Government of Sierra Leone National Assistive Technology Procurement Guidelines of Sierra Leone

The Rationale for the guidelines 

Currently, Sierra Leone does not have standard procurement guidelines for AT, resulting in partners including donors using different methods of procuring and distributing AT products. In the absence of procurement guidelines, it has been difficult to coordinate how AT products should be procured and distributed in the country. Additionally, the AT products that have been procured were not assessed whether they meet the set standards. These procurement guidelines  would help to coordinate and standardize the procurement of AT products in Sierra Leone. This would lead to the procurement of appropriate and good quality AT devices that would meet the needs of the users. 

The scope of these guidelines

The Procurement Guidelines are a major step in defining what AT should be most readily available for persons with disabilities in Sierra Leone, and how persons with disabilities can access this AT safely and effectively. The Procurement guidelines aim to help guide Sierra Leone on how to 
access appropriate and quality assistive products, accessories, spare parts, and related services that are safe to use, at fair prices. Assistive products may be procured from different sources; directly from the manufacturer or its economic operators (supplier, distributor, agent, etc.), and may be locally manufactured or imported. Assistive products may also be acquired through pooled procurement, donations from nongovernmental organizations, or refurbishing used products. They can be procured by the public as well as private organizations, including nongovernmental and user organizations.