Sierra Leone (West Africa)
Local Councils and tertiary Education Institutions trained and linked together
on Local Economic Development methodology
On October 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2012, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD)
and the Local Councils Association of Sierra Leone (LoCASL), with support from UNDP, UNCDF and
substantive contribution from JICA, GIZ, ILO and the Commonwealth Secretariat, organized the first
Peer Review and Methodological Workshop on Local Economic Development (LED) in Sierra Leone, at
Wusum Hotel in Makeni City.
The Workshop was convened to follow up on the recommendation of the LED National Conference held
on July 10th 2012 in Freetown to develop a methodological package to support Local Councils in
factoring LED in their development plans and budgets. The draft methodology package was prepared and
presented by Mr. Kadmiel Wekwete (UNCDF Special Advisor for Africa, Johannesburg Regional Office)
Representatives from central Government, Local Councils, International Development Partners and
members of LED Technical Committees including traditional
authorities, private sector, civil society and NGOs heard and
discussed presentations by selected Local Councils on the review
of their development planning processes and the integration of
LED components into those development plans.
Participants and experts from development partners shared their
knowledge and experience on:
 LED methodological package,
 The promotion of agricultural value chains within the
LED framework,
 The implementation of the Local Content Policy in the
promotion of LED,
 The concept of Decent Work for sustainable employment
opportunities in LED,
 The Public Private Partnership as a way of engaging the
private sector in LED.
Discussions at the Workshop will inform the methodological package to be prepared by the MLGRD in
collaboration with UNCDF/UNDP and other partners, articulated on the following pillars:
 Policy and planning
 Locality development
 Business development
 Gender
 Financing
After lengthy and constructive discussions, participants made the following recommendations geared
towards disseminating the LED approach both in Local Government planning, budgeting and
implementation and in the curricula of tertiary education institutions:
1. On Local Development Plans Peer Review
 MLGRD and LoCASL to organize an annual peer review workshop of Local Councils
Development Plans to incorporate LED interventions and promote experience sharing
among Local Councils;
 Private companies to be fully involved in the development planning process of Local
Councils with a view to capturing and supporting Local Councils’ development
priorities.
2. On the LED Methodology
 Achieving consensus on the meaning of LED among all stakeholders;
 Outlining the key steps for Local Councils to follow when preparing LED plans;
 Combine public planning methodology with the more specific LED requirements;
 Institutionalising LED methodology within Local Councils and central Government;
 Gender equity is an integral component of the LED methodology;
 MLGRD and LoCASL to consolidate a standard and adaptable LED methodological
framework and train Local Councils accordingly.
3. On Value Chain development
 Local Councils to promote value chain development through the formation of
cooperatives benefiting the poor and vulnerable groups (women and young people);
 MLGRD to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between different institutions (LCs;
MDAs, private sectors) for information sharing on access to markets at local, regional
national and international levels;
 GoSL, Local Councils and financial institutions to provide incentives for processing and
storage of agricultural products at local level.
4. On the Local Content Policy
 MLGRD to ensure compliance with the Local Content Policy;
 Local Councils to be involved in the dissemination of the Local Content Policy;
 LoCASL to take the lead in lobbying and advocacy on behalf of Local Councils for full
compliance with the Local Content Policy by all stakeholders;
 Local Councils to be represented in the Local Content Planning Committee
5.
On the Concept of Decent Work
 GoSL and Local Councils to ensure that the four pillars of Decent Work (Human Rights
at Work, Social Dialogue, Social Protection and Employment) are enforced;
 LoCASL and the MLGRD to support Local Councils in fostering partnerships with
private sector institutions, tertiary education institutions and CSOs/CBOs to expand
employment opportunities;
 Local Councils to facilitate dialogue processes between employees, employers and other
stakeholders as a way of minimizing potential conflicts;
 GoSL, LoCASL and LCs to invest in labour based projects as a way of creating decent
employment at local level.
6. On Public Private Partnerships
 MLGRD to liaise with the PPP Unit at State House to develop and make available to
LoCASL for training and dissemination to Local Councils a PPP implementation
methodology (step-by-step) plan with (i) sample ToRs and (ii) sample Agreements;
 MLGRD to liaise with the Strategic Policy Unit in the Office of the President to ensure
that the PPP Draft Policy is LED friendly.
23 participants from 7 universities and research centers also attend a special session dedicated to linking
up tertiary education institution and LED practitioners in order to mainstream decentralization and LED
in their curricula for better match between graduates and market labor market demands.
For more details contact Charles Nach Mback, Programme Manager, LGED-JP, 76 Wilkinson Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone,
charles.mback@undp.org
UNDP-UNCDF Joint support for Decentralization in Sierra Leone
Since 2007 UNCDF and UNDP have been implementing programmes to support the decentralization. The
KDERP (2007-2011) provided support to Kenema District and City Councils in strategic planning and
budgeting, procurement and provided seeds grants to embark on economic infrastructures, employment
and service delivery. The LGED-JP (2012-2015) aims at institutionalizing the LED with a wider coverage
and includes strategic support for policy and legislative development at national level and basic support
at chiefdom levels. LGED-JP has mobilized GIZ and JICA to joint efforts in supporting the Government
LED programme.