Annual Report Liberia - Accountability Lab

LIBERIA ANNUAL REPORT 2023

The most significant highlight of 2023 for the country program was the national elections and the role that Accountability Lab Liberia played in helping Liberians all over the country vote to elect a new set of leaders during the October 10 presidential and legislative elections, and the November 14th presidential run-off election, as stipulated by the constitution.

Before the October 10, 2023 elections, it was widely rumored that the election process would be marred by violence, either due to the ruling party not agreeing to the results if they were defeated or the leading opposition party refusing to accept the results because they were cheated. These waves of fear were rooted in the experience from the 2020 senatorial elections, which saw pockets of violence around the country. In response, the government of Liberia, through its bi-lateral and regional partners, organized the Farmington River Peace Agreement at the Farmington Hotel in lower Margibi County, Liberia, where leaders from 27 out of 31 political parties signed a declaration designed to ensure a nonviolent electoral process. The agreement obliges signatories of political parties and their supporters to uphold the principles of peaceful elections and respect for the rule of law. Built on the foundation of the initial pledge signed in 2017, the declaration reinforces progress towards sustainable peace and democracy and a solid commitment to preventing violence, including violence against women, during the electoral process.

Cognizant of our responsibility as a civil society organization to promote sustainable peace and democratic governance, AL Liberia and partners (DAI/USAID and NED) collaborated and implemented the Civic and Voters Education (CVE) activities in and around six vote-rich counties in Liberia; Bong, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi, and Montserrado. The project and activities aimed to promote non-violence alongside educating the Liberian electorate – particularly youth, women, and first-time voters. It aimed to empower voters to make informed decisions and ensure they knew the value of their involvement on political outcomes. This was done by creating and disseminating messaging around democracy and participation through innovative means, including online meetings and mainstream and social media content.

BY THE NUMBERS

Across activities of five projects: 2 internal flagship projects (Integrity Icon and The Incubator) and three donor-funded projects (The NED Civic Education Project, the USAID Civic Society Activity Project, and the USAID/DAI Civic Education project, the Lab was able to engage in the following ways:

Direct program participants – 5,380 participants, 363,545 Social Media Engagement and Reach, and 804,892 Community Radio Audience Reached
Policy notes and advocacy – The Lab advocacy
Program contents produced and disseminated – 4 Hip-co Songs, 5 Short Videos, 8 Jingles, 8 Radio Drama, 10 Podcasts, 30 Vox Pop and 6 Cartoon Sketches
Meetings and Official Speaking Engagements – 36

Quotes from staff, volunteers, and participants

PETER DOLO – Executive Director, Community Solutions Aid, CSAID, Bong County

“The Lab’s learning opportunities and capacity support to local partners like CSAID keep us energized and engaged. Also, the Lab exposes you to a network of professionals who are always ready to provide one-on-one mentorship and coaching to support our work. This, to me, is very important, as the process is a journey that requires collaboration and support in different dimensions.”

A PROGRAM PARTICIPANT – Gbarnga, Bong County

“I am happy you took the time to come and speak to us today. We, the youth, particularly motorcyclists, have been perceived to be associated with violence and drugs and even sometimes classified as criminals. But we all want the best for Liberia, and listening to you today makes us feel important, and we are challenged to do all we can to contribute meaningfully to keep Liberia safe and peaceful”.

ERNEST K. BROWNE – 2023 Accountapreneur

“For me, the Lean Start-up Methodology and Design Thinking topic stood out for us as a start-up organization. We found everything in the training useful and believe the knowledge gained has profoundly improved our ideas about moving this organization forward. Our expectations for the training were exactly met. The training was awesome, and we have started implementing the ideas received, and responses from the communities have been incredible”

LOVETT A. TURKETT – Program Intern, Accountability Lab Liberia

“I am energized to work with the Lab because of its impactful track record in fighting corruption in Liberia through its many engagements over the years. With the proper advocacy and education, Liberia will become a better place for Liberians. I am excited to see that our leaders (Representatives and Senators) agree and sign the resolution for establishing the war crimes court within Liberia; this has been one of the things Accountability Lab Liberia has jointly advocated for over the years”.

