Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698830157247.pdf (Sierra Leone)
-7 E *} C C TBC O BG O EO G O TBE BE G BG 6 r PARLIAMENTARY QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITTEE IPQACI REPORT ON MEETING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURAL NEEDS AT THE PARLIAMENT OF SIERRA LEONE, FREETOWN A PROJECT FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION [EU] AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR PROJECT SERVICES luNoPsI SUBMITTED BY: ABDUL HMAN N?AI GBGGEGEEGGETGEGGEGGGEB 1 European Union Director General Clerk of Parliament Bills of Quantities Freetown CitY Council European Commission 1.
UST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS Boa CoP CSPS Center for Strategy and Parliamentary Studies DG EC EDSA Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority EGTC Electricity Generation and Transmission Company EU rcC GoSL Government ofSierra Leone HoP ICT MoE MPs PoSL Parliament of Sierra Leone PQAC ParliamentaryQualityAssuranceCommittee PS PSC PTC ToR UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services vfm Information and Communications Technology Parliamentary Technical Committee Parliamentary Service Commission Members of Parliament Terms of References Parliamentary Seruice House of Parliament Ministry of EnergY Value for Money es\-K 2 2.
TABLE OFCONTENTS CONTENTS TITLE PAGE 1.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 2.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.

INTRODUCTION 4.

BACKGROUND 5.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMITTEE 6.

MANDATE OF THE COMMITTEE 7.

OBJECTIVES OFTHE EXERCTSE 8.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE 9.

SCOPE OFTHE EXERCISE 10.

METHODOLOGY 11.

FINDINGS AND R.ECOMMENDATI oNs A.

GENERAL FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS B.

SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDANONS CONSTRUCNON OF THE WALKWAY/RAM ll, Il.

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hrsrnu-anou oF TWo PASSE COUSTNUCNON OF A WATER NESTNVOTN AND A PUMP ROOM NGERS LIFTS CONSTRUCNON OF A POLI CE SECURITY POST EI-CCTruNCAION OF THE MAIN AND PV SOI.AR vi.

FIREFIGHTINGSYSTEM vI.

Fno:ecr vEHICLE froYorA HI LUXI BUILD iIrIC - SOO I(/A GENERATOR PLUMBING, TILING, CEILIN G, ELECTRICA Ls AND SEWAGE SYSTEM ADDRESSING THE LEAKAGES No.

1 2 3 5 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 13 13 14 16 18 19 20 2l 22 23 / 3 vlll.

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EXPANSION OF THE LEADERSHIP OFFICES, PROVISION OF TOILET FACILMES, AND THE RENOVANON OF STAFF OFFICES AND PUBLIC TOILETS MAINTENANCE OF THREE [3] MAIN ENTRANCE AND SIXTEEN [16] EXIT DOORS Xii.

PROVISION OF PARLIAMENTARY STORES AND OFFICES FOR CSPS Xiii.

ICTINFRASTRUCTURE 12. coNcLUSTON 13.

ANNEXES 25 26 27 27 31 33 W h,( 4 1.
INTRODUCTION The Parliamentary Quality Assurance Committee (PQAC) was established by the Clerk of Parliament (CoP) in July, 2022 [following the adoption of a Motion by Members of Parliament where they expressed dissatisfaction over poor implementation of the p@ect - Meeting Critical Infrastructural Needs of Parliament of Sierra Leone (PoSL)1, with the mandate to assess the quality of the work of the United Nations Office for Project Services [UNOPS] in all material respect, including the refurbishment of Parliament among others and accordingly report on the Committee's findings, The Committee had its first meeting on the 3d August, 2022 where it mapped out a strategic direction on how the investigation process would look like.
At that meeting and with its mandate, the Committee, as one of its responsibilities, agreed on several actions.

Among the actions uras the one to write to UNOPS through the Project Board Chair for the submission of the project documents, especially the Bills of Quantities [BoQs] before the commencement of the exercise.
A Letter was then written to UNOPS, copying all stakeholders, requesting for BoQs and all other related documents that would aid the Committee carryout the task within the stipulated timeframe, but there was no response to the request and that delayed the work of the Committee.

The Committee held several meetinqs thereafter, including project site visitations, interuiews with key stakeholders.
Those meetings provided the platform upon which certain decisions that informed the course of the investigation were taken.

In totality, the investigation covered thifteen [13] components of the Project that were funded by the EU and implemented by UNOPS.

It is the view of the Committee that this report would provide the most invaluable information for the Parliamentary Leadership, Members of Parliament (MPs), Parliamentary staff, the General Public, the Donor and the Project Implementers.

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PROJECT BACKGROUND Located on the hill top of Tower Hill, OAU Drive, Freetown [overlooking the capital city], the Sierra Leone House of Parliament (HoP) is the Legislative Arm of the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and was inaugurated in 1961 as House of Representatives; and since that period, it had never been renovated until 2004, when a Chinese Company was contracted to renovate same by the GoSL after forty-three [43] years in existence.
In 2016, the European Commission [EC] agreed to provide Twenty-Seven Million Euros [EUR 27,000,000] to support the governance sector in Sierra Leone and Parliament was to benefit Three Million Euros [EUR 3,000,000] from that amount.
A Committee [on the European Union Parliamentary Projectl was constituted by the Leadership of the Forth Parliament [which comprised of MPs, Management and Staff of Parliament], stated in one of their recommendations that the Three Million Euros was too huge for the rehabilitation of the Main Legislative Building and thus recommended that the amount be used to ccnstruct one hundred and fiflry [150] offices for MPs, three hundred [300] seater multipurpose conference hall and twenty [20] special offices for the Leadership' The EU came to the Leadership [after the feedback from Parliament], and informed same that in their assessrnent, the Three Million Euros would not be enough to meet the listed needs.
The erstwhile Leadership was however of different view, which was in disagreement with that of the EU and there was a standoff between both pafties, and the Project was temporarily abandoned.

