STRENGTHENING COORDINATION OF SOCIAL PROTECTION POLICY AND INTERVENTIONS IN SIERRA LEONE INSTITUTIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL PROTECTION: A REVIEW OF THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE INTER- AGENCY FORUM, ITS AGENCIES AND THE SOCIAL PROTECTION SECRETARIAT June 2016. A consultancy report by: Norbert O. Mugwagwa, PhD Abbreviations and Acronyms ACC Anti-Corruption Commission AFS Annual Financial Statements AGD Attorney General’s Department ASC Audit Service Commission AWP Annual Work Plans BD Bid Document CIC Community Identification Committee CQS Consultant’s Qualification Selection CSO Civil Society Organization CT Cash Transfer CDD Community Driven Development DA District Administrator DA Designated Account DC District Council DGRC District Grievance Resolution Committee DTC District Technical Committee DFID Department For International Development EVD Ebola Virus Disease FM Financial Management FY Fiscal Year GBAA Government Budgeting and Accountability Act GoSL Government of Sierra Leone GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism HDI Human Development Index IAS Internal Audit Services IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IC Individual Consultant ICT Information and Communication Technologies IDA International Development Association IE Impact Evaluation IEC Information, Education & Communication IFRs Interim Financial Reports IPF Investment Project Financing IPFMRP Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project IPSAS International Public Sector Accounting Standards ISA International Standards on Auditing ISP Implementation Support Plan IDB Islamic Development Bank IPAU Integrated Project Administration Unit JCAS Joint Country Assistance Strategy KFW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau LTPC Local Technical Planning Committee MLSS Ministry of Labor and Social Security 2 M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MDAs Ministries, Departments, and Agencies MDGs Millennium Development Goals MHS Ministry of Health and Sanitation MIS Management Information System MoFED Ministry of Finance and Economic Development MSWGCA Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs MOU Memorandum of Understanding NASSIT National Social Insurance Trust NaCSA National Commission for Social Action NGO Non-Governmental Organization NRRA National Revenue Authority Act NRS National Registration Secretariat NSPA National Social Protection Authority NSPIAF National Social Protection Inter-agency Forum PAD Project Appraisal Document PAM Project Accounting Manual PDO Project Development Objective PFM Public financial management PMT Proxy Means Test PPT Power Point Presentation RE-SSN Rapid Ebola Social Safety Net SLIHS Sierra Leone Integrated Household Survey SOCEP Social and Economic Opportunities Directorate SP Social Protection SSL Statistics Sierra Leone SPS Social Protection Secretariat SPTSC Social Protection Technical Steering Committee SAs Sector Agencies SPRINT Social Protection Registry For Integrated National Targeting TTL Task Team Leader UNICEF United nations Children’s Fund WB World Bank 3 Table of Contents ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 2 FOREWORD 6 1. INTRODUCTION 7 CONTEXT OF THE REVIEW 7 METHODOLOGY 7 SCOPE OF WORK 8 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND FINDINGS 9 3. OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF THE SOCIAL SAFETY NETS PROJECT (SSNP) IN STRENGTHENING COORDINATION OF THE SP POLICY AND INTERVENTIONS IN THE COUNTRY 10 BACKGROUND 10 PROJECT OBJECTIVE 11 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS 11 ACHIEVEMENTS 11 SSNP BUILDING BLOCKS 12 ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF SP ACTORS AND STAKEHOLDERS UNDER THE SNNP 13 TABLE 1: TARGETING AND ENROLMENT OF SP BENEFICIARIES 13 TABLE 2: PAYMENTS TO CASH TRANSFER BENEFICIARIES 14 TABLE 3: MANAGEMENT OF THE REGISTRY OF COMPLAINTS 15 SNNP CHALLENGES 15 4. THE FUNCTIONS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE INTER AGENCY FORUM (IAF) AND ITS SUPPORTING AGENCIES; 17 BACKGROUND 17 SOCIAL POLICY DOCUMENT INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS 17 TABLE 4: SP POLICY DOCUMENT SP (2011) INSTITUTIONAL SET-UP 18 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR SP UNDER THE SSNP 18 DIAGRAM 1: INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR SP POLICY, COORDINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION UNDER THE SSNP AND SP STRATEGY 19 TABLE 5: SP INTERVENTIONS, MDAS AND OTHER PROVIDERS 20 5. THE FUNCTIONS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOCIAL PROTECTION SECRETARIAT (SPS) 22 SPS’S LEGAL MANDATE 22 SPS ROLE AND FUNCTIONS 22 DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING THE SAFETY NETS SYSTEMS COMPONENT OF THE SSNP 23 DIAGRAM 2: SP SECRETARIAT ORGANOGRAM 25 DIAGRAM 3: SOCIAL SAFETY NETS PROJECT SP INSTITUTIONAL SET-UP 26 DISCUSSION OF THE ORGANOGRAMS 27 NACSA’S PERFORMANCE 28 4 TABLE 5: SSNP PERFORMANCE 28 6. OPTIONS FOR HOUSING THE SOCIAL PROTECTION SECRETARIAT 29 A) REMAIN UNDER NACSA – EXISTING ARRANGEMENT; 29 B) MOVE THE SP SECRETARIAT TO THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT UNTIL THE THE NATIONAL SP AUTHORITY IS ESTABLISHED 30 C) MOVE THE SECRETARIAT AND THE SAFETY NETS PROJECT TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF’S (COS) OFFICE32 7. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 33 DIAGRAM 5: SOCIAL PROTECTION SECRETARIAT PROPOSED ORGANOGRAM 34 ANNEX 1: PEOPLE MET: INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIAL PROTECTION SECRETARIAT 37 ANNEX 2: SCHEDULE SP PROGRAMS: SOURCES OF SP DATA 38 JOB DESCRIPTIONS SUMMARY 39 5 Foreword This Review was authorized by the World Bank Social Safety Nets Project Task Team Leader (TTL) at the request of the Sierra Leone Inter Agency Forum, to advance the dialogue on the status of Social Protection interventions, and the institutional set-up and organization in support of them. The objectives of the exercise are to: • Assess the overall performance of the SSNP in strengthening coordination of the SP Policy and interventions in the country; • Review of the functions and performance of the IAF and its supporting agencies; • Review performance and functions of the SP Secretariat; and • Recommend institutional and organizational changes to strengthen and facilitate the Secretariat’s role in the development, establishment and implementation of the SP systems across the SP programs The Consultant visited Sierra Leone from March 12 to 19, 2016 and presented the preliminary findings in the Implementation Support Mission (February 25 to March 9, 2016) Aide Memoir in addition to sharing the Power Point Presentation (PPT) made to the Social Protection Technical Steering Committee (SPTSC) of the Inter Agency Forum (IAF). The list of people met is attached as an Annex 1. Follow-up work has included the distribution of the revised PPT and follow-up discussion with the Chief of Staff, incorporation of comments therefrom by the Consultant into a preliminary Draft Report, and further guidance from the TTL. This Draft Report incorporates most of the comments while highlighting the Consultant’s findings. 