Sierra Leone

Mohamed Konneh

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H
Focus Area(s)
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7
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Nealin Parker
Name
Mohamed Konneh
Interviewee's Position
Program Officer
Interviewee's Organization
National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Language
English
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

In this interview, Konneh explains the work of the NDI in expanding democracy in Sierra Leone. NDI’s work centers on elections and ranges from civic education and the strengthening of civil society to political party work to international election observation. Konneh explains trends that have been particularly problematic to expanding democracy in Sierra Leone, such as the regionalism that divides political parties, campaign culture, voter apathy and lack of civic education. He then details the ways in which NDI has confronted these issues, giving suggestions to other countries facing similar obstacles to democracy. Konneh also speaks to election-related violence endemic to Sierra Leone and the extent to which NDI has tried to prevent or predict such violence through collaboration with security forces, but also points out the organization’s limitations. He concludes by addressing the importance of adequate funding for countries to be able to ensure election success.

Profile

At the time of this interview, Mohamed Konneh was a program officer with the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) office in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Previously, he worked as a trainer at Management Systems International. In this capacity, he worked on a project called Youth Reintegration and Education for Peace in Sierra Leone, which helped war-affected youth and ex-combatants in rehabilitation. He also was involved with P.A.L.S. (Pause, Assess, Listen, Solve) through NDI—a program to prevent election-related violence in 2007.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in development and economics at the Institute of Advanced Management and Technology, an affiliate to Najala University.

Idrissa Kamara

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Focus Area(s)
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5
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Nealin Parker
Name
Idrissa Kamara
Interviewee's Position
District Electoral Officer
Interviewee's Organization
Bonthe District, Sierra Leone
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Sierra Leonean
Place (Building/Street)
National Election Commission
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Idrissa Kamara, a district electoral officer in Sierra Leone, begins by identifying his responsibilities at the National Electoral Commission.  He explains that the biggest challenges of the 2007 presidential election were to earn public acceptance of the electoral process and its results.  He stresses the importance of having an independent electoral commission that is not indebted to the government, and he identifies the complications that ensue when funding comes from the government and the international community.  Kamara promotes development of human capacity of administrators and the public, which he notes is cheaper than importing international advisers.  He also supports the inclusion of stakeholders so Sierra Leonean people can take ownership of their elections.  Kamara details important parts of the process of holding Sierra Leonean elections, including delimiting constituencies and allocating seats, hiring and training electoral staff, avoiding violence and voter fraud, registering voters, and processing complaints.  He then ventures into the topic of family voting, laments that people vote for candidates from their home region who speak the same language as they do, and discusses how to sensitize voters and shift the focus towards issues.

Profile

At the time of this interview, Idrissa Kamara worked for the National Electoral Commission in Sierra Leone as the district electoral officer in Bonthe, where he oversaw voter registration, voter education, recruitment and training of staff, and liaising with stakeholders.

Full Audio File Size
65MB
Full Audio Title
Idrissa Kamara Interview

Muniru Kawa

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Focus Area(s)
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2
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Summer Lopez
Name
Muniru Kawa
Interviewee's Position
Project Manager
Interviewee's Organization
Records Management Improvement Program
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Sierra Leone
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Muniru Kawa discusses his work as the project manager of the Records Management Improvement Program at the Public Service Reform Unit of Sierra Leone, particularly the verification of personnel records and removal of "ghost" employees from the civil service payroll.  Kawa details the efforts of the program in interviewing civil servants to ensure appropriate grade levels and qualifications and cites the U.K.'s  Department for International Development funding of these efforts.  As independent contractors, the program's team members were able to maintain credibility with the civil service and accomplish far more than an internal civil service effort.  

Profile

At the time of this interview, Muniru Kawa was the project manager of the Records Management Improvement Program at the Public Service Reform Unit of Sierra Leone.  Kawa played a key role in supporting the development of records management in Sierra Leone over a period of 20 years.  He served as head of the National Archives of Sierra Leone and as a lecturer in Records and Information Management at the University of Sierra Leone.  His survey of records management practices in Sierra Leone provided the basis for the design of an MA course in Library and Information Studies at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.  With his students, he developed a range of projects in Freetown to find means of restoring order to record-keeping systems that had collapsed since the country's independence.  He also made substantial contributions to the development and implementation of records management systems in Gambia.  

