In depth

More women across Liberia are involved in trade and small business related activities as a source of livelihood. (Photo-UNDP Liberia)

Given Liberia’s transition from early recovery to development, it is imperative that the government has access to sound economic and policy management advice, good statistical data and analysis and tools to design and implement appropriate policies and programmes that will result in sustained but inclusive economic growth.

UNDP aims to improve the enabling environment for investment and employment creation in Liberia through its support to government in formulating and implementing development strategies and policies. In providing technical advice and capacity and institution building assistance, UNDP seeks to foster pro-poor growth through greater meaningful employment and livelihood opportunities for the marginalized and most vulnerable segments of society, particularly youth and women.

This Sustainable Economic Transformation (SET) Programme is to ensure a strategic fit between the National Agenda, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework and the UNDP Country Programme document.

It seeks to promote a mix of upstream policy and regulatory interventions, and downstream catalytic and transformational interventions intended to bring about an inclusive and sustainable growth with the private sector in the center stage. It also ensures the promotion of sustainable development through the effective management of the extractive industry.

Agnes Behyee and her husband Menwaseh operate a soap factory in Nimba. They were beneficiaries of a business development training organized and funded by UNDP which has helped them improve their business.

Policy and local community level interventions

UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programmee combines policy level as well as local community level interventions that reflect empowerment, employment, community based recovery and Development, and an Inclusive Financial Sector.

UNDP’s support at the policy level (or upstream) focuses on reviewing policy instruments; developing pivotal policies and strategies to support national planning; efficient resource management; and the creation of an environment, which will enable private sector development, employment creation and growth.

Technical and operational support to County Support Teams contributes to the establishment of central database systems that streghtens Liberia’s reconstruction and recovery Plans, as well as aid coordination and resource mobilization to inform policy development and implementation.

UNDP Liberia in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) and the Liberia Institute of geo-information Services (LISGIS) promotes human development by building national capacities to monitor progress towards the achievement of the SDGs.

Its Sustainable Economic Transformation Programme (SET), is aimed at tackling some of the structural factors impeding productive employment of a rapidly growing and young population; and anticipating the ‘next generation’ of development challenges connected to expanding extractive industries, especially with regard to effective planning, sustainability of resource use and prudent management of revenues.