Government Of Liberia Research Articles

Examining the Forms of Central Government’s Dominance over Local Governments in Liberia

In recent years, the government of Liberia and its stakeholders have developed several policies towards decentralization that have led to significant developments. However, challenges still remain, especially the dominance of the central government, political greed, etc. This study aims to identify the forms of central government’s dominance over local governments in Liberia and its impacts on local governance. This research applied a qualitative method with primary data obtained through interviews with relevant informants and secondary data obtained through analysis of previous studies, mass media, and policies regarding decentralization in Liberia, and analyzed using an interactive model in addition to the NVivo 12 Plus software. The findings reveal that the central government exerts dominance in three forms, including visible, hidden, and invisible forms. Visible forms include explicit regulations predominantly financial control and local officials' appointment, which allowed the central government to dictate local governance. Hidden forms mainly include intimidation and political party influence, which are not publicly acknowledged, allowing the central government to maintain its dominance and often devaluing local agendas. Invisible forms mainly include institutional capture and policy development, shaping the mindsets of local officials and citizens as well as viewing this dominance as natural, thus leading to a culture of silence. Hence, the research emphasizes the need for further reforms to ensure a balanced distribution of power and the independence of local governments to serve communities effectively and make decisions aligned with local needs.

Hybrid security governance in Liberia in the aftermath of UN intervention

ABSTRACT What can we expect in terms of security governance in targeted states as international peacebuilding interventions and security sector reform ends? Can we assume that years of reform and capacity building will result in formal security institutions whose function alone can explain stability or instability, sustainable peace or relapses into violence, or even war? In 2018, the United Nations ended its peacekeeping mission in Liberia. Celebrated as a success and role model for future undertakings, scrutinising the UN narrative may appear as a natural starting point for analysing Liberia’s relative stability. Yet, in the Liberian case, formal performance reviews will never be sufficient. This paper, with a conceptual point of departure in theories of hybrid security governance, recognises the continued entangled nature of formal and informal security provision in Liberia. It argues that post-intervention narratives of success should not keep us from assessing security beyond formal state capacity. Instead, holistic approaches are key to understand security governance as non-state security providers are, for better or worse, likely to remain relevant despite years of reform and capacity building.

Prevalence and determinants of home delivery among reproductive age women, Margibi County, Liberia

BackgroundThe use of institutional delivery services is essential for improving maternal and child health. However, studies in Liberia reveal over 20% of women still deliver at home. We assessed the prevalence and associated factors of home delivery among women of reproductive age in Margibi County, Liberia.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study among 438 women of reproductive age in Margibi County. Data were obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire. A simple random sampling approach was used to select the participants for the study. We performed binary logistic regression to identify factors influencing home delivery. Findings were summarized into tables displaying the frequencies, percentages, crude, and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsPrevalence of home delivery in the County was 90.6% (95% CI = 87.5 – 93.0). Women who were ≥ 31 years (aOR = 6.74, 95%CI = 2.86—15.90), women who had two or more children (aOR = 9.68, 95%CI = 4.07—22.99) and those who had rapid onset of labor (aOR = 6.35, 95%CI = 1.59 – 25.27) were associated with increased odds of home delivery. Good attitude of health workers (aOR = 0.01, 95%CI = 0.001 – 0.08) and the availability of transport to the nearest health facility (aOR = 0.01, 95%CI = 0.003 – 0.03) were factors associated with a decreased odds of home delivery among the study participants.ConclusionThe high prevalence of home delivery in the county is a call for urgent interventions by the government of Liberia and various non-governmental organizations. The government may need to supply the county with ambulances and ensure in-service training of health workers on good attitudes.

The intellectual capital supporting nurse practice in a post-emergency state: A case study.

AimTo explore the resources supporting current nurse practice in the post‐emergency country of Liberia, using the nursing intellectual capital framework, as nurses work to meet the targets set by Government of Liberia's Essential Package of Health Services.DesignCase study.MethodsData were collected in Liberia February–June 2019. Direct observation, semi‐structured interviews and photographs were used to investigate how nurse practice is supported. Field notes, transcripts and photographs were coded using both directed and conventional content analysis. Reports were then generated by code to triangulate the data.ResultsThirty‐seven nurses at 12 health facilities participated. The intellectual capital supporting inpatient and outpatient nurse practice differs in important ways. Inpatient nurse practice is more likely to be supported by facility‐based protocols and trainings, whereas outpatient nurse practice is more likely to be supported by external protocols and trainings, often developed by the Liberian government or non‐governmental organizations. This can lead to uneven provision of inpatient protocols and trainings, often favouring private facilities. Similarly, inpatient nurses rely primarily on other nurses at their facilities for clinical support while outpatient nurses often have external professional relationships that provided them with clinical guidance.ConclusionMuch has been accomplished to enable outpatient nurses to provide the primary‐ and secondary‐care target services in the Essential Package of Health Services. However, as the Liberian government and its partners continue to work towards providing certain tertiary care services, developing analogous protocols, trainings and clinical mentorship networks for inpatient nurses will likely be fruitful, and will decrease the burden on individual facilities.ImpactNurses are often expected to meet new service provision targets in post‐emergency states. Further research into how best to support nurses as they work to meet those targets has the potential to strengthen health systems.