ALPHAN KABBA – Accountability Lab Liberia’s Program Coordinator

“It is exciting and motivating, especially my first week at work as if I have spent years with the institution. There is this teamwork/spirit where every staff member is free to provide feedback whenever they feel dissatisfied, and management is always willing to work with you to improve your skills where necessary. What amazed/motivated me the most was the Accountability Lab’s efforts/strategy of citizen engagement, which holds public officials and other service delivery actors accountable for services delivered in their communities. Also, a culture of accountability, which is found in every staff member, and high-performing team spirit help to create a conducive working relationship and improve overall performance and joy in the workspace.”

HANSON G.BLYONE – 2023 Accountapreneur

“I didn’t realize that Legal Structure and Compliance was anywhere related to funding/resource mobilization. This was an eye-opener for me and our institution. The training was insightful and very productive, and because of it, we were able to update all our legal and compliance documentation”

ALLANKO WENNIE – Accountability Lab Liberia’s Finance Manager

“As part of the lab, I can impact the civic space, especially by supporting public education on civil rights and naming and honoring people of integrity. Through the integrity icon program and the people’s stories, we are beginning to know that it is possible to have people with integrity in every government sector—thus, a change in mindset.”

Shifting norms to ensure that integrity becomes the expected behaviour within societies.

Influencing policies, processes and practises through growing coalitions and advocating for change.

Equipping reformers – inside and outside government – with the knowledge and tools to push for better governance.

Shifting norms to ensure that integrity becomes the expected behaviour within societies.

Influencing policies, processes and practises through growing coalitions and advocating for change.

Equipping reformers – inside and outside government – with the knowledge and tools to push for better governance.

INTEGRITY ICON

The 9th edition of the Integrity Icon Liberia campaign was launched on 17 May 2023 in search of honest public servants with the theme: Building Liberia through Integrity: A Search for Honest Public Servants and Climate Heroes/Sheroes.

Volunteers visited public workplaces and hosted radio talk shows to help citizens understand the objectives of the project, and how to nominate fellow co-workers. The staff reviewed all submissions using the criteria and narrowed the selection to the 30 best candidates.

Some key personalities in attendance at the celebration meeting were Jim Wright, USAID Mission Director; Dr. Miatta J.T. Toe, Liberia’s Anti–Corruption Commissioner; Aisha K. Kolubah, UN Women Project Representative; Johnny A. Clarke, Liberian Senate Director/Procurement; Harold M. Aidoo, Integrity Watch Liberia Director; and Ousman L. Kallay, ILab Liberia’s Deputy Country Director, among others.

These candidates were evaluated by a three-person judging panel:

Attorney Bowoulo T. Kelley,
a Human Rights Lawyer, whose work focuses on protecting and promoting the rights of women, children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups in Liberia.
Ms. Marpu Yekeku,
a 2018 integrity Icon, a registered nurse at Johnsonville Public Clinic, Montserrado County, Ministry of Health Liberia.
Mr. G.Ralph Jimmeh Jr,
a university lecturer, social activist, motivational speaker, and an advocate of social justice and peace, and head of the Secretariat at the Open Government Partnership in Liberia

OUR 2023 WINNERS:

FRANCIS ZLAMA

Dedicated 17 years to the Liberia National Police, currently serving as the Community Police Officer in Lofa County, Liberia.

VICTORIA KOFFA TOE

An Administrative Assistant at the National Civil Service Agency (CSA) in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Liberia,

HANNAH T. JANSEN

The District Health Officer (DHO) of the Jo-River Health District, Rivercess County, Liberia

LUKE K. GBUALO

An Administrative Assistant to the District Education Officer (DHO) in District 1 in Rivercess County, Liberia

MOSES K. G. SEKOWU

A dedicated Mathematics Instructor at Voinjama Multilateral High School and Free Pentecostal University in Lofa County

BY THE NUMBERS

NOMINATIONS

VOLUNTEERS

COUNTIES

ACCOUNTABILITY INCUBATOR

The Accountability Incubator project is a 12-month-long training, coaching, and mentoring designed to strengthen emerging change-makers and smaller organizations, providing them with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to champion social accountability issues in their communities.

