By Frederick V. Kanneh Jr.
FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE – August 20, 2026 – Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has called on government institutions to enhance policy coherence and coordination to ensure that national strategies bring about tangible improvements in the lives of citizens. “The problem in the country is not lack of policies but the implementation flaws caused by the fragmented action across ministries, departments and agencies that has led to the failure of policies,” he said on Thursday, speaking at the Foreign Affairs Academy’s National Symposium on Policy Coherence, Coordination and State Effectiveness.
VP Jalloh stressed the need for collective action and shared responsibility on cross-cutting issues such as food security, youth employment and health. He warned against the tendency of government units to work in silos, saying policy decisions should be grounded in evidence and the realities that communities face. As an example of the fallout from a lack of coordination, he cited health-care challenges, including unreliable electricity that disrupts hospital operations and medical equipment.
The Vice President connected the need for stronger coordination to President Dr Julius Maada Bio’s broader public sector reform agenda, noting that efforts should be geared toward developing an efficient, professional, responsive and results-orientated public service. He called on public servants to change how they measure success, shifting from counting policy documents and programme launches to measuring the real results those policies produce for people.
To this end, VP Jalloh urged for policies to be supported by clearly articulated institutional responsibilities, realistic financing plans, workable implementation roadmaps and measurable outcome indicators, including regular monitoring and review. Sierra Leone cannot afford duplication, fragmentation or wasteful overlap between agencies, he said, given its limited resources and other national priorities.
He called on public institutions to work together to make the best use of available resources and to ensure that national development goals are translated into real improvements in living conditions. “The comments of the vice president indicate a shift within government to place coordination and effectiveness at the core of the country’s development strategy, with delivery and accountability as the key measures of public sector success.
