COLED Clusters
Meet our Clusters
- Natural & Mineral Resource Management
- Infrastructure Development
- Education & Human Resource Development:
- Private Sector Development
- Agriculture/Agribusiness
- Banking & Financial Services
- Public Health
Meet our Clusters
- Governance:
- National Security/Public Safety:
- Foreign Relations
- . Information Technology - Critical Issues
- Tourism - Critical Issues
- Forestry & Wildlife Management – Critical Issues
- Public Finance – Critical Issues
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR COLED’S CLLUSTERS
The fundamental goal for the Council of Liberian Experts in the Diaspora (COLED) is to harness the talents and skill sets of accomplished Liberian professionals in the diaspora and collaborate with colleagues at home to alleviate poverty and promote socio-economic development in Liberia. To achieve this objective, clusters will be created that reflect the various sectors of the Liberian economy as highlighted in this document. Liberians, including Interim Cluster Chairs with academic background and practical/professional experiences in the referenced sectors will be recruited, vetted, and assigned. Once this process is completed, cluster members will caucus amongst themselves and choose permanent leaders. They will identify the causes for our economic malaise and offer innovative solutions that focus on private sector initiatives. They will coordinate the activities of the clusters and report to the Vice President of Operations and, via him/her to the Executive Committee for consideration. Because several of the critical issues are interrelated among clusters, the Technical Committee and the Vice President for Operations will work with Cluster leaders to ensure efficiency. Below is the Proposed Term of Reference (Template) for a Cluster, say Agriculture/Agribusiness.
SMART Rules
- what specific internal and external resources will be needed to solve the problems? How will you secure and allocate them?
– Are the proposed solutions achievable? Why or why not? What are some potential constraints, restraints, and roadblocks? Should solutions be revised? How so?
what benchmarks, score cards or yardsticks will be used to determine the degree/level of food security?
- are the solutions relevant to promoting food security in Liberia? How so?
- Develop strategies to take corrective actions if solutions derail.
- The Agricultural/Agribusiness Cluster in collaboration with individuals and institutions in Liberia as well as international organization will conduct research and identify about 10 problems/hurdles/impediments that prevent Liberia from achieving food security. What internal/external factors contribute to creating the problems?
- What are the facts/assumptions that support the Problem Statement? Present and analyze data.
In formulating possible solutions to the identified problems, use the:
- SMART Rule.
- Specific – what specific internal and external resources will be needed to solve the problems? How will you secure and allocate them?
- Measurable – what benchmarks, score cards or yardsticks will be used to determine the degree/level of food security?
- Achievable – Are the proposed solutions achievable? Why or why not? What are some potential constraints, restraints, and roadblocks? Should solutions be revised? How so?
- Relevant – are the solutions relevant to promoting food security in Liberia? How so?
Time-bound – What is the timeframe in which solutions will be implemented. When will they end
Develop strategies to take corrective actions if solutions derail
Note: Your research findings will be compiled into reports/white papers that will be presented to the Liberian Government for consideration and implementation with strong support from COLED. Additionally, the White Papers could be the basis for Private Sector initiatives. We strongly believe that the Private Sector rather than the National Government should drive GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth.
Potential Clusters & Activities
Clusters
Working Groups/Cluster Members
Interim Chairs
Natural & Mineral Resource Management
- Survey/Mapping
- Processing
- Pricing
- Marketing
- Environmental Impact
- Climate Change
- Land Management
- Resource Mapping/Exploration
- Valuation of Mineral Resources
Dr. Solomon H. Toweh |
Infrastructure Development
Critical Issues:
- Electricity
- Water & Sewage System
- Roads & bridges – maintenance
- Parallel rails development (commuters & commercial)
- Seaport expansion & modernization
- Airports expansion & modernization
- Housing
- Public Park Development
- Zoning & Maintenance
Sam Abdullai, Sr.
Education & Human Resource Development:
Critical Issues-
- Early Childhood Education (Preschool Education)
- Primary Education
- Tertiary Education
- Vocational/Technical Education (VOTEC)
- Higher Education
- Adult Literacy
- Youth Development
- Sports Development
- Curriculum Reform & Development
- Teacher Training & Accreditation
- Incentivizing Teaching Profession
- School construction
- Academic Governance
- Disabled Students
- After school Programs
Dr. Zobong B. Norman,
Private Sector Development
Critical Issues:
Domestic Considerations-
- Business Incubation
- Micro-finance
- Project Finance
- Entrepreneurial ship Development
- Creating Linkages with FDI Operations
- Manufacturing & Value Additivity
- Access to IT
- Service Trade
- Tourism
- Legal services
- Accountancy
- Telecommunication
- Transportation
- Security
- Construction
- Engineering
- Traders
FDI Considerations:
Critical Issues-
- National Investment Commission
- Incentives
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Concession Agreements
- Reinvestment of Profits
- Creating Linkages
- Workforce Development
- Liberalization
- Residual Value
- Taxation
Interim Chairs
Agriculture/Agribusiness
Critical Issues:
- Small growers Scheme for:
- Rice
- Cocoa
- Coffee
- Oil Palm
- Rubber
- Vegetables
- Fishery
- Birds
- Cattle
- Planting, harvesting, processing, storing, and marketing farm produces for local, regional, and international consumption (food security)
- Animal Husbandry
- Protection of Forest Products
- Agroforestry
- Protection of Wildlife
Dr. Cyril Broderick
Banking & Financial Services
Critical Issues:
- Monetary Policies (Central Bank)
- Micro-finance
- Commercial Banking
- Credit Unions
- Mortgage Companies
- Insurance Companies
- Appropriate Collateral
- Training Bankers
- Rural Banking
- Regulations and Supervision
- Online Banking
- ATM – Automatic Teller Machines
- Credit Cards
- Deposit Insurance
- Collateral
- Safety
Interim Chairs
Public Health
Critical Issues:
- Development of Essential Healthcare Providers – doctors, nurses, lab technicians, etc.
