In 2006, after the civil war, there were few formal institutional structures in Southern Sudan. Services for the population were almost non-existent and people were greatly affected by the war. Since then, much progress has been made and many important parts of the Government are now in place. Resources were gradually decentralized on a local level. More and more educated men and women are filling positions in Government functions.
But most public institutions still consist of personnel who do not have the qualifications and who lack necessary work experience; around half of the positions will not be filled. Authorities have been quickly established, often with inadequate organizational framework, infrastructure, equipment and information systems. Moreover, corruption is a major obstacle to development and democratization.
The Government in Southern Sudan has requested support from Sweden and a number of other countries for capacity development within the area of public administration in Southern Sudan in the form of grants to the Capacity Building Trust Fund (CBTF). The aim is to improve Southern Sudan's ability to leave poverty behind and increase prosperity in the country by means of a more efficient public administration and reduced corruption.
Who?
CBTF is run by a Steering Committee (SC) in which the Government in Southern Sudan plays a leading role. Sweden is one of two donor representatives in SC. The Joint Donor Team (JDT) of six donors constitutes CBTF's secretariat. A private entrepreneur has been appointed as a Financial Management Agent, FMA.
How much?
From 2010 to 2011, Sida has contributed approximately 24, 000, 000 to CBTF, and there are six other donors each contributing the same amount.
Results?
- It is now clear how many public officials are on the Government's payroll (22, 500 individuals of the budgeted 32, 000) and in the ten states in Southern Sudan (96, 500 public officials of an estimated 120, 000 are on the payroll).
- Wages for personnel in 49 of 51 Government institutions are now handled with the aid of a new and better system which prevents corruption and ensures that the correct wages are paid out regularly.
- The wages for personnel in 250 of 341 institutions in the ten states in Southern Sudan, covering 96, 549 employees, are also handled with the aid of this new system.
- All ten states can now fulfil the requirements for uploading wage slips to a secure website and compiling the content every month in order to present a report to the Government's monitoring committee.
- More than 250 payroll clerks who have received training can now effectively perform their functions, and most institutions can manage their monthly wages without the support of international aid.
- The newly formed institution Government Accountancy Training Centre (GATC), which is important for building sound forms of government in Southern Sudan, has received a boost.
