Monrovia, December 6, 2016 (APRM-Liberia)- The African Peer Review (APRM) Liberia Country Program, a specialized unit within the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning(MFDP) and four Technical Research Institutes have signed agreements aimed at conducting the Liberia’s Country Self Assessment Study in the context of the 4 pillars of the APRM framework.

The four research institutes include: Center for Democratic Governance; Agency for Economic Development and Empowerment (AEDE); Liberia Media Center (LMC) and Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD).

The country self-assessment study (CSA) is a key milestone under stage one of the five APRM implementation stages. It involves the internal self -assessment of governance policies, standards and practices and the preparation of a draft report and National Program of Action (NPoA) that will be validated by a panel of eminent persons from the APR Continental Secretariat in Midrand, South Africa.

Under the agreement signed recently, the four Technical Research Institutes (TRI’s) all of whom are Liberian firms will conduct the Country’s Self-Assessment Study (CSA) around APRM four thematic areas as follow:

1. APRM pillar one “Political and Democratic Governance” — Center for Democratic Governance,
2. APRM pillar two “Economic Governance and Management”— Agency for Economic Development and Empowerment (AEDE),
3. APRM pillar three “Corporate Governance” —-Liberia Media Center (LMC),
4. APRM pillar four “Socio-Economic Development” — Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD).

The Country Self-Assessment (CSA) Study which is expected to last for three months, is in furtherance of Liberia’s commitment to undertake the APRM Country Review in June 2017.
The four Technical Research Institutes (TRI’s) were contracted for their professionalism and technical competence following a competitive bidding process.

Meanwhile, APRM Liberia Country Program has officially launched its National Sensitization Campaign in Monrovia with follow-up programs expected in the fifteen counties of Liberia. The objectives of the campaign is to increase national awareness and sensitization of the populace on the APRM in preparation for the Country’s Self-assessment process and subsequent review.

About the African Peer Review Mechanism

A Specialised Agency of the African Union (AU), the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was initiated in 2002 and established in 2003 by the African Union in the framework of the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).Liberia acceded to the APRM framework in 2011.
APRM is a tool for sharing experiences, reinforcing best practices, identifying deficiencies, and assessing capacity-building needs to foster policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration.

Member countries use the APRM to self–monitor all aspects of their governance and socio-economic development. African Union (AU) stakeholders participate in the self-assessment of all branches of government – executive, legislative and judicial – as well as the private sector, civil society and the media. The APRM Review Process gives member states a space for national dialogue on governance and socio-economic indicators and an opportunity to build consensus on the way forward.