The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office represented by the British Ambassador to Liberia, Amb. Neil Bradley signed a grant agreement with Integrity Watch Liberia, represented by the organizations founder and Executive Director, Harold, Marvin Aidoo, Sr., the project seeks to promote citizens participation in the budget process.

Anchored on the backdrop that public participation is very cardinal to the budget process as it makes government more accountable and responsive to its citizens. The project was conceived to provide an opportunity for citizens to make inputs in identifying their priorities as well as improve their perception of the performance of the government.  Citizens play a critical role in advocating and helping to make public institutions more transparent, accountable and effective, as well as contributing innovative solutions to complex development challenges (World Bank Group). Hence, the recognition that citizen have both rights and responsibility to contribute to decision making processes that affect their wellbeing is fundamental to public financial management. 

Over the years, Liberia’s performance in successive Open Budget Survey has been declining gradually. Index for 2019, Liberia scored 6/100 in public participation which is lower than what it scored in 2017 (11/100). This indicate that there are no opportunities for citizens to contribute in decision making processes around the budget issues which affect their livelihood. It also means that Government’s responsiveness to its citizens is undermined. This phenomenon has contributed weak demand side and lack of accountability in the utilization of the national budget.

Key deliverables within the project include, establishment of a CSO Budget Platform that will mobilize the collective voice of citizens and civil society in the national budget formulation process. Similarly, the project will also seek to develop a shadow budget option paper/a comprehensive analysis of the national budget and advocate for key reforms through legislative engagement while at the same raising awareness around the budget and engendering public participation in the national budget formulation process.