The World Bank funded COVID-19 project in Liberia falls within the framework of the Bank’s COVID-19 emergency response plan to support countries in addressing challenges related to the pandemic. The project objective is to prepare and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in Liberia. Project components include emergency preparedness and response; laboratory system strengthening; case management and clinical care; community engagement, risk communication and advocacy; and program management and coordination and monitoring and evaluation.
1. Project documents indicate that no stakeholder engagement and consultations were carried out during the project design phase. However, these documents require that the Liberia Ministry of Health conduct stakeholder engagement activities in project locations and develop a Risk Communication and Community Engagement Strategy (RCCES) within 30 days of starting project implementation. The Bank approved the project several months ago, and the updated stakeholder engagement plan was only disclosed in August 2020, three months after approval. Additionally, there were delays in engaging civil society organizations in consultations in the early stages of implementation. Consultations were held on November 30, 2020, almost seven months into project implementation. Project implementation without early meaningful stakeholder engagement not only risks excluding several groups from project benefits but also means that key concerns of relevant stakeholders, such as civil society, healthcare officials, and communities, will not be addressed. Public consultations, when organized as early as possible in the project cycle, are key to designing and achieving an inclusive project. Holding consultations after implementation raises serious concerns; how will the project team effectively incorporate feedback obtained from late consultations into project redesign? Moving forward, the Bank needs to work with borrowing countries to prioritize the effective participation of communities and civil society in design and implementation processes for improved accountability and inclusion of marginalized groups.
2. Additional monitoring reports indicate that health facilities had a limited supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), which makes it challenging for healthcare officials to provide quality services. Additionally, community members reported that persons affected by COVID-19 and their families were stigmatized by other community members upon their return from isolation centers and quarantine facilities. Their situation is exacerbated by the fact that they lacked the necessary psychosocial support for their successful reintegration in the communities. It is essential for project implementation to develop mitigation measures to avoid the marginalization of COVID-19 affected groups.
The total project cost is $7.5 million.