We received thirteen applications, and after a thorough review, screening of applications, and interviews, we selected four individuals/organizations. They were Miatta Kamara, Founder of LIBx Records Foundation; Hanson Blayon, Program Manager at A.M. Kyne Collegiate Resource Center; Ernest K. Browne, founder of ASYLUM Liberia; and Archie Forpoh, founder of Innoignite Liberia.

Their projects included youth and entrepreneurship training, advocating and creating awareness against the harmful practices of drugs and drug addiction, providing awareness around a clean and healthy environment through proper waste disposal, and providing computer literacy to high school students. Eight people participated in these quarterly training engagements, two per organization, and the Lab provided transportation and refreshments during the training. The quarterly training lasted 2-3 full days each, along with three mentorship sessions per quarter per organization. During a closing exercise, the participants were provided a certificate of completion at the end of the fourth quarter.

The accountapreneurs and the Lab co-created the curriculum to ensure that the set of topics were developed to meet the needs of the participants:

QUARTER ONE:

Civic Engagements: Understanding the Context and Knowing your Customers
Organization Legal Structure and Compliance
Lean Start-up Methodology and Design Thinking
Monitoring and Reporting

QUARTER TWO:

Accountability and Leadership
Finance and Operations for Non-profit
Marketing and Branding
Introduction to Proposal Writing

QUARTER THREE:

Partnership and Networking
Fundraising & Sustainability Planning
Impact Measurement
Needs and Right-based Advocacy

QUARTER FOUR:

Partnership and Networking
Fundraising & Sustainability Planning
Impact Measurement
Needs and Right-based Advocacy

NED CIVIC AND VOTERS EDUCATION (CVE) PROJECT

“I am happy you took the time to come and speak to us today. We, the youth, particularly motorcyclists, have been perceived to be associated with violence and drugs and even sometimes classified as criminals. But we all want the best for Liberia, and listening to you today makes us feel important. We are challenged to do all we can to contribute meaningfully to keep Liberia safe and peaceful.”- A motorcyclist in Gbarnga, Bong County.

As part of the community awareness activities on the Civic and Voters Education (CVE) project funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), AL Liberia’s field team distributed flyers in some 16 pre-identified communities alongside organized musical jamboree performances held in the project counties; Bong, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi, Montserrado, and Nimba. The venues were mainly communities with crowded street corners/intersections and market areas. The field team drew crowds with comedy and music – in particular popular comedian Future Doe – to set the stage for information sharing and interactive discussions. The program team then introduced the project, and provided key CVE messages related to the election and nonviolence, after which the recorded songs (Changes and No Violence) were performed.

AL LIBERIA REACH

AL Liberia reached over a million people through community engagements and media dissemination activities.

Physical Engagement

Combined radio listeners

Social media engagements

The social media engagements are distributed as follows:

67.9% Male and 32.1% Female.
Liberia 83.1%, the United States of America 5%, Guinea 1%, Nigeria 1%, Ghana 0.9%, India 0.9%, Sierra Leone 0.5%, Cyprus 0.4%, and the United Arab Emirates 0.4%.
Age ranging from 18 – 65+, with most followers between the ages of 25 and 34.

LIBERIAN ELECTION MONITORING – OCTOBER 10 AND NOVEMBER 14, 2024

In September 2023 the National Elections Commission (NEC) accredited AL Liberia to monitor the presidential and legislative elections in Bong, Grand Bassa, Margibi, Montserrado, and Nimba counties.

The Lab developed eight indicators based on international standards. These ensured that the voting processes observed during the elections in the counties not only reflect integrity and accountability but also that they are free, fair, peaceful, and transparent, reflecting the will of the Liberian people.

The eight indicators developed by the Lab are:

Monitor the opening of polling stations- Checking whether the ballot boxes are empty and properly sealed;
Observe how the voters are processed, from the crowd control queuing up to the voting centers
Observe the accuracy of the voter rolls/registers
Observe whether the voters can vote in secret and free of intimidation;
Observe the counting and tallying of the ballots;
Observe the handling of spoiled and unused ballots;
Checking whether all ballots are accounted for;
To check for the presence of security officers and other accredited observers.

