By: Isatu Yollah Bangura
About a dozen Sierra Leonean ministers attending the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York have participated in an executive seminar at Columbia University focused on strengthening government delivery and leadership.
The seminar, held at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, focused on systems thinking, implementation science and the use of evidence in policy and practice. The sessions explored practical approaches to helping government leaders address complex challenges and translate policies into results.
The initiative was facilitated by the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, and the Ministry of Information and Civic Education as part of the Ministry’s ongoing partnership and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Columbia University.
The programme was organised during the UNGA period to provide the participating ministers with an opportunity to combine their international engagements with leadership development and capacity building.
“UNGA is an extraordinarily busy period, but President Bio encouraged and supported us to make space for learning and capacity building,” Minister Bah said.
“If we want to accelerate delivery, we must continuously strengthen our ability as leaders to solve complex problems, work across government and turn policy into results.”
The seminar brought the ministers together with senior faculty from Columbia’s Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health.
Sessions on systems thinking, implementation science and influencing discourse were led by Helen DePinho, Patrick Kachur and Nicole Haberland, while Professor Thoại D. Ngô, Chair of the Department, led the programme.
Minister of Energy Cyril Grant said the seminar provided an opportunity to examine how government priorities intersect across ministries.
“It gave us the time to think through and discuss the whole-of-government plan as it relates to our individual portfolios,” Grant said. “It was very apt, as you can see our issues are also public health concerns.”
Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security Umaru Napoleon Koroma highlighted the practical value of the session on systems thinking.
“The day was inspiring for me. The lecture on systems thinking for leading a complex change was great and very informative, and I intend to use these steps in dealing with complex issues in my ministry,” he said.
At the conclusion of the seminar, Professor Ngô thanked Minister Bah for facilitating the delegation’s visit and the ministers for participating during a busy UNGA week.
He also reaffirmed Columbia University’s commitment to its collaboration with Sierra Leone and to supporting the country’s health, development and leadership priorities.
The Ministry of Information and Civic Education said the seminar forms part of efforts to use international partnerships to provide Sierra Leonean leaders with access to knowledge, expertise and tools that can strengthen public-sector leadership and improve government delivery.
“Our partnerships must ultimately create value for Sierra Leone,” Minister Bah said. “Through our MOU with Columbia, we are connecting our leaders to world-class knowledge and expertise that can help us deliver better for our people.”
The seminar brought together government leadership and academic expertise, with discussions centred on strengthening the capacity of ministers to address complex policy challenges and improve implementation.