- Pharmaceuticals
- Mobile Clinics
- Equipment/Supplies
- Nursing Homes
- Ambulances
- Maternal Health
- Disease Prevention
- Medical Research
- Removing Slumps
- Wellness/Fitness Centers
- Hospital construction
- The handicapped
- Reforming cultural habits
Working Groups/Cluster Members
Dr. Jusu Boyce
Governance:
Critical Issues
- Justice & Equity
- Contract Enforcement
- Public Sector Reform
- Deconcentration of public services
- Automation of Government Services
- Decentralization
- Transparency
- Accountability
- Fiscal Policies (taxation)
- Patronage/Cronyism/Nepotism
- Fire Service
- Sanctions
- Pension & Retirement Planning (Reformed Social Security Scheme)
- Rationalize civil & public servant incentive package.
- Others
Working Groups/Cluster Members
Interim Chairs
National Security/Public Safety:
Critical Issues
- Maritime protection cooperation
- Border protection cooperation
- Community Policing
- Training & Equipment
- Human rights training
- Rule of law training
- Others
Working Groups/Cluster Members
Interim Chairs
Foreign Relations
Critical Issues:
- Establish reform and renewal of MFA as a national security priority.
- Equipment of Foreign Policy Apparatus for Liberia’s Foreign Policy making and implementation.
- Establish uniform management practices, techniques, and standards at home office and missions.
- Reform MFA’s selection and recruitment of personnel to attract the best and brightest to serve, expand professional development opportunities with an emphasis on leadership training, and writing skills, make the Ministry’s promotion system more responsive to outstanding personnel, and enhance the quality of life the MFA provides its mission staff.
- Create promotional incentives to attract top FSOs and establish within MFA a legislative affairs bureau with an ambassador as head.
- Centralize authority over administration and budget in the DMA who will also be responsible for the synchronization of priorities and initiatives of Liberia’s foreign policy.
- Modernize MFA communications and information management infrastructure.
- Rationalize, renovate, and secure MFA’s physical infrastructure, both overseas and at home.
- Establish an Overseas Facilities Authority Office in MFA.
- Strengthen the authority of Ambassadors over coordination and oversight of resources and personnel deployed to their missions.
- Improve the Ministry’s professional culture for effective public outreach and public diplomacy.
- Expand MFA’s engagement with the private sector, both at home and abroad.
- Clarify Interagency Relationships and Distribution of Responsibilities on Liberia’s Foreign Policy development and execution.
- Reassert the Minister of Foreign Affairs’s role as the president’s principal adviser and spokesman on foreign policy for the president and his administration.
- Strengthen the coordinating authority that ambassadors exercise over officials representing the numerous government ministries and agencies operating out of our embassies.
- Grant ambassadors greater input into the resource decisions concerning the activities at their missions and for facilitating all agencies in their host countries.
- Grant ambassadors greater authority to return personnel to their home offices.
- Instruct all agencies and ministries to treat performance evaluations by ambassadors concerning personnel deployed to their embassies as a principal evaluation; and
- Improve and sustain consultations with the Executive Branch, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, business/private sector, and NGOs on issues of mutual interest and Liberia’s foreign policy development and execution.
- Others
Working Groups/Cluster Members
S. Sando Wayne, Sr.
Information Technology - Critical Issues
- Automate Government
- Online Public Services Delivery
- Cyber Security
- Others
Working Groups/Cluster Members
Hajie Goll
Tourism - Critical Issues
- Eco & Sports Tourism
- Safety/Security
- Accommodation
- Food & Beverage
- Entertainment
- Conferences
- Travels
- Recreation
- Cultural Events
- Others
Working Groups/Cluster Members
Henry Wallace
Forestry & Wildlife Management – Critical Issues
- Parks & Recreation
- Reforestation
- Wildlife Protection
- Others
Working Groups/Cluster Members
Victor E. Dugba
Public Finance – Critical Issues
- Taxation/Revenue Generation
- Budgeting
- Debt Management
- Expenditures