By Isatu Sankoh
The Government of Sierra Leone has recorded notable progress in public sector delivery and accountability following the release of the 2025 Ministerial Performance Contract Report by the Office of the Chief Minister. The comprehensive assessment evaluates the performance of all Government Ministries and provides insight into how effectively they delivered on national priorities during the review period.
The report assesses 29 Ministries and their affiliated Departments and Agencies, examining their performance against clearly defined targets agreed upon under the Government’s performance management framework. Introduced as part of President Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s governance reforms, the performance contract system is designed to ensure that Ministries remain accountable for delivering measurable results that improve the lives of citizens.
According to the report, the overall performance of Ministries in 2025 was rated “Good,” with an average performance score of 78 percent, reflecting steady improvements in governance, financial stewardship, service delivery and public accountability across Government institutions.
The Ministerial Performance Contract system is anchored in the Government’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024–2030) and the administration’s flagship development agenda known as the “Big Five Game Changers.”
These national priorities include strengthening food security and inclusive economic growth, improving human capital development, expanding youth empowerment initiatives, advancing technology and infrastructure and enhancing public sector governance.
Under the system, each Ministry signs an annual contract with the President outlining specific targets linked to national development objectives. Ministries are subsequently evaluated on their ability to meet those commitments using measurable performance indicators.
In the 2025 assessment cycle, Ministries were evaluated across 17 key performance indicators covering areas such as policy formulation, service delivery improvements, financial management, procurement compliance, citizen engagement and institutional accountability.
The evaluation process involved self-assessment reports from Ministries supported by documentary evidence. These reports were verified by the Performance Management Team within the Office of the Chief Minister with support from independent institutions including the Audit Service Sierra Leone and the National Public Procurement Authority.
The report highlights several notable achievements across Government Ministries during the year under review.
A total of 89 Cabinet Papers were approved and 145 Ministerial agreements were signed, demonstrating active policy development and inter-governmental collaboration across Ministries.
Ministries also recorded improvements in strategic planning and operational management. Compliance rates reached 70 percent for strategic planning and 74.5 percent for annual work plans, indicating stronger institutional planning processes across the public sector.
Government Ministries collectively introduced 133 service delivery innovations, reflecting efforts to modernize public services and improve efficiency in addressing citizens’ needs. Ministries responsible for lands administration, agriculture, fisheries, public administration and health were among the leading institutions driving innovation in public service delivery.
The report also underscores the growing emphasis on citizen engagement and public accountability within Government operations.
Across all Ministries, 1,355 citizen engagement activities were conducted, including public consultations, community outreach initiatives and customer satisfaction surveys.
These engagements provided opportunities for Ministries to interact directly with communities, gather feedback on Government programmes and strengthen transparency in public administration.
The Ministry of Transport and Aviation recorded the highest number of engagement activities, followed by the Ministries of Local Government and Fisheries, Water Resources, Agriculture, Lands and Tourism.
Officials say those initiatives demonstrate a growing commitment by Government institutions to build stronger relationships with citizens and ensure that policies respond to the real needs of communities.
Financial management and revenue mobilization also showed positive results across government ministries.
According to the report, Ministries collectively generated approximately NLe 21.1 billion in domestic revenue, reflecting increased efforts to improve revenue collection and financial accountability across Government institutions.
In addition to domestic revenue, Ministries attracted an estimated US$884 million in external funding and appropriation-in-aid resources, supporting development projects in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, agriculture and public service delivery.
The Ministry of Finance recorded the largest contribution to domestic revenue generation, while several other Ministries including Mines, Lands, Communication and Internal Affairs also made significant contributions.
Meanwhile, Ministries such as Energy, Works and Public Assets, Water Resources, Fisheries and Transport secured substantial donor and project funding to support national development initiatives.
The evaluation further revealed improvements in institutional accountability mechanisms across Ministries.
The average response rate to audit queries was estimated at 76.9 percent, demonstrating stronger compliance with financial oversight requirements.
Similarly, compliance with public procurement procedures reached 72.1 percent, indicating progress in strengthening transparency and adherence to procurement regulations within Government institutions.
Ministries also held numerous integrity committee meetings aimed at promoting ethical conduct and accountability within the public sector.
Officials say those measures form part of broader Government efforts to combat corruption and strengthen public trust in state institutions.
The report categorized ministerial performance into several ratings based on performance scores.
Ten Ministries were rated “Very Good,” ten received “Good” ratings, while seven Ministries were classified as “Fairly Good.” Two Ministries recorded “Satisfactory” performance levels.
Importantly, no Ministry was rated as performing poorly during the review period, a development Government officials say reflects steady progress in strengthening performance management across the public service.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security emerged as the top-performing Ministry, achieving all of its performance targets during the year.
Other Ministries that recorded strong performance include Water Resources and Sanitation, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Transport and Aviation.
Despite the progress recorded, the report acknowledges several challenges that continue to affect ministerial performance.
Among the key concerns identified are limited financial resources, shortages of technical staff, weak data management systems and coordination challenges across Ministries.
Frequent changes in performance management focal persons in some Ministries were also cited as a factor that disrupted reporting processes and reduced institutional continuity.
In some cases, Ministries submitted late reports or incomplete documentation, affecting the accuracy and efficiency of the evaluation process.
To address those challenges, the Office of the Chief Minister has recommended several reforms aimed at strengthening the performance contract framework.
These include establishing a digital Performance Management Information System, strengthening the role of Permanent Secretaries in supervising performance processes and introducing stronger monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
The Government is also considering the development of a national performance management policy to institutionalize the system and ensure consistent accountability across all public institutions.
Officials say the results of the 2025 evaluation demonstrate that the Ministerial Performance Contract system is gradually transforming Sierra Leone’s public administration into a more accountable and results-oriented governance framework.
As the Government moves forward under the national theme of “Year of Action and Delivery,” Ministries are expected to build on those gains by improving service delivery, strengthening transparency and accelerating the implementation of development programmes across the country.
The Office of the Chief Minister has encouraged citizens, Civil Society Organisations and development partners to actively engage with the report and provide feedback on how Ministries can further improve their performance in delivering national development goals.
Government leaders believe that sustained commitment to performance management and accountability will play a critical role in achieving Sierra Leone’s long-term vision of inclusive growth, improved public services and national prosperity for all.
