Management and functional review ministry of transport and aviation


Material Resources and Accommodation



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Material Resources and Accommodation


As stated above, the Authority had formerly operated as a Department in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation. The source of funding for the then Department of Aviation was integrated into the Ministry’s annual budget allocation. With the creation of the SLCAA, much provision was not made for the procurement of equipment/tools such as computers and accessories, and other basic aviation equipment. This in itself has made the operations of the Authority very difficult and has the potential of undermining laid down international aviation standards and practices.
Also, the SLCAA has no permanent and adequate office accommodation. The office space provided for the Authority at the then National Development Bank Building at Siaka Stevens Street is not ideal for the effective operations of the Authority. We recommend that Government provides adequate funding to enable the Authority purchase vital equipment for its operations and ensure that in the near future the Authority secure a permanent accommodation.

METEREOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT




Statutory Framework


The Meteorological Services Department in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation is an offshoot of the British West African Meteorological Service established in Sierra Leone in May 1927. The department became full-fledged when the country attained its independence in 1961.

Functions and Mandate


The Department over the years has mainly performed three functions, until quite recently when the department had to respond to the issue of alleviating poverty through socio-economic development especially in the area of Agriculture and Marine development. The under-mentioned functions are being performed by the department;-

  • Ensure the safety and general welfare of citizens through the timely provision of weather and climatological forecasting

  • Collect and retain custodianship of important historical meteorological and climatological data and records for present and future generations, and understanding the global climate, and related climate change issues

  • Adhere to international obligations and procedures especially those connected with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), etc.

The functions and mandate of the department have not been fully accomplished due to lack of requisite equipment and personnel to undertake such activities especially in the area of ensuring the safety and general welfare of citizens through timely provision of weather and climatological forecasts.

Structures


The Meteorological Department is under the Ministry of Transport and Aviation. Various studies conducted on the department such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) assessment of the department’s position after the war, have revealed that there is an urgent need to transform the department into a self-financing institution. A proposed bill for the operations of the Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMA) has been submitted to the Ministry of Transport and Aviation for consideration and onward ratification by Parliament. This proposed legislation makes provision for an independent institution with a Board of Directors to oversee the operations and activities of the Agency.
The transformation of the department will accord the new institution the capacity to expand its current services and improve on the quality of service.
The current organizational structure of the department makes provision for a Director and a Deputy-Director. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry supervises the activities and operations of the department. We recommend that the process of transforming the department into an Agency should be fast-tracked to ensure efficiency and productivity in meteorological services across the country.

Staffing


The Meteorological Department has severely suffered from staff incapacitation especially in terms of technical/professional staff and number. The Review team noted that amongst the 55 staff of the department, few perform technical functions whilst the Director and Deputy Director largely concentrate on administrative duties. Both Directors proffer technical advice as the need arises.
The department over the years has not benefited from trained and qualified personnel. The Review team was informed that the requirement for recruitment into certain technical positions is five GCE O’ Levels including Maths and Physics or its equivalent. As such, qualified GCE O’ Level students preferred pursuing further education to working for a department with uncompetitive Conditions of Service. Such staff deficiency does not augur well for the total provision of timely weather and climatological forecasts. We recommend the immediate recruitment of technical and professional staff in the Department.

Training


The provision of training opportunities is essential for the development of human and institutional capacity of an organization. For the past decades, the department has not benefited from organized training programmes. The human resource capacity is severely depleted. The ‘middle level’ cadre is virtually non-existent as majority of the staff are Meteorological Assistants without requisite background, qualification or training. We recommend that the Ministry should develop a human resources development plan for the Meteorological Department, which will identify and plan for the recruitment and training requirements of the department.

Scheme of Service


The Meteorological Services as a department under the Ministry of Transport has a Scheme of Service. However, this Scheme of Service is yet to be reviewed. In order to enhance role clarity and efficiency, it is recommended that the Schemes of Service of the Department are reviewed in line with the proposed structure. Technical backstopping for this exercise will have to be provided by the HRMO.


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