Full Audio File Size
33 MB
Full Audio Title
Muniru Kawa - Full Interview

Osman Gbla

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Focus Area(s)
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6
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Arthur Boutellis
Name
Osman Gbla
Interviewee's Position
Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Law
Interviewee's Organization
University of Sierra Leone
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Sierra Leone
Place (Building/Street)
Center for Development and Security Analysis
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
Yes
Abstract

Osman Gbla talks about the double-edged transition that Sierra Leone has undergone, both from war to peace and from authoritarianism to multiparty democracy. Post-war reconstruction created an opportunity to overhaul the entire security sector. Within the police, reformers changed management structures; created a single department for complaints, discipline and internal investigation; implemented community policing structures that set up local boards across the country; overhauled recruitment and training procedures; and upgraded equipment. The reforms, initially driven by the British and other donors, have been taken over by Sierra Leoneans. Gbla believes that as a result of these reforms, public confidence in the police has grown. However, he notes that sustaining the reform effort will be difficult without continued financial support from donors and international partners.

Case Study: Building Strategic Capacity in the Police: Sierra Leone, 1998-2008

Profile

At the time of this interview, Osman Gbla was dean of the faculty of social science and law for Fourah Bay College at the University of Sierra Leone and founder the Center for Development and Security Analysis. He earned a doctorate, a master's degree in political science and bachelor's degrees from Fourah Bay College. He also received a diploma in advanced international conflict resolution from Uppsala University in Sweden. Gbla carried out several consultancies individually and collaboratively for national, regional and world bodies including the United Nations, World Bank and the Economic Community of West African States. His research covered peace, security and development in West Africa.

Full Audio File Size
17.6MB
Full Audio Title
Dr Osman Gbla-Full Interview

Magnus Öhman

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A
Focus Area(s)
Ref Batch Number
9
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Ashley McCants
Name
Magnus Öhman
Interviewee's Position
Country Director, International Foundation for Electoral Systems
Interviewee's Organization
Sierra Leone
Language
English
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Magnus Öhman discusses Sierra Leone’s 2007 elections.  He explains the considerations necessary during election sequencing, the current legal and constitutional framework for elections in Sierra Leone, and the various successes and challenges of Sierra Leone’s recent elections.  He describes the responsibilities of the National Electoral Commission, the legal framework that governs it, and its successes and challenges.  He also explains the training of poll workers, the boundary delimitation process, voter registration, and the various safeguards against fraud during both registration and voting.  Öhman also touches on the development of political parties in Sierra Leone, problems with the involvement of donor countries and international organizations, and the role of the media in elections.    

Case Study:  Mediating Election Conflict in a Bruised Society: Code of Conduct Monitoring Committees in Post-War Sierra Leone, 2006-2012

Profile

At the time of this interview, Magnus Öhman was the country director of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems in Sierra Leone, a position he had held since 2007.  Öhman began working with IFES in 2005, after receiving a doctorate in political science from the University of Uppsala in Sweden.  He worked on political-party and campaign-finance issues from the 1990s, with a focus on disclosure processes, public funding systems and sustainable solutions.  He worked with political finance initiatives in a series of countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Georgia, Indonesia, Liberia, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sudan and Zimbabwe.  He was the lead author of the political-finance module in the BRIDGE curriculum, considered the industry standard on training in elections, democracy and governance.

