2015年-世界发展银行全球_Sierra_Leone___Basic_Agricultural_Public_Expenditure_Diagnostic_Review_2003-2012_96页_2mb

Summary of the Sierra Leone Agricultural Public Expenditure Review (2003-2012)

Core Content

This report presents a comprehensive review of public expenditure in Sierra Leone's agriculture sector from 2003 to 2012. It evaluates the performance of the sector, the efficiency of expenditure, and the alignment of spending with national and regional agricultural development goals. The review was commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS) and executed by the World Bank with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the CAADP Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

Main Findings

1. Agriculture Sector Overview

• Agriculture has shown improvement since 2003, with average annual growth of around 6%.
• Despite this growth, labor and land productivity remain low, leading to depressed rural wages and limiting poverty reduction potential.
• The sector is seen as multi-institutional, involving several government agencies and development partners.

2. Expenditure Trends and Maputo Target

• Public expenditure in agriculture has tripled over the period but has consistently remained below the Maputo Target of 10% of the national budget.
• The current level of support is approximately 6-7%, which is insufficient to achieve the desired growth and development.
• To align with the Maputo Declaration, Sierra Leone needs to increase annual agricultural support to around USD 92.7 million.

3. Funding Sources

• The sector is heavily funded by external resources (Official Development Assistance - ODA), with donor-funded expenditure increasing sharply since 2010.
• Domestic resources have also increased, but their share remains low, hovering around 20% in recent years.
• The reliance on external funding has led to a fragmented aid system with a high number of implementing units (PIUs), creating coordination and management challenges.

4. Regional and Functional Distribution

• Expenditure is distributed in line with population distribution but not strongly correlated with poverty levels or food insecurity.
• Functional composition shows that recurrent expenditure dominates (about 80% of internal resources), with limited focus on development and R&D.
• Key under-funded sub-sectors include livestock (including veterinary services) and agricultural research and development (R&D), which require immediate attention.
• Agricultural extension received only 2.11% of the total spent in the sector, which is considered low given its critical role in technology dissemination.

Key Challenges

• Fragmentation of ODA: High number of projects and PIUs reduce efficiency and coordination.
• Weak Budget Formulation and Execution: The process is not well-aligned with policy goals, and execution rates are generally lower than the overall state budget.
• Limited Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): MAFFS lacks a functional monitoring system, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness of spending.
• Decentralization Gaps: While decentralization has been increasing, local government capacity to manage resources remains weak.
• Ineffective Use of Resources: Donor-funded projects are often not monitored by central ministries, and there is a lack of centralized reporting.

Recommendations

1. Budget Programming and Spending Level

• Establish a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to improve planning and coordination.
• Increase the share of the national budget allocated to agriculture to meet the Maputo Target.
• Reduce the number of donor-funded projects and increase the size of each project through pooled funding mechanisms.
• Integrate all agricultural development projects into the budgets of relevant ministries to ensure better oversight and alignment.

2. Budget Implementation and Procurement

• Align procurement plans with annual budgets and make tender documents available before the start of the budget year.
• Improve monitoring of investments in support services and beneficiaries, and ensure regional distribution of expenditure is tracked effectively.

3. Decentralization and Devolution

• Develop and implement a comprehensive capacity-building plan at the local council level.
• Transfer relevant staff and budgets from central to local levels to improve local governance and service delivery.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation

• Institutionalize an effective M&E system at all levels, including quantifiable and verifiable performance indicators.
• Conduct light annual AgPE reviews and in-depth reviews every 3-5 years.
• Overhaul annual reports of MAFFS and other public institutions to improve transparency and accountability.
• Enhance information feedback on actual expenditure and make it available through annual reports.

5. Functional Allocation

• Improve the functional distribution of expenditure, especially in under-funded areas like livestock and R&D.
• Strengthen public advisory services, given the lack of private extension services.
• Develop a strategy for agricultural extension that includes all stakeholders (MAFFS, local councils, NGOs, private sector).

6. Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP)

• Promote a sector-wide program that includes pooled funding arrangements to enhance coordination and effectiveness.
• Use the review to inform future donor coordination and program implementation, ensuring alignment with national goals.

Conclusion

To achieve more effective and impactful public expenditure in agriculture, Sierra Leone needs to improve budget planning, execution, and monitoring. It should also focus on strengthening local capacities, aligning donor and government spending, and ensuring that funds are directed to key under-funded areas. A more integrated and coordinated approach, supported by a robust M&E system and a shift towards a sector-wide program, is essential for long-term agricultural development and poverty reduction.