First Conference of Public Administrators and Managers: Laying the Foundations of a More Modern and Citizen-Centric Administration.

Mr. Prime Minister,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Ministers and Secretaries of State;

Mr. First President of the Court of Auditors;

Mr. General Auditor of Senegal;

Madam Financial Controller;

Ladies and Gentlemen, Secretaries General of the Ministries;

Ladies and Gentlemen, Governors of the Regions; Ladies and Gentlemen,

Directors General and Directors of Central Administration; Ladies and Gentlemen,

Presidents of Councils, Directors General and Directors of Entities in the Semi-Public Sector, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to thank you for responding to my invitation to participate in this first Conference of Public Administrators and Managers (CAMP). In the history of the State, this is an unprecedented event. Unprecedented in its format, which brings together all public and semi-public structures around the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and his Government. Unprecedented also in the spirit that underpins it. This spirit is one of collective reflection on the renovation of our public governance and on the ways and means to lead our country towards the systemic transformation we desire.

From the moment I took office on April 2, 2024, I emphasized the urgent need to rethink our governance and reinvent our Administration so that it can optimally respond to the ambition we have for Senegal. This ambition has taken shape in Vision Senegal 2050, presented last October 14, which now serves as the compass for public action.

To recall, Vision Senegal 2050 is structured around four strategic axes:

1. Competitive economy and job creation.

2. Sustainable territorial development.

3. Human capital and social justice.

4. Good governance and Pan-African engagement.

You will note with me that human capital and good governance are at the heart of this transformation. I therefore salute the constant commitment of all public agents, both civil servants and non-civil servants, whose daily dedication keeps the republican spirit alive. I renew my confidence in them, as well as that of the Government.

I also wish to highlight the crucial role of senior executives, key players in the high civil service, who assist the President of the Republic and the Government in the development, implementation, and evaluation of public policies.

However, after nine months in office, the findings are alarming:

1. First, a constrained State whose budgetary and financial leeway is almost non-existent.

2. Then, a republican Administration, but lacking coherence and stuck in outdated schemes, even as our socio-economic realities evolve rapidly, notably marked by digital transformation and the rise of artificial intelligence.

3. Next, a hypertrophied semi-public sector, often duplicating central administration, budget-consuming, and whose contribution to the State's dividends remains too low.

4. Finally, complex and costly public services that limit the effectiveness of public policies and tarnish the image of the State.

Therefore, it is imperative to reform our administration to make it more modern, closer to the citizens, and more efficient in its missions. This is the very objective of this Conference of Public Administrators and Managers, which aims to be a space for dialogue, reflection, and strategic orientation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, To anchor this will for modernization, it is essential to remember the three guiding principles that govern the civil service: 1. Respect for hierarchy, inseparable from the authority of the State. 2. Primacy of the general interest, embodied by the President of the Republic and the Government, vested with popular legitimacy. 3. Governmental solidarity, a fundamental principle that demands total respect for Members of the Government and the Government institution itself.

I will not go into the details of institutional responsibilities, clearly stated by the Constitution, but I emphasize that it must remain a bedside book for every public official.

Nevertheless, I insist on the paramount importance of the respect due to members of the Government, a collegial and united institution, solely accountable to the President of the Republic and the National Assembly. Consequently, the heads of central administrations and entities in the semi-public sector fall under the authority of the Prime Minister, Head of the Administration and the Ministers and Secretaries of State.

This is an imperative of good governance: any important decision, whether it concerns recruitment, budgeting, contracting, or partnership, must be validated by the competent ministerial and interministerial authority.

In this regard, I renew my total confidence and unwavering support to the Prime Minister and the entire Government. Ladies and Gentlemen, Exemplary governance remains a governance uncompromising on the loyalty and integrity of its actors. A governance marked by a high sense of the State, the requirement for transparency, the fight against corruption, accountability, and impartiality in the conduct of public action.

To this end, the forthcoming adoption of a series of transparency laws, aimed at sustainably improving public governance, reflects a sustained political will to create a healthy environment for quality work in the public sector, at the service of the well-being of the population, regardless of their place of residence.

