By Ibrahim S. Bangura
Freetown, September 17, 2025 — The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone and key stakeholders, has concluded a two-day capacity-building workshop on the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT). Held at Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, the event aimed to enhance transparency, accountability, and effective resource management in child-centered development initiatives.
The workshop, which began on Tuesday, September 16, brought together representatives from government ministries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society to align financial practices with the 2025–2030 Country Programme Cooperation, the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP), and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
UNICEF Deputy Representative Liv Elin Indreiten emphasized the agency’s renewed commitment to supporting Sierra Leone’s development goals for children. She noted that the workshop was designed to improve public finance management among implementing partners—including Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and NGOs—especially in light of global aid reductions affecting UN agencies.
“This training is not just about compliance,” Indreiten said. “It’s about building stronger partnerships, safeguarding donor resources, and ensuring that funds reach the children and communities who need them most.”
She outlined key objectives of the workshop, including:
- Promoting best practices in financial management such as budgeting, bank reconciliation, and segregation of duties.
- Addressing irregularities from past assurance activities.
- Enhancing understanding of HACT, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), risk assessment, and partnership management.
Indreiten stressed that accountability is essential, given that UNICEF’s funding comes from taxpayers, individual donors, and the private sector. “We must be accurate and transparent in how we manage these resources,” she added.
Deputy Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Augustine Foday Ngobie, highlighted the ACC’s role in safeguarding development resources. He warned against substandard service delivery and urged participants to take the training seriously to avoid legal consequences.
“We scrutinize activities beyond receipts and invoices to ensure authenticity,” Ngobie said. “Our goal is to prevent corruption through education and collaboration.”
Ambrose James, Development Secretary at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MOPED), underscored HACT’s importance in directing donor resources to vulnerable populations, particularly children and women. He recommended regular training, improved donor coordination, and digital financial systems to boost transparency.
Alice Neneh James, Director of the Sierra Leone Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (SLANGO), reminded NGOs of their responsibility. “Implementing UNICEF programs is a privilege. If you cannot meet the standards, do not pursue funding,” she cautioned.
Victoria Mwapasa and Mahomed Aziz Kamara provided a comprehensive overview of HACT and the Funding Authorization and Certificate of Expenditure (FACE) form. Mwapasa explained that HACT, adopted by UNICEF, UNDP, and UNFPA, standardizes fund transfers and aligns them with national systems.
The framework includes: Capacity assessments, cash transfers and reporting, assurance activities, and program monitoring.
A key feature is the micro-assessment, conducted every five years for partners receiving $100,000 or more annually, which assigns a risk rating to guide financial oversight.
The workshop reinforced UNICEF’s leadership in promoting financial integrity and institutional accountability. Participants were encouraged to apply the knowledge gained to ensure that resources are used effectively and transparently, contributing to Sierra Leone’s progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.