Evaluation of the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) Portfolio in Liberia Evaluation Report December 2017 i Preface The evaluation team would like to acknowledge the many individuals who have contributed with their time, knowledge, and views in support of this evaluation. We would like to thank the large number of key stakeholders in Liberia, and those we interviewed in New York and elsewhere. They contributed valuable inputs to the evaluation process through their participation in meetings, interviews, and site visits. In particular, we would like to thank Salvator Nkurunziza, Peacebuilding Program Coordinator for all his help during the team’s fieldwork in Liberia. We also wish to thank the PBSO evaluation office, especially Yun Jae Chun and Johannes Schreuder for good discussions and constructive comments on our draft deliverables. The report has been written by a team from Nordic Consulting Group, Denmark: Agnieszka Paczynska (Team Leader), Siafa Hage, and Mathias Kjaer, assisted by Joakim Svolgaard. Quality Assurance was carried out by Anne-Lise Klausen. The views expressed in this report are solely those of the evaluation team. Copenhagen, December 2017. ii Table of Contents Map of Counties Visited .................................................................................................................. iii Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... i Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Overview of Peacebuilding Fund ................................................................................................ 1 PBF Liberia Context ..................................................................................................................... 2 Conflict Context .......................................................................................................................... 5 Portfolio Overview ...................................................................................................................... 6 Evaluation Background and Methodology ..................................................................................... 8 Purpose and Objectives .............................................................................................................. 8 Overall Approach and Methodology .......................................................................................... 9 Site and Interviewee Selection ................................................................................................... 9 Limitations and Mitigation Measures ....................................................................................... 10 Findings ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Relevance .................................................................................................................................. 11 Efficiency ................................................................................................................................... 15 Effectiveness ............................................................................................................................. 22 Sustainability ............................................................................................................................. 35 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 39 Lessons Learned ............................................................................................................................ 43 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 45 Annexes ......................................................................................................................................... 49 Annex A: People and Organizations Consulted ........................................................................ 49 Annex B: Project Timelines and Funding Overview .................................................................. 54 Annex C: Project Summaries ..................................................................................................... 58 Annex D: Data Collection Instruments ...................................................................................... 82 Annex F: Summary of interview responses .............................................................................. 90 Annex E: Endnotes .................................................................................................................... 93 i Acronyms ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution AfT Agenda for Transformation BIN Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization CO Country Office CPC County Peace Committee EVD Ebola Virus Disease GoL Government of Liberia HQ Headquarters IP Implementing Partner IRF Immediate Response Facility JNV Junior National Volunteer JSC Joint Steering Committee JSJP Justice and Security Joint Programme LC Land Commission LCC Land Coordination Center LNP Liberia National Police LPP Liberia Peacebuilding Joint Program M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MDTFO Multi-Donor Trust Fund Office MoF Ministry of Finance MoJ Ministry of Justice MTPF Medium Term Program Transfers NPFL National Patriotic Front of Liberia NYSP National Youth Service Program PBC Peacebuilding Commission PBF Peacebuilding Fund PBO Peacebuilding Office PBSO Peacebuilding Support Office PP Priority Plan PRC People’s Redemption Council PRF Peacebuilding Recovery Facility PRS Liberia Poverty Reduction Strategy RUNO Recipient United Nations Organizations SMC Statement of Mutual Commitments SSR Security sector reform TOR Terms of Reference UN United Nations UNCT UN Country Team UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNMIL United Nations Mission to Liberia UNSG UN Secretary-General ii Map of Counties Visited iii Executive Summary Liberia is currently undergoing two significant transitions: the end of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in March 2018, and the October 2017 national elections, which will elect the first new president in 12 years. Simultaneously, the country continues to recover from the Ebola epidemic of 2014/15 and is experiencing an economic recession, caused by falling global commodity prices of its main exports, specifically iron ore and rubber. This evaluation presents an opportunity for Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) to strengthen both accountability and learning. It also demonstrates PBSO’s commitment to more regularly and rigorously assess the results of its programs. The evaluation covers PBF support under the second and third Priority Plans (PPs) between 2011 and 2016. The Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) is the United Nations Secretary General’s (UNSG) multi-year standing trust fund. It’s part of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture that was set up in 2006 at the request of the General Assembly and the Security Council. The PBF became operational in 2007 and is meant to serve as a flexible tool to support the UN's broader peacebuilding objectives in countries at risk of relapsing into conflict. It is expected to prioritize interventions that demonstrate direct and immediate relevance to peacebuilding, serve as a catalyst for kick-starting peacebuilding interventions, and engage UN agencies, funds and programs, and bilateral donors to support implementation by national entities and thereby strengthen national capacity. Evaluation Background Liberia became eligible for PBF support in December 2007, following the end of the civil war and the signing of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement in August 2003. In October of that year, the UN Security Council established UNMIL and deployed 15,000 peacekeepers across the country. The first Peacebuilding Priority Plan (PP) was approved in February 2008 with $15 million allocated for interventions. In November 2010, a Statement of Mutual Commitments (SMC) was adopted and signed between the Government of Liberia (GoL) and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), providing the foundation for future peacebuilding support. Liberia has since received two additional allocations, in 2011 and 2013, to implement two successive PPs, totaling an additional $35 million ($20 million and $15 million, respectively). The 3rd PP ended at the end of 2016, with a couple of the projects extended into 2017. This evaluation had a dual purpose of providing (1) a summative assessment of PBF-funded peacebuilding results in Liberia, and (2) a more forward-looking analysis of gaps and opportunities to inform decision- making about future PBF investments in Liberia. Specifically, it: 1. Assessed the extent to which the PBF portfolio has made concrete and sustainable peacebuilding impact through direct action and catalytic effects (impact level). 2. Assessed the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of PBF activities (outcome and output level). 3. Identified critical remaining peacebuilding gaps. 4. Assessed the extent and effectiveness of programmatic intervention to support empowerment of women and youth. 5. Identified lessons learned for future PBF engagements both inside and outside Liberia. i Methodology The evaluation utilized a non-experimental, ex-post evaluation design. The team followed a qualitatively dominant