Published: August 10, 2026
MONROVIA — A new assessment by Naymote Partners for Democratic Development has found that while 93% of 2025 county budgets across 11 counties were directed toward development, less than half of the allocations fully matched priorities identified by citizens, exposing a major disconnect between public spending and local development needs.
The assessment reviewed 374 allocations valued at US$10.3 million and found that only 44.38% were fully aligned with County Development Agenda priorities. Another 20.58% were partially aligned, while 32.35% were not aligned.
According to the assessment, counties received just 11.4% of the estimated US$90 million needed to implement their development agendas, leaving an 88.6% financing gap.
The findings were released under Naymote’s Social Accountability Monitoring Project, supported by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.
The project seeks to transform County Development Agendas, or CDAs, from technical documents with limited public access into practical accountability tools citizens and county councils can use to track spending, influence development decisions and advocate for community priorities.
To expand public participation, Naymote said it simplified the CDAs and distributed them across all 15 counties to citizens, local media, county administrations, county councils, civil society organizations and academic institutions.
Naymote Executive Director, Eddie D. Jarwolo noted that the organization also trained and deployed 75 Social Accountability Monitors nationwide. Between June 1 and July 31, 2026, 55 monitors engaged county administrations and councils, obtained approved Annual County Development Resolutions, reviewed projects and completed assessments in 11 counties.
“However, approved resolutions from Maryland, Margibi, Sinoe and Rivercess Counties were not provided by their respective county administrations during the assessment period, preventing full nationwide coverage,” he indicated.
Mr. Jarwolo further stressed that monitors compared approved 2025 county budget allocations with priorities contained in the CDAs and shared their findings with citizens, local media and county authorities.
According to the assessment, 37.24% of approved funding went toward five major citizen priorities — education, health, agriculture, roads and the rule of law.
It also found that about 82% of counties approved their Annual County Development Resolutions during the second half of fiscal year 2025, reducing implementation time and contributing to project delays and budget rollovers.
Despite those challenges, Naymote said the process is gradually opening county development planning to greater citizen participation and evidence-based scrutiny.
In Grand Bassa County, for example, according to the report, the Social Accountability Monitoring Coordinator formally received the approved County Development Resolution from the county superintendent — an action Naymote described as a sign of increased institutional openness and recognition of citizens’ right to monitor local development.
Jarwolo said making development documents available is only one part of the accountability process.
“The change is not only that citizens can access these documents. They can understand and use them to engage local authorities and advocate public resources to address priorities agreed upon by their communities,” he said.
While Naymote said the 93% development allocation demonstrates strong commitment to local development, the assessment stressed that greater funding, earlier approval of county resolutions and stronger alignment between budgets and citizen-established priorities are needed to turn those commitments into tangible results.
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