To better meet the expectations of our population and stimulate local development, we will, starting this year 2025, activate Economic Poles, strategic bases for the territorialization of public policies.

I wish to establish proximity governance, attentive to each local authority, capable of deploying equitable policies in water supply, electrification, health, education, and training.

During the Council of Ministers on October 16, 2024, I reiterated that the performance of the State is measured by the coherence of its methods and the effectiveness of its interventions, particularly to support the industrialization of our territories and the development of strategic job-creating sectors.

In this perspective, I emphasize the importance of reforming public action to align with the needs and aspirations of the population, by rethinking deconcentration and revitalizing decentralization.

Rethinking deconcentration means evaluating the implementation of the 2020 Deconcentration Charter. Rethinking deconcentration means moving towards a more advanced deconcentration doctrine, which drives a coherent central State in its organization and decision-making and action processes. Rethinking deconcentration means developing a performant territorial State, better coordinated with restructured and optimized services led by administrative authorities (governors, prefects, and sub-prefects), more empowered and evaluated annually based on assigned objectives.

In this context, I call on the Prime Minister to define a new mechanism for deepening deconcentration within ministries and at the territorial level. At the same time, we must revitalize decentralization by re-examining the administrative division, transferred competences, and local taxation, while providing financing mechanisms better suited to the needs of local authorities.

This revision work will be carried out in consultation with local elected officials and territorial actors, to promote effective subsidiarity and balanced territorial development.

Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen,

A strategic State delegates responsibilities to public entities but ensures the exemplary nature of their governance and performance. That is why I attach paramount importance to the supervision of the semi-public sector.

I ask the Prime Minister to ensure the rigorous application of the orientation law of April 19, 2022, concerning the semi-public sector, which aims to better define the State's portfolio, manage public resources effectively, and verify the relevance of interventions in the semi-public sector. I remind the deliberative and executive bodies of the semi-public sector entities to strictly adhere to their prerogatives.

In this regard, I ask the boards of directors and general management to submit, without exception, their strategic choices to the competent ministries through systematic pre-councils.

The minutes of these meetings will be communicated in detail to the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic. The same applies to recruitment and remuneration decisions. These will be subject to strict regulatory oversight to preserve both the coherence of public policies and the sustainability of State finances.

This reminder illustrates the extent of the challenges posed by the governance of the semi-public sector, whose performance and control require constant vigilance from everyone. I draw attention to the importance of rigorous management of public enterprises, which must be administered according to the best international standards. They should not be a burden on the Nation.

On the contrary, their contribution to collective prosperity must be evident. I therefore invite the Minister of Finance and Budget, as well as the Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation, to evaluate and update the State's portfolio management doctrine. This revision is justified by the economic, budgetary, and financial risks that some large public enterprises may pose to our national resources.

Furthermore, I ask the Prime Minister, in coordination with the Minister, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, to define a precise list of strategic public enterprises, including SENELEC, PETROSEN, SAR, AIR SENEGAL, FONSIS, the La Poste Group, and the Autonomous Port of Dakar. Their governance modes must be strengthened to establish rigorous and permanent control over their activities and performance.

Moreover, I have already requested the Head of Government to reactivate the Interministerial Committee for Monitoring and Restructuring Troubled Enterprises. This committee will be tasked with identifying management flaws and proposing sustainable solutions. The Prime Minister will also undertake a thorough evaluation of executing agencies and similar structures, some of which duplicate the missions of central administration while burdening the State budget.

In the same vein, I have requested the development of a legislative framework governing independent administrative authorities. Their actions and management methods can no longer escape the control of the central State.

Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers and Secretaries of State, Dear Participants,

Of course, I have not mentioned all the observations, achievements, difficulties, and perspectives here.

However, we share a common foundation: the primacy of the general interest, the culture of public service, and a high sense of responsibility.

This is the spirit of "Jub, Jubal, Jubanti" from the letter of April 8, 2024, that I addressed to every civil servant and agent of the Senegalese administration. We also have an unalterable consensus to maintain: the sense of responsibility. Hence the priority I attach to the senior management of the State and its branches.

