Planning & Development

CORE FUNCTIONS 
Department of Planning and Development within the Ministry of Agriculture in Liberia
The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) within the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in Liberia plays multifaceted roles including shaping agricultural policies, strategies, and programs to ensure alignment with national development goals. These functions are aimed towards improving food security and nutrition outcomes, enhancing the livelihoods of farmers, promoting sustainable agriculture practices, and fostering an enabling environment where farmers thrive sustainably while contributing positively towards national economic growth. 
The DPD is also essential for coordinating planning and initiatives among various partners implementing agricultural and related programs, and several divisions within the Ministry, namely, Policy and Planning, M & E, Statistics, Marketing, Gender, Sector Coordination, Food Security and Nutrition.
The functions of the DPD aligns closely with broader national development goals outlined in various strategic documents such as Vision 2030 or the National Adaptation Plan for Climate Change. The DPD ensures that its initiatives contribute towards achieving relevant SDGs related to zero hunger (Goal 2), decent work (Goal 8), climate action (Goal 13), among others.
The DPD functions can be summarized as follows:


1. Policy Formulation and Strategic Planning 
The DPD is responsible for guiding the formulation of policies and strategic plans that provide overall direction and serve as blueprints for implementing agricultural programs across the 15 counties in Liberia. These responsibilities include conducting comprehensive analyses of existing policies, identifying gaps, and proposing new strategies to address both current challenges and future needs within the sector; and also setting short-term and long-term goals, defining objectives, and outlining specific actions required to achieve these goals, including initiatives that can lead to improved agricultural productivity and sustainability. 

2. Program Development and Implementation
Once policies and strategic plans are established, the DPD takes on the responsibility of developing and implementing specific programs aimed at achieving outlined goals and objectives. These programs may focus on areas such as crop production, livestock management, agrobusiness, food security, nutrition, or creating market linkages. The DPD works closely with other departments within the MOA as well as external partners to implement these programs effectively. This includes mobilizing resources, coordinating activities among various stakeholders, and monitoring progress toward program goals and objectives.


3. Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration 
The need for engagement and collaboration between local and international partners cannot be overstated. Therefore, the DPD actively seeks input by collaborating with various stakeholders including government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international and local partners including farmer associations; cooperatives; civil society organizations; private sector actors; women’s groups; youth organizations; universities, research institutions etc., working towards enhancing food security, nutrition and sustainable agricultural development outcomes to ensure data-driven insights, decision-making, and programing processes that are inclusive and reflective of local realities, diverse needs, priorities and challenges faced by farming communities, households, and individuals in the country. 
4. Data Collection, Monitoring and Evaluation
The DPD manages the management information system (MIS) which informs policymakers within the MOA about emerging trends while guiding resource allocation decisions and help identify successes as well as areas needing improvement or additional support. The department organizes and maintains databases that contain information and data about crop yields; land use patterns; market trends; climate impacts on agriculture; socio-economic conditions affecting rural populations among others. The DPD establishes frameworks for monitoring key performance indicators related to agricultural production levels, resource utilization efficiency, farmer income improvements, food security, nutrition, etc. 
5. Capacity Building
To enhance productivity within the agricultural sector, it is essential to build capacity among farmers and extension workers. The DPD organizes training programs aimed at improving skills related to modern farming techniques, pest management, soil conservation practices, financial literacy, and business management for agribusinesses. By empowering individuals with knowledge and skills through capacity-building initiatives, the DPD contributes to fostering a more resilient agricultural community.
6. Advocacy & Communication
The DPD serves as an advocate for agriculture-related issues at both national & international levels. It communicates vital information regarding policy changes or new initiatives through various channels including social media outreach and campaigns, publications, workshops, and seminars aimed at raising awareness about importance and benefits associated with investing in sustainable agriculture.
 

The Department is headed by a Deputy Minister and an Assistant minister

Core Functions of the Deputy Minister for Planning and Development within MOA Liberia

The Deputy Minister for Planning and Development (PMPD) holds a multifaceted role that encompasses strategic planning, program management, stakeholder engagement, data analysis, capacity building, and advocacy. These functions collectively contribute towards enhancing Liberia’s agricultural sector’s efficiency, sustainability, and overall contribution to national development goals.

The Deputy Minister is responsible for formulating and implementing strategic plans that align with national agricultural policies. This includes evaluating the current state of agriculture in the country to identify gaps and areas needing intervention, and collaborating with stakeholders to create policies that promote sustainable agricultural practices, enhance productivity, and ensure food security, as well as establishing a long-term vision for the agricultural sector that aligns with national development goals.

