Before 2010, time pressure and budget constraints precluded the development of an adequate results framework or a system for tracking progress. Task teams followed a flexible and pragmatic approach, adapting to changing priorities and circumstances. Project implementation tended to encounter delays, and none of the infrastructure projects closed as scheduled. Many projects needed additional finance or were restructured to change the scope of works due to exogenous factors or policy changes. The World Bank has committed to an Output and Performance-Based Road Contract (OPRC) combining construction and maintenance. The expanded role of the private sector has proved beneficial in some countries and the OPRC approach seems appropriate for Liberia— as it requires much less capacity of the government and, by agreement, places the implementation risk on the contractor.
Pillar Three: Facilitating Pro-Poor Growth World Bank Group Objectives. The World Bank Group sought to help revitalize the economy in an inclusive manner. Initially, the assistance was to be provided mainly through IFC knowledge products, collaboration with other donors, and small grants and technical assistance in agriculture and mining. Following arrears clearance and the PRS, the World Bank Group began pursuing the following: • Improving the management of agriculture and natural resources; • Upgrading the investment climate, including finance; and • Increasing access to social protection and social services. The planned support remained small compared to the other two pillars, with expected lending of less than 10 percent of the total indicative program. Under this pillar, a significant role was envisioned for IFC and MIGA. Through the post-conflict initiative for Africa, IFC assistance sought to: • Support improvements in the investment climate; • Strengthen the financial sector; • Promote private participation in the real sector and infrastructure; and • Support selected agribusinesses or mining ventures. MIGA sought to catalyze foreign investment to develop Liberia’s natural resources by offering guarantees against political risk, as well as technical assistance in investment promotion. Outcomes. For the most part, the program under this pillar reflects an initial exploratory engagement rather than the full-scale support. In the agriculture sector, the desired gains on output and productivity of domestic food crops have not materialized. The mining sector has seen progress on transparency and the legal framework, but artisanal mining has not had any gains. In the forest management sector, the United Nations lifted the sanctions on timber exports in June 2006. A legal framework has been established, as has a chain of custody system to curb illegal timber harvesting. Nevertheless, forestry prac-
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