By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
Funded by USAID, the Building Accountability Systems through Empowered Communities (BASE), in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, launched the first ‘Local Governance and Services Tracker’ on Monday, March 4th, 2024. This initiative aims to enhance service delivery and accountability at the Local Government level.
The Local Governance and Services Tracker (LGST) is an online citizen scorecard designed to facilitate collaboration between stakeholders in government and civil society. It enables them to monitor and evaluate contributions and outputs in local service delivery, fostering transparency and accountability. The system provides a platform for citizens and authorities to work together in monitoring progress towards improved governance and service delivery.
In his speech at the presentation of the LGST, Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Ambassador Tamba Lamina, commended the innovative tool developed by the BASE Consortium. He highlighted its significance in tracking activities and services provided by the government at both central and local levels. Minister Lamina emphasized the importance of citizen participation in evaluating governmental activities, marking a significant step forward in their democracy.
He dispelled the notion that civil society’s role is solely to criticize, emphasizing their collaboration with authorities for positive improvements in community development areas such as education and agriculture. Minister Lamina stressed that the dashboard is not meant as an indictment but rather as a tool for improvement, assuring that it will be regularly updated.
The Minister officially launched the project, expressing pride in commissioning the Sierra Leone Local Governance and Services Tracker for service delivery in six districts. He pledged the government’s commitment to work throughout the three years of the BASE project.
Chairperson and Project Lead, Prof. Fredline M’Cormack Hale, explained that the project was developed by a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including IGR, CARL, 50-50 Group, and IRN, as part of the BASE project. Its purpose is to increase citizen participation in local government processes and enhance responsiveness to citizens’ needs, focusing primarily on education, agriculture, and health.
Andrew Lavali, Executive Director of the Institute for Governance Reforms (IGR), presented the Local Governance and Services Tracker. Lavali emphasized its role as the first citizen online scorecard, providing a platform for civil society and media actors to collaborate with government authorities. He outlined the tracker’s three levels: Central Government, Local Government, and CSO and Media, each with distinct roles.
Representative of USAID, Moi Sellu, expressed optimism about the project’s impact on citizen participation and governance processes. He highlighted the project’s three-year timeline and its initial positive outcomes.
During the launch, representatives from local councils provided feedback on aspects such as credibility, sustainability, and update frequency of the tracker. They appreciated the initiative and pledged to address any shortcomings to ensure alignment across districts.
