Analysis of Agricultural Concession Design Impact on Performance

The Liberia Economic Policy Dialogue Activity (LEPDA) is conducting a study to analyze the impact of agricultural concession design on performance. The study aims to identify how the structure of agricultural concession models influences their overall performance, including fiscal, economic, social, and environmental benefits. The study will assess the status of agricultural concessions in Liberia from various perspectives, including fiscal, economic, social, and environmental. It will also propose alternative concessionary and non-concessionary frameworks that might achieve the same or potentially better results from each of the same perspectives. The study will consider a spectrum of frameworks, ranging from self-production from a wholly-owned plantation to purchase on the open market. The study will focus on four key scenarios: wholly-owned plantation, tenant smallholders, managed out-growers, and open market. Wholly-owned plantation is the most common framework in Liberia, but the government has expressed a desire to see some movement towards frameworks 2 or 3, which involve out-growers and/or tenant smallholders. These frameworks require specific conditions for optimal performance, including institutional infrastructure and third-party involvement. The study will use a performance matrix to assess the impact of different concession design frameworks on performance. The matrix will consider various indicators, including fiscal performance, employment, utilization of local goods and services, introduction of new technologies and management systems, provision of property rights and security, provision of basic human needs, gender equality and female empowerment, environmental conservation, development of physical infrastructure, and development/strengthening of socio-economic structures and institutions. The study will also identify potential case studies to be included in the analysis. These case studies will be selected based on their relevance to the study's objectives and the availability of data. The study will consider case studies from Liberia and other countries to develop frameworks that are most appropriate to conditions in Liberia. The study will be conducted in two phases. Phase I will focus on defining key elements of the study in further detail, including the technical framework and implementation approach. Phase II will involve data collection and analysis, as well as the presentation of results. The study will provide technical guidance to the Government, concessionaires, and other stakeholders on how to strengthen the structure and management of agricultural concessions. The study's primary purpose is to present and elicit feedback on the different elements of the study design, including the extent to which different aspects of performance should be considered or emphasized, the relevance of different potential case studies, the study timeline and level of effort required, and the format in which results should be presented. The study will provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of agricultural concession design on performance in Liberia, and will inform policy dialogue among the Government of Liberia, concessionaires, and other stakeholders on the structure and management of agricultural concessions.