2011年-世界发展银行全球_Liberias_Cash_for_Work_Temporary_Employment_Project___Responding_to_Crisis_in_Low____________Income_Fragile_Countries_53页_735kb

Summary of Liberia's Cash For Work Temporary Employment Project

Core Content

Liberia's Cash for Work Temporary Employment Project (CfWTEP) was a response to the 2007/2008 global food price crisis, which had severe impacts on the country's vulnerable populations. The project was implemented in partnership with the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) and funded by the World Bank through an emergency crisis facility. The main objective was to provide short-term employment and income to households affected by rising food prices, particularly in rural and urban areas.

The project aimed to mitigate poverty by creating 680,000 days of temporary employment for 17,000 vulnerable households. Work included labor-intensive tasks such as road maintenance, drainage clearance, and public cleaning. The program also served to improve community infrastructure and enhance public services, which in turn had positive long-term effects on living standards and economic resilience.

Main Objectives

• Provide immediate relief to households affected by rising food prices.
• Create temporary employment opportunities for the poor.
• Improve community infrastructure and public services.
• Establish a foundation for a broader social safety net in Liberia.

Key Findings

Quantitative Impacts

• Targeting: The project successfully targeted vulnerable households, with 46% of workers being female.
• Wage Use: Households used the wages for basic needs, including food, healthcare, and education.
• Poverty Reduction: The program contributed to poverty alleviation, with 6 percentage points increase in the poverty share observed in response to a 50% rice price increase.
• Cost Effectiveness: The program was cost-effective, with 70.7% of expenditures going to wages, and 14.1% to goods and subproject costs.

Qualitative Perspectives

• Beneficiaries: Participants reported improved food security, income, and community well-being.
• Communities: Local communities benefited from infrastructure improvements, such as road rehabilitation and public space cleaning, which enhanced mobility and health conditions.
• Other Stakeholders: The project was supported by local NGOs, government agencies, and international bodies like the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF.

Implementation Elements

Project Design

• The CfWTEP was a grant-funded initiative under the Global Food Crisis Response Program.
• Sub-projects were implemented in 15 counties, with 500 beneficiaries per project.
• Activities included roadside brushing, drainage clearance, public cleaning, school and health facility rehabilitation, and airstrip clearing.
• Wages: A daily wage of US$3.00 was provided, totaling US$120.00 for 40 days of work.

Institutional Arrangements

• The Government of Liberia (GoL) and the World Bank collaborated on the project.
• LACE was responsible for overall implementation.
• Community Facilitators (CFs), selected from local NGOs and community-based organizations, were tasked with recruitment, supervision, and payroll reporting.
• The project emphasized community participation, local knowledge, and transparency in resource allocation.

Operational and Policy Lessons

• Overcoming Government Capacity Constraints: The GoL lacked the administrative capacity to implement the program effectively, necessitating the involvement of LACE and CFs.
• Utilizing Local Knowledge: The project relied heavily on community-based organizations and local facilitators to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
• Setting Wages in Complex Contexts: Wages were set to reflect local conditions, ensuring self-selection among the poor and fair compensation.
• Sustaining Participants and Projects: Sustaining interest and participation required ongoing communication, community engagement, and clear feedback mechanisms.
• Transitioning to Broader Social Protection: The project served as a springboard for developing a more comprehensive social safety net in Liberia, with the new Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) including a dedicated social protection pillar.

Conclusion

The CfWTEP demonstrated the potential of public works programs in low-income, fragile states to provide immediate relief and build long-term resilience. It highlighted the importance of community involvement, local knowledge, and transparent targeting in ensuring the effectiveness of such programs. The experience also underscores the need for sustained policy commitment and financial investment to transition from emergency response to systematic social protection.

Key Information

• CfWTEP Duration: July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2013 (with initial phase ending by June 30, 2010).
• Funding: Provided by the World Bank through an emergency crisis facility.
• Beneficiaries: 17,000 households, with 9,230 male and 7,770 female workers.
• Total Disbursement: US$2,876,923.97 by August 2010, representing 95.9% of the project budget.
• Wage Disbursement: US$120.00 per worker for 40 days of work.
• Impact on Poverty: A 50% increase in rice prices could have increased the poverty share by 6 percentage points.
• Social Protection Framework: The project laid the groundwork for a broader social protection system in Liberia, with a National Social Protection Policy in development.

Acronyms

• CF: Community Facilitator
• CfW: Cash for Work
• CfWTEP: Cash for Work Temporary Employment Project
• LACE: Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment
• WFP: World Food Programme
• PRS: Poverty Reduction Strategy
• LEAP: Liberia Employment Action Programme
• LEEP: Liberia Emergency Employment Programme
• UNMIL: United Nations Mission in Liberia
• CFSNS: Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey
• CWIQ: Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire