On October 30 His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai launched the Performance Management and Compliance System (PMCS) aimed at strengthening the governance framework for a structured approach to performance monitoring and compliance.

Held at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, the event attracted and was attended by high-ranking government officials, development partners, and stakeholders.

Over the years, the Office of the President, through the Cabinet Secretariat, has collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Liberia Decentralization Support Program (LDSP) to roll out and implement the PMCS at all levels of Government.

Decentralization remains a core reform objective of the Liberian Government and the interest is premised on Liberia’s perennial problem of over-centralization of public administration which undermines popular participation in national decision-making and access to social services and economic opportunities for most Liberians.

Addressing the audience at the launch, the President noted that the event signifies the introduction of a new system that strengthens major milestones of a committed, dedicated effective, and accountable government to its citizens.

“Abuse of public trust will not be tolerated, we will rule it out wherever it exists and those who engage in such practices will be answerable before the law,” said President Boakai.

President Boakai stated that with the PMCS, there is no room for corruption and that the system is infused to ensure that those assigned to work, do so diligently.

The Liberian Leader further trashed rumors that the system won’t work, emphasizing that it is intended to promote integrity and transparency.

Echoing the President’s remarks, the UNDP Resident Representative a.i. Anthony Ohemeng-Boamah said the rollout and implementation of the PMCS is a cardinal pillar of the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development which envisions strengthening accountability and instilling a performance culture in public service.

He further affirmed UNDP’s commitment stating that the UNDP through the Liberia Decentralization Support Programme (LDSP) provided support for the recruitment of a consultant to provide expert technical assistance to the Cabinet Secretariat in enhancing the implementation and institutionalization of the PMCS across all Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions (MACs) within the Government of Liberia. 

Ohemeng-Boamah added that the consultant will provide technical expertise and develop a roadmap for implementation of the PMCS, enhance stakeholders’ engagement and buy-in, lead capacity building and training interventions, develop performance targets for MACs, conduct annual performance reviews, develop monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and provide technical expert support to the Cabinet Secretariat.

Development partners present at the event including the Irish Embassy, European Union, African Development Bank, USAID, and World Bank reaffirmed their continued support to the government of Liberia.

Since the inception of the decentralization reform, the government has shown immense political will by matching its commitment to actions.

In 2012, a National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance was launched as a means of establishing a framework for effective and efficient service delivery at the sub-national level, enhancing participatory decision-making to engender peace-building and national reconciliation as well as strengthening local planning, monitoring, and management capacity. 

In 2013, the government of Liberia with support from UNDP and other development partners, established the LDSP to serve as a vehicle for resource mobilization and program support in making decentralization a reality.