Bank for their support to the Government of Sierra Leone. The World Bank country Manager, Mr. Engilbert Gudmusson said that the $20 million DSDP is thought to be a long term program depending on the success level of the implementation of the first two years (Phase I).
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| Sheik Rogers, M&E Manager of the Deceentralization Secretariat |
The task team leader of the DSDP, Mirey Ovadiya disclosed that phase I of the program which should last for 2 years involves three components as follows:
- $16m grants to Local Councils in priority sectors of health and sanitation, education, water supply and solid waste management;
- $3m for capacity building in priority areas such as planning and budgeting, monitoring, social accountability;
- $1m for program management which involves program coordination and monitoring and evaluation.
Presentations were made by the Local Government Finance Department, and the Monitoring and Capacity Building Units of the Decentralisation Secretariat.
The presentations helped to assist participants in the implementation, supervision and oversight of the DSD program to understand the structure and design of the program, including the organizational and institutional arrangements and interrelationships.
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| Chairman Portloko District Council makes a contribution |
The presenters also presented an outline of the operational activities and implementation guidelines for the effective and efficient implementation of the project in accordance with the covenants of the agreement governing the project.
The DSDP will be implemented by the Budget Bureau of the MOFED, the LGFD and the Decentralisation Secretariat. Financial management, procurement and reporting will be handled by the integrated Project Administrative Unit (PAU) of MOFED.
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