Governance Challenges

C. William AllenDirector-General of Civil Service

Civil Service Agency, R.L.

Liberia Partners’ Forum, Washington, D.C.February 13, 2007

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

• Civil Service Reform

• Senior Executive Service

• National Anti-corruption Strategy

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Key challenges facing Liberia Civil Service

• Over-staffing and lack of clarity of roles• Prevalence of unspecified number of “ghosts” on GOL payroll• Many civil servants who go to work are not on the payroll• Many civil servants who are on the payroll do not go to work• Many civil servants are occupying positions for which they are not

trained• Some civil servants are trained for positions they are not occupying• Civil servants are poorly paid• Government does not know the true identity of all the names that are

currently on the payroll• There is a large amount of civil servants’ arrears [~US$16m] inherited

from previous administrations

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Key policy directions• Right-sizing the civil service• Rationalizing the compensation package to make it more

transparent and an effective tool of reward and management• Increasing salaries and improving the conditions of service of

bona fide civil servants• Improving the capacity of civil servants to deliver goods and

efficient and effective service to the people of Liberia.

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Specific interventions and programs

• Reviewing of mandates and functions of all government ministries and agencies

• Eliminating “ghost” names from payroll• Pay reform• Redeployment, retraining and layoffs• Pension reform• Instituting a Senior Executive Service [SES]• Establishing a Rural Civil Service Outreach Program• Updating examinations

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Interventions and Programs Continued• Reviewing and implementing effective leave policy• Installing a “state-of-art” Human Resource Information System

[HRIS] with bio-metric technology• Instituting a “Redirected Workers Program”• Improving training program in conjunction with Liberia Institute

of Public Administration [LIPA]• Addressing salary arrears issues

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Senior Executive Service

• The SES concept derives from an understanding of Liberia’s desired development outcomes and strategic goals as set out by the new government. Liberia desires as its ultimate development outcome sustainable human development. The SES is a key component of the overall Civil Service Reform Strategy of the Government of Liberia.

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Objectives of the SES• Strengthen the executive management of government institutions

through the injection of (100) top notch professionals able to spearhead and manage change in the public sector

• Reform the administrative systems and procedures for effective human resource management with emphasis on merit, performance, service culture and result orientation

• Advance the overall reform and development agenda of the Government by strategically placing SES personnel in line ministries, departments, and agencies.

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Essential features of SES• Performance management• Separation incentives tied to the Redirected Workers

Program• Embedding SES in the national civil service• Induction: intensive program of orientation,

management and skills development

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

SES Continued• Three-year program after which it will fold into the civil service• Will cost about US$9.7million• Clear implementation, monitoring and evaluation strategies• Clear definitions of levels and areas to be covered• Clear roll out and exit strategies• Evaluation of potential risks in implementing this program

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

National Anti-corruption Strategy• The Government and people of Liberia recognize that

corruption is widespread and deeply entrenched in all aspects of the Liberian economy and society, particularly the public sector.

• The new government has declared corruption as Public Enemy #1

• The President has pledged her personal commitment and the collective resolve of the Government to the full implementation of an Anti-corruption strategy.

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Scope of the Strategy• Development of a National Integrity System• Legal and Judicial Reform• Education and Preventive Measures• Government and Civil Society Partnership

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Key elements of the Strategy• Sound Economic Planning and Policy• Public Sector Reforms• Capacity Building/Strengthening of key institutions, including

particularly the judiciary• Implementation of preventive measures, including enforcement

of Codes of Conducts• Promotion of Transparency and Enactment of Freedom of

Information Laws and Whistleblower Statute

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

• The enactment and rigorous enforcement of anti-corruption laws and rules

• Creation of an anti-corruption Commission• Public awareness/Sensitization

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Funding sources and gaps

• The Government of Liberia has committed US$100,000 to the Redirected Workers Program. Gap: US$900,000

• The Department for International Development of the United Kingdom [UK(DFID)] has given the Government of Liberia a grant of 1.2 million British Pounds (~US$2 million) over three years for Public Sector Reform to be directed at three GOL institutions– The Governance Reform Commission (GRC) the Civil Service Agency (CSA) and the Liberia Institute for Public Administration (LIPA)

• The World Bank has earmarked US$900,000 under a LICUS Trust Fund Grant to support governance in Liberia, the Civil Service Agency is the main beneficiary; the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is to also benefit from the LICUS Grant

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

Funding sources/gaps cont.• The UNDP has made an initial commitment of US$800,000 to

the SES program. Gap: ~US$9 million• The USAID through its Office of Transitional Initiatives OTI/DAI

recently paid for the services of three experts to work with the Civil Service Agency on re-profiling positions under the SES and to do some preliminary work on pay reform

• Help is needed in the area of salary arrears clearance

CIVIL SERVICE AGENCY

• Thanks for your kind attention