Annual Plan 2021 Inclusive Decisions at the Local Level (IDEAL 2017-2021) List of Contents 01
List of Contents
List of Acronyms ______3
1 Executive Summary ______5
2 Programme Level ______6
2.1 Planning 2021 – based on our lessons learned ______6 2.2 Sustainability efforts ______9
3 Burundi ______11
3.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far ______11 3.2 Explanation of any deviations ______11 3.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation ______12 3.4 Planning January - December 2021 ______12 3.5 Sustainability efforts ______13
4 Mali ______15
4.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far ______15 4.2 Explanation of any deviations ______15 4.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation ______16 4.4 Planning January - December 2021 ______17 4.5 Sustainability efforts ______18
5 Palestinian Territories ______19
5.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far ______19 5.2 Explanation of any deviations ______19 5.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation ______20 5.4 Planning January - December 2021 ______20 5.5 Sustainability efforts ______22
6 Rwanda ______23
6.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far ______23
List of Acronyms 02
6.2 Explanation of any deviations ______24 6.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation ______24 6.4 Planning January - December 2021 ______25 6.5 Sustainability efforts ______25
7 Somalia ______26
7.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far ______26 7.2 Explanation of any deviations ______27 7.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation ______27 7.4 Planning January - December 2021 ______28 7.5 Sustainability efforts ______29
8 South Sudan ______30
8.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far ______30 8.2 Explanation of any deviations ______30 8.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation ______31 8.4 Planning January - December 2021 ______32 8.5 Sustainability efforts ______33
9 Uganda ______34
9.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far ______34 9.2 Explanation of any deviations ______34 9.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation ______35 9.4 Planning January - December 2021 ______35 9.5 Sustainability efforts ______37
10 Libya: (ISAL project) ______38
10.1 Introduction ______38 10.2 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation ______38 10.3 Planning January - December 2021 ______38 10.4 Sustainability efforts ______39
11 Annual Budget 2021 ______40
Annex: Sustainability Plans IDEAL List of Acronyms 03
List of Acronyms
ABELO Burundi Association of Local Elected Representatives (communes) ACCM Association of Malian Cercles ACODE Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (Uganda) ALGASL Association of Local Government Authorities of Somaliland AMM Association of Malian Municipalities ANICT National Investment Agency for Local Governments (Mali) AOPP Association des Organisations Professionnelles Paysannes (Mali) APD Academy for Peace and Development (Somaliland) ARM Association of Malian Regions APLA Association of Palestinian Local Authorities ARC Addressing Root Causes CCDC Comités Communaux de Développement Communautaire (Burundi) CLE Local water committee (Mali) CLGB Comités Locaux de Bonne Gouvernance / Local committees for good governance (Burundi) CMS Comités Mixtes de Sécurité / Local security committees (Burundi) CNDD-FDD National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (Burundi) CS(O) Civil society (organisation) CTD Technical advisors on communal development (Burundi) DELOG Development Partners Network on Decentralisation and Local Governance DLG Comités Locaux de Bonne Gouvernance DNH National Hydraulic Authority (Mali) DSH Department for Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid ED Executive Director EDPRS Economic Development & Poverty Reduction Strategy (Rwanda) EKN Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands FMDS Financial Management Development Strategy (Uganda) GIRE Integrated Water Resources Management (Mali) HS Human security IATI International Aid Transparency Initiative IDP Internally displaced person IWRM Integrated water resource management JADF Joint Action Development Forum (Rwanda) JPLG UN Joint Programme on Local Governance and Decentralised Service Delivery (Somalia) KEC Kapoeta East County (South Sudan) KNC Kapoeta North County (South Sudan) KSC Kapoeta South County (South Sudan) LC Local Council (Uganda) LED Local Economic Development LG Local Government LGA Local Government Association LGB Local Government Board LGCP Local Government Capacity Programme LGI Local Government Institute LGU Local government units (Palestinian Territories) LODA Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (Rwanda) LOGOSEED Local Governance and Service Delivery Project (South Sudan) LTE Long term expert M&E&L Monitoring & Evaluation & Learning MDF Municipal development forum (Uganda) MDLF Municipal Development and Lending Fund (Palestinian Territories) MINALOC Ministry of Local Government (Rwanda) MoI Ministry of Interior MoLG Ministry of Local Government MoU Memorandum of Understanding MTR Mid-term review MWRI Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources (South Sudan) NRO Netherlands Representative Office in Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) List of Acronyms 04