6 1. Introduction The Review was requested in order to assess the overall performance of the ongoing Social Safety Nets Project in strengthening coordination of the SP Policy and interventions in the country. The SNNP was granted Additional Financing of $10 million with support from Department for International Development (DFID) of $4.3million following the exhaustion of the initial $7 million dollars allocated by the World Bank. The Review went further to assess: the functions and performance of the Inter-Agency Forum and its supporting Agencies, the performance and functions of the SP Secretariat; and institutional and organizational changes needed to strengthen and facilitate the Secretariat’s role in the development, establishment and implementation of the SP systems across the SP programs. Context of the Review The Government of Sierra Leone made a conscious decision to focus on social protection (SP) in part as commitment to accelerating the eradication of extreme poverty, a response to the Ebola outbreak and the resultant strain on the country’s resources. The focus on SP came as the country was battling high levels of poverty arising from a poorly performing economy characterized by high unemployment among the youth and adults, poor health among women and children, problems of orphans, the disabled, and HIV/AIDS infected and affected. In addition, the legacy of displacement, war refugees and victims, continued to adversely affect delivery of services to these disadvantaged households and groups. The President issued Executive Order 90 that provided guidance on the institutional set-up and organization to lead and coordinate the implementation of the policy and accompanying interventions. In 2015, the President launched the SP Strategy that articulates the social protection policy and programs, and institutions to implement them. Methodology The consultant used the Appreciative Inquiry Approach with its emphasis on analyzing organizational strengths and performance results, and envisioning positive future results to which the Social Protection Secretariat would contribute. In the process, the following activities were carried out to obtain the information and insights used to arrive at the conclusions and recommendations made: 1. Interviews and consultations with ministers, deputy ministers, ministry officials of the relevant ministries; National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) Commissioner, his Deputy and senior directors; and NaCSA technical staff (see List of People Met Annexes); 7 2. One day workshop with the SP Technical Steering Committee members and the NaCSA staff; 3. Formal discussions with the SP secretariat staff and written exchanges with the Director of the SPS ; 4. Documents review including the SSNP Credit Agreement, Project Appraisal Document (PAD) and Operational Manual; IAF meetings’ minutes; quarterly and annual reports of NaCSA and the Secretariat; and 5. Written exchanges and formal discussions of preliminary findings with the SSNP TTL and Bank Team. Scope of Work The Terms of Reference1 of the assignment required that the following be reviewed: • overall performance of the Social Safety Nets Project (SSNP) in strengthening coordination of the SP Policy and interventions in the country be reviewed in order to set the stage for determining whether the project, as designed, is delivering the expected outputs and outcomes; • functions and performance of the National Social Protection Inter Agency Forum (NSPIAF) and its supporting agencies; and • performance and functions of the Social Protection Secretariat (SPS); Recommendations on institutional and organizational changes to strengthen and facilitate the Secretariat’s role in the development, establishment and implementation of the SP systems across the SP programs, would then be made. It is notable that the SSNP was implemented during the pre-Ebola period and its coverage was expanded during the Ebola outbreak. The project was meant to provide the platform for the coordination of the Social Protection Strategy and Strategic Plan (2013 to 2018). Among questions to address is how well the SSNP carried out that function and what factors interplayed to influence and affect the project performance? The responses to those questions would require an assessment of the institutional set- up and organization of the National Social Protection Inter-Agency Forum (NSPIAF) and the SPS as well as how well both delivered on their mandates. 1 See Annex 2 8 2. Executive Summary and Findings The assessment examined the challenges that the SP program, at its inception, sought to address. Whereas some of the challenges were external to the SSNP program, a number of them were directly linked to how the program was designed, rolled out and how the institutions that were set up to implement it performed. Besides the challenges, the assessment also highlights the significant achievements that the program made and how these lay the basis for future program direction. The following challenges were noted: a) concerns over perceived weak coordination of the program; b) slow adoption and effectiveness of SP systems developed under the SNNP by the other Sector Agencies (SAs); c) refusal by the SAs to submit reports of the SP activities of their Agencies to the Secretariat for wider dissemination; d) need to resolve the location and institutional set-up of the SP Secretariat on the expiry of the two year period during which it was housed at the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) in accordance with the stakeholders decision on the 10th May, 2013 meeting; and e) Sectors’ demand that IAF and Chief of Staff oversee the SP Secretariat per the Presidential Executive Notice number 90; Summary Findings • The SSNP undertook some very successful interventions which produced results such as: • Recruitment and placement of SP staff • Adoption and application of the system for identification, registration and payment of cash transfer and cash for work beneficiaries; • Selection of the Implementing Agency/Service provider for the Cash Transfers • Oversight and monitoring of the cash payout for the beneficiaries • Initiated employment creation and income generation among youth and unemployed; • SP secretariat’s services and coordination roles vis-à-vis other SP actors are essential and clearly articulated; • SP actors feel that the SP Secretariat needs to step up its services to Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other Non State SP actors besides NaCSA; • the IAF which is now functional would like the SPS to fall under an independent National SP Authority as originally intended (Option 2); • Given that the SSNP ends in September 2019, there maybe practical challenges to moving the secretariat from NaCSA especially with regard to financial accountability and disbursement of cash to beneficiaries; 9 • An independent Secretariat would need to strengthen its technical capability with respect to financial management and reporting, MIS, IEC and procurement; • A bill formalizing the secretariat’s legal status, roles and functions would need to be steered through the Cabinet and parliament, a process that takes over six months. The Bill is being prepared by the subcommittee of the SPTSC and will be steered by Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MLSS) through Cabinet and Parliament. Recommendations  GOSL should adopt measures to formalize adoption of the Option it chooses and implement it during the remaining life of the SSNP – to 2019; • IAF should formally endorse MLSS’s efforts to steer the SP Bill with the proposed changes through Cabinet and Parliament. The Ministry took the lead with the tabling of the earlier SP programs under NaCSA Act of 2008; • Formalize institutional and organizational changes needed to place the Secretariat under the National Social Protection Authority (NSPA). Critical staff needed for the Authority to perform its functions including reporting to the Donors in time, etc. IAF to engage NaCSA and agree a schedule of transfer of responsibilities to SP Authority. • IAF to engage NaCSA and agree a schedule of transfer of responsibilities to SP Authority; • Identify gaps in SPS capacity to carry out its full functions, i.e. collection and compilation of data and information on performance, technical staffing, financial management, and agree next actions to fill that; • IAF should actively oversee the performance of respective Actors per the Tables 1 to 3 in the text; • Chairman IAF convenes briefing meeting to clarify mandate and reporting issues; • SPTSC proposes staffing needs – strengthen monitoring, IEC - information dissemination, and training on use of systems; and • Location – Chief of Staff finds office space that need not be physically within the President’s office, etc. • A timetable be prepared for varying out the above. 