After several deliberations when the process was resuscitated, the erstwhile Leadership of Parliament acceded, but on the condition that the whole structure of the Main Legislative Building is properly roofed, so as to put to rest the persistent leakage that had engulfed same every rainy season.
The EU agreed, but the implementation process was suspended until after the general elections /9-ffi 6 in 2018. i $ 3.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMITTEE The PQAC was established by the CoP and approved by the Rt.
Honourable Speaker of Parliament, following the adoption of a Motion by MPs [where they expressed frustration over the use of substandard materials and poor works done by engineers contracted by UNOPS, to investigate whether the Project Implementers complied with the terms and conditions of the Project and value for money [Wm] is attained in terms of meeting the desired result.

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RESPONSIBILMES OFTHE COMMITTEE As stated in the Committeet Terms of Reference (IoR), the Committee was constituted to find out whether the Project Implementers observed the Project terms and conditions and to also determine whether vfm is attained by examining the quality of works done and the quality of materials used.
Other responsibilities of the Committee [as indicated in its ToRl are: * Follow upon on project impiementation of approved BoQs with the contractors to ensure compliance to standards and signed contracts; * conduct inspection of rehabilitation works, materials and equipment installed; * Assist the project Board through assessment of identified critical infrastructure in selected location and develop a work plan with estimated cost; and * Any other duties as may be assigned by the P@ect Board Chair' 5.
AIM AI{D OB'ECTIVES OF THE EXERCISE The main aim of the e><ercise was to find out whether vfm is attained by looking at the quality of workmanship and of the materials used to meet the desired output.
The specifi c objectives are : * to ascertain whether the Project Implementers complied with the Project terms and conditions; .3. to examine the quality of work done and determine whether vfm is realised; * to establish whether q lity materials were Procured and installed ffi 7 \N, N.' * to bring to light the challenges encountered by the Project Implementers in the course of executing same; * to identiff the gaps and provide solid recommendations; a to find out whether the awards of the Project Contract to UNOPS and contracts to contractors were done in accordance with the required laws or procedures; and .i.
to discover the extent to which UNOPS [the Lead for the Project implementation], adhered to procurement regulations and the tax laws of Sierra Leone.

6.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE The following constitute the membership of the Committee and a Secretary: Chairman N?ai, Abdul Rahman Sannoh, Abdulai B Member Conteh, Mamusu Fatima Member Kamara, Anthony C Member Kamara, Alie Foullah, Musa LA Member Secretary 7.
SCOPEOFTHE EXERCISE Construction of the Walhrvay/Ram; Installation of Two Passengers Ufts; The exercise lasted for months [from August, 2022 lo March, 2023] and covered the following components of the Project: i. ii.

iii.

Construction of a Water Reservoir and a Pump Room; iv.

Construction of a Police Security Post; v. Electrification of the Main Building - 500 l(/A Generator and PV Solar; vi.

Firefighting System; vii.

Project Vehicle fl-oyota Hiluxl; viii.


Plumbing, Tiling, Ceiling, Electricals and Sewage System; ix.

Addressing the Leakages; n dI @- M 8 x.

Expansion of the Leadership Offices, Provision of additional Toilet Facilities, and the Renovation of Staff Offices and Public Toilets; xi.

Maintenance ofThree [3] Main Entrance and Sixteen [16] Exit Doors; xii.

Construction of parliamentary stores and offlces for CSPS xiii.

ICTlnfrastructure.

8.


METHODOLOGY The exercise comprised a review of the Project documents, reports, including letters and memos, Minutes of Meetings and Mails showing evidence of communication and other relevant documents.

Besides, the Committee visited PQect sites with PoSL technical staff to physically verify the quality of materials used and the quality of work done.
The Committee further conducted interviews with the Honourable Speaker of Parliament, the coP, Project Board chairman, Director General (DG), Director of Internal Controls and Compliance (ICC), Director of ICT and team, Director of Sergeant- At-Arms, Facility superuisor and team, aiming at gaining insights into how the Project was awarded and eventually implemented.
In this respect, the review of documents and explanations from interviewees gave this Committee a better understanding of the issues and directed further investigations to specific areas of concern' Again, to ensure fairness and in compliance with the principle of audi alteram partem, the Committee met with Ing, Trudy Morgan for some clarifications on issues raised by Parliamentary Facility and Technical Teams and to hear her (Ing Trudy Morgan) own part, especially on the quality of materials used and the expected results.
9.

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A.

GENERAL FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The following are summaries of the committee's general findings and recommendations: a.

Parliament's Involvement in the Award and Implementation of the Project Interviews conducted and documents reviewed revealed that: ^ \rN., N.'.

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The EU Delegation awarded the P@ect Contract to UNOPS after obtaining a 'No Objection' from PoSL, informing the Leadership of Parliament that the grant was about to lapse unless utilised immediately.

Consequently, the EU Delegation awarded the Contract to UNOPS without following the due procurement process in accordance with the Procurement Laws of Sierra Leone.
In view of the above and in consideration of the fact that EU could have their own procedures r€lating to the award of Projects/Contracts, the Committee is of the view that in future, the country's procurement laws and even donor regulations be strictly adhered to so that a oontractual relationship between the Beneficiala and the Project Implementerls] is clearly established.

b.

