By Lamin B. Darboe
Ms. Seraphine Wakana, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the country on Last week made a courtesy call on the Minister of Public Service, Administrative, Reforms, Policy Coordination & Delivery, Baboucarr O. Joof, at his office in Banjul.
Ms. Wakana said they were at the minister’s office to congratulate him on his new ministerial appointment and also to discuss with him how UN Resident Coordinator’s Banjul office will build partnership with the new ministry and the civil service in general.
‘’We want to know the way the ministry is going to work because my office is interested in coordination. We want to understand the role your ministry is going to undertake because we are partners to government; especially in the areas of capacity building and institutional and reforms,’’ Ms. Wakana told Minister Joof.
According Ms. Wakana, their current strategy is ending in December 2022, and hope have a new strategy before the end of the year. “I know your ministry is new andI knew also that you have the understanding of what your ministry’s priorities would be,” she remarked.
The Resident Coordinator went on to highlight her office’s support to reforms related to political and democratic transitions; especially through the UN programme, Peace Building Fund.
In his reaction to the engagement Minister Joof said, “This is my first engagement with Government after 26 years in active service with the private world but at this point, I have decided to take national assignment”.
He explained to the UN official that PMO is his ministry’s parent home; that the sector was for the past years hanging under the Office of the Vice President.
He informed that he is currently having meetings with various Senior Management Teams under his ministry in order to familiarise himself with what they are doing in their areas among others.
Mr Joof underscored the need to design a Performance Management System for the entire government machinery presided over by his ministry. This he said is to ensure coordination as a key mandate of the ministry. He promised to work with the UN partners.