National Accountability Group: Sierra Leone

The National Accountability Group (NAG) is the only civil society membership organisation that is dedicated to achieving greater accountability, transparency and integrity, curbing corruption, and holding local and national government accountable to the people of Sierra Leone. NAG is partnered with Transparency International and the Anti Corruption Commission in Sierra Leone.

The organisation, since its formation, has been establishing a working relationship with other civil society organizations, religious and professional organisation, and media in pursuant of its goal.

The Vision is to have a country in which local and national government are accountable to the people, budget allocation, resources management and public expenditure are open and transparent, and business and the daily lives of the people are free from corruption and poverty.

Our Mission is to empower the people of Sierra Leone through information, public education, research analysis and organisation to actively participate and influence government policies, monitor the allocation of local and national budget, proper management of the country’s resources and the disbursement of local and national government revenue in an accountable and transparency manner.

As an organisation dedicated to achieving greater accountability, our work will be mainly to equipped Sierra Leonean especially women, children, religious leaders and teachers with the knowledge and skills that will enable them participate effectively in influencing the decision making process at all levels and to monitor and evaluate programs geared towards poverty reduction, meeting Sierra Leoneans development goal and its commitment to the Millennium Development Goal targets.

The Organisation is reviewing its membership, Governance Structure including its constitution. It presently has a temporal advisory board of 6 people who are the main policy making body that supervises the operation of the organisation. The Advisory Board is headed by a Chairman.

There is the membership, which is made of professional people representing various specializations and sometimes provided technical support to the organisation.

NAG has a Secretariat headed by an Executive Director with staff who implement the programs of the organisation. The Staff are all employed on a yearly contract as a result of the low revenue base of the organisation.

To create public awareness on the damaging effects and the extent of corruption in Sierra Leone, and to equip various stakeholders with the knowledge and skills needed to influence policy issues especially in relation to corruption and poverty reduction.
To advocate for the elimination of the factors that lead to corruption, impropriety and injustice by establishing community level networks to monitor government expenditure and the delivery of poverty reduction programmes.
To carry out evidence-based research on the level of corruption in public, private, and civil society institutions. This research will form the basis for lobbying for accountability, transparency, the control of corruption and the reduction of poverty.
To ensure that local and national government institutions, the private sector and civil society groups are accountable to the people of Sierra Leone.
To assist existing national established structures of horizontal mechanisms of accountability in the elimination of corruption, impropriety and injustice.
To foster links with national, sub regional and intergovernmental governmental whose aims and objectives are consistent with those of the National Accountability Group (NAG) and the Transparency International Movement

Case studies and evidence based research analyses to outline the extent, effects and trends of corruption in Sierra Leone. The press, policy makers, politicians, businesses, NGOs and donors will use the reports produced to identify problem areas and priorities for reform and focus debate on ensuring concrete actions are taken.

NAG will put in place the mechanisms to monitor the Poverty Reduction Strategies process agreed between donors and government, ensure proper government service delivery and public resources are used to meet Sierra Leone’s development goals and the Millennium Development Goal targets. In particular, NAG will encourage and support the development of accountable and transparent elected local councils and monitor the implementation of the Local Government Act (2004).

This will involve the sensitization and training of key groups (religious leaders, teachers, media practitioners, the Auditor General, Parliamentary Committees, and the Private Sector) about the importance of transparency, accountability and participation, and the diagnostic skills required to identify corruption. In particular, NAG will work with and assist existing national structures that promote accountability, especially the Anti Corruption Commission, the Media, Parliamentary Oversight Committees and the Auditor General’s office in the elimination of corruption.

NAG will work to create public awareness about the damaging effects and extent of corruption in Sierra Leone. Moreover, it will advocate for the elimination of the factors that lead to corruption. By organizing educational programmers for Religious Leaders, children, teachers and the media, NAG will empower those actors who can ensure a sustainable solution to the problem of corruption.

Accountability is important to democratic societies in providing opportunities for those who govern and manage our affairs to account for, explain, and justify their use of their offices of power and influence. It thus allows citizens to compare what government and other power holders – civil society, private sector, and public sector say they are doing with what they are actually doing. It therefore helps to sustain democracy by generating informed consent.