Decentralizing Hope:
How UNICEF is Partnering with Local Government to Pave the Way for Sustainable Change for Every Child
Planning with communities: UNICEF begins county engagements for children in Liberia in Montserrado County, government leaders, technical experts, and development partners recently gathered around a shared goal — ensuring that programmes designed for children are shaped by the communities they serve.
The meeting marked the official launch of UNICEF Liberia’s 2026–2027 county-level planning and engagement process, beginning in Montserrado and expanding in the coming weeks to Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, and Grand Gedeh counties.
For UNICEF, the process represents more than a planning exercise. It reflects a commitment to bringing decision-making closer to communities, ensuring that county leaders, local actors, and service providers help shape programmes that affect children and families.
The engagements are being carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, particularly through the Offices of County Superintendents, and will help inform county operational plans that guide programme implementation.
Participants at the Montserrado meeting included representatives from several key ministries, agencies, and commissions, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Speaking during the engagement, UNICEF Liberia Representative Andrew Brooks emphasized that strong planning at the county level is essential to improving outcomes for children.
“County-level engagement ensures that programmes are not only well designed, but also grounded in the realities of communities,” Brooks said. “This approach strengthens collaboration between national and local authorities and helps ensure that investments reach the children who need them most.”
The initiative also aligns with Liberia’s national priorities, including the Government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, the National Decentralization Policy, the County Development Agenda, and the United Nations Cooperation Framework for Liberia.
For Montserrado County Superintendent Hon. Whronway Bryant, the process represents a new chapter in how development programmes are designed.
Welcoming the initiative, he described it as an unprecedented and truly decentralized approach, one that ensures community actors and local stakeholders are part of the conversation from the beginning.
“When communities help shape the programmes meant for them, the impact is stronger and more sustainable,” Bryant noted.
Through these engagements, UNICEF and its partners aim to strengthen collaboration across sectors while ensuring that every plan, every investment, and every programme ultimately delivers results for Liberia’s children.
Because every child deserves a future built on opportunity, equity, and strong local systems.
