Buchanan, Grand Bassa County – The United Nations Development Program-UNDP in partnership with the Government of Liberia on Tuesday began a two-day training for government partners to enable them understand UNDP processes, improve the quality of implementation as well as preparing the participants for micro assessment.
Over the years, UNDP has installed numerous processes and procedures which have enabled it[UNDP] to provide clear checks and balances, account for funds given to them by funders as well as the quality of work produced. These measures range from financial risk management, audit, and procurement to quality delivery of development services.
In 2020, the UNDP embarked on a new cycle (2020-2024) of the Country Programme Document-CPD. This cycle requires the conduct of micro assessment for all Implementing Partners-IPs and Responsible Partners-RPs to update their micro assessment rating for the implementation of the new program cycle.
It is against this backdrop that UNDP is conducting a training for government partners to ensure that they understand UNDP processes and improve the quality of implementation and their preparedness for the micro assessment. Micro assessment is one of the key documents that determines how UNDP transfers funds to implementing partners for the implementation of projects and programmes.
Welcoming the participants, the head of the Program Management Support Unit at the UNDP, Ignatius Abedu-Bentsi stated that the UNDP hopes to have an interactive session which inturn will leave the participants with a strong understanding of their systems.
“So that when you go back you can be able to strengthen your own systems so that we can be able to have funding implementation across the board for all of our international counterparts/partners,” stated Mr. Abedu-Bentsi.
Among other things, the objective of the training is to strengthen implementing partners’ capacities to receive funds, implement projects and report on the resources that were provided; building stronger partnerships which would enable the UNDP contribute immensely to the government’s vision and priorities by building institutional capacities for sound policy formulation and sustainable economic development.
“Understanding the processes will significantly cut the length of time needed to complete financial transactions between and the reduction in transactional time will contribute to the increase and proficiency in the implementation of programme activities.”
It is expected that at the end of the training, Partners have fully understood UNDP’s Standard Operating Procedures-SOPs on operational engagements with partners, including the different funding procedures and cash transfer modalities under the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfer-HACT Framework among others.
Representing the MInistry of Internal Affairs, the Deputy Minister for Research and Development Planning at the Ministry, Olayee Collins stated that even though the UNDP is one of the GoL ‘biggest’ funders that helps the government to achieve a lot, there are still challenges in the working arrangements between them.
“This training is very necessary because I believe that if we leave from here we will know how to work with our development partner, the UNDP effectively; I worked for several years with the UNDP on a few projects and the shift from direct implementation modality to national implementation modality sometimes can be confusing,” expressed Min. Collins.
According to the Minister, he is hopeful that there will be ‘some’ direct efforts on the part of UNDP in ensuring that all of it’s projects and workings with government institutions will shift from National Implementation Modality-NIM to Direct Implementation Modality-DIM.
“Because, it is about time that we own the projects; it is about time that the government institutions implement the projects,” he stressed.
Also speaking, the Director of the Aid Management Coordination Unit at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Madame Alice Williams stressed that the training was crucial for government institutions for a better understanding of the UNDP procedures and working on challenges that may stall projects.
“If we don’t have the idea; we don’t understand the procedures properly, we find ourselves delaying in processing our documents,” explained Madame Williams.
Madame Williams, however, called on participants to own the contents of the training in their various institutions, “and make sure that we do the people’s work effectively.”
“Make sure to ask all the necessary questions and let them give you the answer that will guide you in processing your documents because this is why you are here,” she stressed.