-Holds first Cabinet Retreat
To reinforce the President’s goal of leading Liberia on the path of transformative socio-economic development through improvement in Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism, otherwise known as the ARREST Agenda, the Boakai-Koung administration gears up for the 2024 Cabinet Retreat with the theme “Coordination and Performance: Delivering on the National Agenda.”
The ardent four-day retreat kickstarts today, Thursday, May 23, 2024, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town. The government emphasizes that the retreat endeavors to heighten inter-departmental communication and enhance performance among policymakers.
It has also been made known by the government that the goal or purpose of this retreat lies in the sad reality that past evaluations indicate fragmented efforts and siloed operations, highlighting the need to produce a more integrated national development plan that demands effective coordination among various government agencies and robust performance management systems.
Recognizing the need for integrated national development planning and effective coordination among government agencies,
Key objectives include reinforcing the President’s Agenda, initiating discussions on the new National Development Plan, promoting cohesion and coordination, enhancing transparency and accountability measures, and encouraging team building within the administration.
“The specific objectives of the retreat are:
To reinforce the President’s Agenda: The president will build on previous discussions about his ARREST Agenda with a wide range of officials in the administration. To begin the conversation on the formulation of the new National Development Plan: the executive will agree on the concept and roadmap on how to roll out the national development plan.
To promote Cohesion and Coordination and enhance progress in the Government: Coordination among Cabinet Members to Foster Collaboration toward realizing the government’s vision and priorities.”
The objectives continue: “To further Transparency and Accountability measures to track performance across the government. To encourage team building: The retreat will foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork among members of the new administration. Through team-building activities and information interactions, relationships can be strengthened, leading to better collaboration and decision-making.”
Moreover, the retreat seeks to provide the following outcomes: “A developed process to facilitate intra-government coordination across the administration; internal and sectoral. An endorsed “one government one communication” framework. An endorsed national development plan roadmap. An approved performance management compliance system for ministries, agencies, commissions, and state-owned enterprises (MACs. A sanctioned team-building mechanism: Begin the establishment of cabinet subcommittees on thematic issues for the next quarter.”
The Government acknowledges that despite progress in electoral democracy, peace, and the economy, challenges in service delivery, accountability, rule of law, and infrastructure persist. Because of this, the new administration is focused on driving transformative socio-economic development through its ARREST Agenda, targeting Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism.
Expected outcomes range from facilitating intra-government coordination to establishing cabinet subcommittees on thematic issues for the next quarter. The government’s 2024 Cabinet Retreat is poised to set the stage for a more coordinated and efficient approach to realizing Liberia’s vision and priorities.
