Desk Review for USAID/Liberia Liberia Youth and Workforce Development Assessment 5 September 2017 This document was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was prepared by Ms. Paige Mason with the support of Ms. Katya Fink for the USAID Liberia Strategic Analysis project under contract AID-669-C-16-00002. DISCLAIMER The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Acronyms............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES ......................................................................................................................................... 5 I. Executive summary.................................................................................................................................................. 6 Purpose and Questions ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Methods .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Key Findings ................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Recommendations ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 II. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 12 Background ................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Objective of this Study .............................................................................................................................................. 13 III. Desk Review Approach ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Research Questions ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................................ 14 IV. Desk Review Findings ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Question 1 .................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Question 2 .................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Literacy and Numeracy Skills .............................................................................................................................. 19 Capacity and Impact of Civil Society Organizations Focused on Youth, particularly Local Youth Groups ..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Crime, Drug Use, and Prostitution ................................................................................................................... 21 HIV/AIDS and At-Risk Youth .............................................................................................................................. 22 Accreditation, Vocational Training and Training Institutions ...................................................................... 23 Private Sector Employment and Economic Trends ....................................................................................... 24 Village Savings, Loan Associations, and Access to Credit ............................................................................ 26 Access to Technology........................................................................................................................................... 27 Media ........................................................................................................................................................................ 27 Micro-Finance Opportunities .............................................................................................................................. 28 Challenges and Opportunities for Civic Engagement ................................................................................... 28 Question 3 .................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Question 4 .................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Question 5 .................................................................................................................................................................... 37 1 Question 6 .................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Question 7 .................................................................................................................................................................... 41 V. Recommendations ................................................................................................................................................. 42 Annex I – Statement of Work ...................................................................................................................................... 44 Annex II – Annotated Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 47 2 ACRONYMS ABE Alternative Basic Education AFDB African Development Bank AYP Advancing Youth Project CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CSO Civil Society Organization DEC Development Exchange Clearinghouse DFID Department for International Development EVD Ebola Virus Disease FDGs Focus Group Discussions FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FLY Federation of Liberian Youth GDP Gross Domestic Product GOAL Girls’ Opportunities to Access Learning GOL Government of Liberia HICD Human and Institutional Capacity Development HIES Household Income and Expenditure Survey HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome HRPS Human Rights and Protection Service IIC Independent Information Commissioner ICT Information Communications Technology KII Key Informant Interview LADA Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity LAVI Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative LGSA Land Governance Support Activity LIEC Liberia International Election Observation LMD Liberia Media Development Program LDHS Liberia Health and Demographic Survey LPAC Legal Professional Development and Anti-Corruption Program LYSMPS Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study MCSP Maternal and Child Survival Program MFDP Ministry of Finance and Development Planning MOA Ministry of Agriculture 3 MOE Ministry of Education MOGD Ministry of Gender and Development MOYS Ministry of Youth and Sports ODA Official Development Assistance OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development PACS Partnership for Advancing Community PYPP Presidents Young Professional Program SGBV Sexual and Gender Based Violence STI Sexually Transmitted Infection TVET Technical and Vocational Training UN United Nations UNAIDS United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS UNDP United Nations Development Program UNFPA United Nations Family Planning Agency UNICEF United Nations Children Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development VSLA Village Savings and Loans Association WB World Bank 4 LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES Table 1: Existing Assessments, Reports, and Surveys Post-EVD.......................................................................... 14 Table 2: School Attendance Among Youth ............................................................................................................... 17 Table 3: TVET Institutions and Programs .................................................................................................................. 24 Table 4: Labor Market Needs ....................................................................................................................................... 25 Table 5: Examples of Activity Implementation Strategies for Youth Benefit..................................................... 34 Table 6: Income Generating Activities before and after EVD .............................................................................