A system of calls for applications for certain positions of responsibility will soon be operational. We have already initiated this process at the National Human Rights Commission.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Leaders, heads of public and semi-public structures, The role you play in conducting public action requires total commitment, absolute loyalty, exemplary ethics, and unwavering integrity. It also demands a perfect knowledge of the organization of the State and its procedures, particularly those governing public procurement. On this last point, I have already received from the Prime Minister the project to create a national agency for the centralization of public procurement.

Our goal is to rationalize State expenditures and improve our budgetary leeway within the framework of sustainable sanitation and virtuous management of our public finances. Together, we will build governance of sovereignty, governance of solutions, and governance of results. In this dynamic, under the coordination of the Ministry of Finance and Budget and the supervision of the Prime Minister, I ask you to finalize the sectoral policy letters in each ministry and to establish a culture of management dialogue both within and between ministries.

This approach is essential to strengthen efficiency and produce concrete results within the timeframe set for each entity. I also call for the generalization of Quality Management in all public and semi-public structures. We must advance the culture of quality and aim for the systematic certification of all our procedures, whether simple or complex. This is the condition to guarantee the continuity of the State, which transcends regimes and individuals in power.

The time has also come to accelerate the digital transformation of our administrations. The dematerialization of formalities and their simplified accessibility are guarantees of transparency and good governance. I therefore ask the Head of Government to launch the crucial reform of the public finance management system by integrating the State's financial information systems.

On February 24, 2025, I will launch the Technological New Deal. It will allow us to build a modern, agile, and forward-looking public service. At the same time, I encourage the Government to make public innovation a lever of efficiency and a vector of communication, like the recent GOV'ATON.

It is in this spirit that, from the beginning of my mandate, I decided to create, at the Presidency of the Republic, an Office of Intelligence and Economic Foresight (BIPE). It works in synergy with the Office for Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Policies and Programs and the Operational Coordination and Monitoring Office (BOCS), under the Prime Minister's Office. Pending the establishment of a more robust steering mechanism for the National Transformation Agenda Senegal 2050, this mechanism will strengthen the culture of monitoring and evaluation, essential for measuring the impact of our policies and ensuring the continuous improvement of public service.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Leading is about making decisions. It is, above all, about guiding men and women. Ultimately, it means having a valuable human capital to enhance the performance of public and semi-public organizations.

That is why the transformation of the civil service is an absolute priority.

We must place the user and the citizen at the center of our concerns. We must also facilitate the mobility of agents and resist corporatist tendencies. Finally, we must undertake a thoughtful review of our salary scales, improve the initial and continuous training of agents, and rethink our national training schools.

I therefore ask the Prime Minister to propose an ambitious program for the transformation of the civil service, including the reform of specialized training schools, as well as training and recruitment at the National School of Administration. I also invite him to promote an employment-oriented, open, and inclusive civil service, with the generalization of job descriptions and where contractualization for certain management positions will be a reality. Moreover, well-being at work is an imperative for motivation and efficiency. The Prime Minister will ensure rigorous management of public real estate, improvement of the living environment in administrations, and optimal use of IT equipment and digital services, which will be validated by the Ministry of Digital Affairs.

Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers and Secretaries of State, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The hallmark of the State is its ability to make decisions. As for the Administration, its hallmark lies in its strength of action, through the implementation of a vision approved by the vote of the sovereign people. I cannot conclude my speech without praising the quality of our administration and its prodigious adaptability, even during periods of profound reorganization. I know I can count on the enthusiasm and mobilization of each and every one of you to uplift the country and build a State close to the people and up to the challenges of our time. I congratulate the Prime Minister, the Government, and all the personalities present here and renew my support and backing.

This first edition of the Conference of Public Administrators and Managers (CAMP), which will become an annual themed meeting, constitutes a moment of introspection and convergence.

It is an expanded government seminar, where we refine our vision and harmonize our understanding of the missions entrusted to us and the rules governing our actions.

I wish you a fruitful day, rich in reflections and valuable proposals. I declare the Conference of Public Administrators and Managers open. Thank you for your attention.