The National Public Procurement Authority on Monday 11th May 2026 participated in a high-level stakeholder engagement meeting with representatives from the World Bank and the Ministry of Finance as part of ongoing consultations for the proposed SALONE Public Financial Management (PFM) Program-for-Results (PforR) Operation.

Held in Freetown, the meeting focused on Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) standards and their relevance within Sierra Leone’s public procurement framework. Discussions also examined the ongoing review of the Public Procurement Act and the integration of sustainable and socially responsible procurement practices.

Welcoming the delegation, Chief Executive Officer of the National Public Procurement Authority, Fodie J. Konneh, underscored the importance of strengthening environmental and social considerations in procurement processes to ensure alignment with international best practices and emerging development priorities.

Participants further emphasized the need to institutionalize environmental, social, gender, and climate-responsive evaluation criteria in public procurement systems. They also identified capacity building and financial support as critical areas requiring sustained intervention from development partners.

The stakeholders acknowledged progress made by the Government of Sierra Leone in streamlining policies and systems governing public projects, while reaffirming their collective commitment to improving implementation, compliance, and sustainability across the procurement sector.

The engagement forms part of wider consultations being jointly conducted by the World Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone from 11th to 14th May 2026 under the SALONE PFM Program-for-Results initiative.