Strengthening the Role of Civil Society in Democratic Processes: Lessons from the COVID-19 Crisis in Sierra Leone

The inaugural Government and Civil Society Dialogue, held on Friday, 30th October 2020, marked a significant step towards enhancing consultation and collaboration between government and civil society organisations in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and broader governance and developmental issues. The event, hosted at the Freetown International Conference Center, Aberdeen, brought together esteemed civil society representatives, honourable ministers, and international partners to discuss the critical role of civil society in promoting social accountability, transparency, and public trust.

Key Takeaways:

The European Union has long promoted the strengthening of national civil society organisations in democratic processes and social accountability models, with a focus on transparency and trust-building dialogue between state and non-state institutions.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has front-loaded budget support, repurposed cooperation programs, and committed all available funds to support government efforts to contain the pandemic and ensure prompt economic recovery.
Civil society organisations have played a critical role in supporting government response to the pandemic, facilitating outreach to potential beneficiaries, and ensuring that COVID-19 support packages address the needs of the most vulnerable segments of society.
The creation of an extra-budgetary COVID-19 fund has raised concerns about vulnerabilities to financial malpractice and corruption, highlighting the need for enhanced transparency and social accountability.
The secondment of staff by the Auditor General in Sierra Leone to facilitate an interim audit of the special fund is a global best practice, and additional oversight mechanisms can be considered to enhance public accountability of crisis-related spending.
Civil society organisations, along with the Supreme Audit Institution and the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, can be a powerful catalyst for enhancing the accountability of COVID-19 related spending.
The IMF and the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency recommend that civil society organisations and national authorities agree on practical steps to improve the transparency and accountability of COVID-19 related spending programs and tax measures.

Statistics:

One-third of the global population is under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating uncharted territory for governments and civil society organisations.
The European Union has provided significant budgetary aid to partner countries, including Sierra Leone, to support government efforts to contain the pandemic and ensure prompt economic recovery.
The IMF has recognised the secondment of staff by the Auditor General in Sierra Leone as a global best practice in enhancing public accountability of crisis-related spending.
Dedicated portals, hot-lines, and grievance mechanisms have been established in countries such as Togo and Honduras to publish information on the execution of COVID-19 related expenditure and updates on payments made by social transfer programs.

Sources:

IMF recommendations on improving transparency and accountability of COVID-19 related spending programs and tax measures.
Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency recommendations on improving transparency and accountability of COVID-19 related spending programs and tax measures.
European Union engagement with partner countries on strengthening national civil society organisations in democratic processes and social accountability models.