Municipal Governance Program QUARTERLY REPORT
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MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 Municipal Governance Program QUARTERLY REPORT April 1 – June 30, 2011 CHF 08/01/2011 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 1 II. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS ........................................................................................... 3 III. SIGNIFICANT WINS & CONSTRAINTS ........................................................................... 5 IV. PLANNED ACCOMPLISHMENTS ............................................................................................ 0 V. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................... 20 VI. ANNEXES .......................................................................................................................................................... 21 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Nicaragua Municipal Governance Program (MGP) is a five-year program implemented by CHF International (CHF), strategically targeting municipalities to improve citizen involvement in local government and their quality of life. CHF designed a methodology that is flexible, transparent, and demand driven. The MGP will draw on international best practices in municipal capacity building, citizen participation, and small infrastructure programming from CHF, ARD Inc and SNV to offer an integrated assistance package to a diverse range of municipalities. The goal of MGP is to help municipal governments improve the delivery of basic public services to their constituents. MGP will result in improved municipal performance, enhanced citizen perception of their local leadership, and tangible benefits to capacity building. Our strategy addresses the needs and priorities as identified by stakeholders at the regional, local, and community levels and achieves the following four objectives: a. Improve the capacity of municipal management, b. Modernize the delivery of municipal services, c. Strengthen citizen participation in public and local affairs, d. Promote access to public information as baseline to transparency and local governance. The MGP made important inroads this quarter in its programmatic execution. It finished the all-important sequence of negotiating and signing of 26 municipal partnership agreements and subsequent 26 Municipal Competency Index (MCI) assessments and the formulation of 20 Municipal Action Plans (MAPs), the latter of which lays out the road map for customized MGP program assistance for partner municipalities (MGs). At the same time, MGP contracted out Citizen Participation and Access to Public Information assessments to complement, particularly on the demand side, the quality and level of citizen engagement and oversight of municipal public resource management and services delivery. The MGP began providing technical assistance and institutional strengthening support to 15 MGs in the areas of municipal services assessments, financial and administrative management, leadership training to municipal councils and the pre-approval of nine infrastructure projects, two in execution, and 20 municipal infrastructure pre-investment plan projects. Lastly, the MGP launched its two annual Innovation Grants funds and selected 13 municipal development grants and seven citizen participation grants. Major program results for the Q3 include: Signing of 26 Municipal Partnership Agreements; 26 Municipal Competency Indexes (MCIs) completed and 15 Approved Municipal Action Plans (MAPs) MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 22 Citizen Participation and Access to Public Information (API) Assessments Completed; Consolidation of 9 Infrastructure Construction Projects and 20 Infrastructure Pre- investment Projects; Municipal Council Leadership Curriculum Developed and in Implementation; 15 MGs Receiving Technical Assistance in Municipal Management and Municipal Services Components; Innovation Grants Fund RFA and Innovation Grants Selection; and Gender Equity Policy, Norms and Strategy Approved. Reflecting on program implementation and coordination with USAID and other stakeholders, CHF is highlighting the following critical constraints, lessons learned and successes that will be incorporated into future program execution: Table 1: Significant Wins & Constraints Wins Constraints1 Rapid Mobilization of MGP Program Staff Limited FSLN MG Autonomy to Withstand and Activities GON Pressure Stakeholder Participation in Design Delays in MGP Activities Start-up due to Workshop & Causal Pathway Strategic USAID External Impact Evaluation Framework is Validated Baseline Assessment MCI Tool Instrumental in Justifying and Difficulty Managing the Innovation Grants Orienting Program Intervention Fund Competitions Small, Targeted Technical Assistance Weaknesses in Existing MG Infrastructure Produces Big Impact and Client Pre-Investment Plans Satisfaction Program Activities Start-up Resource Intensive but not Cost Intensive 1 See Wins/Constraints Section for lessons learned and actions taken MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 II. