The National Roads Authority (NRA) on Wednesday 3rd April 2024 commenced a two-day SWOT workshop to help inform the study to restructure the institutional and organisational framework of the NRA to deliver better and safer roads for The Gambia.
The SWOT workshop seeks to critically assess factors that might affect NRA’s business and, in the process, develop strategies, systems and policies to develop the strengths of the institution and leverage the opportunities available to overcome some of the potential challenges/threats the institution is likely to face.
The meeting which gathered the NRA’s key stakeholders, including key stakeholders and partners was held at the Bakadaji Hotel in Kololi.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Ousman Sanyang, Managing Director of the National Roads Authority (NRA) said that the SWOT workshop intends to critically review key aspects of NRA’s operations regarding strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT).
The NRA boss, who just returned from a benchmarking study tour to Rwanda and Namibia noted that the study is meant to support and inform the institutional and organisational restructuring of the NRA.
According to him, President Barrow has a vision for the country in terms of road infrastructure, noting that the Gambian leader is very passionate about road building which the NRA will support.
“We need to build our roads better. We need to reposition and restructure the NRA to deliver for the country. We have to build differently, and we have to challenge the status quo” he said.
He further said: “We have to challenge ourselves to look at what we have been doing in the past that has not been working. So, we need to be self-critical of ourselves sometimes. If you’ve been doing something for a long time and it doesn’t work and you continue to do it, it’s not good practice. We need to think differently, and that’s one of the reasons why SMD Policy Management Group is a partner, to help us reform and restructure the NRA. “
Meanwhile, SMD Policy Management Group is the consultant for the study to restructure the NRA.
Ebrima Cham, Chairman of the NRA Board of Directors said the SWOT Workshop is very important as it seeks to help the NRA know its strengths and weaknesses being an Agency delivering key infrastructure for the country.
“NRA is a very important institution in the country. It is the agency that is delivering the vision of the Gambian leader who is focused on infrastructure development. As board members, we want to make sure that the NRA is efficient and effective in the way that they are doing things.”
According to him, as a Board, they have been very supportive of NRA, adding that one of the reasons for having the SMD study ‘’is basically to look at the whole institutional setup to see how they can make the institution work better and deliver better results in a much more effective way’’.
Sanna Darboe, Chief Executive Officer, of SMD Policy Management Group, said that the workshop is aimed at having a review of the organisational structure and having a new organisational framework with the scheme of services and all the instruments that will go along with that to ensure that the NRA responds adequately to the business of the institution.