A Flashback of Liberia’s First Learning Awards Rolled out by the iCampus

Held on March 24, the Liberia Learning Awards 2019 was a pilot project that sought to identify and celebrate organizations that have expert understanding in adaptive management and the capacity to integrate collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA). This is a concept that promotes effectiveness across development results by consistently co-creating ideas and routinely collecting data to inform decision-making processes.

The awards have multiple aims. Firstly, it aims to help build a learning community in Liberia and share ideas around learning about how we can better collect data and use information for adaptation and improvement in our work. It also seeks to develop a network of engaged, connected learning advocates from across the government and civil society. iCampus hopes to hold this awards show annually and it’s also proudly co-hosted in collaboration with USAID Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative and the Liberia Strategic Analysis programs, along with other development partners.

Coordinated by a panel of experienced professionals like Jolie Carey (USAID Liberia), Tanya Garnett (Liberia Strategic Analysis), Stanley Lunkenge (USAID Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative), Luther Jeke (iCampus/iLab Liberia) and Lawrence Yealue ( Accountability Lab Liberia), Liberia Learning Awards is a fun, red carpet evening with media presence and an emphasis on showcasing why learning within both the education and natural resource management sectors is important - and also how it can lead to better outcomes.

Following months of planning and detailed application exercises, iCampus through its experienced judges selected three organizations as winners. Community Development and Research Agency (CODRA), Youth Coalition for Education (YOCEL) and Liberia Media Center were among organizations that emerged as winners, respectively in first, second and third place. The winners received a set of prize packages during an award ceremony held with over 70 guests from across the iCampus community, USAID Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative (LAVI), the Liberian Government, iLab Liberia, Accountability Lab Liberia, partners from the education sector and natural resources management, as well as colleagues from the media landscape.

Selected winners received prizes including offers of hosting free events at iCampus for a three-month period; creating learning contents like jingles, podcasts and songs at the iCampus New Media Lab Studios; and lastly, attending an hourly talk show on a USAID radio show that promotes learning across the agency’s work.

Here are few interesting quotes from participants across the session:

“We are really happy that ‘Learning’ has its own awards show to encourage organizations in Liberia to talk about failure, share lessons and improve current and future programs” - John Kamma, Citizens Bureau for Productivity and Development.

“USAID LAVI is proud to partner with iCampus (Accountability Lab Liberia & iLab Liberia)

to encourage learning among Liberian organizations by celebrating their failures and

helping them improve their programs and activities. We hope that other organizations that

are not part of the LAVI NRM and Education Coalitions can take advantage of the Liberia

Learning Awards next year and showcase their challenges, achievement and learnings”

Milica Panic, USAID LAVI Chief of Party.

“We are very elated and honored to have won the first edition of the Liberia Learning Awards. We promise that CODRA will continue to engage and collaborate more with development partners to enhance the learning culture in Liberia.” - Lasannah Dukuly, Executive Director, CODRA, and Winner of Liberia Learning Awards 2019.

Check out a few press mentions in an article about the learning awards published in FrontPage Africa: https://bit.ly/2tWhMK8

By: Janet M. Kamara