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2.1 Signing of 26 Municipal Partnership Agreements CHF started the third trimester by completing the signing of its municipal (MG) partnership agreements. CHF’s work plan anticipated singing between 15-20 MG partnerships. CHF invited 30 municipalities and signed 26 partnership agreements. Eleven of the 15 MGs are FSLN MGs while the remaining 15 are opposition MGs. Six of the 11 FSLN MGs have since then revoked their agreements due to pressure by INIFOM, who has refused to coordinate with the MGP. All six of these MGs have openly expressed a strong desire to continue with the MGP but would need a national framework agreement between USAID/CHF and the GON. The remaining five FSLN MGs are waiting to see what happens leading up to the national elections but have opted to maintain the partnership agreements but freeze program activities. USAID/CHF are actively engaging MINREX and Nuevo FISE to obtain a national framework agreement. Table 2: Agreements status by corridors and departments Total Agreements Agreements Status by Total Signed up “In Active revoked Corridor Selected to April Standby” to Agreements May-June 4th, 2011 June Northern 18 16 6 5 5 Corridor Nueva Segovia 7 7 4 1 2 Madriz 5 4 2 2 0 Matagalpa 6 5 0 2 3 Southern 12 10 0 0 10 Corridor Chontales 5 5 0 0 5 RAAS - Central 4 4 0 0 4 Río San Juan 3 1 0 0 1 Total 30 26 6 5 15 Table 3: Agreement status by MG Revoked Standby Active Agreements Agreements Agreements Ocotal Jícaro Quilalí Comalapa El Ayote MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 Santa María Yalaguina Mozonte San Pedro de Lóvago El Rama San Fernando Totogalpa Rancho Grande Villa Sandino Nueva Guinea Macuelizo El Tuma La Dalia Río Blanco Santo Domingo Muelle de los Bueyes Palacaguina San Isidro Matiguas Acoyapa El Almendro Telpaneca 2.2 26 Municipal Competency Indexes (MCIs) completed and 15 Approved Municipal Action Plans (MAPs) The MGP technical staff and a group of five short-term consultants carried out 26 MCIs in coordination with MG partners. The MCI is a comprehensive capacity assessment tool that is implemented in coordination with and through an active participation of senior MG officials and employees. The results of the MCIs are systematized and formulated into individual reports. Based on the report results, MGP staff and MGs develop customized MAPs that will guide technical assistance and institutional strengthening activities in each MG. While MGP and all 26 MGs formulated their MAPs, due to pressure from INIFOM, only 20 were formally presented to each and MG and only 15 have been approved. Table 4: Efforts undertaken by the Program on the MCI and MAP data collection Days/ % of Time Process people March April May June municipalites invested invested involved MCI Survey done in 11 effective 112 22/3/11 14/4/11 100% 26 municipalities days Formulation of 26 26 effective 241 28/3/11 5/5/11 100% MAP days Presentation to 20 12 effective 39 6/5/11 3/6/11 77% municipalities days 49 effective 392 days The MCIs also serve as the MGP baseline assessment for three of the four of the program components (a more detailed baseline assessment is being carried out for each of the three prioritized municipal services). Since the MCIs can be tabulated to produce a snapshot score, MGP staff will apply the MCIs annual to assess levels of improvement in each MG (Table 4). It took 393 person days to carry out the MCIs and MAPS. Many mayors including those MGs that have withdrawn gave recognition and praised the accuracy of the MCIs in highlighting MG strengths and weaknesses and the customized response in each MAP to target high impact improvements in municipal resource management and services delivery. MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 Table 5: Matrix summary rating of the MCI component by town2 Score by Technical Area Municipal capacity index 4. 5. Public Municipalities 1. 2. Tax 3. Financial (MCI) Category Municipal Information Planning Collection Management VME= epartment Governance Access VME3= 42 VME= 42 VME= 42 188 D VME= 48 VME= 14 Year 1 El Jícaro 21 10 22 24 5 82 E Macuelizo 15 13 15 25 1 69 E ovia Mozonte 17 11 21 24 3 76 F Ocotal 19 35 28 35 6 123 B va S va Quilalí 23 12 15 27 3 80 D Nue San Fernando 17 10 17 24 2 70 E Santa María 15 10 16