ASSESSING THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS OF INHABITANTS OF MONTSERRADO COUNTY, LIBERIA

Many communities continue to suffer from different forms of disasters, ranging from Flood, fire outbreaks, wind, and health-related disasters. The study was done in Montserrado County, Liberia, and sought to determine the proportion of homes actively prepared for possible emergencies, the proportion of households that get disaster intervention provided by the Government of Liberia during the time of the disaster, and the primary source of disaster information amongst various outlets. A community-based cluster sampling method was employed. Fifteen clusters were randomly selected, and we distributed 900 questionnaires, of which 791 came back. 90% of respondents heard about the disaster before, with about 32% of them being affected by a disaster. Only 17% discussed disaster at home, with 93% of all responsible family members not being current in First Aid. Less than 1% of family members know how to use fire extinguishers. 50% of respondents got information through the radio/TV stations (37%) of respondents rely on family and friends for information. 1% of the families expect government interventions, 28% from neighbors/community, and 14% from the Liberian Red Cross. 8% of families depend on themselves, with another 8% not knowing where to seek help. To conclude, some households have been directly affected by a disaster. However, the majority are not prepared for disaster. National disaster response agencies, such as the Disaster Management Agency and the National Fire Service, need to be empowered to respond to disasters effectively and efficiently. Disaster preparedness in Liberia must incorporate training of community organizations responsible for disaster preparedness and be empowered to provide immediate intervention while calling for outside or national assistance

Citizen monitoring promotes informed and inclusive forest governance in Liberia

Global forest loss depends on decisions made in the rural, often poor communities living beside the Earth's remaining forests. Governance problems in these forest-edge communities contribute to rapid deforestation and household vulnerability. In coordination with experimental studies in 5 other countries, we evaluate a program that recruits, trains, and deploys citizens to monitor communal forestland in 60 communities in rural Liberia. The year-long intervention is designed to promote more informed and inclusive resource governance, so that that citizens' preferences (and not just leaders' interests) are reflected in forest management. In our control communities, households are uninformed and disengaged; leaders' authority is unchecked. The program both engages and mobilizes community members: households are better informed and participate more in the design and enforcement of rules around forest use. They also report receiving more material benefits from outside investors' activities in their community forests. The chiefs who lead these communities attest to strengthened accountability. Using both on-the-ground environmental assessments and remotely sensed data, we find no effects on forest use or deforestation. Households do not favor more conservation, and, thus, more inclusive management does not reduce forest use. Conservation likely requires compensating community members for foregoing forest use; citizen monitoring, we argue, could ensure that such schemes enjoy popular support and do not just benefit local elites.

Land in Liberia: The Initial Source of Antagonism Between Freed American Blacks and Indigenous Tribal People Remains the Cause of Intense Disputes

This study examines factors of land grabbing in Liberia, especially from tribal communities, due originally to different social expectations regarding land and contracts between indigenous people and settlers from America. In addition, land appropriation throughout the history of the Liberian nation is due largely to the Americo-Liberian oligarchy and public corruption. The study analyzes survey, empirical, and concession contracts data gathered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sustainable Development Institute, Government of Liberia, Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia, and United Nations Mission in Liberia. It then correlates associations between a number of concession companies, their land acreage under operation, county acreage, and incidence of land grabbing to demonstrate an increase in disputes during the early 2000s due to practices of corrupt public officials. This has resulted from the consistent implementation of inequitable land laws, which have perpetuated land transfer from tribal communities to mostly Americo-Liberian descendants and foreign concessionaires. This land appropriation has fostered public corruption, increased land related disputes, and raised the level of conflict in Liberian society.

The Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program in Liberia, 2015-2018

Background: The Liberian Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program (LFETP-F) was initiated by the Government of Liberia in 2015 in partnership with other organizations. Introduction of the program formed part of measures to improve integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) following the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa. We describe the establishment and implementation of the program, its outputs, and evaluated to determine whether it is meeting its objectives. Methods: We followed the logic model for the program to describe the inputs, activities, outputs, and evaluated the short term impact. We reviewed stakeholder meeting and training reports and interviewed a public health official to describe the establishment, implementation, and outputs of the training. We compared IDSR indicators before and after the inception of LFETP-F and described findings from a post-graduation assessment to determine the impact of the program. Results: Stakeholder discussions towards developing human resource capacity to meet Internal Health Regulations after the EVD outbreak led to the establishment of the LFETP-F in Liberia in 2015. From 2015 to 2018, 170 persons were trained in seven cohorts in Liberia. The district, county, and national level surveillance officers were trained in the basics of surveillance, outbreak investigation and scientific communication. Graduates are distributed all over the country, with at least one graduate in each of the 92 districts. Average post-test scores at the trainings showed improvement over pretest scores for each cohort. In 2018, among 20 outbreaks investigated and responded to by LFETP-F graduates, 90% were documented with investigation reports, compared to 53% in 2016; 78% were responded to within 48 hours compared to 37% in 2016. Conclusion: LFETP-F is fulfilling its mandate and meeting its objectives. Spread of diseases and deaths have likely been averted by the improved surveillance and response. A sustainability plan for funding and management of the program needs to be carefully developed by stakeholders to ensure that gains achieved over the first three years are not lost.

The Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program in Liberia, 2015-2018

Background: The Liberian Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program (LFETP-F) was initiated by the Government of Liberia in 2015 in partnership with other organizations. Introduction of the program formed part of measures to improve integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) following the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa. We describe the establishment and implementation of the program, its outputs, and evaluated to determine whether it is meeting its objectives. Methods: We followed the logic model for the program to describe the inputs, activities, outputs, and evaluated the short term impact. We reviewed stakeholder meeting and training reports and interviewed a public health official to describe the establishment, implementation, and outputs of the training. We compared IDSR indicators before and after the inception of LFETP-F and described findings from a post-graduation assessment to determine the impact of the program. Results: Stakeholder discussions towards developing human resource capacity to meet Internal Health Regulations after the EVD outbreak led to the establishment of the LFETP-F in Liberia in 2015. From 2015 to 2018, 170 persons were trained in seven cohorts in Liberia. The district, county, and national level surveillance officers were trained in the basics of surveillance, outbreak investigation and scientific communication. Graduates are distributed all over the country, with at least one graduate in each of the 92 districts. Average post-test scores at the trainings showed improvement over pretest scores for each cohort. In 2018, among 20 outbreaks investigated and responded to by LFETP-F graduates, 90% were documented with investigation reports, compared to 53% in 2016; 78% were responded to within 48 hours compared to 37% in 2016. Conclusion: LFETP-F is fulfilling its mandate and meeting its objectives. Spread of diseases and deaths have likely been averted by the improved surveillance and response. A sustainability plan for funding and management of the program needs to be carefully developed by stakeholders to ensure that gains achieved over the first three years are not lost.

The Impact of National Debt on Economic Growth in Liberia: A Vector Error Correction Model

This research investigated empirically the impact of the government of Liberia (GOL) debt on economic growth from 1970 to 2020. The findings from several studies in different regions of the world present mixed result and at times, controversial results on the impact of debt on the health of a country’s economy. Its objective was to ascertain whether debt, both domestically and foreign, has an impact on economic growth in Liberia over the period of 50 years. Despite the theoretical foundation that debt stymied economic growth, the result from the analysis prove contrary to existing body of literature relative to the Liberian economy. The paper reviewed several literatures from various sources and regions to build the foundation for this work. The work used annual time series data of National debt (both domestic and foreign) and Gross domestic product (GDP) as well as annual data for revenue and expenditure for the periods under research. Data for national debt and GDP were obtained from the world development index, the World Bank and the international monetary fund while data for government revenue and government expenditure were both obtained from the fiscal outturn from the ministry of finance and development planning in Liberia. The paper established that there exists a long run relationship between national debt and economic growth in Liberia. It also established that there exist a bidirectional relationship between national debt and economic growth in Liberia.