3. Overall performance of the Social Safety Nets Project (SSNP) in strengthening coordination of the SP Policy and interventions in the country Background The SSNP is a Government of Sierra Leone (GOSL) SP Project approved in 2014. The GOSL (USD $2.5 million Counterpart funds) and WB (USD $7 million) financed the Project to benefit 13,000 households. In 2015, the World Bank approved Additional Financing of USD $10 million to which DFID added USD $4.3 million. The injection of fresh finances enabled 30,000 households to benefit from the project until 2019. New as well as old beneficiaries that met specific criteria would receive the income support via cash transfer. 10 Project Objective The objective of the SSNP was to establish the key building blocks for a basic national safety net system and to provide income support to extremely poor households in Sierra Leone. Project Implementation and Achievements NaCSA implements the Social Safety Net Project in close collaboration with the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC), Statistics Sierra Leone (SSL), National Registration Secretariat (NRS), Splash Mobile Money doing the payment of beneficiaries; and the Communities through the Community Identification Committees (CICs) and community representatives who play a pivotal role in the identification of beneficiaries. Local Councils will be involved in the monitoring of project activities. A Basic national safety net system will include: (i) tools and a functioning targeting system; (ii) beneficiary registry; (iii) management information system; (iv) payment system, and (v) grievance redress mechanism and anti-corruption measures; and A national cash transfer program for the extremely poor households, as these are also the most food insecure and likely to have the highest risks of malnutrition and poor maternal health. Achievements • Phase I beneficiaries (2,720) targeted, enrolled and first quarter cash transfer paid; by end Phase III, Dec. 2015, total beneficiaries were 12917; • MIS system developed and operational • Implementation activities ongoing with support from National Social Protection Secretariat (NSPS), National Registration Secretariat (NRS) Statistics Sierra Leone (SSL) and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). • In collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), ACC and World Bank, IEC strategy for implementation of the SSN has been developed. • Dissemination of information to stakeholders regarding progress of SSN and its roll- out activities. • Cash transfers made under the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Response Ebola Virus Disease Response NaCSA with support from its donor partners (Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and World Bank), and using the SP systems under development, implemented a range of activities, i.e. in support of the Ebola response including: 11 • Applied the targeting tools, set up the beneficiary register and registered beneficiaries - integration into SPRINT of eligible RE-SSN beneficiaries; • Authorized beneficiary payments through the Management Information System (MIS). • Coordinated Splash, the payment agency, to process and deliver payments to beneficiaries; • Received from Splash monthly financial reports through the Management Information System (MIS); • NaCSA reconciled monthly financial reports from Splash after payments; • Collected data on beneficiaries, analyzed it and disseminated information on the EVD; NaCSA’s additional support to the EVD efforts included: • Sensitization and awareness raising of HH, distribution of sanitary materials and donated of motor bikes for contact tracers, • Establishment of call centers at community level, and provision of food and psychosocial support to affected persons. SSNP Building Blocks The building blocks of ‘a basic national safety net system’ constitute the SPS mandate and would include: (i) tools and a functioning targeting system; (ii) beneficiary registry; (iii) management information system; (iv) payment system, and (v) grievance redress mechanism and anti-corruption measures. In essence, these building blocks financed under the SSNP constitute the SPS deliverables and are detailed in Chapter 5. The deliverables have the potential to be ‘free standing’ provided: a) the overlapping roles and responsibilities of key actors such as NaCSA, ACC, SSL and the SP (SPRINT), are well articulated and synchronized (Tables 1 to 3), and b) the SPS is well staffed with the technical staff that execute the key functions of finance, procurement, M&E and MIS (See SPS organogram). The design of this ‘basic system’ required the collaboration of the key SP actors that included: Ministries of Social Welfare, Labor and Social Services, NaCSA, ACC, Statistics Sierra Leone (SSL) and ‘Other’ actors. The Design Team appreciated the complexities of developing the ‘building blocks’ hence the decision to locate the proposed SPS in the already functional NaCSA for an initial period of two years. The ‘safety nets system building blocks’ freestanding component was executed independently of the cash transfer to beneficiaries even though it (a) provided the platform on which the ‘cash payment’ would be made and monitored, and (b) required collaboration among the actors. The two year allowance for NaCSA to ‘house’ the SPS was meant to provide ‘a period of learning and consolidation’, and ‘testing the systems’. 12 Roles and Functions of SP Actors and Stakeholders under the SNNP Below is the current allocation of roles and functions between the SPS, NaCSA, ACC, Statistics Sierra Leone (SSL) and ‘Other’ actors as they implement the SSNP. The roles and functions cover both the establishment of the Safety Nets System and execution of cash transfers to beneficiaries. Areas of collaboration between the stakeholders are highlighted by phase throughout the project cycle. Table 1: Targeting and Enrolment of SP Beneficiaries NSPS: National Social Protection Secretariat, NaCSA: National Commission for Social Action, ACC: Anti Corruption Commission, SSL: Statistics Sierra Leone, TSC: Technical Steering Committee, NRS: 13 Table 2: Payments to Cash Transfer Beneficiaries Key Staff: Financial Management, MIS Officer/TA, Systems/Data Clerk, IEC Officer/TA. 14 Table 3: Management of the Registry of Complaints Whereas the SPS houses, secures and maintains cash beneficiary data, NaCSA draws on the data at the operational levels, i.e. district and chiefdom levels. ACC does the same regarding complaints from beneficiaries. The other actors, i.e. SPLASH, SSL and NRS may also upload the data. SPS verifies and ensures the integrity of the data. SSNP Challenges As implementation of the SSNP has proceeded, challenges have emerged which need to be addressed. These include • Delays in the transfer of funds to the Payment Service Provider led to delay in the payment of beneficiaries. • Delay in the reconciliation files submitted by the payment provider into the MIS. • Beneficiaries in most payment points do not know how to count money, especially large notes; and in some cases they don’t even know how much they are supposed to get per quarter; and • Delay in payment in some communities has created anxiety and mistrust in the minds of some beneficiaries 15 These challenges are considered normal for this type of program as experience from countries that have implemented similar projects (Dominican Republic, Tanzania) have shown. The project design has built in orientation for sector frontline staff and training for HH, communities and committees that work with the project staff. The mitigation measures taken by NaCSA, the Secretariat and SPLASH are paying off as turn around time has been reduced and reconciliations are taking shorter time to be done. 16 4. The Functions and Performance of the National Social Protection Inter Agency Forum (NSPIAF) and its Supporting Agencies; Background The National Social Protection Inter-Agency Forum (NSPIAF) was formed to provide a platform for the coordination of the SP programs. It is chaired by the Chief of Staff and is located in the President’s Office. It is a high level policy making body with a lot of clout and leverage that derives its authority from the President’s Executive Notice No. 90, of 2011. Social Policy Document Institutional Arrangements The (NSPIAF) in the Office of the President is responsible for guiding and setting SP policy. The Social Policy document established the NSPIAF as the National Social Protection Authority and reaffirmed its responsibilities as including monitoring and evaluation and setting of standards (2011). The NSPIAF membership comprised: Chief of Staff (Chair) Minister of Finance and Economic Development as Co-Chair, State Actors/MDAs coopted as needed, and Non State Actors. A National Social Protection Coordinating Agency hosting the Social Protection Secretariat would provide the day- to-day coordination and facilitation, a responsibility given to NaCSA. Changes were made to the original arrangement during implementation of the Policy. The Minister for Social Welfare became the Co-Chair and NaCSA assumed the responsibility for housing the SP Secretariat. 