-In 2025 Targeted Areas
By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson, I.
The Government of Liberia in its quest to enhance Institutional Performance Management and Compliance System, on Monday, April 21, 2025, initiated a two-day technical training for Government Ministries and Agencies to improve performance delivery on the Government 2025 key targets.
The Institutional Performance Management and Compliance System (PMCS), launched by Liberia’s Ministry of State in October 2024, aims to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency across government institutions.
The system which also seeks to improve efficiency in public service by setting clear performance standards, tracking results, incorporating citizen feedback, and promoting ethical governance—sets specific objectives, targets, and deliverables for ministries, agencies, and commissions (MACs) through performance contracts aligned with national priorities.
To effectively implement the Institutional Performance Management and Compliance System (PMCS) across Liberia’s Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions (MACs), the two-day workshop held at the C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focused on senior officials such as Deputy Ministers for Administration, Directors of Planning, or Heads of Internal Audit Units to enhance their responsibilities in aligning departmental goals with national performance targets, overseeing internal compliance, and ensuring timely reporting.
The Director of the President’s cabinet, National Kwabo, in his remarks, employed that the Key Outcomes from Systems Strengthening is to strengthen Financial Management Systems by Improving financial reporting time frames (from 60+ days to 30 days) in 23 institutions and Reducing financial process errors by an average of 45% in institutions implementing QuickBooks
Enhanced transparency and compliance with Public Financial Management Act requirements.
Director Kwabo intimated that the Institutional Performance Management and Compliance System further seeks to enhance Human Resource Systems through Biometric systems identified and removed by ghost workers and Improved staff attendance and punctuality reported by 48 institutions Enhanced performance tracking and accountability mechanisms
Key Outcomes from Systems Strengthening and as well as strengthen Procurement Systems by Faster procurement processing times (average reduction of 14 days which align with Improved compliance with PPCC regulations in 27 institutions Centralized procurement leading to cost savings and reduced fragmentation.
The Director of the Cabinet asserted that Institutional Performance Management and Compliance Systems, also enhance Information Management Systems by a
Reduction in paper-based processes and
Improved data availability for decision-making Enhanced institutional memory and knowledge management
Sectoral Performance Analysis.
The Director General averred that there is a disconnect between performance management and budget
allocation that emerged as a significant barrier.
Intimating that activities without dedicated budget lines are less likely to be implemented.
However, the Ministry of State through the Institutional Performance Management and Compliance System revealed that to enhance performance delivery, it will be implementing several strategic actions for 2025 by
Resource constraints limited publication and systems strengthening
efforts, asserting that Competing priorities without financial backing led to
implementation gap in the previous year.
The Director added that the Government must formally link PMCS implementation with the budget
planning and execution.
Stating that strategic Actions for the 2025 Cycle Enhanced Cabinet Oversight by ensuring Quarterly Cabinet reviews of institutional performance will strengthen accountability and ensure high-level attention to implementation challenges.
“We must formally link PMCS implementation with budget planning and execution.
Strategic Actions for the 2025 Cycle
Enhanced Cabinet Oversight: Quarterly Cabinet reviews of institutional performance will strengthen accountability and ensure high-level attention to implementation challenges.
Digital PMCS Platform: With UNDP’s support, we are developing a centralized
digital platform that will integrate with the Citizens’ Feedback Mechanism, including automated dashboards and compliance tracking.
Peer Learning Network: In due course, we will formalize a knowledge transfer
program pairing high-performing institutions with those requiring additional support.”
In furtherance, the Director General added that the Ministry of Finance will establish formal linkages between PMCS performance and budget allocation decisions.
“We will implement a formal recognition system with performance-based incentives for excellence.”
The Director added that the PMCS cycle has laid a strong foundation for transforming governance in Liberia.
“Distinguished colleagues, our first PMCS cycle has laid a strong foundation for transforming governance in Liberia. While we celebrate our achievements, we must also acknowledge the work that remains.”
The Director of the Cabinet further charged focal persons to identify challenges within their respective institutions and integrate performance management into their governance systems to attain success by assuring that the Cabinet Secretariat remains committed to supporting the ministries and agencies efforts to ensure performance delivery.
“Consolidate our gains, Address identified challenges
Strengthen institutional ownership and Further, integrate performance management into our governance systems. As we begin the target-setting process for 2025, I urge each of you to personally
champion the PMCS within your institutions. Your leadership is indispensable to our collective success.
The Cabinet Secretariat remains committed to supporting your efforts as we work together to build a more accountable, transparent, and effective government for the Liberian people.”
