Over its 18+ years of existence, the BEST Development and Management Services has in its process of supporting Development Practice, gained enormous experiences in providing interdisciplinary technical assistant in best-practiced e-development and e-management and e-Data services including technical assistance in socioeconomic development and governance, engineering, sciences and technology (Knowledge) management services (Figure 1). The bulk of the services of the BEST has been in the provision of support in e-Development Projects/Program Cycle Management (e-DPCM) to support diverse investment projects in agriculture and rural livelihoods, Community Driven Development, Socioenvironmental Mitigation Services, Industrial, Engineering and Infrastructural/Real Estate Investment projects supported by Governments and Donors, and the Private Sector.
The BEST e-DPCM technical assistance is illustrated by the schematic diagram below (Figure 2): In the process of providing technical support, the BEST has technically intervened in participatory and e-R&D support in the formulation of development projects. We have also provided pre-implementation support in the preparation of Project Implementation Manuals (PIM), e-Project Baseline Studies, result-based e-M&E using computer assisted monitoring, and the facilitation of Project Theory of Change and Result-chain. The BEST has also provided Technical Implementation Support in the Architectural and Engineering Design of rural infrastructure for primary healthcare, Basic and Senior Secondary and Technical Schools, and the engineering designs of Feeder Roads. We also carried-out Mid/interim Evaluation, end-line evaluations and project completion report and Post-project Impact evaluations. Specifically the service we undertake are as follows:
What makes us more Specials?
The BEST has over the years provided support to enhance evidence-based results’ delivery of project management/implementation units, and also provide assistance in Institutional Capacity building and Strengthening Processes (ICBP) for various investment projects including but not limited to the formulation of a South-South Capacity-building Project between Sierra Leone and Malaysia for the development of an Industrial Oil-Palm Production, Processing and Marketing estate in Sierra Leone Funded by Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and for the World Bank, the BEST assisted the governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia for their regional and global competitiveness analyses of nationally produced Rice, Oil-Palm, Cassava and Cocoa, and Rice, Rubber, Oil-Palm and Cocoa commodities, respectively (See Report). We also technically assisted the Linking Farmers to the Market Project at the Ministry of Agric. and funded by (IsDB) to conduct analyses for the project theory of chain, result chain and to develop a real-time e-M&E system and virtual reporting. Undertook a participatory engagement and technical analysis for GTZ and Ministry of Labor, for an Informed identification of a potential industrial sector in Sierra Leone to host a Public Private Dialogue Forum (see Report). The BEST has also provided support for the institutional development of the Tourism and Hospitality Industrial Sector (see Report), Nation Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector (see Report), the agricultural sector, especially the strengthening of agric. Value chain and Farmer based Organizations (FBOs)/Agric. Business Centres (ABC), etc. We also offer support for result-based e-development and e-management, and data management services for MSMEs or largescale Investment projects/programs and business development projects such as the Bumbuna Hydro Dam and for the modern Petroleum off-Shore Jetty (see report).
The BEST e-Project Implementation Support
includes serving as Implementing Partner to support an entire project component including technical designs and supervision. As Technical Assistance Provider The BEST offer services in pre-implementation including the analysis of Project Theory of Change, Result Chain, Stakeholders and project break-down structure for preparation of project implementation Manuals and the design and development of e-M&E framework, system, tools and e-M&E information systems (e-M&EIS) and e-Baseline studies including qualitative and quantitative evidence-based e-baseline surveys, and Implementation support in the conduction of mid and end-line e-evaluations, Beneficiary Impact Assessments (BIA) and Post-project Impact studies
The BEST Academy
to Professionally Certify practitioner in Contemporary e-Development & e-Business e-Management and e-Governance practices and ICT.
The BEST’s Post-grad Academy for Professional Certification in Development and Business e-Management & e-Governance (PDBM&G) seeks to provide the where-with-all expertise to both the Public and Private Sector Governors and Managers to capably deliver services in Development & Business Management & Governance, respectively in Sierra Leone and other countries in the ECOWAS and Sub-Sahara Africa in general. The BEST Post-grad Professional School is therefore designed to offer specialization in three key focus areas (KFAs), viz.:
We also provide Industrial and Business Development Support
in Industrial Development Planning, capacity strengthening of Stakeholders in Value Chains and District/chiefdom Growth Poles, and support in Trade Competitive Analysis of agricultural commodities, Business Process Design and Institutional Capacity Building Processes for SMEs in the agricultural and other Value Chains
Logistics and Infrastructural Development Services
The BEST draws from and built upon its competence, experiences and capability in development and management services acquired over the past 14 years, to establish a thriving logistics and construction services. In the past four years, the BEST has supported, the National Pharmaceutical Procurement Unit (NPPU) for the distribution of drugs to 385 Peripheral Health Units (PHUs) in four districts (Port Loko, Kambia, Moyamba and Tonkolli) and also for CAIPA a UK-based company for seven (7) districts (Kambia, Port Loko, Tonkolili, Moyamba, Bo and Bonthe) to 617 PHUs and Logenix International to distribute drugs in Five Districts (Bombali, Koinadugu, Kono, Kambia and Port Loko).
The BEST e-planning technical assistance
covers stakeholders’ engagements, strategic/policy, socioeconomic and poverty assessments, project/policy Plans’ design and formulation, feasibility and socioeconomic and socioenvironmental analysis and formulation of feasible and mitigation plans.