Full Audio File Size
77 MB
Full Audio Title
Magnus Ohman - Full Interview

Sheka Mansaray

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I
Focus Area(s)
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12
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Arthur Boutellis
Name
Sheka Mansaray
Interviewee's Position
Former National Security Adviser
Interviewee's Organization
Sierra Leone
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Sierra Leone
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Sheka Mansaray talks about the strides that Sierra Leone's police service has made since the brutal civil war which ended in 2002.  He details the chaotic security situation when he took over as national security adviser in 1998, and he talks about the decision to recruit a foreigner to be the inspector general of the reorganized police force.  This decision was based on the importance he assigned to having a neutral person in the role, in order to help rebuild public respect, to assist in depoliticizing the service and to provide expertise and knowledge.   Mansaray also talks about redefining intelligence roles within the police and military in order to reduce duplication of effort.  He talks about the importance of extensive and effective training for police because of the agency's close engagement with the public and the increasing sophistication of criminals.  He believes training in upper-level management skills has been very successful and advocates a stronger focus on training lower-ranking police who walk beats.  Mansaray emphasizes that despite the continued challenges, the Sierra Leonean police have made progress in transforming a politicized force allied with “dysfunctional elements in society” into a more effective and accountable service.

Case Study: Building Strategic Capacity in the Police: Sierra Leone, 1998-2008

Profile

Sheka Mansaray started his career in Sierra Leone as a foreign service officer. He held the positions of first secretary in the U.K., and head of chancellery at the Sierra Leone mission to the United Nations. In 1998, he returned to Sierra Leone and became  national security adviser and special adviser to the president. In 2000, he went to Princeton University and earned a master's degree in public policy, after which he returned to Sierra Leone as the head of civil service/chief of staff. He remained in that position until his retirement in January 2008.
 

Full Audio File Size
42.5MB
Full Audio Title
Sheka Mansaray-Full Interview

William Hogan

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Focus Area(s)
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5
Critical Tasks
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Ashley McCants
Name
William Hogan
Interviewee's Position
United Nations Logistics Adviser
Interviewee's Organization
National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Australian
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

William Hogan discusses his experiences as a United Nations logistics adviser for Sierra Leone's National Electoral Commission.  He talks about the potential for institutions like the commission to become dependent on aid organizations and donors, and the problems that this presents for creating sustainable and independent institutions, as well as for ensuring that the programs reflect the interests of the country and not the interests of donors.  Hogan emphasizes the importance of long-term capacity building and the need for self-criticism among civil servants within the commission, in order for them to grow in their capacity and in their functional independence.  He mentions the difficulties with working through linguistic barriers and with limited tools and infrastructure, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding each country’s unique characteristics and context in policy decisions.     

Profile
At the time of this interview, William Hogan was a United Nations logistics adviser to the National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone.  He joined the U.N. as a volunteer in 1993 and served in a number of countries, including Afghanistan, Cambodia and Mozambique.   Subsequent to this interview, Hogan worked in Moldova, Kenya and Tanzania with the U.N., and in Uganda on the South Sudan referendum.  He then worked in the Solomon Islands with AusAID as the election operations adviser to the Electoral Commission.   In his native Australia, Hogan spent about 15 years at the Electoral Commission.

 

Full Audio File Size
41 MB
Full Audio Title
William Hogan - Full Interview

Alex Paila

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Focus Area(s)
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2
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Ashley McCants
Name
Alex Paila
Interviewee's Position
Voter Education and Public Relations Officer
Interviewee's Organization
National Electoral Commission, Sierra Leone
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Sierra Leone
Town/City
Bo District
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Alex Paila discusses various aspects of national and local election management in Sierra Leone during 2007 and 2008. These areas include the recruitment, training, evaluation and monitoring of election staff; election security; voter registration, audits and curtailment of voter fraud; information dissemination, media relations and enfranchisement of marginalized groups; and financial and logistical constraints and concerns.  He also emphasizes cooperation with community-based civilian organizations as key for information dissemination and higher voter turnouts, and he stresses relations with international organizations to improve workers’ training and monitoring, and secure funding. Paila also speaks about the issues of districting and determining electoral timetables.  Finally, he reflects upon some of the challenges faced by Sierra Leone during the elections in 2007 and 2008, as well as possible hurdles that the country may face in the future.    

