When compacts enter into force before proper due diligence work and project design have taken place, implementation and long-term sustainability are damaged. The report notes that the Liberia Compact entered into force on an accelerated timeline and as a result, the Roads Project was not ready and was still being designed well into implementation. Proper due diligence and planning around the Roads Sector Reform Activity weren’t given sufficient time to take place, so the team wasn’t able to design and implement activities such as more training for the National Road Fund (NRF) that could have supported sustainability. The report and country team both note that the Liberia Compact benefitted from excellent donor coordination and complementary projects by donors that served as some measure of sustainability support, but the long-term viability of the NRF and the new data-driven road maintenance regime remain at risk due in part to a lack of project planning time and resources.
Lesson Learned