Freetown, Sierra Leone – A high-level inter-ministerial delegation, led by the Director-General of the Cabinet of Liberia, Mr. Nathaniel T. Kwabo, is on a one-week study tour in Sierra Leone to gain insights into the country’s Performance Management System (PMS). The visit aims to enhance Liberia’s recently launched Performance Management and Compliance System (PMCS).

Running from February 24 to March 1, 2025, the tour includes key government officials from the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Finance, the Civil Service Agency, and the Governance Commission—institutions central to implementing Liberia’s PMCS.

According to a release, the study tour follows the launch of Liberia’s PMCS by President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, as part of efforts to strengthen accountability, transparency, and service delivery across government institutions. Managed by the Office of the Director-General of the Cabinet, the PMCS promotes a performance-driven culture in the public sector, ensuring that ministries, agencies, and commissions align their work with national development priorities. Currently, about 90 institutions have signed performance contracts for the 2024 cycle and are actively implementing their assigned targets.

High-Level Engagements and Key Takeaways

The visit provides an opportunity for knowledge exchange, partnership building, and the identification of best practices to enhance Liberia’s system.

The first day of the study tour began with a high-level meeting between the Liberian delegation and the Office of the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, followed by strategic discussions with the Sierra Leone Cabinet Secretariat. Throughout the day, the delegation engaged with senior government officials, directors, and technical experts to gain firsthand insights into Sierra Leone’s approach to performance management.

During the official opening ceremony, Hon. Kwabo expressed gratitude to the Government of Sierra Leone for its warm reception and reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to learning from Sierra Leone’s experience. In response, Sierra Leonean officials welcomed the delegation and assured them of full cooperation for a productive exchange.

Presentations and discussions on the first day focused on the structure and implementation of Sierra Leone’s PMCS. Officials from the Chief Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Secretariat provided an overview of the system’s planning, monitoring, and evaluation aspects, emphasizing the importance of strong political will in driving compliance and institutional accountability.

A key highlight of the discussions was the role of the President’s Delivery Unit in ensuring ministries and agencies meet their performance targets. The integration of the PMCS into Sierra Leone’s national budget planning was also examined, with the Ministry of Finance playing a key role in linking performance objectives to budget allocations.

One of the critical takeaways from the first day was the necessity of firm presidential leadership, well-defined institutional mandates, and robust enforcement mechanisms in ensuring compliance and accountability. Additionally, structured alignment between institutional performance management and employee performance management was identified as a key factor in holding both government institutions and individual employees accountable for their contributions to national development.

Looking Ahead: Expanding Liberia’s Performance System

Over the next few days, the delegation will engage in a series of meetings and presentations covering performance management tools, tracking systems, compliance enforcement, and institutional accountability. Sessions will explore how Sierra Leone’s PMCS aligns with national development strategies, how performance monitoring data is collected and analyzed, and how performance contracts are designed and enforced.

The delegation will also visit various government institutions to observe the system in practice and engage with public officials on implementation challenges and solutions. A field visit to a municipality will provide further insights into how the PMCS operates at the decentralized level, ensuring that local service delivery aligns with national performance targets.

The study tour will conclude with a reflection session, where the Liberian delegation will consolidate key lessons learned and explore opportunities for continued collaboration between the two countries.

As Liberia advances its PMCS, this engagement with Sierra Leone represents a significant step toward institutionalizing a culture of performance-driven governance. The Office of the Director-General of the Cabinet remains committed to ensuring that Liberia’s public sector operates with transparency, efficiency, and accountability, ultimately delivering meaningful outcomes for all Liberians.