Strategic Human Resource Management and Institutional Governance: Bridging Policy and Practice in the Gambian Public Sector

Abstract

Public sector reforms in The Gambia have emphasized accountability, transparency, and good governance, yet gender disparities and patronage networks continue to undermine merit-based recruitment and inclusion. Women hold only 8.6% of parliamentary seats and 31.4% of senior management positions, while institutional support for marginalized groups remains inadequate (Afrobarometer, 2022; Senghore, 2018). Despite constitutional guarantees of equality, non-discrimination, merit-based appointments, and equal access to public service under Sections 33, 172, 174, and 220 of the 1997 Constitution, these principles remain insufficiently integrated into human resource management (HRM). Addressing the gap between constitutional law and strategic HRM, this study analyzes constitutional provisions, public service regulations, and governance practices through normative juridical and institutional approaches. The findings reveal a gap between formal compliance and substantive implementation in recruitment, promotion, performance management, and leadership development. The study proposes a constitutional compliance model of strategic HRM, which entails integrating equality, meritocracy, accountability, and transparency into recruitment and promotion, performance management, and leadership development systems. This study contributes to interdisciplinary literature and provides practical recommendations for public sector reform by redefining constitutional governance as a management framework rather than merely a legal constraint. The findings highlight the importance of aligning HR strategies with constitutional values to strengthen institutional legitimacy, employee engagement, and long-term governance stability in emerging democracies.