17 Table 4: SP Policy Document SP (2011) Institutional Set-up Institutional Arrangements for SP Under the SSNP The institutional arrangements and design for implementing the SSNP (2014) modified and detailed the three pillars essential for SP policy authorizing environment, co- ordination and implementation as shown in Diagram 2 below. Under the Policy and Authority pillar, three levels of interaction were identified at national level, Chief of Staff’s Office in the President’s Office, and sector ministries and agencies; and local councils. The pillar has the responsibility to authorize, endorse and adopt SP related decisions from the SP coordinating agencies at the respective levels, i.e. national, sectoral and local authority. Ensuring SP policy coordination at national level is the NSPIAF comprising of the sector ministers and heads of agencies supported by the NSP Steering Committee comprising of the SP Secretariat and sector directors. The pillar coordinates SP interventions across MDAs and other agencies providing SP services. 18 Diagram 1: Institutional Arrangements for SP Policy, Coordination and Implementation under the SSNP and SP Strategy Responsibilities, Actions and Achievements Below is a summary of the responsibilities, actions and achievements of the IAF and other collaborating actors in SP. National Social Protection Inter-Agency Forum (NSPIAF): The Forum was formed and met quarterly in 2013 during the pre-Ebola period as shown by the compiled minutes. Because of the Ebola imperatives and recovery demands, the Ministers attended regularly. Ministers attended the meetings to allocate resources and approve budget and work-plan followed by the annual review (twice a year imperative). Sector Ministries provide SP policy guidance for programs within their ministries and set their respective norms and standards. The NSP Technical Steering Committee (NSPTSC) comprises of technical representatives of the Sectors and Agencies that work on SP. It coordinates technical aspects of the SP program across sectors and leads processing of interventions. A sub-committee of the NSPTSC is drafting the legislation that seeks to set-up the SPS to report to an SP Authority/Agency; it is led by the representative of the MLSS who has 19 a legal back ground and will refer tis proposal to the Government Legal Drafting Team once it is approved by the IAF and signed off by Cabinet. SP Secretariat provides day to day coordination of SP programs and overlaps with other stakeholders (see Diagram 1) in areas of: targeting and enrolment, payment, communication, MIS, M&E, finance, complaints and program reporting. At local level, the district technical committees work with the extension officers and NaCSA staff as they implement the interventions. Table 5: SP Interventions, MDAs and Other Providers NaCSA Performance NaCSa is the leader, and biggest Agency and actor, in SP. The NaCSA Institutional Assessment (2015) demonstrated that NaCSA has: a) demonstrated ability to build capacity, coordinate SP systems deployment and oversee their use; b) provided technical support to MDAs and other stakeholders to execute SP activities using the sub-project cycle; c) a good track record in terms of fiduciary compliance; d) the ability to attract donor funding for programs managed by it; and e) a strong institutional memory on operational aspects of SP. The discussion in Chapter 3 demonstrated that the SSNP strengthened NaCSA’s ability to perform the above roles and functions well with the approval of the IAF and endorsement of the other actors. 20 However, over the two-year period, other sectoral implementing agencies have complained that NaCSA dominance has led them to claim that they are being starved of funding. That claim breeds resentment and the tendency by those actors to withhold their services. In addition, negative tensions between the SPS staff and the NaCSA management have been highlighted which include suspension of the Director of the Secretariat and differential salaries to other NaCSA staff. Going forward, the call for NaCSA to relinquish some of its oversight and management role and functions over the SP Secretariat have grown louder. Operationally, NaCSA has confronted implementation challenges that may militate for an institutional and organizational course correction: • Delay in the transfer of funds to the Payment Service Provider led to delay in the payment of beneficiaries. • Delay in the reconciliation files submitted by the payment provider into the MIS. • Beneficiaries in most payment points do not know how to count money, especially large notes; and in some cases they don’t even know how much they are supposed to get per quarter. • Delay in payment in some communities has created anxiety and mistrust in the minds of some beneficiaries. Whereas that may mean that NaCSA may cease to have a role in overseeing the Secretariat’s operations, it would continue to collaborate with the Secretariat as a member of the IAF and throughout the SNNP subproject cycle. The collaboration between the two organizations is critical for the success of the SP Policy and Strategy as well as the implementation of the SSNP. The NaCSA mandate also provides for it to have a pivotal role. The roles and responsibilities of NaCSA are stipulated in its Act 2001 amended in 2008, which include under section (e) ‘to serve as a recipient and manager of funds for social protection of disadvantaged families and for liaising with the National Social Security and Insurance Trust for the use of the social safety nets’. Did the Presidential Executive Note modify that mandate by proposing an SP Authority? Did the Executive Note rather give NaCSA the ‘impetus’ and framework to implement the mandate? For NaCSA to continue to play the role stipulated in the Act and under the Executive Authority would mean that NaCSA falls under the new SP Authority. 21 5. The Functions and Performance of the Social Protection Secretariat (SPS) SPS’s Legal Mandate Funded by the Social Safety Nets Project, the Social Protection Secretariat (SPS) was established by the Inter-Agency Forum and housed at NaCSA for an initial period of two years. It is accountable to the IAF and acts as an independent SP interventions coordinating platform. SPS Role and Functions The SPS has both broad roles as well as specific technical functions. Among its broad roles are: a) systems development, and b) coordinating the planning, designing, delivery and reporting of SP Interventions. a) Systems Development includes: • Developing SP systems and tools (MIS, beneficiary registry, common targeting tools, payment mechanism, delivery assurance, compliance and Grievance Redress Mechanism/GRM) • Establishment of an integrated SP MIS; • Analyzing, storing and disseminating of SP data and information supported and in collaboration with other agencies; b) Coordinating the planning, designing, delivery and reporting of SP Interventions • Mobilize resources by supporting fund raising for social protection activities; • Build capacities of social protection partners for effective social protection delivery by: • Procuring equipment & tools for use in performing Secretariat functions; • Recruitment and training of technical staff; • Development of SP Operational Guidelines • Supervise and Monitor compliance including program implementation and adherence to standards and procedures; • Provide secretarial services to the NSPIAF by taking, circulating and following up on minutes of its meetings; • Collate and submit periodic status reports to the NSPIAF . 