By Mohamed Lamin Banya
The Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) has officially launched the Online Salone Development Scorecard, a digital platform designed to track the implementation of Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024–2030 and encourage citizen participation in governance and national development.
Speaking during the launch, IGR’s Executive Director Andrew Lavali emphasized that citizens across the world, regardless of political systems, ultimately desire development and improved living conditions.
“Whether it is democracy, autocracy, or dictatorship, citizens want development. They want better living conditions,” he stated, noting that countries such as China and the United States continue to pursue infrastructure and economic progress despite differences in governance systems.
Andrew Lavali warned that declining satisfaction with democracy in Sierra Leone could pose serious risks if citizens continue to feel excluded from economic opportunities and development processes.
“There are alarming signals for anyone paying attention to Sierra Leone. If citizens do not have a stake in the economy and in what is happening, there is a possibility for the country to slide backwards,” Lavali cautioned.
The event highlighted the importance of measuring development outcomes rather than relying on political rhetoric.
The IGR boss explained that the Salone Development Scorecard is intended to shift public discussions away from ethnic and political divisions toward policy-based conversations centered on service delivery and quality of life.
According to him, the platform builds on earlier initiatives previously known as the “Real Meter,” which had editions in 2018, 2020, and 2023.
The newly launched scorecard now focuses specifically on tracking commitments contained in the MTNDP.
The ED mentioned that the scorecard monitors 100 key development indicators across sectors including agriculture, education, health, energy, infrastructure, youth employment, governance, and public sector reform.
Explaining the methodology, Mr. Lavali stated that the assessment uses a four-phase process involving the identification of key targets, establishment of baseline data, validation with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and evidence-based verification using government reports, donor reports, and independent data sources.
The platform uses a color-coded rating system: Green indicates targets fully achieved; Blue represents significant progress; Yellow shows minimal progress; Red indicates stalled or no progress; and Gray reflects insufficient data.
Andrew Lavali disclosed that five targets have already been achieved, 26 show significant progress, 36 demonstrate minimal progress, 20 are stalled, while 13 require additional data for proper assessment.
Among the achievements highlighted were reductions in maternal mortality and the implementation of cash transfer programmes. Significant progress was also recorded in electricity access across district headquarters.
Speaking on agriculture, Director of Policy and Research, Professor Fredline M’Cormack-Hale noted that although rice production has increased significantly since 2017, food insecurity remains a major concern due to rapid population growth and high importation levels.
She stressed that the platform is not intended to attack the government but rather to provide constructive, evidence-based analysis.
“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 the government’s own targets,” Professor Fredline clarified.
The scorecard also allows citizens to directly engage with development tracking through online feedback mechanisms and access to supporting data and reports.
Representing the European Union (EU), the Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation, Stephane Meet, commended the initiative and reaffirmed the EU’s support for transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in Sierra Leone.
The EU representative described the scorecard as an important tool for strengthening trust between citizens and institutions through evidence-based public dialogue and monitoring of development commitments.
In his keynote address, renowned historian and academic, Professor Joe A.D. Alie, underscored the importance of citizen 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 Alie stated.
He emphasized that accountability should not be viewed as hostility toward government, but rather as a democratic process that strengthens institutions and improves governance.
“Citizens are not spectators in national development. They are participants,” he declared.
Professor Alie further warned that weak accountability, declining trust in institutions, corruption, and poor service delivery can gradually weaken democratic confidence and national stability.
He praised the Salone Development Scorecard for encouraging evidence-based national conversations and informed citizen participation.
