From Learning to Earning: How a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Internship Program is Enhancing Youth Employment

In post-conflict Liberia, youth unemployment remains a key challenge. Efforts in youth empowerment have often focused on training activities with limited opportunities for transitioning graduates to the job market. A needs assessment conducted during DELTA’s co-creation identified MEL competencies and skills gaps among USAID Implementing Partners (IPs) and local organizations. This is one reason why the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) sector in Liberia has historically been dominated by foreign nationals. 

To address these challenges, USAID/DELTA is implementing a MEL internship program aimed at building local MEL capacities and fostering sustainable employment opportunities for young people as future MEL leaders. The program seeks to train and deploy eighty interns over four years. The internship program is designed using a multi-step approach for recruitment, selection, onboarding training, and placement within host organizations to elevate young people's paths to sustainable employment. 

DELTA and local partner PERT Consultancy Inc. held pause and reflect sessions, where they reflected upon implementation successes and challenges and employed adaptive management techniques, such as adjusting the number of interns to meet demand and intensifying supervision, mentorship, and the program’s focus on personal leadership and emotional intelligence. This adaptability was crucial in addressing challenges, such as limited skilled MEL personnel in some organizations. Additionally, the program emphasized gender inclusion, significantly increasing the number of female interns. As a result, the program saw high employment rates among graduates, with many securing roles in development organizations and government agencies. 

The collaboration with local partners ensured that the training was contextually relevant, fostering local ownership and sustainability. Furthermore, the establishment of a professional network among interns facilitated continued support and shared opportunities, underscoring the program's long-term impact on the MEL field in Liberia.