Monrovia — After one month of intensive training, staff of the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the National Elections Commission of Liberia receive certificates.

At a certification ceremony for the five staff at the NEC offices in Monrovia, 13 December 2022, the Co-Chairperson of the Commission Counselor P. Teplah Reeves said she trusts the ability of the personnel to use the knowledge to hold people accountable in the application of processes related to the unit's functions.

"M &E is an extra eye that is critical and strategic in all areas of work and attracts donor support. It requires detailed applications using specific baselines and indicators that show progress," Cllr Reeves noted.

The training was designed to enhance the capacity of the Commission's M&E section in monitoring projects, utilizing statistical data collection software and analytical results-based report writing.

It exposed participants to modules on monitoring and evaluation systems, methodologies, tools, and techniques as well as data collection, management and statistical analysis and was supported by development partners, Irish Aid, Sweden and UNDP under the Liberia Elections Support Project (LESP).

"M&E is strategic to development planning. Without data, it would be difficult to understand problems and find solutions," said UNDP Chief Technical Adviser on elections Lenka Homolkova.

Ms. Homolkova noted that the training does not end at receiving certificates but must be applied to create space and a conducive environment that helps other staff in strategic planning, as the NEC prepares to administer transparent and accountable elections.