22 Developing and Implementing the Safety Nets Systems Component of the SSNP The SPS’s specific technical function is to develop the ‘building blocks of a national safety net system’ and in the process, implement the systems development component, which includes: targeting and verification of beneficiaries using Proxy Means Test (PMT) system; building a beneficiary registry linked to the national registry; developing and managing an Integrated MIS; setting-up a payment system, electronic and outsourced to a private service provider (SP); developing a mechanism for uploading data from the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and anti-corruption measures data base for routing to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC); and facilitating other SP programs to reach extremely poor beneficiaries using the beneficiary registry. Design of a targeting system. The activity would involve development of tools for a 3- stage common targeting system combining geographical, community identification of potentially eligible beneficiaries, and verification by proxy means testing (PMT). Building of a beneficiary registry. A beneficiary registry containing information of beneficiaries of social programs in the country will be built. The Social Protection Registry For Integrated National Targeting (SPRINT) is set-up as a transparent, objective tool that serves to identify, prioritize and select households living in poverty and vulnerable conditions, i.e. the beneficiaries. This tool aims to ensure that the resources allocated to the different social programs as implemented by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other stakeholders effectively reach the people with greatest need, preventing their diversion into geographical areas and/or socioeconomic groups not prioritized. It will be linked to the national identification system once it is developed. The registry is housed at the SPS. SPRINT would be accessible to other social programs for targeting purposes. The SPS is responsible for providing technical assistance for program implementation as well as managing SP systems and related data. The registry will be integrated with the broader SP program MIS and will facilitate the collection, processing, management, and dissemination of data on potential beneficiaries of safety nets interventions as well as actual SSN Program beneficiaries. The registry will include: 1) basic beneficiary information gathered during community identification of potentially eligible households; 2) national identification numbers generated through the production of national IDs for HH representatives and other key information collected by NRS; 3) detailed information on households’ socioeconomic condition collected during the proxy means test verification; and information on households’ final eligibility (as verified by the PMT scores) and enrolment status in the program. 23 All procedures related to the use and maintenance of the registry are described in detail in the handbook (refer to the MIS/Registry Guide), which serves as a guide for the implementing agency and partners. Development of a Management Information System (MIS): An integrated MIS, which facilitates the collection, processing, management, and dissemination of data essential for program operations and monitoring, will be built. The MIS will incorporate data from the beneficiary registry and will be managed by the SPS. Payment system. An electronic Payment will be outsourced to a payment service provider (SPLASH) who can guarantee the required payment delivery and security standards. NaCSA oversees the Payments using its Regional Teams and other local government infrastructure and in collaboration with CSOs. Grievance redresses mechanism (GRM) and anti-corruption. The GRM will be instituted for beneficiaries to raise grievances about the implementation of the SSNP. Complaints will be received through multiple channels, including through civil society monitors, local councilors, wards, NACSA, and other local government officials. In addition to the GRM, beneficiaries and other stakeholders will be able to report corruption to the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) through the same channels used for the GRM, as well as to the ACC directly using a national toll free hotline. The Anti-Corruption Commission will undertake robust corruption prevention measures by both the Secretariat and independently. Organization of the Secretariat At the design stage, the institutional set-up proposed recognized the need to place the Secretariat under the highest authority in the land, the President’s Office because of the urgency attached to SP in light of the huge poverty and development challenges facing the country (see the SP Institutional set-up Chapter). The SP Authority in the form of the NSPIAF was set-up. The NSPIAF is chaired by the Chief of Staff and comprises of Ministers from the key ministries implementing SP interventions2. This powerful multi- sectoral body had the responsibility to define the interventions to realize the SP Policy and articulate the strategy for its implementation. Implementation authority and oversight of the Secretariat was placed under NaCSA. Functionality remained shared between the NSPA and the NaCSA Commissioner. This dual accountability was inherently conflictual. 2MDAs: Chief of Staff in President’s Office; Finance and Economic Development; Labour Employment and Social Security; Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs; Education, Science and Technology; Health; Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, Local Government and Rural Development; Human Rights Commission; and Statistics Sierra Leone and NaCSA. 24 Diagram 2: SP Secretariat Organogram SP SECRETARIAT STRUCTURE The current organization structure (see above) of the SPS was meant to last the initial two years that it fell under the NaCSA Institutional set-up (see Chapter 3). Whereas the SPS Director is accountable to the IAF through the NaCSA Commissioner, The organogram reflected the following: • SPS Director directly accountable to the NaCSA Senior Director – Programs Development, Strategic Planning & Resource mobilization; • Technical oversight from the Senior Directors of Support Services and M&E; • Financial oversight of its activities is exercised by the Senior Director, Finance, who reviews the Secretariat’s work-plans and budgetary requests before authorizing processing of payments for its activities; • Reporting to the Commissioner via the Deputy Commissioner; • Accountable to the Board per the work-plan; • Ultimately accountable to the NSPIAF in the Chief of Staff’s Office regarding coordinating the SP Programs that fall under the MDAs and other stakeholders; • Acts as the Secretary to the NSPIAF taking minutes at the IAF meetings; chaired by the Chief of Staff; and • Briefs the Parliamentary Committee on SP if so requested. The SP Secretariat was to roll out the key functions highlighted in the SP policy plus additional responsibilities on the SSNP project. The secretariat is anticipated to have different units that will address different risks and vulnerabilities. It is not anticipated to address the needs of only a specific project. The current design of the Secretariat is skewed towards the SSNP. 25 Diagram 3: Social Safety Nets Project SP Institutional Set-up SP in NaCSA Ins tu onal Set-up NaCSA Current Structure 26 Diagram 4: SSNP Agreed Organization Structure Showing Location of Social Protection Secretariat (SPS). Discussion of the Organograms Diagram 3 shows the SSNP institutional set-up that depicts the three pillars policy authorizing environment, the coordination platform and the implementation arm as well as the various actors by level. The SPS is directly accountable to the Commissioner and NaCSA Board and also relates with the SP Technical Steering Committee. NaCSA proceeded to introduce a structure that places the SPS under one of its departmental senior directors, a move that dilutes the Secretariat’s role especially with regard to serving other sectors as originally intended. The Secretariat collaborates with NaCSA directors the same way it does with other sector technical directors in the NSPTSC and through information and data exchange. In Diagram 4 is shown the structure that was agreed under the SSNP and reflected in the PAD. Under that structure, the Secretariat is independent of and at par with the other NaCSA departments as it is accountable to the Commissioner and relates with the TSC. It seems that NaCSA did not adopt the organogram while other collaborating agencies proceeded as though this was the structure in operation. That difference in interpretation may have been one of the underlying causes of the poor working relations between other sectors and NaCSA. 