Fund Dates

• Start Date: 21 December 2015
• End Date: 31 December 2018

Sierra Leone Ebola Recovery Fund (SLERF) Main Documents

• SLERF - Terms of Reference (TOR)
• SLERF - Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
• SLERF - Standard Administrative Agreement (SAA)
• SLERF - Operational manual
• National Ebola Recovery Strategy (NERS)
• Agenda for Prosperity

 DEPAC - Post-Ebola Recovery Phase II: 10-24 Month Plans

• DEPAC Post-Ebola Recovery Phase II_10-24 Months Plans
• DEPAC Appendix 1- initiatives
• DEPAC Appendix 2- initiatives and costings

Background and SLERF Objectives

The Ebola crisis has had a deep impact on the Sierra Leone economy and social welfare resulting in a 2015 projection of 20% GDP contraction, revenue loss estimated at US$70 million, decline in agriculture and manufacturing outputs, severe job loss in the private sector, reversal of gains in the health sector with a subsequent increase of both Fiscal Deficit and Balance of Payments financing gaps.

Since the Ebola outbreak the Government of Sierra Leone has implemented an immediate response to address key priorities. As a result, 40 hospitals, 1,300 primary healthcare facilities and 8,000 schools and tertiary institutions reopened safely; 12,000 ultra-poor and EVD-affected households, 10,000 orphans and 2,000 EVD survivors were financially supported; and 43,000 farmers were provided with seeds for the 2015 planting season. In addition, the Government has developed the National Ebola Recovery Strategy (NERS) with the objective of restoring Sierra Leone on its earlier path to its Agenda for Prosperity. In order to implement the National Ebola Recovery Strategy, that requires the mobilization and alignment of considerable resources from multiple sources, and to better coordinate the multiplicity of financing streams pledged at the International Ebola Conference in 2015, the Government established the Sierra Leone Ebola Recovery Fund (SLERF), a financing mechanism to finance the strategy that provides coherence, speed, and flexibility.

The SLERF will be one of the funding mechanisms for the Ebola Recovery Strategy that will provide targeted and time bound support for selected interventions in the following seven sectors within a 24 months period:

• Health
• Education
• Social Protection
• Private Sector Development
• Water
• Energy
• Governance

Governance

A decision-making body, a Steering Board, co-chaired by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and the Chief of Staff of the President, includes selected representatives of Ministries and contributing donors, the UN Resident Coordinator, the Trustee (as ex-Officio), and other members approved by the Steering Board. The Board sets SLERF’s policy, operational procedures, makes fund allocation decisions and oversees the overall Fund operation, including requesting third party financial audits of the National Entities, as required, in accordance with the Sierra Leone Audit Act of 2014. The Board oversees effective monitoring and evaluation of all SLERF activities to ensure fund-wide success and transparency.

The Steering Board is supported by a Technical Secretariat embedded in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED), that will provide administrative, technical and management support.

The Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office, a UN Facility administering over 100 UN and National Trust Funds, serves as a Trustee providing fund administration services. The Trustee supports SLERF establishment, receives and administers the received contributions, disburses funds following the Steering Board instructions, consolidates annual and periodic statements and reports, based on submissions of Implementing Entities, establishes and maintains the SLERF website, allowing the government partners, donors, and the general public to track contributions and allocations in real time and annual expenditures of the Fund, as well as access the Fund’s progress reports and key documents, including consolidated annual financial and progress reports.

The MOFED serves as a Government Coordinating Organization (GCO) and is responsible and accountable for the effective development and implementation of the SLERF portfolio implemented by National Entities. The MOFED concludes the Memorandum of Agreement with the Trustee and agreements with National Implementing Entities (IEs) that details their responsibilities and accountabilities. It ensures National IEs submit annual financial and narrative reports to the Technical Secretariat and Trustee for consolidation and further submission to the Steering Board.

Implementing Entities (IEs)

Implementation will include two implementing modalities which allow implementation by National Implementing Entities and, where required, by UN Implementing Entities. This flexible implementation architecture enables different implementing entities to operate under the common strategic governance structure yet in accordance with the distinct policies and procedures.

National Implementing Entities are Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA), proposed by Government, based on assessments, meeting internationally accepted financial management and procurement systems, including adhering to 2004 Sierra Leone Public Procurement Act, eligible to receive funding from the Trustee through MOFED by concluding the agreement with MOFED, as GCO.

Participating UN Organizations would provide direct implementing services, using their Financial Rules and Regulations approved by their inter-governmental Executive Boards/ Governing Councils of those organizations by concluding the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SLERF Trustee.