By: Kabna Kabah
MONROVIA – The World Bank has dispatched a delegation to Liberia to assess the country’s emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) systems.
The initiative follows a 2024 request by Hon. Atty. Ansu V. S. Dulleh Sr., Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), for technical, logistical, and capacity-building support.
The assessment, part of the World Bank’s Ready2Respond (R2R) diagnostic, evaluates Liberia’s ability to manage crises and complex emergencies.
The R2R tool measures five key components: Legal and Institutional Framework, Information, Facilities, Equipment, and Personnel. It uses a structured, attribute-based scoring system to produce quantifiable results that will guide investment planning and immediate risk reduction projects.
This diagnostic effort is a collaboration between the World Bank, the Government of Liberia, and the international consulting firm MetricsLed, which is working alongside local research partners SDI and RMC to ensure comprehensive county-level data collection and stakeholder engagement.
The project is structured in three phases: a literature review, a field mission for data collection and validation, and the development of a final report with actionable recommendations.
Findings will be reviewed by both the World Bank and the Liberian government, with stakeholders participating in interviews and consultations to promote local ownership.
The ongoing field mission is focused on Monrovia and several other counties, with data collection expected to continue until the end of September.
The delegation recently met with NDMA’s Director of Information Technology, Ahmad Kamara, as part of the process.
This initiative aligns with Hon. Dulleh’s efforts to strengthen Liberia’s emergency preparedness and response systems, ensuring the NDMA is better equipped to handle complex emergencies.