27 NaCSA’s Performance The following key achievements are of NaCSA • Put in place systems for use by the SSNP as shown by the SP programs’ reports (See Annex); • Completed targeting and enrollment of 22917 extremely poor and vulnerable HH (Dec. 2015); • Allocated payments made by fourth quarter excerpt for issues of – absenteeism, death, migration, Lost SIM, lost documentation (enrolment certificate); • World Bank and DFID provided $14.3 million to support an additional 7,000 beneficiaries under the RE-SSN for six months starting September 2016, a sign of confidence in the performance of the Project coordinated by the Secretariat. Table 5: SSNP Performance Programme Variant Districts Total no. of households paid Social Safety Nets Phase I Bombali, Kono, 2,720 Moyamba & Western Rural Social Safety Nets Phase II Bombali, Kono, 10,827 Moyamba & Western Rural Social Safety Nets Phase III Bombali, Kono, 9,370 Moyamba & Western Rural Labour Intensive Phase II Bombali, Kono, 4704 Works Moyamba & Western Programme Rural TOTAL 27,624 28 6. Options for Housing the Social Protection Secretariat The Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) led by NSPIAF has been reviewing the Social Protection Policy and accompanying options for the housing of the SPS for the remainder of the SSNP life (2019) and beyond. The current policy needs revision and updating to take into account the lessons learned from implementing the successful Ebola response, the SSNP and other social protection programs. Among the proposed changes is the introduction of the National SP Authority in place of the IAF. A Cabinet Paper and follow-up Legislation to enable that is being drafted. Going forward, the IAF would be transformed into a National SP Authority and three options are proposed for the positioning and organizational location of the SP Secretariat: a) remain under NaCSA – existing arrangement; b) move to the Office of Head of Programs (HOP) in the President’s Office, and c) move the Secretariat and the Safety Nets Project to HOP in the Office of the President. The Options are discussed in turn below: a) Remain under NaCSA – existing arrangement; Advantages under this arrangement Retaining the existing arrangements with or without some modifications remains a viable option. The reason behind that is one of cost and time considerations. The advocates of the option content that with modest changes to current reporting lines, improvements in relations between the Commission leadership and other sectors actors, and Secretariat staff, normalcy would be restored. In addition, there is acknowledgement that the existing arrangement has delivered tangible results on the back of the following conditions: • Clear legal mandate and enabling legislation – NaCSA Act 2008; • Defined programs and projects with clear objectives and expected results; • Operational frameworks and procedures; • Clear institutions, formal organization structures and staff in place; • Funding – accumulated disbursement USD $50 million in 2014; • Track record of accountability for funds received; and • Record of results and performance in delivering safety nets –Community Driven Development (CDD) programs, cash transfers. Critique of SP Secretariat Under NaCSA While accepting that at design the NSPIAF agreed to place the SPS under NaCSA as a provisional measure for a period of two years, there was a general consensus that this arrangement was not ideal given the multi-sectoral nature of SP. As the two years drew 29 to a close, the SP stakeholders made a number of observations that militated in favor of moving the SPS to an Agency that had a bigger oversight role over most if not all the SP actors. Below are some of the observations made: • MDAs are taking on more and more responsibilities from NaCSA whose staffing levels are declining at Regional levels and below. The big challenge is that the MDAs are not reporting all the SP data from the activities they are carrying-out because of the poor relations with NaCSA. • The Secretariat is therefore constrained in terms of performing its core functions – administering an integrated SP system; • Secretariat is detached from the Agencies it is meant to work closely with, i.e. IAF, President’s Office, Sector Ministries and Steering Committee; • Multiple accountabilities, the Secretariat reports to – Commissioner and his Deputy, NaCSA Board, National Social Protection Technical Steering Committee, National SP Authority (NSPA), President’s Office and Parliamentary Committee on SP; • Secretariat subjected to many in-house clearances – Senior Directors for Programs, M&E and Support Services; and • Other SP programs outside NaCSA forced to play ‘second fiddle’ to NaCSA, e.g. MGWCA, MoFED/Integrated Project Administration Unit(IPAU), MLSS, ministry of Health and Sanitation (MHS), MLSS, Ministry of Youth; NaCSA Constraints to Housing the SPS • SP Policy mandate provided for an National SP Authority that would be in the President’s Office, chaired by Chief of Staff; • The Secretariat was accountable to the NSPIAF; • SP Policy provided for Ministerial level membership to the NSPIAF; • There was a two year cap to NaCSA housing the SPS, it lapses in 2016; • The Secretariat’s functions are cross sectoral, hence the need for it to be equally accessible to all sectors, NaCSA being a Commission does not provide that level of access; • Sector unease at being required to report to a Commission and soured relations with the Commission; • Weak Commission support to the Secretariat and perceived victimization of Secretariat staff as shown by lower salaries of SPS staff and exclusion of same staff from annual salary reviews; • Although NaCSA has Regional Staff, the numbers have been dwindling signaling a declining role as the MDAs takeover the routine functions: 124 in 2012, 78 by 2015 (NaCSA HR records); 50% of the 78 are support staff 32% are managers; b) Move the SP Secretariat to the Office of the President until the National SP Authority is established This option is consistent with the original intention in the SP Policy document that established the IAF through the Presidential Executive Order. An agency placed under the President’s Office need not necessarily be located within that office physically, appropriate premises would be identified for the Secretariat and rentals for same paid out of the SPS resources. The practice of placing an important agency under the PO is not new and need not tie that agency to the internal management of the President office. 