Governance ofthe Proiect A Project Board [consisting of the CoP as Chair, Ing.
Trudy Morgan as Secretary, representatives from all Political Parties and Paramount Chiefsl, was established to provide strategic direction, guidance and management of the Project through review and approval of changes to initial plans, priorities, deliverables and schedules.

The Committee observed from the review of Project Board Minutes and interviews conducted with Ing.
Trudy Morgan tuNoPS'Project Managerl, that the Project Board made ceftain changes to the original plans, deliverables and priority areas, such as the provision of ten Des$op Computers [instead of the approved sixty]; Lenovo Tablets [instead of Apple Brand (iPad) suggested by the ICT Director]; not including the Lithium Energy Storage System [Solar Battery] and also dropping the construction of another facility to host the other PV Solar, provision of Lifts and the reinstallation of half of the old aluminum zinc.
However, the Committee noted that the decision to terminate the contracts with BDEV and subsequently awarded to other contractors was not taken by the Project Board, but by UNOPS after consultations with EU.

The Committee was with the opinion that the issue should have been discussed first at Project Board meetings, given the critical nature of same' contingent upon the above, the committee is of the view that in future.
every decision is sanctioned by the established Proiect Board; and that the ffi W-NU decision to not include the second PV Solar and the Lithium Energy Storage system [solar Battery] be reconsidered by the Proiect Board because it will help to store excess electricity that can be used in the event Solar Panels cannot generate enough energy, especially at night and during the rainy seasons when the supply of sunshine is not always constant.
c. Bills of Quantities [BoQsI The BoQs is simply a detailed statement of work, prices, dimensions and other important details in the construction industry.

Wikipedia defines BoQs as a document used in the construction engineering wherein materials, labour and their costs are itemised.
The committee however noted from the review of documents that: * the BoQs were without costs or prices attached; and as a result, the committee was unable to asceF.ain the cost of materials and labour; and * in some instances, the contractors were asked to cost materials, a situation the Committee noted as not only an aberration to normal construction practice, but the possibility for overpricing.
An example hei'e also, was when Mr. Joseph conteh, the ICT Director was directed to do costing for an amount of€500,000 for ICT needs' Basedontheforegoing,thecommitteeisoftheviewthatcomprehensive BoQsaresubmittedtothenewlyestablishedParliamentaryTechnical committee(PTC)forfurtherconsideration;andinfuture,contractorsshould notbeaskedtoprovideGostsofmaterials,soastoavoidconflictsofinterest, which could eventually lead to overpricing' d. Provision of Additional Facilities From the interviews conducted and sites visited, the committee found that some alterationsweremadebythePoectBoard,whichresultedintheprovisionof additional facilities, such as the installation of Litu for people with disabilities, walkway/ram linking the Main Legislative and the Administrative Buildings, Water Reservoir,5OOI(/AGenerator,PVSolar,PolicePost'stores'officesfortheCentrefor Strategy and Parliamentary Studies [CSPS]' expansion of Leadership Offices with additional toilet facilities, etc.
11 A\ ) Whilst commending the Project Board and UNOPS for these adjustments, the Committee however expressed grave concern over poor workmanship and the use of substandard materials in these facilities, especially the wooden plank installed on the walkway and its size, fittings and fixtures, glass and therefore recommends that those materials are replaced with better quality materials and the size of the walkway increased to prevent water from splashing on users when it rains.
e. Ongoing Works Project sites visited and interviews conducted with sites engineers revealed that the contracts for the installation of pipes and other equipment at the Pump Room, installation of solar gadgets, Lifts, etc.

are still ongoing; and recently UNOPS has awarded contracts to address the defects caused by poor work and substandard materials earlier used, especially those relating to plumbing, leakage, ceiling, fittings and fixtures, etc.
In view of the above, the committee recommends that uNoPs erercises urgency and ensure that the various aspects of the Proiect are completed without further delay; and the PTc [through their professional advice] ensures that quality materials are used and quality works are carried out.
f. Relationship between UNOPS and Parliament's Facility Teams Under normal circumstances, it is expected that a healthy work relationship between the resident technical teams and the project implementers is cultivated and nurtured for proper execution of specific tasks.

The Committee however realised from interviews conducted that this ideal situation was not achieved due to reasons best known to both parties.
This created embarrassing situations wherein Parliament's Facility Teams are not opportune to know how the water pipes and electrical cables were run; and in the event there is a glitch somewhere within the building, it would be very difficult to swiftly address the problem by Parliament Facility Teams $-NA 72 Z €I T',S$ pasn spJeog aql lo arnleu prepuelsqns eql tulMoqs ueu/leMllen aqf :Mopq oloqd eas'alnuJ iuslslp-osl-lou aql ur auop s; 6u;q1ou Jl 'NaplDe elqpJoq ol peel plnol leql qlerl snorras paurPlsns a eq Luaql Jo auos pue pasn spreoq p i$lenb Mol eql ol anp de4 qleap e se Aeml;en or,ll poroplsuol eelllr.uluof, aq1 'ranar*op1 'pallslsu!
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], to access important areas such as the Lower and Upper Galleries, Members' Lounge, Stall Hall and Speaker's Level within Parliament.

The Platform Passenger Lift to be installed at the Committee Level Floor would enable same to access the famous Committee Room 1 where Presidential Nominees are vetted and Bills are scrutinised.

