Education Systems Strengthening Activity (ESSA) - Liberia

Donor: USAID • Partner: FHI360 • Timeframe: September 2023 – January 2028 

Terminated February 2025

Education Systems Strengthening Activity (ESSA)

The Education Systems Strengthening Activity (ESSA) worked to build a more capable education system that functions better at the county and district levels to drive, measure, and incentivize the delivery of quality and inclusive education. ESSA addressed system-wide constraints and increased the Ministry of Education’s capacity to provide decentralized and inclusive education, monitor progress, and sustain improved learning outcomes for all children and youth, especially marginalized students in Monteserrado, Margibi, Lofa, Nimba, Bong, and Grand Bassa counties.

Map of Liberia shows its major cities (Monrovia, Gbamga, Tubmanburg, Zwedru, and others) on the coast of the Atlantic ocean. It is shown to border the countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire.

The ESSA program targeted education officials and professionals at the central, county, district, and school levels by using a locally-led framework and process for solving complex problems called Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA). IDP served as a subcontractor to FHI 360 and supported inclusion across project activities, including working closely with the Education Management Information System (EMIS) department in efforts to support better inclusion of learners with disabilities in Ministry databases and worked closely with the Inclusive Education department.

Project Highlights

  • Conducted a SABER-EMIS workshop in December 2023, presenting to Ministry of Education officials on the importance of including data on learners with disabilities in the education system.
  • Worked closely with the EMIS and Inclusive Education Departments of the MOE to update the Annual School Census tool with better indicators for disability.