WASHINGTON, February 10, 2014 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved US$2 million for the Public Sector Modernization Project (PSMP) to support the ongoing strengthening of the government’s institutional capacity for public sector management.
This US$2 million International Development Association (IDA) credit facility is designed to create transparent, accountable and responsive public institutions that contribute to economic and social development. The project activities will strengthen the performance standards and payroll systems within ministries and agencies of the Liberian Government.
The results based project is co-financed by grant funding of US$5.5m from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and US$4 million from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
“Liberia has made significant progress in rebuilding its public institutions,” said Inguna Dobraja, World Bank Country Manager for Liberia. “This joint financing demonstrates development partners’ commitment to support the government’s efforts in building efficient and capable public institutions that are transparent and accountable to all Liberians.”
This project supports pillar four of Liberia’s Agenda for Transformation, which seeks to raise the bar for performance standards and to build a robust system for managing performance and improving integrity in the public service. In support of this goal, today’s project also will address human resource related issues for civil servants, such as remuneration, performance and professional development.
“The pay, payroll and performance management reforms supported by this project will help to create a predictable remuneration structure, improve quality of payroll management, and improve performance management across the civil service,” said Raymond Muhula, World Bank Task Team Leader for this project. “Today’s project will lead to improved management of the public sector in Liberia,” he emphasized.
According to the project, efforts aimed at improving transparency and predictability of salaries will be supported, including current reforms already underway as part the government’s Civil Service Reform Strategy. To speed the implementation of this strategy, the project will also provide technical assistance to ministries and agencies geared towards capacity building to oversee the government’s reform agenda.
The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing loans (called “credits”) and grants for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 82 poorest countries, 40 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change for 2.5 billion people living on less than $2 a day. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 108 countries. Annual commitments have increased steadily and averaged about $15 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent of commitments going to Africa.