The Committee observed that the installation process has commenced.
The Committee commended the Project Board for recommending the incorporation of this aspect into the Project, adding that it is now a global phenomenon for public institutions, especially Government Institutions, Schools, Hospitals, Universities, etc.

to ensure that people with disabilities or people with special needs have barrier free access to the facilities of these institutions.
The Committee is however of the view that the decision to install a Lift at the main entrance of the Main Building, which is now in advanced stage, was not strategic and therefore does not add any real time value to the Project because a ram [expected to serve the same purpose], could have been more economical when considering the amount used to procure same and the cost [electricity consumption, maintenance and related], it would bring parliament in future.
Based on the foregoing and in consideration of the importance of this facility for the disabled community, the Comm recommends that: 15 s'N* * UNOPS expedites the completion of the installation process, so that the facility is made available to would-be userc and proper repairc and maintenance plans (including trainings) are shared with Parliamenfs Facility Teams; .4.
The newly established PTC to follow-up on the quality of works and the quality of materials in use; and * Any future opportunity of same, the area to consider first should be at the back of the Main Building, where there are more staircases.

(iii) coNSTRUcTroN oF A RESERVOIR AND A PUMP ROOM The reservoir is expected to serve as the water storage facility for onward distribution to the Miller Tanks installed at the Main Legislative BuiEing.
Interviews conducted with sites engineers and sites visited revealed the following: {.

The water reservoir is approximately 223 cubic meters and has a capacity of 223,OOO litres, which when completed, would help to salvage the water crisis that has engulfed Parliament for several years.

The reseruoir is shown below: !.r .

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r t ) I I work has resumed at the Pump Room Station and sixty to seventy percent of installation of pipes and other equipment had been done, after several months of stalemate due to termination of initial contract as a result of underperformance and other challenges encountered with the contractor; 16 W ,I -\ See photos below.

Pump Room *thePumpRoomwillserveasthelinkbetweenthemainsourceReservoirandthe Main Buirding.
The committee was reriably informed by UNops project Manager that thefeasibilitystudieshadbeendonebyofficialsfromGUMAandthattheinstallation ofpipesfromGUMAtoParliamentwouldcommencewhenfundsareavailable; *TheoldMillertanksthatareexpectedtoreceivewatersupplyfromthereservoirfor onward distribution to the end users were removed and replaced with new ones' See photograph of new Miller Tanks below: Mf!
.l-t+ a-l+'L,rI( I riia)L_# l h dr- New Miller Tanks lnstalled at the Roof Top of the Main Legilative Building In consideration of the above, the Committee recommends the following: * UilOPS fast-track the completion of the installation of pipes and other equipment, so that the facility is made available to end userc; '/ t7 J- l I' {.

parliamentary staff ar€ trained on how to use the equipment and also an engineer/technicianisattachedintheeventsometechnicalhitchesoccur.
ThiswouldensunewviftresponsetotechnicalfauttsandalsoPrevent Parliament from outsourcing technicians; * The newly established PTC should follow-up on the remaining works to be done and repoft its findings to the Proiect Board' (iv) A SECURITY POLICE POST APolicePost,whichwasnotpaftoftheProject'wasalsoincorporatedand eventually constructed at the top of the Pump Room to address the accommodation problem the police officers are currently facing' so as to provide adequate security withintheprecinctsofParliament.ThenewSecuritystructure,asshownbelow, makes provision for an office, two toilets and a lobby' I I f-.1+,r - -i I - ; 1. i i 1 I i _'l !L# -\ The Police SecuritY Post while applauding the Project Board for suggesting the Gonstruction of a Police PosQ the Committee recommends that proper care is taken' (v) ELECTRIFICATION OF THE MAIN BUILDING - 5OO IO/A GENERATOR AND PV SOI.AR During the course of the investigation, the Committee noted the following: ) ( 18 J.
*theprocurementandinstallationof500l(/AGeneratorwasawardedtolPC Companyandthesaidgeneratorwasratedggo/osatisfactorybyEngineersfrom Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority IEDSA] and Electricity Generation and Transmission Company [EGTC] from the Ministry of Energy [MoE]' However' the Engineers expressed concern over the limited space in which the generator is installed,statingthatitisnotwell-ventilated,Whenthisconcernwasbroughttothe attention of Ing' Trudy Morgan' she promised to look into the issue and probably suggest waYs of addressing same; See photo below: - I i -I ( t 0 P550.!
atc I 500KVA Generator * Apart from the current electricity consumption rate in Parliament, the said generator is believed to provide electricity for more than ten additional buildings with similar electrical load, even though it was rumored that it consumption rate is twice higher than the previous generator; .1.

The Stanchions and other materials for the installation of Solar Panels and Inverters have been procured and work has commenced at the Forecourt.
see photos below: &tu- z Solar Pannels d V,' ,) n t, L9 It was revealed that when completed, the Solar PV would help to reduce the electricity problem in the event there is no electricity supply from EDSA or the generator, While commending the Project Board and UNOPS for the anclusion of this aspect into the Project, the Committee however recommends the following: * the decasion to not include the Solar Battery be reconsidered by the Proiect Board to help store excess electracity that can be used in the event Solar Panels cannot generate enough energy, especially during the rainy seasons when the supply of sunshine is not always constant.
The decision for the installation of only one of the two proposed ones should be revisited; and .i.

the wall at the back of Power House should be slit open, so as to allow enough air to enter or erect a makeshift structure outside the Power House for the said purpose.

