JUBA, September 5, 2024—The World Bank Group Executive Board of Directors has approved International Development Association (IDA) grant financing to the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GoSS) to support strengthening institutional and human resource capabilities in the public service. The IDA grant of $15 million will join GoSS counterpart funding of $3 million, bringing the total project amount to $18 million.
The grant will finance the Building Institutional Foundations for an Effective Public Service Project (BIFEPS), which aims to improve state capacity over a three-year period. The project seeks to strengthen policies, procedures, and systems for civil service management; support institutional development to create sustainable public sector capacity; and incentivize effective implementation of selected sector reforms. This intervention is seen as crucial for improving the government’s ability to fulfill its service delivery functions effectively.
“This project will lay the foundation for an effective and efficient public service including through enhanced institutional capacity to attract and retain qualified public servants, a competency-based human resource management framework in the civil service, and the establishment of a performance-based culture in service delivery. Its interventions will complement ongoing sectoral operations supported by the World Bank, putting in place foundational elements needed to sustain reforms in the long run and strengthen government ownership,” said Maryam Salim, World Bank Country Director for Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
This project aligns with the World Bank Group’s strategy in South Sudan that focuses on strengthening institutions and capacity while addressing foundational elements of reform gradually. It also aligns with priorities outlined by the Government of South Sudan in Chapter IV of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and the Revised National Development Strategy (R-NDS) 2021–2024.
“The Government recognizes the central role that public servants play in service delivery. It is therefore imperative that sectors across public service have structures and staffing that align with their functions, and that we invest in building a pipeline of future civil servants by providing opportunities for qualified young professionals to gain work experience in, and potentially join, public service,” said Honorable Dak Duop Bichiok, Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development.
Improved public service effectiveness also requires a well-functioning pension scheme where eligible civil servants can retire to create space for new talent. The project will support improving conditions for a transparent and accountable pension fund.
The World Bank’s International Development Association was established in 1960 to help low-income countries by providing grants and low- or zero-interest loans for projects that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for its 75 client countries, 39 located in Africa. Since its inception, IDA has provided $552 billion to 115 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $36 billion over FY21-FY23.
Media contacts:
In Addis Ababa
Gelila Woodeneh: +251 11 5 17 6 000 | gwoodeneh@worldbank.org
In Juba
Lomoro A. John Sindani: +211 925 472 380 | lsindani@worldbankgroup.org
In Washington D.C.
Aude Rabault: arabault@worldbankgroup.org