A high-level Liberian delegation, led by Nathaniel T. Kwabo, Director-General of the Cabinet, is in Sierra Leone for a weeklong study tour to examine the country’s Performance Management System (PMS). The visit, running from February 24 to March 1, 2025, aims to gather insights into best practices that could strengthen Liberia’s recently launched Performance Management and Compliance System (PMCS) and enhance government efficiency.
The delegation includes key officials from Liberia’s Cabinet Office, Ministry of Finance, Civil Service Agency, and Governance Commission—institutions responsible for overseeing the implementation of the PMCS. The system, introduced by President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, is designed to create a performance-driven culture in Liberia’s public sector. It ensures that ministries, agencies, and commissions align their work with national development priorities while maintaining transparency and accountability. As part of the initiative, 90 government institutions have signed performance contracts for the 2024 cycle, committing to measurable targets.
The study tour began with a high-level meeting between the Liberian delegation and Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister’s Office, followed by strategic discussions with the leadership of the Cabinet Secretariat. Throughout the first day, the delegation engaged with senior government leaders, technical experts, and directors to gain firsthand insights into how Sierra Leone’s PMS has been implemented and maintained.
During the opening session, Hon. Kwabo expressed appreciation for Sierra Leone’s hospitality and emphasized Liberia’s commitment to learning from its neighbor. In response, Sierra Leonean officials pledged full cooperation to facilitate knowledge sharing. Presentations and discussions covered key aspects of Sierra Leone’s PMS, including its structure, monitoring mechanisms, and integration into national budget planning.
A major highlight of the discussions was the role of the President’s Delivery Unit, which works closely with the Chief Minister’s Office to track ministries’ and agencies’ performance against set targets. Sierra Leonean officials emphasized that strong political will and institutional commitment are crucial to ensuring compliance and accountability. They also pointed to the importance of linking performance objectives directly to budget allocations, ensuring that financial resources are aligned with development goals.
Throughout the week, the Liberian delegation will participate in further discussions on performance tracking tools, compliance enforcement, and institutional accountability. They will examine how Sierra Leone’s PMS integrates with national development strategies, how performance data is collected and analyzed, and how performance contracts are designed and enforced.
A key component of the study tour is a series of field visits to government institutions, where the delegation will observe the PMS in action. These visits will provide an opportunity to interact with public officials who implement the system daily and understand the challenges and successes of the approach. A special visit to a municipality will offer insights into how the PMS functions at the decentralized level, ensuring that local service delivery aligns with national performance targets.
One of the primary lessons from the first day of discussions was the necessity of aligning institutional performance management with employee performance management. This structured approach ensures that both government institutions and individual employees are held accountable for their contributions to national development. Additionally, Sierra Leonean officials highlighted the importance of citizen engagement in making the PMS successful, emphasizing that public participation is key to keeping institutions responsive to the country’s needs.
As the study tour progresses, Liberia aims to refine its own PMCS by adopting key elements of Sierra Leone’s model. The visit will conclude with a reflection session, where the delegation will consolidate key takeaways and explore further collaboration between the two countries.
The Office of the Director-General of the Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that Liberia’s public sector operates with transparency, efficiency, and accountability. By drawing from Sierra Leone’s experience, Liberia hopes to institutionalize a culture of performance-driven governance that delivers meaningful outcomes for its citizens.
Joseph Daniels reports for OK FM Liberia as Executive Mansion Correspondent. With a vested interest in making the voices of people from different walks of life heard, he has covered investigative stories relating to education, health, the environment, corruption, and violence against women and girls, among others. He graduated from the United Methodist University with a Bachelor of Art Degree in Mass Communications in 2020. Joseph is also a fellow at New Narratives, a non-profit organization helping media deliver independent, truthful information to its people so they can make informed decisions.