(vi) FIREFIGHTINGSYSTEM Firefighting system is a very important activity geared towards preventing fire from causing more damage and institutions are taking proactive steps to ensure that modalities are put in place to tackle this menace.
The Committee noted during sites visits and interviews conducted that the firefighting equipment [such as hydrants and extinguishersl, as shown in the photo below, have been procured and distributed to strategic locations within the Building.
1 \ \ H : t ) --' Fire Extinguisher Fire Hydra nt 20 ' ,) \ While noting the final phase of the installation process is now in advanced stage, the committee however recommends that additional hydrants and extinguishers are provided and proper training is given to staff on how to use them.
(vii) PROJECTVEHICLE ITOYOTA HILUXI When asked to explain the procurement process leading to the purchase of the Toyota Hilux, the Project Manager, Ing, Trudy Morgan replied that, UNOPS usually follow their own procurement procedures and every procurement process is scrutinised by EU, including the one for the procurement of the Project Vehicle floyota Hiluxl.
she concluded that uNoPS is not obliged to follow any other procurement laws or other donor regulations' Thevehiclewaspresentedtothecommitteeforphysicalverification,but since it [the Committee] lacked the technical competence to ascertain whether it is brand new or no!
the committee therefore recommends that Ing.TrudyMorganshareswiththePTCtheProcurementrulesintheaward of contracts and procurement of goods and services' and Parliament hires thetechnicalseruicesoftheSierraLeoneRoadssafetyAuthorityISLRSA]for a proPer evaluation of the said vehicle on the day it wilt be handed over to Parliament' (viii) PLUMBING, TILING, CEILING, ELECTRICALS AND SEWAGE SYSTEM Plumbing,tiling,ceiling,sewagesystemandensuringconstantsupplyofelectricityare criticalcomponentsinmeetingthecriticalneedsofPoSL.Interviewsconductedand sites visits revealed the following: * The plumbing works, especially in the public and leadership toilet rooms were not properlydoneandsomeoftheflushtoiletsintheLeadershipofficesstillreturn water, thereby producing an unbearable stench' Plumbing materials were also consideredtobeofnotthespecifiedquality.Itwashowevernotedduringthe recent sites visits that work to address this issue has resumed; 21 l,t^b * Incomplete tiling at the basement earlier observed has been completed and the tiling process was commended by the Committee although it was unable to determine whether the tiles used were the ones mentioned in the BoQs because they [BoQs] were not spotted in any of the documents submitted; .i.
The work for the installation of ceiling tiles was not properly done and in some areas within the Building, the ceiling tiles have started falling down as shown below' It was also observed that the ceiling tiles in some areas were removed by the contractors, so as to prevent them from being affected by the leakage.
The Committee however noted that the contract to address this issue had been awarded and work has commenced; .t The new electrical cables have been installed and the main Distribution Board at the Power House and Sub-distribution Boards at the Pump Room and other parts of the building, including the Automatic Power Transfer [Change-over] have been connected, but are yet to be energised.
The old electrical system is still in operation; * A new septic tank had been constructed to ensure proper sewage disposal and the sewage pipes from the septic to the Freetown City Council [FCC] also installed.

In view of the above and in consideration of the fact that thse aspects of the Proiect are still under construction, the Committee recommends that the PTC follow up with the ongoing works with a clear focus on the quality of workmanship and materials.

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(ix) ADDRESSING THE LEAKAGES Interviews conducted and sites visited revealed the following: ,, the issue of the leakages was presented as if the roof was the main cause of the problem; and as a result, aluminum zincs were removed, replanted and re-roofed with half of the old aluminum zincs; * It was discovered that the expanded parapets and even the terraces absorbed water, thereby ciusing serious leakages.
This prompted UNOPS to apply additional concrete [about 4 inches thickness] on all expanded parapets, thereby adding more weight to over sixty [60] years old building.
The Committee further observed serious lacerations lslits/cracks] on the floors were the additional concrete was applied, which the Committee considered as either due to poor mixture or poor workmanship; * As shown in the photo below, the pipes that were installed in the drainage gutters [pass through the male and female public toilets situated along the Speaker's Level] were poorly installed and this caused serious leakages in those toilets and other places; I !
=r I I I -E' rE I t - Roof Terraces * places that never experienced seepages, such as Members' Lounge, the Parliamentary Library and many others now experience serious leakages and those with minor leakages now experience more leaks than any other time in the History of Sierra Leone Parliament; * additional concrete was surfaced on top of the concrete in the Main Building, adding more load to the Building.
The Committee also noticed cracks all over the area that 23 {''' additional concrete was surfaced, which it (the committee) considered as poor workmanshiP; .
:.itwashowevernotedthatthecontracttorectifoandaddressthisproblemhasbeen awardedtoacompanyandtheCommitteewasinformedbythesiteengineersthat theleakageshavebeenaddressed,buttheCommitteereserveditsopiniononthese claimsuntiltherainsprovethemrightorwrong.TheCommitteefurthernotedthat noprovisionwasmadetoreplacethebrokenwindowglassesoftheboxofficesat State Hall, which also contribute to the leakages whenever its rains' Based on the foregoing and in view of the fact that work is ongoing and it is very difficult to determine, at this period' whether the leakages have been addressedornot,theCommitteerecommendsthatthePTCfollowuponthe ongoingworkswithaviewtoensuringthatalldefectsassociatedwiththe leakages are adiusted and the Proiect Board should ensure that the broken window glasses in the Library, State Hall and other offices are replaced without further delay' The PTC should also investigate properly and report on the causes of the cracks' (x) EPANSION OF THE LEADERSHIP OFFICES, PROVISION OF TOILET FACILMES, AND THE RENOVANON OF SIAFF OFFICES AND PUBLIC TOILFIS The committee noted from the review of project Board Minutes, sites visited and i nterviews conducted that: * a decision was taken to not onry repair the Leadership offices, but to also expand theofficesandprovidetoiletfacilitiesforallLeadershipoffices,includingshowers.
ThecommitteedescribedthedecisionasstrategicandthuscommendedtheProject Board, stating that the dignity of the Leaders of this House has been restored' The Committeehoweverexpressedseriousconcernoverpoorworkmanshipandtheuse of low quality handheld bidets' wash hand basins' etc' in both the Leadership and Publictoiletfacilities.TheflushtoiletsinaSampleofLeadershipofficesandvisitors, toilets.
are malfunctioning; and in other instances' the urinals were not only I \ malfunctioning, but highly installed, thereby making it difficult for shofter people to use without tiptoeing; * The Committee further noted that the glass walls installed were substandard, but Madam Trudy Morgan informed the Committee that the procurement of some of the materials took place during the period when COVID-19 was at its highest peak and most of the companies that were manufacturing quality products were temporarily closed and UNOPS had to make use of available ones.
She added that the quality materials companies used produce twenty to thirty years ago rarely seen these days, adding that the length and size of iron rod [for instance] had been reduced.

