Liberia: A Development Framework for Liberia Beyond Elections

As I depart Washington, D.C., I find myself thinking deeply about Liberia’s development trajectory. My journey took me first to New York for engagements around the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, including our successful side event on the nexus between climate change and resource conflict. I then attended the Liberia Diaspora Conference, where more than 500 Liberians gathered. These conversations have stayed with me as I reflect on the future of our country.

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By Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo

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Since the civil wars ended, successive governments have developed national development plans. We have had the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the Agenda for Transformation, the Pro-Poor Agenda, and now the ARREST Agenda. These plans contain important commitments and targets. My concern is whether we consistently translate them into measurable results that citizens can track across administrations.

I keep returning to the time we have to deliver. A presidential term lasts six years. If an incoming administration spends its first year developing a plan, implementation gains momentum in year two. By years five and six, campaigning and political positioning can increasingly shape development decisions. This can leave roughly three years of concentrated implementation. Planning is necessary, and development does continue during elections, but we must ask how much momentum we lose through repeated planning and political competition.

Then there is the question of credit. One government begins a project under its agenda; another continues or completes it under a different name. Arguments follow over who deserves recognition. We have seen these tensions in recent years. They can deepen party divisions and weaken public trust. Citizens deserve an honest account of each administration’s contribution, while the project remains a national achievement.

These concerns lead me to propose a 25-year national development framework, enacted into law and implemented through successive five-year plans.

1. Agree on goals that belong to the country

When development priorities become closely identified with a political party, their future can become uncertain after an election. I would like us to agree on goals that Liberians broadly own. Consultations across all 15 counties should bring together political parties, communities, businesses, civil society, and the diaspora. We should establish measurable goals for jobs, education, health, infrastructure, food security, and environmental protection.

2. Give the framework legal standing

A national agreement needs clear obligations if it is to guide successive governments. I propose a National Development Continuity and Planning Act requiring administrations to align their programmes with the framework and report their progress. Major changes should require public consultation and legislative scrutiny. This would make continuity an institutional responsibility while preserving the right to improve policy.

3. Allow governments to adapt and innovate

No one can predict every challenge Liberia will face over 25 years. A rigid plan could become an obstacle. Five-year implementation plans should therefore identify priorities, costs, funding sources, responsible institutions, and deadlines. Governments should retain flexibility over policies and delivery methods. Periodic reviews should accommodate new evidence and technology, while emergencies should allow temporary adjustments with clear explanations and oversight.

4. Strengthen the Governance Commission

Continuity is difficult when the institution assessing development is exposed to the same political pressures as those delivering it. I believe we can expand the Governance Commission’s mandate rather than establish another institution. It should coordinate reviews, preserve records, assess progress, and publish independent findings.

The Commission needs operational independence, transparent funding, and freedom to report without political clearance. Ministries and agencies should implement programmes, while the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning retains its fiscal and budget responsibilities. The Commission should remain accountable to the Legislature and the public.

5. Preserve professional expertise across elections

When experienced technical staff leave simply because political leadership changes, the country loses knowledge and momentum. We need designated technical positions filled through open competition, with specific qualifications and clear standards of competence and integrity.

Qualified professionals should serve impartially across election cycles. Staggered terms for commissioners and protected career appointments would support continuity. These protections must include performance reviews and fair procedures for addressing misconduct or poor performance. Public service should offer security for competent work and accountability for failure.

6. Fund priorities and document project contributions

A plan achieves little if budgets do not support it. Every annual budget should explain how spending advances the 25-year national goals. Projects need realistic financing and maintenance provisions. Before cancelling major inherited projects, governments should publish their reasons and assess the consequences.

A public project register should record when each project began, its funding, progress, and the contributions of successive administrations. This would help reduce disputes over credit and make national achievements easier to verify.

7. Let citizens judge progress

Public confidence suffers when announcements are easier to find than results. An annual national progress report should explain what was promised, what was spent, what was delivered, and what remains unfinished. Citizens should be able to compare performance using consistent measures and understand how delays will be corrected.

Countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea offer different lessons in sustained planning and implementation. Their experiences show the importance of capable institutions and consistent investment. Legislation can help Liberia establish continuity in national development.

President Boakai’s administration and the Legislature can begin this reform while implementing the ARREST Agenda. We should build on existing work and prepare a stronger foundation for future governments.

As I return home, my hope is that we can make development a shared national commitment. Each administration should advance the work, receive fair recognition for its contribution, and leave the next government better placed to serve Liberia.