Project Name: 12.2539.0-001-00
Capacity Development in the Transport Sector in Liberia with focus on
private sector development
Duration: 2008 – 2019
Partner: Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Finance and Development, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Education, Association of Liberian Construction Contractors
Focus: Sustainable Transport Policy, Youth Employment Promotion, Road Maintenance System
Employment Promotion Team: Wanda Mönnig – Coordinator Employment Promotion Team, Aberdeen Gargli – Advisor SME Promotion, Saizai Akoi – Advisor Skills Development, Yana Tumakova – Advisor Public Relations
Objective: To enable Liberian SME’s to win more public contracts and to support the capacitation process of the management of the umbrella Association of Liberian Construction Contractors – ALCC
Context: summary of the project
In 2015, the Transport Sector project was expanded to include development of Technical and
vocational education and training (TVET) measures to improve road maintenance and
construction skills of Liberian youths and strengthening the Association of Liberian
Construction Contractors (ALCC). The ALCC represents the construction business sector with
the mandate to provide support to the capacity development of its members.
The employment promotion team supported the re-activation of the ALCC management in
2017. Since February 2017, the Association of Liberian Construction Contractors of Liberia
has made great progress. A retreat workshop with 60 ALCC members were organized, ideas
and visions for the development of a strategy for the coming years until 2022 were collected.
One of the outcomes of this workshop was the request to integrate the gender policy in the
management concept of ALCC. About 23 small construction companies (7% of all registered
companies) are led by females in this sector generally recognized for men.
As follow-up of the retreat workshop, the employment promotion team initiated a working
session with female contractors with the objective to identify main problems to hinder female
contractors to get contracts and were identified and agreed with management on intended
actions. A speaker was elected who will be invited to the regular management meetings of the
Association. Among others steps, in June 2017 the ALCC started a gender campaign for
women contractors “Promoting Women Contractors in the Liberian Transport Sector”.
The employment team started interviews of active female contractors.
Interviewing the women helped to understand that the female leaders are willing to do a lot for
their country and that they represent a strong will and motivation for transparency and fairness.
But the structures and cultural prejudices in place hinder them to be considered for
governmental contracts. Their analysis, expertise and experiences are profound, they just
need to be recognized as equal competitors in the construction business.
The group of female contractors supported the initiative of the GIZ. They expressed that
until that time they have not received enough recognition and interest for their needs and
challenges by the ALCC management. Without the GIZ they would have remained in the same
weak position. That has changed since June 2017!
Portraits detailing profiles of four women contractors were posted on ALCC’s bulletin board.
One of the women contractors now serves as a focal person for the group and is participating
in ALCC’s management meetings. These portraits will be also used during the recruiting
process of youth for the selection of trainees to be qualified as Road Maintenance Technicians
as well as to create the interest of young girls in it.
Wirkungen (kurz-, mittel und langfristig)
In short-term perspective, already by now, women contractors feel they are being heard and
their challenges are being addressed. They feel empowered to speak out for themselves and
to report on the issues they encounter.
ALCC as one of the Project’s partners welcomed the initiative and promoted the posting of the
portraits on its bulletin board.
Bestandteil des M&E-Systems
The percentage of women and women relevant activities is documented along the whole
project.
Kooperation
Colleagues from different areas were involved into the project to ensure its successful
implementation. A junior advisor was asked to prepare and conduct the interviews as
well to make their evaluation. The women contractors were happy that their issues are
being addressed and were very open in their interviews. The ALCC supported the idea
and now promotes the women contractors through publication of the portraits and
through taking into consideration of further issues addressed at the management
meetings of the Association.