* The flush door locks are of low quality and some are no longer working, and due to heavy drilling, crack walls were spotted in several parts of the Building; * staff offices on the last floor around State Hall had their wooden doors replaced, but only few of those offices were painted.
* on the issue of the timber used (which the committee also considered is of low quality) in the construction of the Ram and the walkway, the response from Ing.

Trudy Morgan was that the site engineer (who was responsible for the certification of materials used) accepted and certified that the timbers were of the right quality and flt for purpose.

she (Ing.
she (Ing.

Trudy Morgan) however fufther commented on same that, no matter the quality of materials used in any construction work, if maintenance is lacking, the result would be what we are experiencing now.

And this, she added, is going for other areas, especially the toilets where she advised for a consistent and proper cleaning and clearing.

she even drew the committee's attention to a call from the Speaker of Parliament on the blockage of the facility in the office of the speaker.
To her surprised, when she got the facility, she realised that it was blocked by a substance that is normally the cause of such blockages' Inviewoftheaboveandinconsiderationofthefactthatworkhasresumed to identify and address these issues, the Committee recommends that: il 25 i * the remaining ofrices are painted and the PTC follow up on all ongoing works with a view to ensuring that quality materials are properly installed; and * Proper care in the use of the facilities and maintenance of same must be practiced by all and sundry.
The Committee also request for the call and questioning of the then Site Engineer who at the time ceftified that all materials procured were of the requisite quality, which turns out to be the opposite [in the Committeet view].

(xi) MAINTENANCEOFTHREE [3] MAIN ENTRANCEANDSIXTEEN [16] E(ITDOORS The contract for the installation of three main entrance doors was awarded to BDEV.
The Committee first realised that the three main entrances were supposed to be access control (biometric) doors and fire rated, but the ones initially installed did not meet the requirements.

It was also noted that the sixteen [16] exit doors that were installed are substandard and most of them were malfunctioning.

However, the Committee observed that the contract to replace same had been awarded and work has commenced.

See photo below: -:F F I r- T II *.


I]I,Eb Aluminium Door Frames In this regard, the Committee recommends that UNOPS erercises urgency and ensures that the work is expedited and the PTC follow up on the ongoing view to confirming the quality of glass and quality works with a worknanship.
ffi'tu\i^l' 26 I Iat a (xii) PRoVISION OF PARLIAMENTARY SIORES AND CONSTRUCTION OF OFFICES FOR CSPS During the course of the investigation, the committee noted that spacious Parliamentary stores was provided and UNoPS co-funded [tiling, ceiling and electrificationl the construction of a training center and offices for the CSPS situated at the basement.

The Committee however received no complaints from end users, but serious leakages were detected in the stores, which damaged many stores items.
The site engineer however revealed that the leakages had been identified and addressed.

In consideration of the fact that it is very difficult to determine, at this period, whether the leakages have been addressed or not, the committee recommends that the PTC foltow up on this issue.
(xiii) ICT INFRASTRUCTURE The committee also conducted interviews with Parliament ICT Team since the ICT infrastructure is a major component of the Project and it is expected that the ICT Function in Parliament would have supported the process in their capacity as custodians of the Network.
From the deliberations and sites visits conducted, the Committee noted a plethora of unresolved issues as mentioned below: a.TheProjectBoardapprovedalllCTrelatedcontractstobeadvertisedina competitive bidding before they are awarded, but the networking and installation component was awarded to BDEV [a building construction company with no knowledgeinlCl],withoutadvertortheapprovaloftheProjectBoard.
consequently, they were not assessed by the Procurement Technical committee established for the PurPose; b.TheProjectBoardremovedfromtheProjecteverythingthathastodowiththe chamber, apart from the procurement of tablets for MPs, where again, there is a change of specs.

Parliament ICT Director recommended for the purchase of Apple Brand [iPad], whose batteries serve longer than any other brand, but two hundred and fifty [250] Lenovo Tablets were provided.
In a meeting with the Project Board, submitted that Apple Brand [iPad] Tablets are too expensive and that they .J &a* M ffib^tit 27 tuNoPsl would prefer Lenovo Tablets.
Even when UNoPS decided to make changes from Apple Brand [iPad] to other brand, Parliament's ICT technicians [who are the custodians of ICT Facilities and advisers to the end users as beneficiaries to ascertain durabilityl, were not consulted; c. The ICT Director recommended for one hundred [100] desktop computers, the project Board approved sixty t60l to be used by the center for strategy and Parliamentary Studies ICSPS] for training purposes, but only ten [10] and few printers were procured without the approval of the Project Board; d. The BoQs for internet networking and Fiber Optic connection make provision for cisco switches [which have the advantage of direct connectivity without third party devicesl, but low quality ubiquity switches that do not have provisions for direct fiber optic connections, unless third party devices, such as hub connectors, are used to link the fibers to the switches.
This situation is reported to have been causing serious Problems on the network; e. The number of access points that were approved by the Project Board were reduced upon installation and both the equipment and cables used for the installation process were of lower quality than was specified, and the equipment and cables were not the ones approved by the Project Board; f. The sofuruare that were approved by the Project Board and which were reported to have taken a chunk of the money were not the ones procured and the users were also reduced.
For instance: i.

