Bridging The Gap Between Policy And Practice: The Case Of Police Reform And Local Ownership In Liberia

In the 21st century,local ownership has been advocated as a remedy to allow local actors to engage in the security sector reform after a long period of civil war.However,empirical analyses have presented an inadequate understanding of local ownership practices in Liberia.This research investigated whether local ownership of the police reform would be a facilitator for the advancement of police reform and stability in Liberia.The theoretical foundation for this thesis has been provided by institutional theory,as the author argues that policy analysis involves a critically reflective practical dialogue that is not only available to experts or policy observers but also the population at large.The research used a case study model.The data were gathered through organized interviews of seventy(70)interviews and evaluated using a conceptual content method.The result disclosed that local ownership is the best policy for police development after a long period of civil war.While police reform is essential for the broader concerns of bringing stability in the aftermath of a conflict,the endeavor is unsuccessful if local ownership is not considered as the foundation of such a reform process.The reform must focus on areas such as empowering local actors,who will control the security sector after the foreign actors have left such a country,and the economy must coincide with the process of police reform as well.Also,the relationship between foreign actors and local actors in the decision-making process and arrangement should connect because local ownership factors can have a more considerable impact on the reform of police than any premeditated decisions that anyone can make.The societal transformation consequence of the thesis involves the recognition of the potential route to establish closer ties between government and residents in the post-conflict context utilizing local ownership,thereby improving local actors’ capacity to engage in national and local policy decisions.