Elections and Democracy Activity Quarterly Report (May – June 2021)

The program aims to assist Liberia in overcoming current challenges to its developing democracy. EDA works to foster inclusive, sustainable democratic political processes by strengthening political leadership of marginalized groups, enhancing civic knowledge and sense of duty among citizens, and providing technical support to the National Elections Commission (NEC) and national election observers. The EDA team made significant strides in achieving its mobilization phase milestones this quarter, despite the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key activities included kickoff and planning meetings with USAID/Liberia staff, partnerships with IREX and UMOVEMENT, and outreach to other potential partners and stakeholders in Monrovia. The EDA Program Director initiated outreach to organizations such as NAYMOTE, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), and National Union of Organizations for the Disabled (NUOD). Personnel recruitment and hiring were also key focus areas for the EDA team. The Chief of Party (CoP) joined the team effective June 1 and worked remotely to support EDA mobilization efforts until arriving in country on June 24. DI hired its incoming Finance and Operations Director on May 26 and its Program Director on May 28 as consultants in this interim mobilization period. The EDA team also finalized its Local Compensation Plan for Liberia to ensure equitable salaries to all staff based on their positions. The EDA organizational chart was fine-tuned, and a hiring plan was established. Priority EDA field office hires include Finance Officer, Grants Officer, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Specialist, Operations Assistant, Organizational Development/Awards Transition Officer, Elections Program Officer, Inclusive Leadership Program Officer, and Civic Education Officer. EDA in-country staff reviewed and shortlisted applicants and conducted first-round interviews. Second-round interviews with finalist candidates will commence in the beginning of the next quarter. The EDA team also worked on office and administrative start-up activities, including drafting a DI Liberia Field Office Employee Handbook for local legal counsel to review to ensure compliance with labor laws and regulations of Liberia. EDA will finalize its local employment contract template and the DI Liberia Field Office Employee Handbook in July. These efforts are critical to ensuring the successful implementation of the EDA program in Liberia. The EDA team has made significant progress in its mobilization phase, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The team's focus on partnerships, personnel recruitment, and office start-up activities has laid the foundation for a successful program implementation. The EDA program is designed to ensure that Liberia's democratic development and process are locally driven and inclusive, with a focus on strengthening political leadership of marginalized groups, enhancing civic knowledge and sense of duty among citizens, and providing technical support to the NEC and national election observers. The EDA team will continue to work towards its program goals, with a focus on implementing its activities and achieving its milestones. The team's progress will be closely monitored and evaluated to ensure that the program is meeting its objectives and making a positive impact in Liberia.