Decentralization and Grassroots Development in Liberia

Decentralization in contemporary era and across the globe is expected to extend good governance to the grassroots and as such infrastructural facilities such as good road network, health facilities, good drainage system among others are adequately provided. This ought to open up and facilitate rural and urban development. More so, the rural dwellers will also contribute to decision making and implementation of programs that affect them directly. Unfortunately, this is far from reality in sub-Saharan African and Liberia in particular. The centralized system operational has impeded the bottom –to- top developmental initiatives, subordinated participatory governance system, increased poverty and constrained local dwellers to focus on central government for everything. This study, therefore, examined decentralization and grassroots development in Liberia.Survey design was adopted for the study. Population for the study was purposively selected from three of the four regions of the country. The counties selected are the regional headquarters of each of the respective regions. The three regions are the Southwest, Central and North with a population of 3.5 million people. A sample of 395 was derived and used for the study. Out of this number, 386 was retrieved for analysis. Questionnaire was the main data-gathering instrument for the study. Interview was also used to compliment the questionnaire. The secondary data were retrieved from documentary data such as books, journals and government documents relevant to the study. The data collected was analyzed in percentages and numbers, while the interview conducted and responses were content analyzed.The study observed that Liberia has a centralized system of governance which has impeded development, punctured bottom to top initiative and eroded political participation. The system of governance in Liberia is onerous and has overburdened wherein local dwellers depend on government for everything. Realization of decentralization has been hampered by lack of a defined policy and legislation. Also, those factors that militate against decentralization were identified to be lack of political will, government commitment, and lack of professionals at the local level. The applicability of decentralization in Liberia is assured as it builds fiscal, administrative and political capacities of local sub-units.The study recommended that the National Legislature should pass the requisite legislation to facilitate the decentralization process. There should be an investment in human resource development particularly to ensure continuity of service at the local level. Additionally, every county in Liberia should have at least an institution of higher learning to groom local talents thereby preventing brain- draining of locals from their counties to the capital in search of higher education. Adequate and efficient way of disseminating basic information by the Ministry of Information on Decentralization. This can be done by using jingles, dialect programs, drama and cultural performances to reach a broad spectrum of the Liberian Society.

Africa and the Rhetoric of Good Governance

Judging by their public statements everyone in Africa is in favour of good governance: governments, public servants, business people, civil society, donors and other international organizations. There are two problems with this positive view. Firstly, there are as many different definitions of good governance as there are organisations, with the multiple verbal differences reflecting real variations in how organizations and individuals wish to see their worlds shaped. Secondly, for all of these players there are vast gaps between the rhetoric and the reality, depending on the political context, struggles over access to power and opportunities for illicit material gains. In the public shadow play, African Union (AU) and donor treaties and charters and national plans, programmes and laws rule the world. In the lived reality, daily faced by the masses, it is every one for them self and the leaders with the most followers beholden to them and the biggest Swiss bank accounts win. The cases of governance in Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Uganda are examined to explore the gap between rhetoric and reality, keeping in mind the real consequences for the forgotten villagers and slum dwellers of Africa who have never heard of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance adopted by the AU in 2007.

Impact evaluation of a fisheries development project

A number of fisheries development projects are undertaken every year in recognition of the important role fisheries play in many coastal communities. The objectives vary, but typically go beyond a limited focus on fisheries management and the ecosystem. This makes it difficult to evaluate the contribution of a project, particularly in data poor environments such as most developing countries. This paper used the recently developed Fisheries Performance Indicators (FPIs) to evaluate the impact of a World Bank development project in a Liberian coastal community. FPIs are designed to capture economic and social performance of a fisheries system in addition to the management and environmental impacts. The results show improvements in most ecological dimensions, and also in many social and economic dimensions targeted by the project. Hence, the project intervention appears to be positive. However, some indicators, particularly in relation to general governance in Liberia, showed a negative development which was not caused by the project.

Resolving Disputes and Improving Security in Post-Conflict Settings: An Example from Liberia

Countries emerging from civil conflict in the developing world face numerous challenges that hinder reconstruction and peace building. These hurdles, many of which existed before the war and may have contributed to the civil strife, include poverty, unequal distribution of political and economic power, land disputes and exploitation or exclusion of groups on social, cultural, tribal or religious bases. Liberia emerged from 14 years of conflict in 2003 urgently needing to address many of these concerns, in particular the burgeoning number of land disputes and the looming threat they posed to peace, security and national reconstruction. A joint effort by the Government of Liberia and the US Government led to the formulation of the Mitigating Land Disputes in Liberia Project (MLDL) funded by the US State Department. The project was launched in late 2011 with the goal of developing innovative solutions to reduce conflict, address security concerns and improve crime prevention in two rural counties (Nimba and Lofa) in northern and northwestern Liberia, respectively. Largely because of crucial participation by local communities and because the programme was designed with a keen awareness of customary norms and practices, the project has had measurable impacts and offers a model for effective dispute and conflict resolution in a rural post-war setting. This article first examines the role of land underpinning disputes in post-conflict settings and then outlines the origins of the MLDL project. Next, the article provides a snapshot of the system and examines the methodology and factors that led to the success of the dispute resolution and conflict early warning/early response system established and supported by MLDL. After reviewing selected disputes resolved and security issues addressed during the life of the project, the article concludes by suggesting the features of MLDL’s dispute resolution and early warning model that could be replicated in other post-conflict regions.