30 There is acknowledgement that there would be important overlaps with NaCSA on payments, communication, M&E and reporting. Managing those critical collaborative areas would mean that the position of an SP Program Manager would be retained in the Commission. The roles and functions of the Manager would be to ensure the smooth implementation of SSNP functions that remain under NaCSA (see Tables 1 to 3). Advantages The following are the advantages that are likely to be realized form moving the SPS to the Chief of Staff’s Office:  Elevates the SP agenda and gives it the visibility and clout that it deserves as a multi-sectoral program that addresses poverty;  The Office of the Chief of Staff has the convening authority that would ensure that the Ministers attend the SP policy coordination meetings where decisions regarding collaboration are made and agreed;  Sector ministers and senior officials would provide direct feedback on the performance of their SP programs as they participate more freely on the Steering and Technical Committees, and inform other actors on their sector norms and standards as well as take back other sectors information;  Direct physical Office allocation to SPS, though supervised and supported by the COS would give it a deserved independence that would make it more accessible to other SP agencies and actors;  Enhanced SPS capacity through direct placement of Technical Specialists in financial management procurement, M&E, MIS and IEC;  Improved motivation and productivity of SPS staff as they move away from the ‘negative tensions’ currently being experienced under NaCSA;  All SP data integration and reporting would be easier and more comprehensive as sector agencies feel motivated to relate with a freestanding SPS;  SP Information exchange and flow among the SP actors would improve thereby strengthening SP collaboration;  Current financial arrangements under the Credit Agreement would not need major restructuring and the Secretariat will engage a financial management specialist to process its expenses and interact with the NaCSA Senior Director, Finance;  Cash flow to beneficiaries would not be disrupted (see Payment Table 2) since that has always been done by SPLASH with support form NaCSA regional staff as well as from sector extension workers. SPS does spot checks selectively as part of quality control;  Similarly M&E is a structured SPS function in support of both implementation and assessment of compliance to guidelines; NaCSA cash transfer staff continue to monitor their own performance throughout the phases of the project cycle and report on the results to the Board as well as to the SPS using the standard SP reporting forms; 31 Disadvantages  Fiduciary Concerns: the movement of the SPS may raise some financial concerns regarding timely accountability. However, it is worth noting that, Splash, a private sector entity is paying out beneficiaries, in coordination with NaCSA and sector frontline extension workers and SPS Staff. There is room for flexibility and contracting some of the sensitive aspect of payment;  Disruption of current SSNP implementation especially data collection, storage, reporting and dissemination as staff settle into new offices;  Loss of the contribution from the other NaCSA safety nets Units and staff; c) Move the Secretariat and the Safety Nets Project to the Chief of Staff’s (COS) Office The possibility of moving both the Secretariat and the Safety Nets Programs falling under NaCSA has been considered. It is important to note that although NaCSA implements other interventions, removal of the Safety Nets would remove the main reason for its existence. Advantages Moving the Secretariat and the SSNP to the Chief of Staff’s Office would have the advantage that:  SP programs fall under one roof and are easier to coordinate;  Ministers and other senior MDAs officials would attend and participate in NSPIAF/SP Authority meetings and ensure decisions are made and implemented;  The SSNP components of ‘building blocks of the safety nets system and income transfer’ would remain under one roof thereby facilitating smooth project implementation;  Chief of Staff will address some of the administrative bottlenecks and complaints tabled regarding NaCSA processing; Disadvantages There are real downsides to moving the SPS as well as the SP programs and SNNP to the Chief of Staff’s Office. That would require placing the NaCSA under that office.  Repealing the NaCSA Act 2008 and passing a new legislation that would separate safety nets programs from the other interventions that include CDD operations currently lumped together with the SN and being implemented by NaCSA maybe politically challenging just before elections. NaCSA is by and large viewed as the home of safety nets even though other agencies such as National Insurance Trust (NASSIT) implement the social safety net projects for the aged and the pension scheme; 32  If SNP also moves to that office, the modalities for processing that would be both time consuming and demanding given how intertwined the project activities to the other NaCSA activities;  The negative tensions within NaCSA would be imported and therefore continue to negatively affect the Secretariat and SP programs. 7. Findings and Recommendations The following are the findings of the SP coordination institutional assessment and review:  SP pivotal to the fight against poverty in SL;  Government acknowledged the contribution of the SP program to the Agenda for Prosperity as a potential driver for growth and economic transformation;  The institutional set-up proposed in the SP policy document was not immediately implemented, instead, there was agreement to house the Secretariat in the existing Commission, NaCSA, given its experience with community driven interventions that reached the poor, i.e. CDD programs;  SP Systems developed, tested and put in place provided platform to fight Ebola; the Secretariat was pivotal and led the screening and measurement tools to identify the beneficiaries;  Complementarity of the agencies providing SP services (See Tables 1 to 3) delivered results to the beneficiaries under the Ebola program and subsequently under the SSNP;  Given the multiplicity of actors in SP programs, housing of the SP Secretariat in a Commission, NaCSA, led to limited participation by other sectors including refusal to share SP data via the Secretariat;  Negative tensions that developed between the MDAs, other SP providers and NaCSA have led to demands that the SP Secretariat be moved to the Office of the Chief of Staff. It was felt that the multi-sectoral nature of SP interventions required that the Secretariat be placed under an Institution that had authority and clout, qualities that the COS’s office had;  The SSNP had demonstrated the complementarity of the two components – systems building and income transfer – while recognizing that the services of the Secretariat catered for more than the activities implemented by NaCSA;  Strengthening the ability of the Secretariat to provide key support to MDAs and other actors required modest restructuring (see proposed organogram Diagram 3) and hiring of a few key staff, i.e. finance, procurement, M&E, and MIS, to ensure were considered, full integration and integrity of data on SP in the social registry for ease of access by the various stakeholders; and  Although three Options for strengthening SP coordination by finding a suitable home for the SPS were considered, the Option to move the SPS to the COS’s Office as originally intended under the SP Policy seems to have carried the day; Based on the above findings, the following recommendations for action were made and a modest organizational restructuring was proposed (see Diagram 5): 33  GOSL should adopt measures to formalize adoption of Option 2 and implement it during the remaining life of the SSNP – to 2019; • NSPIAF should formally endorse MLSS’s efforts to steer the SP Bill with the proposed changes through Cabinet and Parliament. The Ministry took the lead with the tabling of the earlier SP programs under NaCSA Act of 2008; • Formalize institutional and organizational changes needed to place the Secretariat under the NSP Authority. Critical staff needed for the Authority to perform its functions including reporting to the Donors in time, etc. IAF to engage NaCSA and agree a schedule of transfer of responsibilities to SP Authority. • NSPIAF to engage NaCSA and agree a schedule of transfer of responsibilities to SP Authority; • Identify gaps in SPS capacity to carry out its full functions, i.e. collection and compilation of data and information on performance, technical staffing, financial management, and agree next actions to fill that; • IAF should actively oversee the performance of respective Actors per the Tables 1 to 3 above; • Chairman IAF convenes briefing meeting to clarify mandate and reporting issues; • NSPTSC proposes staffing needs – strengthen Systems/MIS, monitoring, payments specialist, and training on use of systems; and • Location – Chief of Staff finds office space that need not be physically