Another critical function involves overseeing various agricultural programs and projects by leading the design of agricultural projects aimed at improving productivity, such as irrigation schemes or crop diversification initiatives, and implementing systems to monitor project progress, assess outcomes, and make necessary adjustments to ensure objectives are met, as well as ensuring that resources (financial, human, technical) are allocated efficiently across different programs.

The Deputy Minister engages with various stakeholders including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international agencies, and donor organizations to building partnerships and secure funding and technical assistance for agricultural initiatives. The Deputy Minister works closely with local communities to understand their needs, gather feedback on programs, and foster community participation in agricultural development efforts. Collaborating with other government ministries to ensure an integrated approach to rural development.

Another important function of the Deputy Minister is to ensure knowledge and skills development within the ministry by developing training modules for staff at all levels within the ministry to improve their capabilities in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Also, by creating forums where best practices can be shared among stakeholders involved in agriculture.

The Deputy Minister also serves as an advocate for agriculture within national discourse, and represents the interests of farmers and agricultural stakeholders at national forums or international conferences. The Deputy Minister leads initiatives aimed at raising public awareness about the importance of agriculture in economic development

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Core Functions of the Assistant Minister for Planning and Development within MOA Liberia

The Assistant Minister is responsible for drafting agricultural policies and developing strategic plans that align with international best practices. This includes identifying gaps in agricultural production, infrastructure, and services, and collaborating with stakeholders to establish clear targets for agricultural growth that are measurable and achievable.

Once policies and strategic plans are established, the Assistant Minister oversees their implementation through specific projects from conception through execution to ensure they meet their objectives, and that financial resources are allocated efficiently to priority areas within the agriculture sector, while working alongside development partners and relevant government ministries and agencies to ensure a cohesive approach to national development goals. 

An essential function of the Assistant Minister is to monitor progress towards achieving set goals and objectives by developing metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural programs, regularly collecting feedback from farmers and communities, and providing updates on program outcomes to senior officials within the MOA as well as external stakeholders. 

The foster data-driven decision-making, the Deputy Minister oversees the collection of data related to crop production, livestock management, market trends, etc., which informs policy decisions, and facilitates partnering with research institutions to analyze data trends that can influence future agricultural strategies.

The Assistant Minister gathers input from farmers, NGOs, community leaders, and other relevant parties by organizing forums or workshops. By building relationships with international organizations, NGOs, and private sector partners, the Assistant Minister can secure funding and technical assistance for agricultural initiatives.

The Assistant Minister also focuses on strengthening human resources by developing training modules and facilitating workshops or seminars to promote knowledge exchange among stakeholders, including local farmers on knowledge of food security and nutrition, and best practices in agriculture. 

The Assistant Minister works with research institutions to conduct studies that address local agricultural challenges, aiming to promote innovative farming techniques that can improve agriculture practices, enhance productivity while being environmentally sustainable.

The Assistant Minister serves as an advocate for issues affecting the agriculture sector: Lobbying for necessary legislative changes or support from government bodies that benefit farmers. Engaging in public campaigns to highlight critical issues such as climate change impacts on agriculture or food security challenges.

The various divisions are headed by Directors.

The Department has four main units.

Agricultural Sector Coordination

The Division of Coordination is the catalyst between the Ministry of Agriculture and development partners operating in the agricultural sector. It coordinates agricultural development activities to insure that they are aligned to national development objectives.

Coordination is done through the Agriculture Coordination Committee (ACC), a public-private body which meets monthly and provides the Ministry of Agriculture with advice for policy formulation to propel the sector to growth and development.

The ACC is structured into key subsector technical working groups. Membership in each subsector working group is based on the technical knowledge of the sector. All working groups do in-depth studies and develop strategies based on good agriculture practices to increase productivity and improve the quality of agricultural commodities (especially export crops), thus enabling Liberia to compete on regional and international markets for fair prices.

Programme Management Unit (PMU)

The Department of Planning and Development also oversees the Program Management Unit (PMU) which was set up in the Ministry of Agriculture in 2010 as part of its on-going reform initiative to ensure effective and efficient management, implementation and coordinator of donor-funded agriculture projects. The PMU oversees the implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of various donor-funded agriculture projects in the MOA within the framework of the Liberia Agriculture Sector Investment Program (LASIP). The total cost of committed funds for eight (8) in the PMU as at December 31, 2012was about US$149.3 million spread over eight major projects during the next five years.

This unit manages and coordinates the various projects: