Introduction - UNDP The Gambia

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Furthermore, to effectively address the
challenges in the public sector, the following
measures should be employed:
• A performance-based remuneration and
promotion scheme (which has proved
effective in some African countries,
particularly Ghana and Uganda) should be
introduced to enhance productivity and
motivation.
• To improve accountability, performance
agreement contracts should be offered to
selected senior officials to ensure efficient
delivery of measurable outputs, within
mutually determined periods.
• A career development programme must
be developed for all cadres to encourage
development and the reward of acquired
skills and competence.
• The training function, which is largely uncoordinated
and haphazard, should be
more effectively planned and managed to
ensure value for money. This process
should be supported by strict and
systematic enforcement of bonding
schemes.
• A comprehensive policy must be
developed to ensure the effective
utilisation of technical assistance
personnel and the transfer of skills and
competencies to national counterparts
within a specific time frame.
• Steps should be taken to ensure the
revival of civil service associations for the
enhancement of productivity, the
resolution of grievances and the
improvement of conditions of service.
• The independence of the Public Service
Commission should be safeguarded and
unilateral dismissal of public servants,
without adherence to established
procedures and processes should be
avoided. The civil service faces severe
recruitment problems and a high turnover
rate, resulting in a large number of
unfilled positions, particularly at the
middle management and professional
levels. To address the problems of skill
deficiencies and attrition, a
comprehensive civil service assessment
and reform study should be undertaken to,
among other things determine skills
shortages in the key areas, and to
implement measures to minimise
attrition.
• The Personnel Management Office should
conduct staff audits more regularly to
ensure the full utilisation the of existing
workforce.
6.2 Private Sector
The analysis on the private sector presented
several issues, constraints and challenges that
need to be addressed so that this sector can
take a lead role in achieving the MDG and
PRSP objectives to enhance human
development. Despite national and
international declarations for private sectorled
economic growth and development,
almost all funds for national capacity building
programmes are directed to the public sector
and little or none goes to, or can be accessed
by, the private sector.
The lack of direct funding for capacity
building programmes in the private sector to
stimulate growth and development is seen as
a major issue and a constraint to the
development of this important sector.
The Report finds it ironical that the private
sector in The Gambia is not fully aware of the
existing MDGs and the PRSP, and therefore
stresses the need for this sector to be aware of
Government’s human development
programmes. This lack of awareness by the
private sector also probably reflects a lack of
interest, as the sector may see the goals as
socially oriented, with very little direct and
immediate effects on its development.
Private entrepreneurs are generally interested
in ventures that bring quick financial results
rather than investing in social goods.
The analysis cites the low level of
infrastructure development, including a
decline in the growth of water and electricity
supply, high cost of energy and poor road
networks as major obstacles to private sector
growth and development; these act as
disincentives to potential investors. The
growth and development of the
manufacturing and processing sector is also
handicapped by the limited nature of the
domestic market, shortage of skilled and
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Building Capacity for the Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in The Gambia National Human Development Report 2005
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