Oc Outcome OPM Office of the Prime Minister (Uganda) OSC One stop centre (Rwanda) OSR Own source revenue O&M Operations and maintenance PAI Plan Annuel d'Investissement (Burundi) PCDC Plan Communal de Développement Communal / Community development plans (Burundi) PDESC Commune Development Plans (Mali) PEA Political Economy Analysis PPP Public Private Partnership RALGA Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities RFEL Local Elected Women’s Network (of ABELO) RHA Rwanda Housing Authority RPM Resident Programme Manager (of IDEAL) SDC Executive Director SDIP Strategic Development and Investment Plan (Palestinian Territories) SSP South Sudanese Pound TALD Territorial Approach to Local Development ToC Theory of Change UAAU Urban Authorities Association of Uganda UCLG United Cities and Local Governments ULGA Uganda Local Government Association WASH Water, sanitation and hygiene WEES Water for Eastern Equatoria State, Phase 2 (South Sudan) WMC Water management committee (South Sudan)
The Overall !DEAL Program
Social Contract The contract between local governments and citizens
IDEAL• INCLUSIVE DECISIONS AT LOCAL LEVEL
The IDEAL program works with seven Local Government Associations in 6 of the 7 countries: Burundi, Mali, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda. Executive Summary 05
1 Executive Summary
This is the Annual Plan 2021 for the IDEAL programme. The first section of the report covers the overall programme-level, followed by 7 country-specific chapters and the annual budget.
Short Programme Overview Programme title Inclusive Decisions at the Local Level (IDEAL 2017-2021) Location • Burundi • Mali • Palestinian Territories • Rwanda • Somalia • South Sudan • Uganda Activity number Act. Nr. 4000000023 Contractor VNG International, Nassaulaan 12, 2514JS The Hague Contracting authority Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rijnstraat 8 2515 XP The Hague Primary Beneficiaries 48 Local Governments and 7 Local Government Associations: 8 LGs and 1 LGA in Burundi; 5 LGs and 1 LGA in Mali; 15 LGs and 1 LGA in the Palestinian Territories; 6 LGs and 1 LGA in Rwanda; 3 LGs and 1 LGA in Somalia; 4 LGs in South Sudan; and 7 LGs and 2 LGAs in Uganda Secondary The citizens of the 48 target local governments. Beneficiaries Programme Impact Increased capacity of local governments to cope with fragility risks Programme Outcomes • More responsive and effective service delivery by local governments • More inclusive and participatory decision-making processes within local governments • An improved institutional and policy environment Programme start date 1/1/2017 Programme end date 31/12/2021 Project duration 60 months Total programme € 17.5 mln budget Date of report 15 November 2020 Programme Level 06
2 Programme Level
2.1 Planning 2021 – based on our lessons learned Overall
Lessons learned This year brought a very unexpected turn of events with the COVID-19 crisis. It first affected our team from 2020 the Palestinian Territories, then our colleagues in the Hague (i.e. we had to bring colleagues home that were in the field as well as cancel all upcoming trips to our target countries), and lastly all 7 countries experienced restrictions with implications for all our local staff and beneficiaries.
Once it became clear that the crisis would be with us for months to come, we shifted our plans and approach for 2020, in order to accommodate a situation in which travelling would be minimal to none. A few examples are:
• Training “master trainers” digitally, who will in turn train local gov staff in 119 communes (Burundi) • Supporting local governments in dealing with the Corona crisis (e.g. Uganda with NL municipalities)1 These examples taught us that we have flexible and innovative teams which will allow us to continue implementing the IDEAL programme and achieving results, even though the project approaches have changed, considerably in some cases.
Planning for We will continue to use the lessons learned regarding the Corona crisis in the final year of the IDEAL 2021 programme. These include: (1) Relying more on local teams and experts. Most country teams have engaged more local expertise in order some of the tasks that they would normally do when travelling to the countries, incl. collecting change stories. (2) Organizing more online events. We are assuming that travelling will be problematic for most of 2021. This will most likely be the case for the final evaluation as well. We have seen how there has been an incredibly sharp learning curve for especially our local teams and experts in working with online tools, such as TEAMS. We are planning a (3) final workshop where we all get together (HQ and local teams). Normally this event is in September. We hope that for one last time this can be done in real life. We shall continue with (4) two Advisory Board meetings, however, as they most likely will be online, in a different (shorter) format, in which we discuss broader issues instead of going through the planning or achievements of each country.