Profile

At the time of the interview, Alex Paila was the voter education and public relations officer at the National Electoral Commission in Sierra Leone. Prior to that, he worked as a journalist for various newspapers, including the Ceylon Times and the Spectator. He was also employed, first as a reporter and then as deputy news editor, at the Sierra Leone Broadcast Service. Paila holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication. 

Full Audio File Size
84 MB
Full Audio Title
Alex Paila - Full Interview

Vincent Dzakpata

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I
Focus Area(s)
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4
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Arthur Boutellis
Name
Vincent Dzakpata
Interviewee's Position
United Nations Police Chief of Staff
Interviewee's Organization
United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Ghanaian
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Vincent Dzakpata recounts his experiences as the United Nations Police chief of staff in the U.N. Integrated Office in Sierra Leone.  He was brought in to help build the capacity of the Sierra Leone police service and improve professionalism in preparation for the 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections.  Dzakpata identifies some of the major obstacles that reformers in the country faced, including a lack of motivation and commitment among officers and their reluctance to take ownership of proposed reforms.  Another major issue was poverty.  Many of the members of the Sierra Leone police were under severe financial pressure, to the point that it inhibited their ability to perform their jobs.  The officers, particularly those of the unarmed general policing unit, often lacked the self-confidence required to effectively do their jobs; some claimed that northerners tended to be favored in the system.  Dzakpata maintains the importance of improving the self-regulation mechanisms within the police force, as well as the expansion of the mechanisms in place for external regulation, including the Complaints Disciplinary Internal Investigations Department, which he commends as having helped restore public trust in the Sierra Leone police.  He suggests that reforms likely would have achieved greater success and permanance if the U.N. had the authority to take disciplinary action against state officers who resisted change.

Case Study:  Building Strategic Capacity in the Police: Sierra Leone, 1998-2008

Profile

At the time of this interview, Vincent Dzakpata was the United Nations Police chief of staff in the U.N. Integrated Office in Sierra Leone.  After leaving teacher training college, he joined the police force in his native Ghana for a number of years, working in many departments including criminal investigations and operations, and eventually served as both a divisional and regional police commander.  Dzakpata’s first experience with international policing came with his 1997 deployment to Bosnia, where he served as a district human rights officer and later as a district elections officer.  He was deployed to Sierra Leone in 2006, initially as the U.N. police adviser on professional standards and eventually as the chief of staff of the U.N. police. 

Full Audio File Size
55 MB
Full Audio Title
Vincent Dzakpata Interview

Isabel Otero

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A
Focus Area(s)
Ref Batch Number
7
Critical Tasks
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Ashley McCants
Name
Isabel Otero
Interviewee's Position
Procedures and Training Adviser to the National Electoral Commission
Interviewee's Organization
UNDP Electoral Assistance Team in Sierra Leone
Language
English
Town/City
Freetown
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract
Isabel Otero discusses the efforts by the United Nations Development Programme Electoral Assistance Team to build electoral management capacity in Sierra Leone. She discusses the 2007 parliamentary and presidential elections and the 2008 local government election. She begins by discussing the development of procedures and worker training by the UNDP. Otero speaks about various strategies used to curtail voter fraud and fraud by officials in the elections through the monitoring of registration lists, ballot papers, identification methods and other means. She also discusses the relationship between the UNDP and the National Electoral Commission. Finally, she reflects upon challenges that the electoral commission may face in the future, and offers advice for building capacity in electoral management in other states with little experience regarding elections. 
Profile

At the time of this interview, Isabel Otero was employed at the United Nations Development Programme Electoral Assistance Team in Sierra Leone. At the UNDP, she served as procedures and training adviser for the National Electoral Commission in Sierra Leone, a position that she held since 2006. Prior to working in Sierra Leone, she served in Liberia as a training and capacity building adviser. She also previously served as a training officer in Afghanistan, and during both the national constituency assembly election and the presidential election in Timor-Leste. Prior to working on electoral issues at the U.N., Otero worked on gender-equity issues in Colombia with various non-governmental organizations. She holds a master’s degree in philosophy. 

Full Audio File Size
72 MB
Full Audio Title
Isabel Otero - Full Interview