WITH SUPPORT FROM UNDP, NYS Embarks on Nationwide Monitoring of Corps.

Monitoring and Evaluation of graduate corps have been one of the effective tools used by the National Youth Service in achieving its strategic plan. Led by the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, Madam Tenneh M. Kuteh, the NYS has embarked on three monitoring to evaluate the graduate corps deployed across the country in over twenty institutions. Madam Kuteh said the last monitoring lasted for two weeks and the funds were provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to her, the credibility of any findings and assessment depends largely on the manner in which M and E is conducted. She therefore encouraged NYS to continue effective monitoring to assess the performance of their corps members. She said during the monitoring, data were collected on the primary assignment and community development service of the corps members. Explaining the tools deployed in their monitoring, she said questionnaires were developed and questions such as, “what has been the level of communication of the service member with the community after six months of his/her posting? And their punctuality, regularity, devotion on duty and resourcefulness of the corps members were asked.” The M and E Director stated that a lot have been achieved, adding that, “through our engagement, the Mayor of Koidu New Sembehun City Council, agreed in principle to provide an office space to NYS for their recruited staff.” She said out of a total number of 52 Corps Members that were monitored in the East and South, they were able to successfully monitor 47; and in the North and North-West, 45 targeted, and 41 monitored. With the exception of Corps Members in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relation, all other Corps Members in Freetown and Waterloo were reached and successfully monitored. Highlighting some of their challenges, she said one of the corps members attached to the Environment Protection Agency in Kono had abandoned his post, according to his supervisor. She revealed that language barrier between some corps members and their respective communities inhibited them to carry their CDS. She observed that personnel for the monitoring were not enough and days insufficient. She therefore recommended that Section 43 of the NYS Act which states that “Any Service Corps who fails to report for service in the manner directed by the National Directorate commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not less than five million Leones and not exceeding ten million Leones or to imprisonment for a term of one year or to both the fine and imprisonment”. Section 40 (1) further states, “Ministries, Departments and Agencies shall factor into their annual budgets, allocations to support the service scheme”. The Ministry of Youth and the NYS should engage the Government on this.