Gender Sensitivity
All IDEAL countries have implemented significant activities in the field of gender. In 2020, we have Lessons learned from 2020 developed a publication on Gender in Fragile Settings, which displays best practices of the seven IDEAL countries on gender. This gave interesting insights which inspire exchanges (see planning January- December 2021 below), but also gave us the inspiration to do a similar scoping on the involvement of youth in our programme. While the programme has been filled with trainings on gender inclusion, analyses, guidelines and other materials, evaluations and personal experience has shown that these are often found too theoretical and not practical for use by the country teams. Therefore, we will work on more practical tools for gender inclusion and the monitoring and evaluation thereof.
1 Find the link to the video here: IDEAL Uganda and COVID-19.
Programme Level 07
In some of the IDEAL countries, grants are being used to ensure inclusiveness of excluded groups (South Sudan) or to ensure women and youth’s priorities in development plans are realized (Burundi). This method of flexible programming has proven effective.
COVID-19 has particularly impacted women who have faced severe consequences, including higher levels of domestic abuse. In Uganda the crisis has exacerbated the tensions within all the communities and for example raised the number of early marriages. Also surely the pandemic will economically impact men and women differently. Although COVID-19 is not a particular focus area of our programme, it is part of the context. So when we design interventions, we should understand how COVID-19 impacts the lives of men, women and children differently.
Planning for We foresee the following interventions: 2021 1. Youth studies/scoping and collection of best practices concerning youth; 2. Exchange between different gender transformative activities (e.g. follow-up of LGA conference); 3. Development of practical gender tools to monitor the level of gender sensitivity and progress made.
Conflict Sensitivity
During a digital RPM-week in September 2020, an analysis was made of how the COVID-19 crisis had Lessons learned from 2020 impacted the conflict-sensitivity of the programme. Given that our partner institutions in the programme are government structures and these had a particular interest in managing the crisis, the programme needed to reposition itself. Programme priorities such as LED (Palestine) were not regarded as priority anymore. Being a partner of governments made us vulnerable as mask-wearing became a political statement (Burundi), whilst initially governments were denying the reality of the virus. Because of this event the government (either national or local) could suddenly switch from being a connector, to becoming a divider. This also works the other way around, where government assistance programmes (Rwanda) became essential for the most vulnerable households to make it through the crisis. The programme will continue to identify opportunities to capitalize on the ability of the programme and its partners working like ‘connectors’ in the society at large, and the local communities in particular.
Each country programme has relied extensively on its informal networks to retain a good information position during the crisis. The informal nature has allowed the network to be extensive, but difficult to transfer to colleagues or to map. Also the formal network inside the government structures and CSO entities has been important.
Independent from this year’s health and economic crises, the programme in different countries (Burundi, Somaliland, Uganda) has struggled with legislation which was discriminatory in nature and sometimes targeted at our type of organisation. We found that it was particularly important to have a good understanding of the laws in detail, so as to identify ways to incorporate them into our operations, so as to be able to continue our work, without doing any harm to any individuals, specific groups or the spirit of the Dutch (donor country) legislation. Working together closely with partner organisations and the Dutch embassy has been very important in these cases.
For 2021 we aim to develop operational analyses, such as an overview of (in)formal networks and an Planning for 2021 inventory of situations where IDEAL and/or VNG has acted as a 'connector' of 'divider'. These analyses will all be linked to the objectives and risks of the programme.
