By George M.O. Williams
Public Service Commission (PSC) has on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, held consultation with stakeholders on its draft Public Service Policy.
The dialogue which was aimed to gather insights and feedback from key stakeholders on the draft policy was held at the Foreign Service Academy at Tower Hill in Freetown.
The draft policy marks a significant step towards shaping the future of public service delivery in Sierra Leone with a goal intended to be the beginning of a process to establish a legal framework for management of the Public Service. The policy will serve as the basis for the development of a draft Public Service Bill for enactment by Parliament.
The Chairman of Public Service Commission, Kalilu O. Bah said that the policy has an inclusive approach to ensure that the public service reflects the diverse needs and perspectives of all stakeholders involved.
He added that the dialogue gives opportunity to stakeholders to provide an invaluable input which would contribute towards shaping policies that will enhance public service delivery.
Bah cited that the draft document has a general intent to make proposals to ensure that the PSC shall be the pre-eminent body responsible for human resource policy development and discharging regulatory and oversight roles in the management of the Public Service.
He outlined that some of the objectives of the policy is to clarify institutional relationships between Commissions/Agencies with mandate; revisit the statutory role of the PSC to enable the Commission to have regulatory and Act-based; Enactment of the first-ever Public Service Act of Sierra Leone and review and update the Public Service Regulations of 1982 in line with the Public Service Act to reflect current HR management in the Public Service.
First Counsellor of the European Union, Holger Rommen, said that the consultation was a culmination of a long process of consultations within the state and government machinery.
He said that the consultation reflects a critical government promise to Sierra Leoneans, adding that it is a government promise that has been promoted heavily in the midterm national development plan and in big five programme.
“It is against this background that I’m proud to reaffirm the European Union support towards the government of Sierra Leone in relation to civil service reforms,” Rommen said.
He mentioned that the public service policy will prepare a conducive environment for a modernized public service delivery.
The Secretary to President, Emmanuel Gaima, said that after the consultation, the views of stakeholder should be incorporated into the drafts policy.
He added that a good policy is one that respond to the needs and solve the problem of procedural issues.