In all the counties monitored, elections were peaceful. The Lab’s CVE activities contributed to the peaceful outcome of the elections and included; street jams, radio talk shows, dramas, podcasts, jingles, and interactive intellectual forums. Unlike the first round, which recorded 114,597(5.8%) invalid ballots from a total of 1,947,780 (99.93%) votes cast, the runoff polls saw a sharp decrease of 25,788 (1.57%) invalid votes of a total of 1,634,183 votes cast across the country. With more intentional interventions around civic engagements, citizens will continue to understand their role in these processes, strengthening our democracy and increasing peaceful civic participation nationwide.

Private Sector and CSOs Coalition Consultative Partnership Engagement

AL Liberia conducted a one-day consultative partnership engagement meeting with some private sector actors and CSO coalition members in the health and education sectors to set the stage for collaborative partnerships between the CSOs and the private sector. The 35 participants (11 females, 24 males), included nine representatives from five private sector institutions; Western Cluster Corporation, Orange Liberia, Ecobank Liberia, Petrol Trade, and Abeer Pharmaceuticals. The rest were CSO representatives. The purpose of the meeting was to outline and discuss the importance of CSOs establishing partnerships with the private sector for two key reasons:

KEY THEMES/OUTPUTS & OUTCOMES

To raise additional support for program advocacy efforts in the health and education sectors toward sustaining activities in these sectors
To build a collaborative network between the CSOs and private sector actors that enhances their business and development agenda.

KEY ISSUES/CHALLENGES:

Private sector participants highlighted areas they could participate in, but also three key issues/challenges that need to be addressed by CSOs to attract and work with the private sector to implement projects successfully;

Need for better accountability and transparency
Need for better CSO staffing and overall capacity to improve effectiveness and efficiency
Need to updated legal documentation

Opportunities Identified by the Private Sector for CSO Engagement

ORANGE LIBERIA
encouraged the CSOs present to engage the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department of their institution for possible opportunities for collaboration and support to the health and education sectors

WESTERN CLUSTER LIBERIA MINING COMPANY
The company’s liaison officer encouraged the Coalition CSOs to visit their offices for information on current/available support to the sectors. He also mentioned that through the CSR Fund, their company has helped and continues to help improve the lives of citizens in those sectors.

IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET GROUP
CSOs should identify and prioritize target groups within the health and education sectors to utilize limited resources.

UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS
CSOs should seek to understand the needs of the private sector groups they want to collaborate with (training, awareness raising, monitoring of community projects).

SELECT YOUR ACTIVITES
CSOs need to identify and select activities that match the needs of the private sector.

PLAN YOUR ENGAGEMENT
CSO should develop a clear business strategy that documents the major objectives, activities, efforts, timeline, etc.

ENGAGE CONSTRUCTIVELY AND SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE
Private sector and civil society organizations have different languages and cultures. Companies may also sometimes feel threatened by CSOs. Try to learn their language and engage constructively in an excellent line of communication.

ADVOCACY AND POLICY

On 4 April, at the Farmington Hotel in Margibi, Liberia, leaders from 27 of 31 political parties signed the Farmington River Declaration 2023, an enhanced and comprehensive peace declaration designed to ensure a nonviolent and peaceful electoral process in Liberia. Organized by the National Election Commission (NEC), in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the United Nations (UN), the peace agreement ceremony was attended by the President then, his excellency George Manneh Weah, who signed as the political leader and standard-bearer on behalf of his party. Representatives from the government, civil society groups, the diplomatic community, and international organizations also witnessed the historic policy-making event.

Using the Farmington River Declaration 2023 as an accountability tool, AL Liberia organized and implemented the Elections and Peace Accountability Summit across Liberia’s six most populated counties. The meetings were designed to raise awareness about the peace pledge, explaining the importance of a peaceful election and what it means for sustainable development in the country. It also provided a platform for other civil society organizations to advocate for peace and nonviolence during and after the elections. The summit brought together 50 stakeholders in each county, including civil society representatives, local political party leaders, and leaders in the counties (chiefs, traditional leaders, elders, religious leaders, youth, and women representatives). The discussions under the theme “What can be done to prevent and curb electoral violence in the 2023 general and presidential elections, as well as how to use the Rule of Law in dealing with cases of dispute” were led by a panel of discussants that was recorded and broadcast live. With more than 300 local leaders and civil society actors, the events reached more than 26,000 people interacting directly on social media throughout these advocacy events.

