The Fixed Amount Reimbursement Agreement (FARA) activity with the Liberian Ministry of Health (MOH) provides support to the MOH in the implementation of its 10 year National Health Policy and Plan. Under this agreement, USAID reimburses the Government of Liberia (GOL) for the cost of implementing the Essential Package of Health Services in three counties covering a population of roughly 1.4 million Liberians.

The overarching goal of the FARA mechanism is government-led development programming. The FARA is a prime example of the direct government to government (G2G) assistance model laid out in USAID/Liberia’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy 2013-2017, and involves transferring implementation responsibility for ensuring access to quality health services to the MOH. Activities under the FARA include performance-based contracting of NGOs for health service delivery and health system strengthening activities such as monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

Current Activities

• Public financial management
• MOH performance management at central and subnational levels: 
  • Management of performance-based contracts with NGOs for implementation of the Essential Package of Health Services Integrated supportive supervision
  • Accelerated Action Plan/maternal and child health activities
  •  Management of Hybrid Model/Contracting-in counties
  • Contract monitoring and verification

• Use of quality facility- and community-based health services
  •  IEC, BCC, and community-based services
  • Quality facility-based EPHS services

 Planned Outcomes

• Contracting for technical support and service delivery undertaken. 
• A Performance-based Financing (PBF) system implemented. 
• Competency of the Liberian Health Workforce improved
• Access to facility-based Essential Package of Health Services strengthened.
• Social mobilization and community-based services strengthened. 
• Health Information Systems (HIS), results measurement, and reporting strengthened