Democracy International conducted an evaluation of USAID’s $17.8 million Elections and Political Processes Strengthening Program in Liberia to assess the program’s impact and provide USAID with recommendations for future programming. DI fielded a team to conduct this assessment from September to October 2008.

DI’s team evaluated activities implemented by the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) since 2004 in legislative strengthening, civic and voter education, political party building, local election preparations, anticorruption, and public attitudes about political processes.

DI found that the program addressed a critical need in post-war Liberia, supporting critical postconflict elections that kept the democratization process moving forward in the difficult early years of this transition. The evaluation also found that the transformation was incomplete and recommended continued U.S. government support to elections and political processes through the 2011 national elections.