The Village Access Roads (VARs) project utilizes a community partnership approach, emphasizing community ownership and supporting local communities to lead the implementation phase and assume post-construction maintenance responsibilities. Given the absence of an externally funded post-construction maintenance framework, this approach is critical for the sustainability of the intervention. This study assesses the capacity and competence of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) established under the LSFRP Phase III to maintain the SIDA-funded VARs in Lofa and Nimba Counties. Three CBOs were assessed: two in Lofa Cluster 1 and one in Nimba Cluster 1.

The study aimed to inform resource allocation, identifying the need for backstopping support, and recommends improvements to the Community Development manual. Key areas of assessment included the CBOs' competence in social structures and their ability to deliver efficient post-construction maintenance. A hybrid methodology was adopted, involving an assessment of CBOs' social structures and an technical assessments of their management committees' maintenance capabilities while walking the VARs with CBO representatives.

Findings indicated that while CBOs demonstrated an adequate overall capacity and competence level, significant gaps existed in key maintenance aspects, such as the functioning of Community Savings Committees (CSCs), organizational meetings, and the management of maintenance funds. The study highlighted the need for intensive backstopping support to bridge these gaps and ensure the sustainability of the VARs investment. Without such support, the likelihood of CBOs' collapse remains high due to their fragile institutional frameworks​.