The Government of Sierra Leone is pioneering a national policy framework that will put its people and communities in the center and at the helm of the country’s planning and development. (For more on the process of our partnership with them in its development, you can check out these posts.)
You can read and download the complete Draft Framework here.
Here is a brief overview and list of highlights of the Framework and what it would do:
Wan Fambul National Framework (WFNF) for Inclusive Governance and Rural Development
Program Goal:
To facilitate inclusive, community-centered, sustainable rural development leading to resilient and cohesive communities across Sierra Leone.
WHAT and HOW: A flagship program for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Wan Fambul National Framework (WFNF) will facilitate inclusive, community-centered, rural sustainable development through the creation of transparent, accountable, collaborative, inclusive sectional, chiefdom and district infrastructures that are ultimately responsible for facilitating a National People’s Planning Process; effectively supported by government, national and international civil society organizations and donors; leading to resilient communities across Sierra Leone.
The WFNF is/does:
- Creates the space for a long-term, ‘inside-out’ planning and development process, built on a consultative process that is not one-time but ongoing and directly linked to ongoing program development.
- A framework to implement a development model that puts the people and communities at the centre of national socio-economic transformation;
- An inclusive process that facilitates communities elaborating their development needs themselves and leading in voicing them to those who want to support local development; while also creating an inclusive community infrastructure to move forward with community development without waiting for outside aid;
- An inclusive governance process that creates a space for all development stakeholders to collaborate effectively at the District level, in a way that strengthens each one’s individual purpose and function and provides a vehicle for connecting to and supporting community development more effectively;
- A process to aggregate local people’s-led development plans into District plans and ultimately a National People’s Plan;
- A national policy framework that will give the Sierra Leonean Government an inclusive vehicle for driving our own development agenda and bringing donors in to support that, rather than continuing to allow international donors to dictate development agendas, goals and processes.
- Links this village-to-chiefdom People’s Planning Process to inclusive District governance entities to ensure their proper support and to facilitate the flow of learning among Chiefdoms and between Chiefdom and District structures.
- It supports inclusive District structures having the space and capacity to identify core challenges on their own terms and to mobilize to address them in a way that draws on their local resources and expertise.
- It creates linkages to the National Development Plan.
- It builds effective, inclusive government and policy support and thereby provides a channel for national and international civil society organizations and donors to effectively support people and communities.
