In a bid to strengthen Liberia's community health delivery system, ActionAid Liberia and its partners have taken a major step toward empowering grassroots health actors. On Thursday, September 18, they hosted a Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) capacity assessment validation workshop, bringing together 30 participants from four counties to enhance organizational resilience and improve access to healthcare--especially in rural areas where services remain limited or nonexistent.
The one-day event sought to review and validate findings from recent capacity assessments, while aligning proposed interventions with the realities of local CBOs. The initiative is supported by Plan International through the Global Fund's Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH) program, with a strong focus on leadership, governance, project management, and technical capacity.
Victoria Torlo Koiquah, ActionAid Liberia's Business Development Manager, underscored the central role of strong governance frameworks in sustaining community health delivery.
"This workshop is meant to enhance CBOs' leadership and governance frameworks, including organizational structure and decision-making processes," Madam Koiquah said.
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She stressed that CBOs must strengthen their financial management and budgeting skills to ensure accountability and sustainability. She further highlighted the importance of gender-responsive approaches, reminding participants that "health programs must reflect the needs of both men and women, particularly in vulnerable populations."
Additionally, she pointed to the need for robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems to track progress and measure impact.
Findings shared at the workshop showed encouraging progress. All participating CSOs are legally registered in Liberia, qualifying them as local actors under donor frameworks--a critical step for attracting international support and resources.
William E. Walker Jr., Head of Secretariat of the Liberia Coordinating Mechanism (LCM) Global Fund Partnership, welcomed the gathering as long overdue and pledged his institution's support.
"We will continue to ensure that your advocacy and voices will be heard in future proposals," Walker assured. "And we will continue to work with you in order to grant you opportunities once you are within the LCM space."
Ernest Kromah Gaie, former ActionAid Liberia Country Director and now a consultant, encouraged CSOs to embrace greater responsibility in the development sector.
"Donors are now looking to work more with local content," Gaie said. "You will need to stretch yourselves and begin to take on responsibilities that were previously handled by international NGOs."
He urged organizations to create compelling, results-driven programs that can attract funding beyond Liberia's borders.
"You need to have a pitch. You need to have a product. This is how you position yourself to pursue funding opportunities--especially outside of Liberia," he told participants.
Community-based organizations have long been a cornerstone of Liberia's health system, providing services such as health education, HIV and TB testing, treatment adherence, and advocacy--often reaching marginalized groups that face stigma or barriers in accessing formal health facilities.
The RSSH grant aims to strengthen these organizations in the wake of COVID-19 and in support of Liberia's broader health sector reforms. Under the program, ActionAid Liberia is tasked with assessing and strengthening 36 CBOs across eight counties. Thursday's validation workshop marked a crucial phase, aligning each CBO's capacity-building plan with operational realities.
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The expected outcomes of the workshop include finalizing organizational capacity building plans for participating CBOs, integrating participant feedback into training and mentorship workplans, and producing a comprehensive workshop report that captures key discussions and recommendations.
By reinforcing local civil society actors, ActionAid Liberia, Plan International, and the Global Fund aim to promote sustainable and inclusive healthcare delivery, with a special focus on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
The collaboration signals renewed commitment--both locally and internationally--to building a resilient, people-centered health system that leaves no community behind.