The Microsoft Exchange Server that was approved by the Project Board [with 150 users, licenses], was replaced with Zimbra open Source [with only 50 users, licensel and was not procured in the name of Parliament, but in the name of the supplier, Thus, in the event there are problems with the sofharare, Parliament can only contact the supplier and not the Manufacturer, who [supplier] would charge consultation fees, thereby posing additional financial burden on arliament.
It was also noted that the open source Zimbra sofunare is insecure and very unstable; 28 Itr"tt-1, ii.

The ALFRESCO EDMS Softrruare was not procured in the name of Parliament; but instead, the Suppliers shared their Alfresco License with Parliament.

This issue Was reported to the UNoPS team, but nothing was done to address it.

The Committee noted that in the event the Sofu,rrare is disconnected, subscription or renewal fee would be charged and this would add more financial burden on Parliament.
It was also reported that the sofuarare was not completely designed and developed; and this has resulted in a situation where some departments were left out because of the format UNOPS Project Manager used to gather data for the development of same.

Parliament ICT Team was ignored in the process; iii.

The Dragon Nuance Transcription softratare that was procured is reported to be theoldesteditionandismarredwithlotsoftranscriptionproblems; iv.
The Finance/Project Management Softrruare that was approved by the Project Boardwasnottheonesuppliedandthecommitteewasinformedthatthe installation, configuration and deployment to fit into Parliament's Accounting Systemisyettobecarriedout,thusmakingitVerydifficultforParliamentlCT TeamtorollovertheuseoftheSoftrruaretotheendusers,includingFinance Department; v,MicrosoftDynamicsGP2020wasapproved,butthesupplierprocured365 Softurare,whichlacksthefacilitiesandfeaturesofGP2020'Again'theSecurity FirewallthatwasapprovedbytheProjectBoardwasreplacedwithalesser quality by the Supplier, but UNOPS accepted the change of Specs without the collaboration of Parliament ICT Team; vi.
UPS were not provided for the Servers, the Centralised Network Switches and Ubiquity Router, which has created a situation where these gadgets are susceptible to bad current.

It was reported that the Servers supplied are completelydifferentfromwhatwasapprovedasindicatedinthebidding documents.Again,theoperatingsystemsandofficeApplicationsSoftralarethat approved by the Project Board were removed by UNOPS and the Supplier out the knowledge of Parliament ICT Team; ith 29 Wtrl vii.
The Project Board approved for the purchase of giant photocopier machines, but that aspect was later removed; viii.The Live Video Streaming Systems UNOPS bought is incomplete as there are no character generator, instant replay system, centralised robotic camera, multi camera switcher digital video mixer, multi-camera switcher, recorders, encoders, title writer and it does not synchronise to the transcription system and the other systems; ix.
The Wi-Fi Ubiquity access points were short range and cannot pierce through walls.

This is why the W-Fi network is not in some offices, but can only be accessed in the corridors; x.

Six [6] offices [2 transport office, facility office, hospital offices, drivers' office, PAC Office, LUC and security entrance officel were removed from the Local Area Networks [-AN] facility and at the same time not provided with network; xi.

Instead of Advanced Security Firewall, Foftigate 100 Firewall was provided.
And this was reported to be too small to contain high ended network traffic, and does not meet the criteria of high ended security protection.

Also, the change in specs, from Microsoft Dynamics GP to dynamics 360 ERP, is not only with less advanced features, but is reported to not meeting the ITB set standards; xii.
Instead of Advanced High Ended Network Switch, Ordinary Ubiquitl Network Switches [which do not meet the criteria on the ITB], for the l-AN installation were supplied; g. The Project Board discussed and approved 500,000 Euro for the ICT component of the Project and the ICT Director was asked to develop a budget around that figure, but as shown in Annex 1, not all those materials were provided.
In view of the above, and in considerataon of the fact that PoSL is striving to become an e-Parliament and a paperless institution, the Committee 'considered the ICT component as critical and therefore deserves special attention.

Thus, the Committee recommends that UNOPS, on the advice and I i30 ffir4 ,{ supervision of the Project Board, looks into these issues mentioned above, with a view to addressing same without further delay.

r0.
r0.

coNclusroN Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, this report is a manifestation of the Leadership and MPs' dissatisfaction over the materials used and the quality of work done.
The Committee believes that, if its findings and recommendations contained in this report [which were obtained through sites visits with Parliamenfs Technical Teams, interviews with various stakeholders and the review of documentsl, are taken into account and implemented, they would help to address the defects; even though the Committee's draft report presented earlier, during the meeting between the Parliamentary Leadership and EU/UNOPS, was considered by Ing.
Trudy Morgan as inconsistent and was fraught with inaccuracies.

However, the said summary draft report raised the alarm button and unveiled a legion of issues, which are currently under serious consideration for rectification.

Let me at this point express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Members of the PQAC for their supports and the Leadership of Parliament, not forgetting the CoP, who doubles as Project Board Chair, for giving the PQAC the opportunity to serve in a different capacity.
Special thanks go to the Secretary, Mr. Musa Leonald Amid Foullah for documenting these findings.

The Committee however stands by its previous observations until those issues are addressed.

a- ,,1 ffi, vt 31 ; No.


