Research

Six programs.
One purpose.

Our research agenda is organized around the six most consequential policy challenges facing Liberia today: interconnected, cross-cutting, and designed to compound in impact over time.

01 — Economic Growth 02 — Governance 03 — Security 04 — Energy & Climate 05 — Human Capital 06 — International
01

Economic Growth & Trade

Our flagship program. Liberia's economy is heavily dependent on iron ore, rubber, timber, and gold. Transforming this structure requires sustained, high-quality policy analysis.

Signature Product
Annual Liberia Economic Outlook
5–60-page assessment, released each January
Research Priorities
Diversification Roadmap
Mapping the feasibility of agribusiness, light manufacturing, and services sector growth as alternatives to extractive dependence.
ECOWAS & AfCFTA Implementation
Practical analysis of how Liberia can maximize trade benefits of regional and continental commitments, with attention to non-tariff barriers.
Investment Climate Benchmarking
Annual assessment of Liberia's position in international investment rankings with specific policy recommendations for improvement.
Concession Agreements & Resource Governance
Analysis of the terms, transparency, and public benefit of Liberia's major extractive concession agreements.
02

Governance & Rule of Law

Democratic governance is Liberia's most hard-won achievement and its most fragile asset. We provide ongoing analytical support to strengthen institutional independence and effectiveness.

Signature Product
Liberia Governance Index
Annual composite measure with longitudinal tracking
Research Priorities
Corruption Measurement & Anti-Corruption Policy
Designing Liberia-specific corruption indices, benchmarking against peer countries, and evaluating anti-corruption legislation effectiveness.
Public Financial Management
Analysis of budget preparation, execution, and audit processes with recommendations for strengthening development outcomes.
Land Rights & Tenure Security
Sustained research supporting fair, transparent, and legally secure land governance, among Liberia's most consequential policy challenges.
Further Programs
03

Security & Peacebuilding

Liberia's peace is a regional public good. We document, analyze, and share lessons from Liberia's conflict and post-conflict experience with the global policy community.

—Security sector reform evaluation
—Regional conflict dynamics & spillover analysis
—Transitional justice & TRC recommendations
—Youth radicalization prevention
04

Energy, Climate & Resources

Liberia has some of the richest natural resources in West Africa and some of the lowest electrification rates. We produce the research needed to resolve this paradox.

—Energy access policy for rural Liberia
—Forest governance & REDD+ mechanisms
—Mining sector governance & environmental practices
—Blue economy & maritime resources
05

Human Capital & Social Policy

Liberia's young, growing population represents an enormous demographic dividend, if educated, healthy, and employed. We research the policies needed to unlock this potential.

—Education financing and quality outcomes
—Health system resilience & pandemic preparedness
—Youth employment & formal sector expansion
—Gender equity & diaspora engagement
06

International Cooperation & Diplomacy

Liberia's relationships with the US, China, ECOWAS, and multilateral institutions profoundly shape domestic policy space. We produce independent analysis of these external dynamics.

—US-Liberia partnership analysis
—China-Liberia engagement assessment
—Development finance effectiveness
—ECOWAS & AU policy participation