Project Fiduciary Management Unit- PFMU

WE ARE DELIVERING: $40 Million Investment in Tourism Sector Development Project Funded by the World Bank and the Government of Sierrra Leone

As the head of the Project Fiduciary Management Unit (PFMU) at the Ministry of Finance, I led a team today on a joint site visit to two projects sites—$1.9 million investment in a viewing decks and complex at Leicester Peak and $6.6 million investment in an innovation center, trails and an amphitheater at Tacugama Santuary, and $2.4 million investment in improving access roads to both sites. The team comprised of personnel of PFMU, staff of the Project Implementation Unit (Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project), and the project consultant engineers.

The purpose of our visit was to determine status of the project— with emphasis on ascertaining value for money and compliance with contractual agreements.

Our visit was intended to confirm the percentage completion of works at Leister Peak which is reported at 88% and Tacugama is at 66%. Both sites are scheduled under contract to be completed and handed over to GoSL by December 31, 2025, with a 6-month deferred liability period. On the overall, we are impressed with the progress noted at the respective sites and remain confident that work will be completed successfully.

When completed, these two tourists sites will attract thousands of visitors monthly. Leister Peak will provide a breathtaking view of the city of Freetown. The innovation center, which will house a convention center and a restaurant will attract ecotourism engagements, workshops and other public events. It also provides a view that showcases a distinct experience in the chimpanzee sanctuary reserve.

The $40 million project also invests in the ongoing development at the Bureh Beach, as well as support grants benefiting over 100 organizations (including SMEs, Tertiary institutions, and emerging businesses development services) as part of GoSL’s economic diversification initiatives. The project has also offered capacity building support to several ministries, departments, and agencies.

By Mustapha Wai
Team Lead
Project Fiduciary Management Unit, Ministry of Finance

President Bio is Set to Deliver $7.8 Million Expansion and Rehabilitation Work at Bo and Kenema Government Secondary Schools

On Friday, August 23 and Saturday August 24, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio will be handing over sites for the construction of new facilities, including classrooms, dormitories, pavilions and rehabilitation of existing ones at the Bo and Kenema Government Secondary Schools respectively.

The multilateral project, which is designed as the Education Sector Support Project (ESSP) is a $65 million portfolio funded through support from donors including BADEA, Islamic Bank for Development, OPEC Fund for International Development, and the Saudi Fund for Development. This intervention is part of President Bio’s Human Capital Development initiative and a manifestation of his commitment to delivery.

The project will construct 7 new and renovate 24 facilities at the Bo Government Secondary School, construct 10 new and renovate 24 facilities at the Kenema Government Secondary School.

The construction work is expected to generate over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs at each location. These jobs will create employment and earnings for the locals. The purchase of construction materials—cement, iron rod, and others by contractors is estimated to inject over $4 million in the local economies of Bo and Kenema.

Beneficiary and supervising ministries for the project are the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.

The Project Fiduciary Management Unit, is tasked with the responsibility for managing the fiduciary activities of the Project.

*We Are Set to Accelerate Service Delivery at the Project Fiduciary Management Unit*

A month ago, I took over as the Team Lead at the Project Fiduciary Management Unit (PFMU) in the Ministry of Finance. What we have in place is a professional workforce, many of whom are experts in disciplines such as procurement, logistics, accounting, and finance. Many have been with the unit and its predecessor for more than a decade. The current portfolio of projects under fiduciary management at PFMU amounts to about $350 million, with over 100 consultants, suppliers, and contractors engaged across the country to deliver.

We have spent the last four weeks developing an understanding of the governance framework in place. We’ve had introductory meetings with staff of the unit, personnel at project implementation outfits, the leadership of the ministry of finance, and a few donor representatives. In these engagements, I have learned about what they do, the impact they create in project management cycle, and the challenges inherent in their work. We’ve also made inquiries into and observed performance of key business processes underlying the project management function, including those specific fiduciary activities. We’ve visited some of the capital project construction sites, where we met with consultants, contractors, and project beneficiaries.

In all these engagements, we’ve discussed what seems to be working well, identified the challenges they face, and looked out for opportunities that exist for us to improve the environment and accelerate delivery. A key commitment in the Presidential delivery agenda is a drive to utilize donor funds timely and in ways that create value, empower citizens, improve wellbeing, and safeguard the environment. We are convinced that together, on these bold commitments. To achieve this reform agenda, we will equip our workforce, improve key business processes, and leverage appropriate technologies. We will capitalize on opportunities to improve the overall institutional capacity of the PFMU. We will improve our communication and interactions with our donors and funders, as well as the oversight of our consultants and contractors.