1 ANNEXES Annex 1: ICT Components and Costing ^\'^\ M The critical ICT needs upgrade is divided into 7 priority areas are crucial and immediate needs for enhancement that wlll actualise the core functlons of Parliament and will make Parliament Open, Transparent and Accesslble to the General Public and will mate Members of Parllament (MPs) more effective and efriclent in delivering their dutles.
The priorlty areas are as 05-96256N1-124 (NVR)Third-party network cameras supported Up to 12 Megapixels resolution recording, 24 SATA interfaces Supports H.264+,H.264,MPEG4,H.255,MJPEG video format Dome camera-(DS-2cd2125fwd-is) 2mp Bullet Camera-(DS-2cd2t25fwd-i5) 2mp Dome camera- (DS-2cd214Sfwd-is) 4mp Bullet Camera-(ds-2cd2045fwd-i) 4mp POE Extender GiBabit POE Switch Core Switch 62' Monitor 10 15 TB HDo(Storase Hard Disk) 11 t2 13 CATG Network cables (305m) camera Poles (galvanized) Fittin8s and Accessories not provided not provided not provided not provided not provided not provided not provided not provided not provided not provided not provided not provided not provided 1 7,215.50 7,21s.50 65 164.798 to,7tt.87 45 164.798 7,4r5.9L 20 188.3331 3,766.66 15 188.3331 2,825.
@ 15 94.16654 1,412.50 8 612.0825 4,896.65 2 188.3331 376.67 2 282.4996 565.00 15 235.4163 3,s31.24 40 141.2498 5,649.99 9 141.2498 1,27t.25 1 2,825.00 2,825.00 32 14 15 1 2 1 2 3 D 1 2 (Connectors, clips, Ri 45, B&C, trunked box, PVC, etc.)

not provided lnstallation, Configuration & testing.
not provided Une Total Apple lPad 32gb for Members of Parliament provided no HP desktop computers for staff and the training center (i7 lntelcore processor, 500 gb HDD, Sgb RAM) 10 supplied Line Total LITHOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS Riso Comcolor 7150 Riso EZ 571 Canon lmage Runner Advance C3525i lll not provided not provided not provlded Far8o DTC 4500e Dual sided l.D.
Card printer to print MPS and staff lD Cards not Line Total Sony HXR-NX100 HD NXCAM Camcorder Video Mixer - Roland -V-4EX Digital 3 Go Pro Hero 5 Cameras UGREEN Micro HDMI to HDMI Cable Male to Female 4 Micro HDMI 5 5 7 8 9 HTTX-Connector- Coupler adapter Tripod HDMI Cable HDMI connector HDMI Twisted pairs 10 Cannon EOS - still pictures Line Total I no no no no no no no no no no provided provided provided provided provided provided provided provlded provided provided E 1 Unifi Security Gateway Pro Enterprise Router with GiEabit Ethernet (USG-PRO-4) provided no et) 1 3,766.66 3 766.66 55,229.90 250 448.16 712,040.25 60 980.00 58,800.00 170,840,25 1 1 1 1 7000 7,000.00 8000 8,000.00 4000 4,000.00 2,555.51 2,555.51 3 2,242.55 | 2,063.47 4 t148.59 6,727.65 2,063.47 L,794.36 5 13.46 3 13.46 3 89.72 3 s3.83 5 8.97 2 22.43 67.29 40.38 269.16 161.50 53.84 44.47 1 1,390.95 1,390.95 I 477.a9 477.89 33 3 : F 1 2 3 Checkpoint 15600 Security Gateway Firewall not provided Barracuda Next4en x 500 Network Firewall not provided r,tl) 1 r 40,000.00 rt0,000.00 627.02 627.O2 provided no t2 902.55 10,830.55 48 ports Cisco Gigabit POE Switch Catalyst 2960- 48 GiBE POE 740W, 4 x 1G SFP, LAN Base CAT 6 Network cables (305 meters) Big sized trunked box Medium sized trunked box Small sized trunked box Tack nails 10 supplied 25 supplled 25 supplied 25 supplied yes yes yes 10 Cable tie 11 RJ 45 Network connectors 72 Network wall iack & wall plate for jack 10 supplied 45 supplied 13 Cable stripper L4 Network crimping tools 15 Network tester Une Total Ctn 20 108.29 2,155.88 50 19.00 950.00 50 17.00 850.00 50 16.00 800.00 40 s.00 200.00 40 7.00 280.00 20 19.00 380.00 100 7.00 700.00 t2 10.00 120.00 Pkt Pkt Pct.
Pcs Pcs t2 15.00 180.00 58,961.34 1 44,337.85 44,337.85 L L5,O4L.72 Ls,04L.72 not provided 20 20.00 400.00 HPE ProLiant D1580 gen10 8164 4P 256G8-R P408i-p SSFF 4x1600w PS Perf Server provided no HPE 3PAR Storeserv 9000 Storage with 6000 TlB not provided Windows Server 2019 Ultimate Edition Software, 54 Bit Service Pack ll provided no 1 1,343.54 Line Total 723.!r Alfresco Enterprise Content Management System (100 users) provided Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains systems (10 users) provided no no 100 89,609.44 10 2,240.24 22,402.40 windows 10 ultimate edition volume license (200 users) not provided 200 L79,2L 35,842.80 Corel Video Studic Pro 2019 Adobe CS 5 Suite not provided 1 I 350.00 350.00 2,342.4r 2,342.4r 34 1 6 7 8 Dragon Naturally speaking software for transcription of plenary deliberations and hearings (Nuance Systems) Microsoft Exchan8e Server 2019 Bulk sMs platform Line Total Grand Total 10 315.853 3,158.53 153,705.58 534,629.L7 ,,4 35