The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) sponsored Local Empowerment for Government Inclusion and Transparency (LEGIT) have signed an agreement worth US$47,000 to enhance capacity building at the ministry.
The grant is expected to fund the training and capacity development of 25 staff of the MIA in monitoring and evaluation.
The selected MIA employees upon completion of the training will serve as training officers and Monitoring and Evaluation technicians to track and monitor the progress of the Liberia Decentralization Support Program through the Local Government Act.
Speaking on Tuesday during the signing ceremony of the agreement at the MIA in Monrovia, the Chief of Party for USAID/LEGIT, Paul J. Kaiser, lauded the Minister of Internal Affairs for presenting a “Strong Grant Proposal” to USAID for consideration.
Kaiser noted that even though there have been lots of monitoring mechanisms put in place during the course of the implementation of the decentralization program, more needs to be done in order to expand communication proactively in moving the president’s agenda forward.
He indicated that the grant was a confirmation of the special relationship the peoples of Liberia and the Unites States of America have shared over the years.
For his part, Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf extended gratitude to USAID and its implementing partner LEGIT for the grant that will make “a huge impact” on the decentralization program.
Sirleaf disclosed that USAID-LEGIT will hire an agency to provide the training, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will provide the requisite staff and office space for the trainees.
Sirleaf expressed optimism that the training will help strengthen the devolution of power to the local people in the counties as envisioned by President George Manneh Weah’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development.
LINA
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