TEAM UPDATES

AL LIBERIA COUNTRY DIRECTOR ATTENDS THE IVLP PROGRAM ORGANISED BY THE US EMBASSY STATE DEPARTMENT
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is one of the USA’s most prestigious programs. Candidates are nominated by US embassy staff from around the world. Lawrence was nominated to the 2023 Accountability and Transparency Cohort.

The 3-week program took participants to four cities in three states and exposed participants to accountability and transparency mechanisms at the federal, state, county, and community levels. The activities were eye-openers and provided concrete examples of how a government should work for its people.

Lawrence shared his experience of the program at the US Embassy in Liberia, and was was elected President of the IVLP Alumni Association in Liberia and aims to make that body functional.

AL LIBERIA PROGRAM AND LEARNING DIRECTOR ATTENDED AFRICA DEMOCRACY NETWORK MEETING IN SOUTH AFRICA
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation organized an inaugural all-Africa network meeting of its fellowship Alumni who are also active practitioners of democracy on the continent. It aims to advance inclusive democracies by fostering citizen engagement, promoting government accountability and countering authoritarianism.

AL Liberia’s Program and Learning Director, Nyema, an alumnus of the Foundation’s fellowship program, was invited to attend the meeting. Nyema met with colleagues working in communities and civil society organizations throughout the African continent to identify regional democratic challenges and promising initiatives to counter them. The meeting was also an opportunity to learn about collaborative efforts in the African network, to spark new ones, and build on decades of foundation work with African civil society practitioners and organizations.

Nyema also served on a panel that discussed strategies and shared perspectives on civil society and government engagement. This was based on a case study of AL Liberia’s work on engaging the private sector and government to improve benefits for mining communities in the country.

AL LIBERIA’S PROGRAM OFFICER PARTICIPATES IN REGIONAL TRAINING ON CITIZENS ACCESS TO JUSTICE
The West Africa Legal Empowerment Network (WALEN) organized a regional network meeting in Kanu State, Nigeria, bringing together grassroots justice organizations to learn, share, and build solidarity. Community-based paralegals, grassroots or frontline justice defenders, and program staff who work to promote access to justice for the underprivileged from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Kenya attended.
The sessions focused on the history of legal empowerment, sharing cross-regional perspectives, similarities, differences, and challenges faced by the power of the law and the power of the people, law and organizing, community building, and developing grassroots leadership. During the sessions, AL Liberia’s Program Officer Famatta shared AL Liberia’s approach to combating the lack of affordable, accessible, and timely formal justice practice. The Lab’s community justice team worked in four densely populated communities using the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism, a cost-free approach to help citizens reduce extensive bureaucratic impediments in accessing the formal justice system by mediating civil cases and resolving issues in an effective, and sustainable manner, building trust, understanding and contributing to peace and ensuring accountability over time.

ACCOUNTABILITY LAB LIBERIA COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER PARTICIPATED IN UNODC REGIONAL DIALOGUE FOR AFRICA
AL Liberia’s Communications Officer, Parnneh Mallobe, participated in the UNODC Regional Dialogue for Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.
The dialogue was aimed at bringing civil society, academia, and youth together to discuss how civil society organizations can support the implementation of the UNGASS political declaration and UNCAC at national and regional levels, consider the role of youth and youth-led organizations in the implementation of the UNGASS political declaration and UNCAC; share insights and experience on national anti-corruption activities and explore opportunities for collaboration at national and regional levels. It also aimed to foster exchange and cooperation among participants on education and research focusing on anti-corruption, integrity ethics, and to identify gaps and needs related to the above areas and discuss how UNODC can help civil society to address them.
Parnneh delivered a presentation on the role youth play in ensuring that the anti-corruption agenda is achieved.

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

TOTAL ANNUAL BUDGET

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS

TOTAL NUMBER OF GRANTS

TOTAL NUMBER OF STAFF

TOTAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS