By Mohamed Konneh
Recent audit reports continue to flag weaknesses in contract execution, with millions of Leones lost not at the bidding stage, but after contracts are awarded.
As NPPA Chief Executive Officer, Fodie J. Konneh, noted, the greatest risk to value for money now lies after the contract is signed, in how contracts are managed and administered.
It is against this backdrop that the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) and the Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) on Wednesday 30th September signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen transparency and citizen oversight in public procurement.
The signing ceremony held at NPPA’s headquarters at Hill Station in Freetown, brought together officials from both institutions, civil society actors and the media.
Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer at NPPA, Fodie J Konneh said while Sierra Leone has made significant gains in making procurement competitive, the country continues to fail at implementation.
“Auditor-General’s reports year after year show the same problem. Contracts are awarded, but what is delivered on the ground is either incomplete, substandard or not delivered at all. That is where the leakage is,” he said.
The NPPA Chief said the Authority cannot be everywhere, with limited staff and presence mainly in Freetown, while over 70 percent of procurement spending happens in districts, local councils and chiefdoms.
BAN National Coordinator, Abu Bakarr Kamara, said the partnership comes at a critical time when citizens are demanding more accountability for how public money is spent.
“Procurement is where the budget becomes real – it is where money becomes a classroom, a clinic, or a road. When procurement fails, service delivery fails,” Kamara said.
Under the MoU, BAN and NPPA will collaborate on four key pillars: to promote transparency, integrity and citizen participation in procurement; to strengthen civil society oversight and government-citizen engagement; to identify procurement challenges based on evidence; and to improve access to procurement information and share knowledge.
Crucially, BAN will carry oversight into villages and chiefdoms where the Authority has limited presence, working with its network of Budget Advocates and monitors across the country.
Kamara said BAN will use community scorecards, social audits and analysis of procurement plans to track whether projects announced in the budget are actually procured and delivered.
The NPPA boss welcomed the move, saying civil society provides the “eyes and ears” the Authority needs. “We want procurement information to move from our website to the village notice board,” Konneh added.
The MoU will run for an initial three years, with both institutions expected to develop a joint work plan and publish annual reports on procurement compliance and contract performance.
Under the MOU, BAN and NPPA will:
Promote transparency, integrity and citizen participation in procurement
Strengthen civil society oversight and government–citizen engagement
Identify procurement challenges based on evidence
Improve access to procurement information and share knowledge.
