Challenges of Decentralization in Liberia: An Analysis of Effectiveness in Improving Local Governance and Public Service Access

Decentralization has taken shape as one of the vital strategies to address the reform needs of governance in Liberia, focusing on the levels of governance at the local level for access to public services. This article seeks to clarify both the problems attendant to decentralization in Liberia as well as its probable success in fulfilling its desired purposes. These discussions consider past literature and empirical evidence and highlight some major obstacles, such as impaired infrastructure, weak local government capacities, and some persisting socio-economic inequalities. The perceptions citizens have of the decentralization strategies are also analyzed. Conducted through interviews with 500 respondents, these analyses are quite informative of how these reforms are being seen. The findings derive some strain and stressors within the field of decentralization to signal the need for local capacity-building and resource exteriorization. The overall report recommends a multi-bound approach to support regional governance structures for improved service delivery in Liberia. It opens space for the government of Liberia to accede to responsive and accountable governance that meets citizens’ needs. This study informs the larger discussions on post-conflict governance reform and serves as a basis for recommendations among stakeholders and policymakers experienced in the field of decentralization.