Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized THE WORLD THE WORLD BANK Edited byYongmeiZhou Leone Sierra from Recent Experience Developmentand Decentralization, Democracy, STUDY BANK COUNTRY WORLD A A WORLD BANK COUNTRY STUDY Decentralization, Democracy, and Development Recent Experience from Sierra Leone Edited by Yongmei Zhou Copyright © 2009 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America First Printing: June 2009 Printed on recycled paper 1 2 3 4 12 11 10 09 World Bank Country Studies are among the many reports originally prepared for internal use as part of the continuing analysis by the Bank of the economic and related conditions of its developing member countries and to facilitate its dialogs with the governments. 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Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................................. viii Editors and Contributors ......................................................................................................... x Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................xii Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................................................. xiii Introduction.............................................................................................................................. xv Yongmei Zhou Literature on Decentralization and Post-Conflict State-Building...............................xv Brief Background on Sierra Leone................................................................................xvii Unfolding Sierra Leone’s Decentralization in the Context of Post-Conflict State-Building .........................................................................................................xviii Has Decentralization Improved Coverage and Quality of Primary Health, Agriculture, and Primary Education Services? ..................................................xxvi Has Decentralization Energized Civic Participation in Local Governance?....... xxviii Sustainability Challenges in Sierra Leone ..................................................................xxix Conclusions: What Have We Learned from Sierra Leone’s Experience?................ xxx Notes...............................................................................................................................xxxii 1. Establishing the Legislative, Political, and Administrative Framework for Local Government and Decentralization in Sierra Leone.................................................. 1 Emmanuel Gaima How the Decentralization Policy and Local Government Act 2004 Were Developed .................................................................................................................... 1 Statutory Instrument and Timetable for Decentralization ............................................ 3 Local Government Act 2004 and the Political Framework............................................ 4 Local Government Act 2004 and Other Laws (Complementarity and Contradictions) ............................................................................................................ 6 Administrative Framework to Support Decentralization ............................................. 7 Role of Institutional Reform and Capacity Building Project: World Bank Intervention––Arguments and Process/Actors ....................................................... 9 Decentralization Program in Design .............................................................................. 11 Notes................................................................................................................................... 13 2. Fiscal Decentralization: Building the Financial Capacity of Local Governments............................................................................................................................ 15 Adams Sanpha Kargbo iii iv Contents Legislative Base................................................................................................................. 15 Revenue Mobilization ...................................................................................................... 16 Institutional Framework .................................................................................................. 18 Grants System.................................................................................................................... 18 Local Government Development Grants Program ...................................................... 20 Size of Fiscal Transfers ..................................................................................................... 22 Paying the Grants to Councils......................................................................................... 23 Financial Management Capacity of the Councils ......................................................... 24 Achievements ....................................................................................................................25 Notes................................................................................................................................... 26 3. Administrative Decentralization: Building the Non-Financial Capacity of Local Governments ................................................................................................................. 28 Alhassan Kanu Local Governance before Passage of Local Government Act 2004............................. 28 Emergence of the New Local Councils .......................................................................... 30 Planning for Capacity Building Prior to the Passage of Local Government Act 2004.............................................................................................................................. 31 Planning for Capacity Building after Passage of Local Government Act 2004......... 31 Providing and Developing Human Capacity ............................................................... 35 Role of Coaches in Capacity Building............................................................................ 42 Achievements in Infrastructure Capacity Development............................................. 42 Development of Local Council Administrative and Governance Capacity.............. 43 Critical Challenges to Capacity Building for Local Governance ................................ 53 Future Possible Changes to Capacity Development .................................................... 56 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 58 Notes................................................................................................................................... 59 4. Decentralization in Practice............................................................................................... 60 Katherine Whiteside Casey Overview: Motivating Hypotheses and the Size of the Pie......................................... 60 Devolution of Healthcare................................................................................................. 62 Devolution of Agricultural Services..............................................................................