within the President’s office, etc. • A timetable should be prepared for carrying out the above. Diagram 5: Social Protection Secretariat Proposed Organogram President’s SP Authority Office Head of Programs TSC Director, SPS GRM Officer Systems/MIS SPRINT Payments M&E Officer (ACC Specialist Manager Specialist secondee) Policy validation Technical validation Reporting 34 To make the secretariat more inclusive it is important to take into consideration its approved mandates both in the SP policy and Strategy as below and its project specific in the SSNP and future SP projects. (a) According to the SP Policy the establishment of the secretariat has among others, three main objectives: i. to have an agency that will bring all sp players together for efficient, and cost- effective delivery of sp services ii. to have efficient and cost effective monitoring, evaluation, reviewing and reporting systems in place iii. to enhance stakeholder participation and accountability in sp delivery, administration and management. (b) The secretariat will have the following mandates: 1. Day-to-day implementation of the National Social Protection Policy and strategic plan. 2. Provide linkages and flow of information to the various partners 3. Ensure that sector actors prioritize Social Protection programmes in the annual budget. 4. Facilitate/undertake fund raising and resource mobilization for Social Protection activities and capacity building. 5. Facilitate programmes design, implementation and coverage issues 6. Conduct overall monitoring, evaluation, review of Social Protection policies and reporting. 7. Promote knowledge management 8. Design, maintain and operate a Social Protection Information Management System (SPIMS). 9 Construct a central registry on all beneficiaries of Social Protection programmes in the country. 10. Use SPIMS to track all complementary Social Protection initiatives, thereby strengthening inter-sectoral linkages within the National programme for maximum impact. (c ) The structure below was the one discussed and approved in the 10th May 2013 meeting by the NSPIAF and other key stakeholders. It has a general mandate as explained above. However AIF agreed that since the Secretariat was to be housed at NaCSA and is also crucial for the implementation of the SSNP for the Director to account to the IAF through NaCSA commissioner as indicated in the diagram 2 above. 35 36 Annexes Annex 1: People Met: Institutional Assessment of the Social Protection Secretariat Institution Name Designation Office of the president Mr. Saidu Conton Sesay Chief of staff Ministry Of Social Mr. Moijue Kaikai Minister (Former) Welfare, Gender & Mr. Paul Fomba Director of Planning Children Affairs Mr. Francis Kabia Director of Social Services Ministry of Finance & Ms. Hawa Musa Senior Planning Officer Economic Development Mr. Adams kargbo Director- Local Government Finance Department Mr. Mohamed Sherriff Local Government Program support Officer Ministry of Labour & Hon. Dr. Mathew Minister Social Security Teambo Mr. Thomas Kamara Regional Coordinator Western Area- Social safety net Ministry of Youth Affairs Hon. Alimamy Kamara Minister (Former) Mr. Philip Maheyni Deputy Director Ministry of Health and Mr. Yayah Conteh Donor Liaison Officer Sanitation National Commission for Mr. Alie Badara Commissioner Social Action Mansaray Ms. Haja Isatu Kamara Deputy Commissioner Dr. Susan Robert Senior Director M&E Mr. Sorie Turay Manager, AHRM Mr. Saidu Lawrence Finance Manager Sesay Mr. Brima .O.Kanu M&E officer Ms. Junta Fatima Baghali District Coordinator Western Area National Social Protection Mr. Mohamed Rashid Director Secretariat Bah Mr. Abraham Kailie GRM officer Mr. Harould Koroma M&E officer Mr. Cliford Pabs Garnon Systems Analyst Ms. Anie Gbateh Admin Assistant Civil Society Organization Ms. Christain Baun Coordinator Human Rights Ms. Jestina King Deputy commissioner Commission UNICEF Ms. Maryam Abdu Chief Social Policy & Planning Officer Mr. Aristide Kliem Social Policy Officer 37 Annex 2: SCHEDULE SP PROGRAMS: SOURCES OF SP DATA • Cash transfer programs – RE-SSN for Ebola victims, SSNP: NaCSA, SPLASH, MLGRD, MSWCGA; • Subsidies for school feeding, Education, Fuel, food & farming MEST, MoFED, MTI, MAFFS, Chamber of commerce, SSL,MLGRD, Partners; • Emergencies & shocks - ONS, MWHI, MAFFS, OCOS, Partners, NaCSA; • Old age and disability pensions-MLSS, NASSIT, MoFED, Disability commission, SSL, Partners; • Unemployment & productivity programs-MLSS, MYA, NaYCOM, NaCSA, MAFFS, CSO, OCOS, MLGRD, SSL Partners • Nutrition for health, lactating mother, <6yr / chronically sick, PLHIV/TB-MoHS, MEST, MAFFS, NaCSA, women Forum, Partners; Key: SSNP: Social Safety Nets Project NaCSA: National Commission for Social Action MLGRD: Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development MSWCGA: Ministry of Social Welfare Children and Gender MEST: Ministry of Education Science and Technology MoFED: Ministry of Finance and Economic Development MTI: Ministry of Trade and Industry MAFFS: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security SSL: Sierra Leone Statistics MWHI: Ministry of Works, Housing and Infrastruture OCOS: Office of he Chief of Staff MLSS: Ministry of Labor and Social Security MYA: Ministry of Youth Affairs NaYCOM: National Youth Commission PLHIV: People: Living with HIV 38 Job Descriptions Summary Position Functions Day-to-day Quarterly reporting reporting Director,  Coordinate development of effective delivery systems (effective mapping of resource allocation, targeting, payments, Chief of Staff SP Authority SPS MIS, GRM)  Lead the Secretariat in establishing strategic coordination mechanisms across and MDAs/partners delivering SP interventions  Report to the SP Authority on the progress in SP activities nationally and assist in formulating policies, goals and implementation plans  Provide guidance for the day-to-day implementation of the National Social Protection Policy and Strategy  Support national and international dissemination of SP evidence and facilitate SP training at various levels  Ensure sector actors give adequate prioritization to SP programs in the annual budget Payment  Generate payment lists for flagship SSN programs Director, SPS NSPTSC Specialist  Design and update payment systems operational manuals  Develop payment operations and assessment tools (e.g., spot checks, reconciliation tools) and support their implementation SPRINT  IT Oriented person Director, SPS NSPTSC Manager  Design and update SPRINT guidelines and operational procedures and support implementation of systems  Develop/commission and update targeting operations and assessment tools (e.g., poverty maps, targeting instruments, spot check tools) and support their implementation  Ensure regular and accurate SPRINT individual and household data updates by programs & MDAs/partners Systems  Design and update ICT systems specifications and operational manuals Director, SPS NSPTSC Specialist  Support implementation of ICT systems and tools (e.g., smartphone and SMS-based applications)  Conduct regular testing and adjustments of SPRINT and MIS functions as needed for systems operations GRM  Liaises with the ACC, NaCSA (existing in NaCSA) – tools for GRM and coordinates with the ACC to resolve) Director, SPS NSPTSC Officer  Develop/commission and update GRM operations and assessment tools (e.g., poverty maps, electronic questionnaires, spot check tools)  Follow progress of MDAs/partners in GRM tracking and resolution and support GRM implementation  Facilitate training for MDAs/partners on use of GRM systems  Conduct random spot checks of GRM operational processes and databases to identify and rectify issues M&E  Conduct national level SP implementation progress reviews and identify issues for SP Authority attention Director, SPS NSPTSC Officer  Commission/conduct random spot checks of delivery systems processes (targeting and payments) and SPRINT/MIS databases  Generate evidence to inform systems design, resource allocation, and operational practices  Facilitate training for MDAs/partners on use of the SPRINT & MIS for tracking results and provide technical support for design of robust evaluations