By Millicent Senava Mannah
The Institute of Governance Reform (IGR) has advocated for the introduction of incentives to enhance the performance of the Judiciary and Parliament. This call was made during the launch of Volume 19 of IGR’s Critical Perspectives on Governance paper, titled: “Overcoming State Underperformance: How Incentives Can Accelerate Growth and Stability in Sierra Leone”, on February 19, 2025. The event took place at the Brookfields Hotel on Jommoh Kenyatta Road in Freetown.
The paper explores the role of incentives in improving political stability and increasing productivity by motivating public officials and strengthening state institutions. It draws on examples from multiple countries that have successfully implemented incentive-based systems to enhance public sector performance while introducing disincentives to discourage inefficiencies.
The launch event was attended by representatives from the Judiciary, Parliament, Civil Society Organizations and the media.
Speaking at the event, IGR’s Executive Director, Andrew Lavalie, underscored the importance of behavioral change among political elites to drive improved public investment outcomes. He pointed out that Sierra Leone currently lacks a structured mechanism to monitor judicial performance, which affects promotions, transfers and case assignments.
“There is no known system in place to track the performance of the courts to determine promotions or case assignments. This leaves judicial leaders, including judges, with broad discretion, often leading to accusations of a lack of independence from the Executive and failure to uphold citizens’ rights,” Andrew Lavalie stated.
He further explained that Parliament and the Judiciary do not possess self-financing mechanisms, which poses challenges in delivering efficient public service. The Executive Director noted that societal norms often pressure public officials into corrupt practices, weakening institutional integrity.
“Too often, courts make poor decisions and politicians succumb to corruption due to societal pressures. Citizens have accepted a political culture that prioritizes narrow personal interests over institutional and national interests. It has become common for individuals to bribe judicial officials or seek political influence in court cases, just as it is expected for politicians to provide material benefits to their constituents,” he added.
Andrew Lavalie highlighted that despite significant institutional reforms since the end of Sierra Leone’s civil war, the country still struggles with systemic inefficiencies in governance. While five post-conflict elections have been held, resulting in two peaceful transfers of power, deeply entrenched bureaucratic behaviors persist.
He noted that successive Governments have maintained an extractive political system, focusing on changing personnel rather than reforming state structures, operational systems and institutional cultures. According to the report, while elected officials are periodically held accountable through elections, law enforcement officers and judicial personnel rarely face penalties for corruption or inefficiency.
The paper recommends the following key actions:
- Restoring Financial Independence: The Government should reinstate sub-treasuries for Parliament and the Judiciary to enable financial self-sufficiency.
- Performance-Based Rewards and Penalties: A structured system of financial and non-financial incentives should be developed to reward outstanding performance and penalize underperformance.
- Cross-Party Debate on Incentives: Parliament should engage in a bipartisan discussion on the establishment of an incentive framework to improve public sector performance.
- Pilot Performance-Based Rewards System: The Government should introduce a pilot program for performance-based rewards and disincentives in Parliament and the Judiciary. This should include financial bonuses for high performers and punitive measures such as recalling underperforming MPs or de-barring judicial actors.
- Constituency Development Fund for MPs: A special fund should be established to support MPs in addressing local development needs.
Justice Alusine Sesay, representing the Chief Justice, commended IGR for its continued advocacy for reforms in the justice sector. He emphasized the need for targeted incentives to support judicial officers in meeting public expectations.
“We acknowledge the need for reforms, but we must also consider the challenges facing the Judiciary. Despite limited resources and the lack of digitalization, we have remained committed to upholding justice. Moving forward, we welcome advocacy efforts to ensure that judicial officers receive the necessary support,” Justice Alusine Sesay stated.
Hon. Sahr Musa Fofanah of the Economic Development Committee stressed the importance of deepening engagements on judicial and parliamentary reforms. He pointed out that while efforts have been made to improve the Judiciary, logistical and structural challenges remain. He further called on citizens to better understand the roles and limitations of Parliament.
“The challenges we face are enormous. While Parliament is ready for meaningful change, we cannot do it alone. Reforms must be a collective effort,” Hon. Sahr Musa Fofanah noted.
Chernor Isaac Mansaray, Director of Performance Management at the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO), acknowledged IGR’s role in promoting discussions on institutional performance. He highlighted the civil service’s efforts in performance management, including salary bonuses as staff incentives.
The event concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, allowing stakeholders to engage in discussions on the proposed incentive framework. IGR’s report has set the stage for critical conversations on how incentives can drive institutional efficiency and improve governance in Sierra Leone.
