By Ibrahim Kabba Turay
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development in Sierra Leone have signed three portfolios on Monday, to validate the annual UNDP work plan for 2024 implementation.
The signing ceremony, held at the Foreign Service Academy, was accompanied by a joint board engagement involving key stakeholders, to review the 2023 development implementations and explore the three development portfolios for 2024.
UNDP officials highlighted the purpose of the joint board meeting, emphasising its aim to critically examine the successes and challenges of the past year and pave the way for effective implementation in the coming year.
Fredrick Ampiah, the UNDP Resident Representative in Sierra Leone, stressed the significance of government representatives’ presence in the joint engagement, indicating commitment to the implementation of the 2024 work plan.
Ampiah stated that the meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of the organization’s development efforts and plan for the next five years.
Tazila Watta Sankoh, team lead of the SLED Cluster, presented a review of the 2023 expenditure and total budget for the annual work plan.
The UNDP team presented the three strategic work plans for 2024, with a focus on local economic development and support for natural resources management.
The allocated budget for that aspect was $11,214,195.60.
Another component of the UNDP’s 2024 work plan involves the Strategic Advisory Unit, accelerator lab, communication, monitoring and evaluation, with an estimated budget expenditure of $1,320,173.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Kenyeh Barley, expressed the ministry’s commitment to UNDP’s development drive and emphasised the significance of a comprehensive approach to the planning process, especially giving the government’s focus on key development priorities for Sierra Leone.
