Getting Closer to the People Decentralisation in Rwanda Explanatory Note on the Book’S Design Concept
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Getting Closer to the People Decentralisation in Rwanda Explanatory Note on the Book’s Design Concept The graphic design of this book is based on the The design and elements of Imigongo art in this indigenous Rwandan art form called Imigongo. book not only create a further link to Rwanda, but also illustrate the expression of individuality and Imigongo, featuring spiral and geometric designs, talents of the country’s inhabitants. The Rwandan was originally used to decorate the interior walls people are an integral part and the common of huts. The paintings are created using cow-dung, denominator of the decentralisation process, which which is applied to wooden boards forming the is centred on participation, organisation, and relief and structure of the chosen image. The responsibilities. ridges and grooves of spiral and geometric designs are painted with contrasting neutral colours, In the modified Imigongo design developed for this traditionally in black, white, and burgundy red. book, we use the symbolic imagery that one line Imigongo pieces are customarily created by women, refers to one person. The lines are delicate, at first nowadays often organised in art cooperatives. appearing to be fragile or insignificant, yet as more lines are combined together an intricate pattern They geometric concepts of Imigongo have been is created. This pattern reveals a new big picture, adapted to this book in order to enhance its design. representing an interwoven group of people. One geometric pattern seen in this publication is composed of several slender lines using tones from The lines of this complex big picture characterise Rwanda’s cultural colour palette. the individuals, groups, and organisations that are all active partners of decentralisation processes. Only by this effective collaboration and organisation of all partners common objectives and sustainable impact can be achieved. Getting Closer to the People Decentralisation in Rwanda To all those who contribute to good governance in Rwanda. MAP OF RWANDA 8 ABBREVIATIONS 10 PREFACE Peter Fahrenholtz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Rwanda 12 INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK “GETTING CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE: DECENTRALISATION IN RWANDA” Marion Fischer, Principal Advisor, Decentralisation and Good Governance Programme, GIZ Rwanda 14 CHAPTER 1 The Context 19 Ruth Bigalke-Nolan: Welcome to Rwanda – An Interview with Jacques Nshimyumukiza, a Rwandan Living in Germany 20 Dr. Peter Stepan: Kigali and Beyond 25 Katrina Lampert: Rwanda, Past and Present – An Interview with former GIZ Country Director, Dr. Ulrike Maenner 33 Dr. Thomas Taraschewski, Wenceslas Niyibizi, Hannah Bresch: Economic Growth and Social Progress – An Introduction 40 CHAPTER 2 Notion of Decentralisation 49 Maia Gedde: He Participates, She Participates, I Participate … We Decide 50 Dr. Alexander Wegener: Fine-tuning Decentralisation in Rwanda – Another Phase? 58 4 | 5 CHAPTER 3 Decentralisation in Practice 71 3.1 CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT 72 Laurent Messiaen, Faustin Minani, Vaclav Prusa: Rwanda’s Local Government Capacity Development in Focus 72 Jenny Clover: Rwanda’s Districts – Agents of Change for Decentralisation 79 Dr. Juergen-Matthias Seeler, Yves Bernard Ningabire: The Future is in Local Government! – Developing the Local Government Institute 86 3.2 FISCAL DECENTRALISATION 91 David Lahl: Fiscal Decentralisation – A Cornerstone of Decentralisation Reform 91 Gundula Löffler: Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations – Achievements and Challenges 95 David Lahl, Wenceslas Niyibizi: Rwanda’s Domestic Taxes – An Interview with Celestin Bumbakare, former Revenue Commissioner for Domestic Taxes 101 Gundula Löffler: Local Taxation – The Tax Payers’ Perspectives 106 3.3 ACCOUNTABILITY AND PARTICIPATION 111 Alessandro Bozzini: Civil Society and its Role in Fostering Accountability 111 Vaclav Prusa: Accountability Measures for Better Service Delivery – Citizen Report Cards 119 Maia Gedde: Women in Rwanda – Decision-making at the National and Local Levels 125 Laeticia Klein, Dominique Habimana: A Glimpse of Collaboration Between Civil Society and Local Government 133 Minna Nauclér, Francine Umuringi: Transparency International for Good Governance 138 CHAPTER 4 Better Services for Citizens 143 Andrew Israel Kazibwe: Enhancing Rwanda’s Service Delivery 144 Jean Baptiste Ngerejaho: The Local Administrative Entities Development Agency – Improving Public Services 151 Stéphanie Aglietti: Advocacy and Legal Advice Centres in Rwanda 157 Jesko Johannsen: The Kigali One-Stop Centre 164 CHAPTER 5 Expectations for the Future 169 Jenny Clover: Vision 2020 – A Vision for Rwanda? 