Implementation of an Ebola virus disease vaccine clinical trial during the Ebola epidemic in Liberia: Design, procedures, and challenges.

The index case of the Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa is believed to have originated in Guinea. By June 2014, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone were in the midst of a full-blown and complex global health emergency. The devastating effects of this Ebola epidemic in West Africa put the global health response in acute focus for urgent international interventions. Accordingly, in October 2014, a World Health Organization high-level meeting endorsed the concept of a phase 2/3 clinical trial in Liberia to study Ebola vaccines. As a follow-up to the global response, in November 2014, the Government of Liberia and the US Government signed an agreement to form a research partnership to investigate Ebola and to assess intervention strategies for treating, controlling, and preventing the disease in Liberia. This agreement led to the establishment of the Joint Liberia-US Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia as the beginning of a long-term collaborative partnership in clinical research between the two countries. In this article, we discuss the methodology and related challenges associated with the implementation of the Ebola vaccines clinical trial, based on a double-blinded randomized controlled trial, in Liberia.

Reviewing the Justice and Security Hub Modality as Piloted in Liberia

‘The Republic of Bangui’ or ‘the Republic of Monrovia’ are phrases we sometimes hear from practitioners to describe post conflict countries where very few services exist outside the capital city. This is especially the case for security – the critical public good in post conflict countries. In response to the need to bring security services closer to the citizens who often need them most, the Government of Liberia and the United Nations are piloting a new approach financed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) – the so-called ‘Justice and Security Hubs’. The donor community and the United Nations are watching closely. If this works, there is indication from UN officials that the model could potentially be replicated in other settings such as the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti and the northern states of South Sudan. If the hub concept is capable of being adapted and successful elsewhere, the United Nations will not only have added a new instrument to its peacekeeping toolkit but will also firmly demonstrate how the UN Peacebuilding Fund can in essence be catalytic in fostering long-term and comprehensive approaches to peacebuilding. This practice note outlines the process of developing and constructing the first hub in Liberia, which is due to be partly operational by the end of 2012, and provides a prognosis on its chances for success.

Beyond Plunder: Toward democratic governance in Liberia, by Amos Sawyer

Beyond Plunder: Toward democratic governance in Liberia, by Amos Sawyer

Beyond Plunder: Toward Democratic Governance in Liberia; The Price of Liberty: African Americans and the Making of Liberia; Health Knowledge and Belief Systems in Africa

Beyond Plunder: Toward Democratic Governance in Liberia; The Price of Liberty: African Americans and the Making of Liberia; Health Knowledge and Belief Systems in Africa

Challenges of implementing the Rape Amendment Act in post-conflict Liberia

abstract On 29 December 2005, the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) passed the Act to Amend the New Penal Code Chapter 14 Sections 14.70 and 14.71 and to Provide for Gang Rape (RAA). The law is designed to protect individuals from the type of systematic rape that took place during and after the Liberian civil war. The legislature approved the RAA and the president supported it, but it is difficult to implement in court. The current, post-conflict judicial system cannot handle its caseload, so rape victims have little recourse other than the customary law system. Liberians rely on customary law because it is established and understood. While rebuilding the formal system, the government and non-governmental organisations need to explain the RAA and criminal procedure to the population. This profile discusses the creation and implementation of rape law in post-conflict Liberia and explains some of the difficulties of prosecuting rape cases.

Jeremy I. Levitt. The Evolution of Deadly Conflict in Liberia: From ‘Paternaltarianism’ to State Collapse. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press, 2005. xvi + 257 pp. Maps. Notes. Appendix. Bibliography. Index. $45.00. Cloth. - Amos Sawyer. Beyond Plunder: Toward Democratic Governance in Liberia. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005. xiv + 201 pp. Tables. References. Index. $49.95. Cloth.

Jeremy I. Levitt. The Evolution of Deadly Conflict in Liberia: From ‘Paternaltarianism’ to State Collapse. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press, 2005. xvi + 257 pp. Maps. Notes. Appendix. Bibliography. Index. $45.00. Cloth. - Amos Sawyer. Beyond Plunder: Toward Democratic Governance in Liberia. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005. xiv + 201 pp. Tables. References. Index. $49.95. Cloth. - Volume 49 Issue 3