The objective of this Systematic CountryDiagnostic (SCD) is to describe the current developmentchallenges facing Sierra Leone and offer a set of priorityareas of intervention to further the twin goals of reducingextreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. The SCD isdesigned to be an evidence driven exercise that drawstogether diverse findings into a comprehensive countrydiagnostic. The SCD argues that, without taking into accountthe two main foundational constraints governance and fiscalspace, it is unlikely that the proposed technical solutionswill make a substantial impact on the twin goals. Many ofthe technical solutions that are in this document have beentried in multiple variations over the last 60 years bygovernment, donor partners, and other stakeholders, but theresults have been meager. Despite favorable geography andabundant resources, and after hundreds of millions ofdollars in soft loans and grants, smart consultants, soundtechnical approaches, Sierra Leone continues to havedevelopment outcomes that rate among the worst in the world.This SCD argues that unless governance constraints areunderstood and mitigated this situation is unlikely tochange very much. It further takes into account severefiscal constraints in proposing ways to alleviate this whilealso avoiding reforms that require substantial financialoutlays. If the two foundational issues are appropriatelyaddressed, the priority technical interventions proposedhere have the potential to unlock growth, reduce poverty,and improve the lives of the Sierra Leonean population.
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