Local Governance and Decentralization: Programme Experiences and Views from the Field
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Foreword One of the main roles of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is to provide knowledge, policy advice, advocacy guidance and technical support in the field of democratic governance. As part of UNDP, the Bureau for Development Policy, through the Democratic Governance Group, is focused on strengthening linkages among international democratic governance principles, related global discussions, and UNDP operational activities at the national and local levels. The current efforts of UNDP are oriented around supporting the most effective public institutions and ownership at all levels, and assisting the design and implementation of policies and programmes that can contribute to sustainable human development, the achievement of the Millennium Devel- opment Goals (MDGs) and the reduction of inequality. The success of these actions depends largely on the quality of national and local governance. Local governance is the first pillar of this publication. It comprises the systems of values, policies and institutions at the local level by which a society organizes collective decision-making and action re- lated to political, economic, socio-cultural and environmental affairs, through the interaction of local public institutions, civil society and the private sector. Good local governance includes respect for human rights, inclusive participation, administrative and bureaucratic capacity and efficiency, and accountable and responsive governing institutions. The second pillar of this publication, decentralization, is a political as well as a technical process. Effective decentralization brings decision-making closer to citizens, and can yield programmes and services that better address local needs and demands. I am glad to present this publication, Local Governance and Decentralization: Programme Experiences i and Views from the Field, which results from widespread participation in a UNDP network discussion entitled “Towards a Local Governance and Development Agenda: Lessons and Challenges.” More than 150 UNDP local governance practitioners, together with colleagues from the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), and experts from other international organizations and research institutes, took part in this global discussion at the end of 2007. It broke previous records for participation for UNDP e-discus- sions, and it made possible the production of this publication, which offers the opportunity to think about the relationships, experiences and challenges in local governance and decentralization that are relevant to our work. Local Governance and Decentralization: Programme Experiences and Views from the Field aims to sum- marize and disseminate this interesting e-discussion, and to link people, knowledge products and projects related to these relevant topics, from the local to the global area and vice versa. I hope that it will be useful to a broad audience. Its views, approaches and strategies should contribute to current debates, and lead to more effective support from UNDP, UNCDF and UN-HABITAT in helping societ- ies attain high-quality local governance. Good local governance must be the main vehicle to reach social inclusion, the reduction of inequality and sustainable human development at the local level. Olav Kjorven Assistant Secretary-General and Director, Bureau for Development Policy, UNDP Acknowledgements This publication would not have been possible without the willingness of individuals participating in the 2007 UNDP network discussion, “Towards a Local Governance and Development Agenda: Les- sons and Challenges,” to present often detailed responses to questions posed by the moderators (see list of contributors on page iii). The discussion moderators played essential roles, namely, Rafael Tuts, Chief of the Training and Ca- pacity Building Branch at UN-HABITAT; Emilia Saiz, Director of Statutory Issues and Institutional Rela- tions at UCLG; Mr. Kadmiel Wekwete, Director of Local Development at UNCDF; Lenni Montiel, Senior Policy Advisor in the Democratic Governance Group at UNDP; and Monjurul Kabir, Knowledge Net- work Facilitator for Democratic Governance at UNDP. Their contributions are appreciated. This document has benefited also from comments and suggestions of many other colleagues. Spe- cial acknowledgements go to: Antonio Pelaez Tortosa at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom; Christian Hainzl at UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina; Diego Antoni at UNDP Mexico; Flo- rian Steinberg at the Asian Development Bank; Freddy Justiniano, Beat Rohr, Juan Manuel Salazar and Clara Inés Luna at the UNDP Sub-regional Resource Facility in Panama; Hachemi Bahloul at the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS; Joachim Hoettcke at