Monrovia – Liberia’s vice president over the weekend launched the Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) payment system to seven participating ministries of government’s public sector modernization project (PSMP), describing it as a significant milestone with governance and service delivery.
“Everyone acquires education to perform. Most people look for their names on the payroll, but don’t show up for work. “
“But, the reforms within the government being championed by the civil service agency, the governance commission and the Liberia institute for public administration are laudable efforts to fight corruption,” the vice president says.
He emphasized that planning is a significant aspect of development.
“No condition would be improved without planning, we must act and have to talk and do. I want to thank the CSA for the great work done so far.”
He was speaking during the launch of the Disbursement Link Indicators (DLIs), a system set up by the World Bank to track the performance and rate government development program; at the ministry of foreign affairs, in Monrovia.
There are nine DLIs in the whole project.
Each year, DLIs are achieved, the performing ministry gets paid US$40,000 each and the government of Liberia through the ministry of finance and development planning gets US$400,000.00 when 90 percent of the participating ministry performs.
For his part, Dr. Amos Sawyer, chairman of the governance commission, says public sector reform is a major ongoing achievement of the Liberian government. Good public service delivery program improves effectiveness of the public sector and also the system.
Vice President Boakai described the governance commission as a curriculum calling attention and reminding the government of what needs to be done.
Civil service agency’s director general, Dr. Puchu Leona Bernard, describes the launch as a success of achieving the first disbursement linked indicator of the public sector modernization project.
This was the easiest of the DLIs to be achieved based upon preparation and submission to the cabinet for approval.
All other DLIs will require the attention of senior management in the participating ministries: “Disbursement Linked Indicator for Performance Planning and Assessment – One Employee, One File, Biometric Verification and others, can only be awarded upon completion, implementation and independent verification.
Dr. Bernard indicated that with the support of the World Bank, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and USAID, all civil servants ministries now have a job description catalogue useful for departmental and individual performance planning and for the grading and classification process; while civil service test has undergone revision and will be automated beginning the next fiscal period.
“We have taken into consideration the need to provide additional support to applicants using the new system for the first time. We are also planning to host a mock test on the CSA website to which everyone can have access when preparing to sit the CSA test.
This will be rolled out at our regional offices using available resources in time to come she indicated.
According to her, over seven ministries, agencies and commissions (MACs) have completed the MFR and should be in the process of finalizing the staffing analysis aspects, led by the governance commission.
Led by LIPA, the Females in Leadership program has been launched and several women have benefited from training in preparation for mentorship as well. Ministries are receiving Biometric ID cards now with the acquisition of necessary printing equipment.
“Employees records through the One Employee One File process are being concluded, the next DLIs.”
“Our teams are doing a great job and we encourage them to stay focused since all of our deliverables are time bound. We would appreciate the continued support of our development partners in the reform, Dr. Bernard concluded her remarks.
The launch was attended by an array of government officials and development partners.
Making remarks on behalf of development partners, Elisabeth Hårleman, Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden near Monrovia said Sweden is pleased be a contributor along with the other donors to the project which aim is important for a functioning and transparent government namely to improve pay management, performance and enhance merit based recruitment in the civil service.
The main challenge being addressed by this project relates to the problem of poor alignment between skills and functions, and weak payroll control within the Civil Service of Liberia.
Liberia has recognized these challenges and have committed towards civil service reform.
Efforts by Liberia have directed to processes such as pay and grading, cleaning the payroll, mandates and function review and decentralization.