Human Resource challenges in post conflict countries The case of Southern Sudan

1. Human Resource challenges in post conflict countriesThe case of Southern Sudan David Deng Athorbei IMPA-HR conference, Cape Town 19-20th April 2007

2. The context • Conflict has been ongoing in Sudan since Arab penetration into Sudan • “Resource curse” of ivory, gold and slaves in the 19th century. • Ethnic and religious differences difficult to resolve after British left Sudan in the 50’s. • Recently, conflict over oil and economic marginalization resulted in more intense war in 1983 -2005.

3. Chronology of the people’s struggle in Southern Sudan • Anglo-Egyptian Condominium period 1895-1956 • The Closed Districts ordinance. • 1947 Juba Conference on future of Southern Sudan. • Post independence period • 1955-1972: The first civil war (SANU & Anyanya) • 1972: Addis Ababa agreement • 1983-2005 : The second civil war (SPLM/SPLA) • Post Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) 2005 • Challenges of setting up an effective Government. • Challenges of demobilization of the fighting forces. • Oil resources.

4. The nature of post-conflict challenges • Implementation of the Peace Agreement. • Meeting the high expectations from the “peace dividend” • Conditions attached to donor support are not easily matched. • Sustainability of donor financed public interventions

5. The post conflict strategy • Reconciliation • The constitutional provisions for power and wealth sharing provide the basis • Unity in Diversity • Mainstream Southern Sudan in National development • Political and fiscal autonomy to enable the South to level the playing field with the North • Implement phased decentralization in the South • Scaling up capacity quickly • Delivering the “peace dividend” in basic services and infrastructure

6. Reconciliation • Representation for the South in the National Government: • Interim National Constitution, 2006 • Autonomy of Southern Sudan: • Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan, 2006 • Elections in 2009 • Self determination through “referendum” in 2011

7. Integration & inclusion within Southern Sudan • Common Public Service Act and Regulations: • Horizontal integration: SPLM cadres, erstwhile employees of Government of Sudan & new employees, including from the “diaspora” • Vertical harmonization: GoSS, states and counties • Merit and rule based recruitments and promotions with due concern for “representation” for marginalized groups. • Gender sensitivity and positive discrimination targeting a minimum 25% representation for women. • DDR measures • Impart livelihood skills, provide opportunities and facilitate self employment. • Reverse the outflow of skills and knowledge • Bring the talent home from the Southern Sudanese living abroad.

8. Reconstruction • Scale up facilities for education and vocational training. • 50,000 persons targeted for Alt.LP & life skills trng. • Vocational training facilities for 3000 persons. • Kick start private employment through public investment. • $ 500 million being invested creating 20,000 jobs. • Facilitate growth of small, medium and micro enterprises. • Incubators and micro-credit institutions being established • Dev. of markets and facilitating regulatory framework. • Build public and civil society capacity for delivery of basic services • 17,000 teachers trained/certified & 200 primary schools rehabilitated • 800 Health care facilities being rehabilitated, pharma & drugs stocked & health workers trained. • Implement phased admin. and fiscal decentralisation. • Oil producing states get a 2% share in their production. • 25% of the GoSS budget transferred to states and counties. • State specific Acts and regulations being framed

9. Sustainability • Affordability and efficiency of the public service • Core civil, police, teachers & health workers employed approx. 100,000, less than 1.5% of population (estimated at 8 million) • Low compensation levels rationalized but salary burden is significant at around 20-25% of total expenditure. • Democratization & good governance • Functional and empowered legislatures in GoSS and ten states • Independent five tiered judicial structure. • Accountability structures • Public financial management processes based on international best practice • Nineteen empowered oversight commissions: Anti corruption commission, Auditor General, Civil service commission, Public Grievances Commission, Human rights commission etc • Transparency • Freedom of the press assured, Right to Information Act being formulated, GoSS website to be operational in 2007. • Participation • All ten state and 78 county level governments are functional

10. Capacity building strategies;diversified portfolio of strategies being used • Supplementing Government capacity • Donor implemented projects USAID, UN, Norway, DFID, EU, LICUS-World Bank • However, MDTF brings the funding of 11 donors into the governments public expenditure framework • Buy Services • Procurement Agent, Project Accounting Agent, External Auditor, & Advisors, contracted under MDTF, support government. • Open, non discriminatory and facilitating policy for foreign private business, trade and investment. • Large workforce of foreign guest workers support reconstruction. • Build temporary capacity • Projects support the hiring of specialists within government at competitive salaries. • Build capacity • Training supplemented by targeted recruitment in government. • Medium Term Framework for the public service to ensure retention of knowledge and skills

11. Donor funded capacity building initiatives • Institutional development • USAID/Bearing Point advisors (Revenue, BoSS, Budget, Information) • LICUS/World bank Advisors (PFM, Procurement, Cap. Bldg) • UNDP Advisors (Aid management) • Organisational support and equipment supply • LICUS/World Bank • USAID/Bearing point • Training • DFID/SKILLS for Southern Sudan; a Sudanese NGO • UNDP/AfDB • LICUS/World Bank

12. GoSS-MDTF Capacity Building, Institutional & HR Development (CABIHRD) Project • Total outlay : $ 13.73 million • Institutional development • Formulation & dissemination of Public Service Act & regulations : planned for 2007 ($ 340,000) • Medium Term Framework for the Public Service : planned for 2007 ($ 625,000) • Public Information Centre in Juba • GoSS website, email and Electronic Records and Documents management • Organisation dev. & equipment supply • Vehicles, ICT and office equip. for 2007 : ($ 1 million) • Video conferencing connecting all ten state capitals • Training • 2500 Public servants in GoSS & states: $ 3 million outlay; EOIs being issued in 2007 • 4 Vocational Trng. Centers being rehabilitated to train 3000 persons per year ($ 6 million)

13. Conclusions • Speed of implementation • is of the essence in building capacity, delivering the “peace dividend” and preventing the recurrence of conflict. • Consistent and adequate donor support • critical for knowledge transfer and as a fiscal bridge to self sustaining growth. • Strong and demonstrated commitment to accountability, transparency and good governance • are key to sustaining peace. • Democratization, phased decentralization and participatory inclusion • are key for sustaining peace.