By Foday Moriba Conteh

The Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) has on Thursday 28th May, 2026 officially launched the Online Salone Development Scorecard, a digital platform aimed at tracking the implementation of Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024–2030 while promoting transparency, accountability and citizen participation in governance.

The launch held at the New Brookfields Hotel on New England Ville in Freetown brought together Government officials, development partners, Civil Society representatives, academics and citizens to discuss the importance of monitoring national development commitments and strengthening public engagement in the development process.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of IGR, Andrew Lavalie, emphasized that regardless of political systems, citizens around the world ultimately desire development and improved living standards.

According to him, citizens are more concerned about access to quality services, economic opportunities and improved living conditions than political ideologies. He noted that countries with varying governance systems continue to prioritize infrastructure development and economic growth because those are the issues that directly impact people's lives.

Andrew Lavalie warned that declining public satisfaction with democracy in Sierra Leone could have serious implications if citizens continue to feel excluded from economic opportunities and development processes.

“There are warning signs for anyone paying attention to Sierra Leone. If citizens do not have a stake in the economy and in what is happening around them, there is a possibility for the country to slide backwards,” he cautioned.

He stressed the need to focus national discussions on measurable development outcomes rather than political rhetoric, arguing that citizens should be able to assess Government performance based on tangible results.

According to IGR, the Salone Development Scorecard is designed to shift public discourse away from ethnic and political divisions and encourage policy-based discussions centered on service delivery, governance and quality of life.

The organization explained that the initiative builds on previous editions of its governance monitoring platform, formerly known as the “Real Meter,” which was implemented in 2018, 2020 and 2023. The new scorecard specifically tracks Government commitments contained in the MTNDP 2024–2030.

IGR disclosed that the platform monitors 100 key development indicators across several sectors, including agriculture, education, health, energy, infrastructure, youth employment, governance and public sector reform.

Explaining the methodology, officials said the assessment process involves identifying key Government targets, establishing baseline data, validating information with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and verifying progress through Government reports, donor reports and independent data sources.

The scorecard utilizes a color-coded rating system to assess performance. Green indicates targets that have been fully achieved, blue represents significant progress, yellow reflects minimal progress, red indicates stalled or no progress, while gray signifies insufficient data for assessment.

According to the latest assessment, five targets have been fully achieved, 26 have recorded significant progress, 36 show minimal progress, 20 are stalled and 13 require additional data before conclusions can be drawn.

Among the achievements highlighted were improvements in maternal health outcomes and the implementation of social cash transfer programmes. Significant progress was also reported in expanding electricity access to district headquarters across the country.

On agriculture, IGR noted that while rice production has increased considerably since 2017, food insecurity remains a major challenge due to rapid population growth and continued dependence on imported food products.

Officials stressed that the scorecard should not be viewed as an attack on Government but rather as an objective tool for assessing progress against Government-established targets.

“We are not saying everything has been achieved and we are not saying nothing has been achieved. What we are doing is assessing performance against Government’s own commitments,” an IGR representative explained.

The platform also provides opportunities for citizens to participate directly in monitoring development through online feedback mechanisms and access to supporting reports and evidence.

Representing the European Union, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation, Stephane Meets commended the initiative and reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in Sierra Leone.

He described the scorecard as an important mechanism for strengthening trust between citizens and public institutions through evidence-based dialogue and continuous monitoring of development commitments.

Delivering the keynote address, renowned historian and academic Joe A. D. Alie underscored the critical role of accountability in national development.

“Development is not an abstract idea. It shapes lives, influences trust in institutions and affects whether citizens feel hopeful about the future,” Professor Joe A. D. Alie stated.

He emphasized that accountability should not be perceived as hostility toward Government but rather as an essential democratic process that strengthens institutions and improves governance outcomes.

“Citizens are not spectators in national development; they are participants,” he declared.

Professor Joe A. D. Alie further warned that weak accountability mechanisms, declining public trust in institutions, corruption and poor service delivery could gradually erode democratic confidence and undermine national stability.

He commended IGR for introducing the Online Salone Development Scorecard, describing it as a valuable tool for encouraging evidence-based national conversations and empowering citizens to actively participate in tracking the country's development progress.

The launch of the platform marks a significant step toward improving public access to development information and strengthening citizen oversight of Government commitments under Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/igr-launches-online-salone-development-scorecard-to-track-government-performance/