the African Development Bank; Joachim Nahem with the UNDP Democratic Governance Group and Oslo Governance Centre; Jo- nas Rabinovitch at the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs; Nadine Bushell at the UNDP Sub-regional Resource Facility for the Caribbean; Paul Schuttenbelt at Urban Solutions; and Serdar Bayriev at the UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery. ii In transforming the 400-plus pages of the network discussion into a more concise publication, Lenni Montiel served as publication manager and advisor. Gretchen Luchsinger wrote the text under his guidance; Cynthia Spence produced the graphic design. Aleida Ferreyra and Pablo Gago coordinated production. Contributors to the E-Discussion UNDP Headquarters, Regional Offices, Emelyne Bahanda, UNDP Congo-Brazzaville Specialized Centres Ernesto Bautista, UNDP Pacific Centre Zena Ali-Ahmad, Sub-regional Resource Facility for the Arab States Allassoum Bedoum, UNDP Chad Joseph Annan, Bureau for Development Policy Trevor Benn, UNDP Guyana Kwame Asubonteng, Johannesburg Regional Centre Joachim Bonin, UNDP Tanzania Hachemi Bahloul, Bratislava Regional Center Helga-Bara Bragadottir, UNDP Fiji Neus Bernabeu, Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean Emmanuel Buendia, UNDP Philippines Nadine Bushell, Sub-regional Resource Facility for the Caribbean Bill Chanza, UNDP/UNCDF Malawi Maleye Diop, Johannesburg Regional Centre Durafshan Chowdhury, UNDP/UNCDF Bangladesh Sonia Duran, Sub-regional Resource Facility, Panama Mathieu Ciowela, UNDP Djibouti Daniel Esser, Bureau for Development Policy Lealem Berhanu Dinku, UNDP Sudan Nicoletta Feruglio, Bratislava Regional Centre Herdade dos Santos, UNDP Timor-Leste Mona Haidar, Sub-regional Resource Facility for the Arab States Samia El Nager, UNDP Sudan Arun Kashyap, Bureau for Development Policy Khalif Farah, UNDP Somalia Terry Kiragu, Bureau for Development Policy Ernest Fausther, UNDP Lesotho Olav Kjorven, Bureau for Development Policy Bayramgul Garabaeva, UNDP Turkmenistan Bernardo Kliksberg, Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean Shirin Gul, UNDP Pakistan Henrik Fredborg Larsen, Regional Centre, Bangkok Chencho Gyalmo, UNDP/UNCDF Bhutan Oksana Leshchenko, Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS Christian Hainzl, UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina Deodat Maharaj, Sub-regional Resource Facility for the Caribbean Rania Hedeya, UNDP Egypt iii Siphosami Malunga, Oslo Governance Centre Cristina Hernandez, UNDP Senegal Jockely Mbeye, Johannesburg Regional Centre Katharina Huebner, UNDP Cambodia Claudia Melim-Mcleod, Oslo Governance Centre Jean Kabahizi, UNDP Burundi Lenni Montiel, Bureau for Development Policy Rezaul Karim, UNDP Cambodia Joachim Nahem, Oslo Governance Centre Nicolas Kazadi, UNDP Guinea Christophe Nuttall, UNDP Switzerland Joanna Kazana, UNDP Ukraine Hafiz Pasha, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Karounga Keita, UNDP Democratic Republic of Congo Dejana Popic, Regional Centre, Bangkok Eloi Kouadio, UNDP Congo-Brazzaville Ernest Rwamucyo, Bureau for Development Policy Maribel Landau, UNDP Panama Timothy Scott, Human Development Report Office Benoit Larielle, UNDP/UNCDF Rwanda Jurgita Siugzdiniene, Bratislava Regional Center Charlotte Laurence, UNDP Guinea Momoudou Touray, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery Sascha Le Large, UNDP Comoros Moises Venancio, Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS Krenar Loshi, UNDP Kosovo Lara Yocarini, Bureau for Development Policy Paul Lundberg, UNDP Afghanistan Klodiana Marika, UNDP Albania UNDP Country Offices Cristina Martin, UNDP Mexico Fredrick Abeyratne, UNDP Sri Lanka Israel Jacob Massuanganhe, UNDP/UNCDF Mozambique Hassan Ali, UNDP Djibouti Daimu S. Mkwawa, UNDP/UNCDF Tanzania Masood Amer, UNDP Afghanistan Paula Mohamed, UNDP Barbados Diego Antoni, UNDP Mexico Subinay Nandy, UNDP China Alexander Avanessov, UNDP Armenia Eiko Narita, UNDP Fiji Isabel Aviles, UNDP Nicaragua Sharad Neupane, UNDP Nepal Other UN Agencies Eugene Nkubito, UNDP Rwanda Steve Glovinsky, UN Country Team India Tomislav Novovic, UNDP Serbia Serdar Bayriyev, UNFPA Turkmenistan Nargis Nurullokhoja, UNDP Tajikistan Stuart Gilman, UNODC (headquarters) Madeleine Oka-Balima, UNDP Côte d’Ivoire Shahmahmood Miakhel, UNAMA Afghanistan Harbi Omar, UNDP Djibouti Amitava Mukherjee, UNESCAP Eric Opoku, UNDP Ghana Berta Pesti, UNITAR Ram Krishna Pokharel, UNDP Nepal Jonas Rabinovitch, UNDESA Liliana Proskuryakova, UNDP Russia Joachim Theis, UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office Alvaro Rodriguez, UNDP Pakistan Barbara Wolff, UNV (headquarters) Abdou-Salam Saadi, UNDP Comoros Farhan Sabih, UNDP Pakistan Other International Agencies Jaysingh Sah, UNDP Ukraine Robert Daughters, Inter-American Development Bank Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Armenia Pelle Persson, World Bank