CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Rebuildingpublic administration becomes an urgent reform of government in nations likeLiberia recouping from civil war, insurrections, or outside military invasions.Rebuilding a vibrant administration is at the crux of post-conflictreconstruction (Rondinelli, 2006). The assertion offered by Rondinelli (2006),is confirmed by the creation of the Governance Commission of Liberia in August2003 amid the Accra Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA). One of the centralguidelines of Governance Commission is to advance reform, proficiency, andtransparency in the public sector of Liberia thereby suggesting rationalizationof institutional orders and structures; coordination, capacity building anddesigned an appropriate merit-based system (GC, 2003).

Anazodo,Okoye, and Emma (2012) affirmed that countries throughout the world arepresently in the corridor to construct a resilient civil service that willadequately give the proficient and viable service delivery that reinforcesestablishments and add to the adequacy and efficiencies of a nation’sdevelopmental activities. Public sector reform of which civil service reform isa subset is one of the critical elements that strengthens institutions andcontribute to the effectiveness and efficiencies of a country’s public sectorleading to developmental activities (Zazay, 2015). Kwaghga (2010) characterizedthe civil service as a collection of men and ladies who utilized theircapacities on a non-political basis as ordered by the positions which theyoccupy in the bureaucracy, fundamentally, they are charged to render basicsocial services, and also plan and execute the approaches of the government.Civil service as a body ought to be neutral in administering their assignedobligations as far governance is concerned.

Civilservice reform is an activity that enhances the proficiency, efficiency,refined skill, representativity and democratic character of a civil service,which is premised on the enhancement of better public service delivery ofdepended public goods and services, along these lines advancing accountability,which is one of the elements of good governance (Rao, 2013). As indicated byRepucci (2014) civil service reform is one of the most obstinate yet importantchallenges for governments and their supporters today.

Mutahabaand Kiragu (2002) asserted that the force that propelled the wave of PublicSector Reform (PSR) in Africa, just like the case in other developing nations,emerged out of the macroeconomic and financial reforms that were introduced andsupported by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Unlikethe first wave of reform that was instituted by the World bank andInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) which was entrenched in the StructuralAdjustment Programs (SAPs),  as wasasserted by Mutahaba and  Kiragu(2002,)  in the case of Liberia, severalyears of civil upheaval in Liberia decimated the agency and demolished themerit instituted recruiting  framework bydisregarding  standards and methods ofemployment thus recruiting  unprofessionalindividuals of different warring factions that exacerbated the civil decadence.As the result of an unprofessional system, the civil service was evident by adisorganized service delivery that negatively affected the full implementationof policies and programs, consequently leading to inadequate service deliveryin Liberia (Nyemah, 2009).

Thispredicament of the underserved and unqualified workers in the civil service asindicated by Zazay (2015), led to an incompetent civil service that had a negativeinfluenced on service delivery in Liberia. The civil service was extremelyweakened and did not have professionals and the institutional systems expectedto accomplish the basic results for social improvement. In President EllenJohnson Sirleaf’s quest of restoring the Liberia Civil service from thisproblem, the government of Liberia in June of 2008, implemented its civilservice reform strategy called the “Small government, Better services” thatconsisted of five distinct orientations, namely: restructuring and rightsizing,pay and pension reforms, develop leadership, gender equity in the service, andimproving service delivery (Nyemah, 2009.)

Asper Adegoroye (2006), civil service reform becomes a vital approach forredesigning the institution for the attainment of their goals as a component ofa multi-sectorial to manage and propel good governance guaranteeingmaintainable democracy and speedy recovery. Zazay (2015) declared that theunderlying principle of such reform including the Liberia 2008 reforminterventions was, and has been, to enhance the adequacy and effectiveness ofcivil service and to guarantee its execution, which is necessary to supportcontinual socio-economic growth. The main objective of these reform exercises,as indicated by Zazay (2015), is to enhance the nature of service offered tocitizens and to improve their ability to carry out center governmentcapacities, which are basic to advance supported financial improvement. Omoyefa(2008), posited that productivity, adequacy, and responsiveness of governmentto the longing of its citizens must be gauged through the lenses of the publicsector reform.

Inspite of the gradual and systematic reforms, inclusive of restructuring andrightsizing since June 2008, the ministries in Liberia are still faced withimmense challenges.  To further validatethis statement, the Ministry of Health in its 2015-2025 policy paper captioned“Investment Plan for Building a Resilient Health System in Liberia”   expressed that the health service deliverysystems were already weak before the Ebola virus disease outbreak. Communityinterventions and services were not well coordinated with many vertical effortsongoing ( the Republic of Liberia, Ministry of Health, 2015).