Member's Documents
Sierra Leone: Evaluation of the AfDB Country Strategy and Program (2013-2023)
Published by: Independent Development Evaluation, African Development Bank
The evaluation found that the Bank's support in Sierra Leone was aligned with the country's development plans and addressed key fragility drivers. Internal coherence across the CSPs was generally effective and there was strong coordination with other development partners in areas such as economic governance and infrastructure. However, the effectiveness of the AfDB's assistance, particularly in economic governance, agriculture, and private sector development, faced challenges, with outcomes falling short of expectations. While infrastructure initiatives performed better, their impact was affected by crises such as Ebola and COVID-19, along with funding issues that hindered targeted achievements. Efficiency was impacted by significant delays in project implementation, with 64% of operations facing setbacks due to external shocks and management challenges. The evaluation identified weaknesses in institutional and financial capacity across sectors, noting that governance reforms lacked the necessary budget support, negatively affecting sustainability.
The evaluation advised the Bank to focus its strategy and program on addressing the drivers of fragility and building resilience. It also recommended applying greater selectivity, enhancing implementation performance and ensuring the sustainability of interventions through increased institutional strengthening. Additionally, the Bank should better integrate cross cutting issues to achieve more transformative change.