170 Nils Fürköther: Urbanisation – Challenge and Opportunity for Rwanda’s Future 176 Katharina Mihaljevic, Jesko Johannsen: “The Future of Rwanda is Good” – Young Rwandans and their Perspectives on the Future 182 EPILOGUE Joachim Prey, Andreas Proksch: GIZ as Partner of Choice in Strengthening Citizen-oriented Political Systems – The New Approach in the Field of Decentralisation and Local Governance 190 ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS 195 6 | 7 Uganda Map of Rwanda North Democratic Republic Lake Kivu East Tanzania of Congo West Kigali South Burundi Uganda North Democratic Republic Lake Kivu East Tanzania of Congo West Kigali South Burundi Abbreviations Abbreviation Explanation ALAC Advocacy and Legal Advice Center BMZ Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development CBO Community Based Organisation CEO Chief Executive Officer CESTRAR Central Trade Union of Workers of Rwanda CLADHO Collective of Leagues and Associations for the Defence of Human Rights CRC Citizen Report Card CSO Civil Society Organisation DDP District Development Plan DED Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (German Development Service) DIP Decentralisation Implementation Plan EDPRS Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy ESSP Education Sector Strategic Plan EU European Union EUR Euro FDSC Fiscal Decentralisation Steering Committee GDP Gross Domestic Product GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GMO Gender Monitoring Office GTZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus ICT Information and Communications Technology ID Identification Document IMF International Monetary Fund IPAR Institute of Policy Analysis and Research IPC Initiative pour la Participation Citoyenne (Initative for Citizen Participation) JADF Joint Action Development Forum KfW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (German Development Bank) LGI Local Government Institute LODA Local Administrative Entities Development Agency MINALOC Ministry of Local Government MINECOFIN Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning MINEDUC Ministry of Education MW Megawatt NCBS National Capacity Building Secretariat NDIS National Decentralisation Implementation Secretariat NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NUR National University of Rwanda NURC National Unity and Reconciliation Commission PFM Public Financial Management PSI Policy Support Instrument RALGA Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities RCSP Rwanda Civil Society Platform RGB Rwanda Governance Board RRA Rwanda Revenue Authority RWF Rwandan Franc RWN Rwanda Women's Network SME Small and Medium Enterprises SSP Sector Strategy Papers UNDP United Nations Development Programme USD United States (U.S.) Dollar VAT Value Added Tax Note: Currency conversion based on March 2014 rates. 10 | 11 Preface by Peter Fahrenholtz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Rwanda Rwanda is known for its ambitious development agenda, which is outlined in the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy EDPRS II (2013–2018). The fact that accountable governance is one of four thematic areas of EDPRS II, underlines its importance for the Government of Rwanda. In order to enhance accountability, transparency, and inclusiveness of participation, the Government of Rwanda chose to prioritise decentralisation, not only at the national level but also at the local level. Germany’s division of powers between the national state and its 16 federal states has developed over the centuries. This model of division of powers has proven to be very effective and stable. I sincerely congratulate the Government of Rwanda opting for strong local entities and also for its steady and longstanding engagement in the sector of decentralisation. Already in the year 2000 the original decentralisation process started in Rwanda. Since then, this policy evolved further and today the Government of Rwanda implements its third phase of the Decentralisation Policy. The six strategic areas of the Sector Strategic Plan 2013/14 – 2017/18 contribute to consolidate what has been achieved so far. In travelling through the country the progress becomes visible: schools, health centres, roads, and water and electricity supply improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Financial transfers from the national level to the districts, as well as resources generated by the districts, have increased substantially. Also, capacities of local governments have been strengthened to implement projects, to plan local development, and to improve service delivery. Despite this, challenges remain. One of these being: to decentralise responsibilities and financial resources in different sectors and to revise the existing legal framework accordingly. Another is to match increased responsibilities on district level with adequate capacities, not only in terms of quantity but also of quality. I know the Rwandan Government is very much aware of these challenges and addresses them actively.