As a foundation, we will develop a consolidated authoritative framework for project fiduciary management. The framework will serve as an overarching prescriptive guide for executing fiduciary activities. It will capture requirements in applicable laws and regulations, including the public financial management act, the public procurement act, as well as those donor/funder specific project implementation directives and requirements. The framework will provide clarity on the intent and purpose of stipulations broadly stated in applicable laws and regulations, as well as address instances where they are at variance with donor/funder directives and requirements.

We will also embark on actions intended to strengthen fiduciary oversight and monitoring of the end-to-end process of project management. We will increase monitoring activities over key processes in the project lifecycle, including procurement, contract management, financial management, and implementation. We will ensure day-to-day compliance with procurement and contract requirements, drive effectiveness in fiduciary activities related to project implementation, and proactively identify and address risks and weaknesses noted in contract management and project oversight activities. We will identify in advance and address risks that are likely to cause delays, cost overruns, and quality assurance issues in contractor delivery.

We will implement a project performance remediation tracking system. The proposed system will serve as a platform for tracking of findings, recommendations, and corrective actions taken across projects in response to financial statements audits, donor mission reviews, as well as weaknesses noted in our fiduciary oversight and monitoring activities. The tracking system will also provide a monthly snapshot of status of findings, outstanding recommendations, as well as the status of corrective actions taken by responsible parties to address the recommendations monthly.

To provide us with an objective process for identifying contractor past performance during procurement stage, we will implement a standard framework for monitoring and reporting on the contractor performance history. The proposed automated database will capture and measure how well each contractor performs using several parameters, including adherence to prescribed period of performance, staying within budget, and meeting quality specifications.

Given challenges faced by some contractors, including capacity shortcomings, limited access to equipment and logistics, and challenges accessing material supplies, we believe that a network for collaboration among contractors will be an added value. We will therefore jointly facilitate a quarterly forum which will serve as a platform for sharing lessons learned, standard solutions to challenges and risks, and best practices among contractors. The forum will also provide opportunities for networking, shared services, and knowledge sharing opportunities. We will use the platform for government and donor stakeholders to sensitize contractors and promote efficient and effective service delivery. The forum will bring together stakeholders from project implementation units, ministry of finance, the Presidential Delivery Unit, beneficiary MDAs, donor organizations, and contractors.

What we have described in this piece are not mere words, but a true set of commitments to delivery. We have embarked on a systematic process to design, implement, and institutionalize as the new norm at PFMU, and the way we interact with our stakeholders going forward.

*Author: _Writer is Mustapha Wai, a U.S-trained certified public account and management consultant, and currently the Team Lead at Project Fiduciary Management Unit, in the Ministry of Finance._*

*Certification Ceremony of the Skills Development Fund Grantees* The 14th June 2024 was a showcase of the success of the Skills Development Fund Project (SDFP) which was a project coordinated by the PFMU. According to Dr. Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education upon completion the project, the SDFP surpassed its target by more than a 100% as the initial target was 8,000 but the actual beneficiaries exceeed 20,000.
The Skills Development Fund Project (SDFP) held a symbolic certification ceremony of over 7,000 young Sierra Leoneans from various technical and vocational institutions across the country in the area of skills training through the Competency Based Education and Training Approach. The ceremony took place at the Freetown City Council Auditorium.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Ramatulai Wurie enthused that the SDFP had emerged as the catalyst for change by empowering thousands of young individuals with the tools they need to succeed in today’s job market. She said that the vision of the SDFP was to bridge the gap between education and employment; to equip young Sierra Leoneans with market relevant skills; and to foster an environment where innovation and entrepreneurship can thrive. “You are the pioneers of a new era, the catalysts for positive change, and the embodiment of hope for our future” Dr. Ramatulai Wurie told the graduates.

“This is not the end of your journey, but the beginning of your contribution to society” said, Sallieu Barrie, SDFP representative

Speakers at the ceremony emphasized that the impact of the SDFP extends far beyond the beneficiaries as by investing in skills training and entrepreneurship, a foundation is being laid for sustainable economic growth and job creation thereby driving Sierra Leone towards greater prosperity and sustainable development.

New PFMU Team Lead, Mustapha S. Wai holds 1st general meeting with the PFMU team

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