Sierra Leone

The training workshop was organised to introduce the Councils to output-based planning and budgeting, and look at their existing capacity. It was designed to yield accountable, measurable and community-based targeted service and infrastructure provision. A ‘learning-by-doing’ format was used which allowed participants, with team members’ assigned support, to turn the training into real drafts of planning, budgeting and capacity building proposals.

Present at the opening ceremony on Thursday included the Minister and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development, Acting Mayor of Kenema, senior UN representatives, council members and paramount chiefs.

Speaking at the opening, the UNDP Country Director, Bernard Mokam, noted that ‘democracy is about building the capacity of the people to participate in decision-making. The spirit of this project is to ensure that councilors have the capacity to involve the community to make decisions.” He continued, noting that “this programme is a symbol of partnership between the international community and the Government of Sierra Leone. Together we are working to jointly achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty.’

In his keynote address, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Local Governance and Rural Development, Dauda Kamara, implored participants to take the training seriously in order to build their capacity and ensure the success of the programme. “The success of this initiative will ensure it is rolled out to other districts in the country, so that local governance can work for the betterment of Sierra Leone,” he said. The Minister thanked UNCDF and UNDP for their continued financial and technical support to the decentralisation process, and for fostering economic development in Kenema District.