By Francis Kamara
The National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) on Thursday 12th May, 2022, took a giant step to enhance and promote digital transformation in the country by launching the first phase of the digital annual assessment report, abolishing the manual form of collecting and disseminating data to the public. The launch and opening of the training center was done at the NPPA E-government procurement office, Tower Hill, Freetown.
The National Public Procurement Authority is one of the preventive arms of corruption which is why all strides are being made to ensure credibility and transparency. With over 100 staff being trained currently on how to use the electronic form of data collection, and with the purchasing of over 50 IPADS, the new developed software will be used by staff to collect electronic data and give credible information to the people of Sierra Leone.
The challenges that surrounds the manual form of data collection is very hectic as it has proven over the years that collecting manual data is very difficult – most times collating the data has proven to be challenging with great tendency of making mistakes, but with the electronic data collection all the information or data collected can be easily centralized and corrected.
The new software gives the supervisor the ultimate power to know where the staff is, and will also determine if the collected data is correct. It gives a clear insight on the MDAs that are spending the highest money in the country, how public funds are spent and how we can manage our resources.
Launching the digital training center and the new software, the Chief Executive for the National Public Procurement Authority – Ibrahim Brima Swarray, asserted that we live in an electronic world and that the NPPA wouldn’t be left behind. He highlighted that since he took office in 2018, they have ensured as an institution to have an assessment and data analysis that can be used as a powerful tool for the country.
He furthered that electronic procurement is very essential, and that there is no way Sierra Leone can develop as a nation or move to a different trajectory without digital transformation. Early assessment is one of the major tools that the nation can use in formulating policies, and as an institution they want to ensure its credibility and information gathered and given to the people of Sierra Leone should be extremely credible, which is the main reason they have decided as an institution to go digital.
Ibrahim Brima Swarray explained that the new developed software will be able to track where the staff is and the data he/she has collected, and this will also help to ensure absolute correctness of data collected. He emphasized that this is a laudable venture as it will provide correct data for the people of Sierra Leone, stand the test of time, and help politicians and policy makers to formulate policies, especially around expenditure analysis.
He went on to say that if a nation can be able to know exactly the amount of money spent in a year for example, then planning for the future becomes easier – that is why the NPPA is ensuring that they provide that country with effective data analysis so that it can be used for policy formulation and decision making. He affirmed that the NPPA is on the verge of providing training for media personnel so that they can come to speed and be enlightened about the day-to-day operationalization of the procurement process.
Ibrahim Brima Swarray urged colleagues and staff of the NPPA to seize the opportunity and be positive about the entire process, as they are the ambassadors of the institution because what they tell people is what they will adhere to – as they are trying to build a system that Sierra Leoneans can be proud of, because the sacrifice is not for themselves but for the country.
According to the Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Memuna Tommy, the starting of the training is an important moment in the history of the NPPA as it makes the start of the journey to move from collecting the data of the annual public procurement assessment report manually to electronically.
Madam Tommy further stated that “we are living in an electronic world, thus the NPPA will not be left aside.”
