MONROVIA, LIBERIA-Naymote Partners for Democratic Development says only 12 of 385 government development interventions have been completed, raising concerns about the pace of implementation of the government’s development agenda.

Naymote Executive Director Eddie Jarwolo disclosed this during the release of the organization’s latest independent assessment.

According to Director Jarwolo, 213 interventions, representing 55.3 percent, are still ongoing, while 57 interventions have not started.

He said another 103 interventions could not be rated because Naymote did not receive enough information to determine their implementation status.

Director Jarwolo said the completed and ongoing interventions together account for about 58.4 percent of the total; however, he cautioned that ongoing projects should not be considered completed or automatically viewed as having achieved their intended impact.

He says Naymote will take the findings to communities across Liberia to encourage citizens to discuss government performance.

The Naymote boss also says the assessment is part of the organization’s effort to strengthen democratic accountability and ensure government delivers on its development commitments.

Meanwhile, Naymote Partners for Democratic Development says the failure of some government institutions to provide information is making it difficult to independently verify the government’s development achievements.

Naymote Executive Director Eddie Jarwolo says the organization was unable to rate 103 interventions because sufficient evidence was not available.

Director Jarwolo says Naymote contacted ministries, agencies and commissions for documents to verify government claims, but some institutions failed to respond.

He says the organization cannot simply accept information from government reports without independently checking the evidence.

According to Naymote, the government reported 34 completed interventions, while its own independent assessment verified only 12.

Director Jarwolo says the difference is mainly because Naymote could not obtain supporting evidence for some of the government’s reported achievements.

He is calling on ministries and agencies to make information on government programs publicly accessible, adding that institutions should either respond to information requests or publish their reports and evidence on their official websites.

The Naymote Executive Director is also recommending the establishment of a public evidence portal where citizens can easily access information about government projects.

He says transparency and accountability require citizens and civil society organizations to have access to reliable information about government performance.

At the same time, Naymote Partners for Democratic Development is urging the government to set clear and measurable targets for its development programs.

Executive Director Eddie Jarwolo says vague commitments make it difficult for citizens to determine whether government promises have been fulfilled.

Director Jarwolo says development interventions should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, commonly known as SMART targets.

He suggests that government could instead set specific targets, such as training 500 teachers by 2028 or constructing two additional schools by 2027.

According to Jarwolo, such targets would make it easier to track progress and hold officials accountable.

He says Naymote has already shared its monitoring methodology with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, adding that there have been some improvements, including a reduction in interventions classified as not started and not rated.

Naymote says it will continue monitoring government commitments across Liberia’s 15 counties and engage communities through public dialogues.

Director Jarwolo says the organization’s goal is not political, but to ensure that government resources are used to deliver on commitments made to Liberians.