Programme Level 08
Monitoring & Evaluation
It was already listed in our Annual Plan for 2020 that we would review our M&E methodology, as a result Lessons learned from 2020 of both the midline measurement and the mid-term evaluation. The COVID-19 crisis allowed us to work on this more, seeing as in fact all the work could be done online. We used some of the time that teams would have otherwise have spent in the field to improve our M&E system and work on for instance outcome harvesting. This process reaffirmed that simpler is better. One issue we were experiencing was that the quantitative system for monitoring progress was very complicated and did not resonate in the countries. The outcome harvest on the other hand brought our work to life and finally gave words to the amazing work our teams have been doing on the ground. We also reviewed the overall ToC. (recommendation of the external evaluators). We developed greater disaggregation of levels of change at the level of outcomes. This way we created another level between the high-level outcomes and the outputs. There was a piece of the story missing, which we now have labelled mid-level outcomes. Finally, we also introduced more linkages between outcomes, in order to demonstrate that each outcome does not exist in a vacuum. All countries undertook the same exercise. The overall programme’s revised theory of change diagram is attached as Annex C.2
Planning for For 2021 we are planning to develop (1) an operational M&E framework, which should include more 2021 hands-on simple tools (as recommended by the mid-term review). In addition, to further build on the improved Theory of Change that we developed in 2020, we will (2) revisit the output indicators, as they provide crucial insights to the achievements at outcome level as well. We will analyse the (3) outcome indicators again (as we did for the mid-term review) based on the achievements so far. Which ones are most relevant? Which ones did we leave out mistakenly? Etc… And finally we will have a (4) final monitoring and evaluation measurement by ourselves and an external party. Prior to that we will use the outcome indicator analysis to determine (5) whether the ToR for these measurements could be improved upon compared to the last ones.
Learning
Lessons learned Throughout the programme, learning takes place on different levels: from 2020 • Learning at overall programme level: our lesson learned has been the realisation that programmatic learning often still happened ad hoc instead of more structurally and frequently as we would like it to be. This meant that lessons and best practices were not always widely shared and benefitted from (partly due to the big size of our IDEAL team). We have thus created a new online platform 'Exchange & Learn' as some of the initial 2020 ideas around learning involved traveling (e.g. regional exchange visits and local workshops). With an IDEAL Team page and online platform we now organize regular exchanges either at the request of local teams or at HQ level. • Learning within projects (see also country chapters): we found that there are many commonalities between the types of lessons learned and learning objectives across countries over the years. Therefore, we are currently preparing an overall analysis that will help to further shape our 2021 action plan.
2 The revised country ToCs can be visited online on Kumu: ToC Burundi, ToC Mali, ToC Palestine, ToC Rwanda, ToC Somaliland, ToC South Sudan and ToC Uganda.
Programme Level 09
Our learning plan for next year will in any case consist of (1) lunch sessions (e.g. involvement of Planning for 2021 communities and CSOs, harmonisation strategies and fragility), (2) development of a publication about the key success factors for partnering with LGAs in projects, (3) organisation of a second (online) LGA conference, (4) IDEAL team reflection sessions and (5) an end conference where we will showcase IDEAL’s results, share lessons learned and highlight best practices.
Communication
Lessons learned IDEAL, and more specifically the social contract, is a difficult theme to grasp. It therefore requires clear from 2020 and understandable communication with different target groups such as citizens, local governments and partners but also the Dutch Ministry and embassies. We have learned that strengthening communication skills amongst the team contributes to greater understanding of the programme and with that also greater support. Some team members participated in a vlog training and currently the whole team is taking part in online drawing workshops to visualize the results of our outcome harvest. Our Somaliland vlog has over 30.000 views and is widely shared by Somalis via social media. Burundi’s video demonstrates the added value of working with a Local Government Association (ABELO) and IDEAL Uganda has made a compilation of an online exchange between Dutch and Ugandan municipalities about similarities and differences in their COVID-19 response.3
Planning for 2021 is the final year of IDEAL. Our communication will be about telling our story; what have we 2021 achieved? What have we learned? We will record this in different ways such as vlogs and film, illustrations, visuals and a podcast.
2.2 Sustainability efforts
Each country has designed its own sustainability efforts. In general, we can distinguish a number of common strategies that countries will apply: • Conducting studies and developing products, toolkits and/or publications of best practices • Establishing and strengthening of local partnerships (incl. relations with LGAs) • Organizing foreign and/or inter-municipal exchanges and stimulating peer-2-peer learning • Organizing end conferences to disseminate lessons and practices • Resource mobilisation (e.g. fisher men taxes in Mali)
In addition, sustainability plans were drafted for each country and presented in the IDEAL Inception Report. We have presented an update per country in the Annex. Below is an overview of the overall Exit Strategy approach for the whole programme:
3 All videos can be watched via the following links: Building Better Futures in Somaliland, Building Better Futures in Burundi and IDEAL Uganda and COVID-19.
Programme Level 10
1. Programme design stage
Draw up a tailor-made exit strategy in consultation with both beneficiaries and partners that includes: • Internal guidelines and a monitoring timeline; • Partnerships, communication and transparency; • When defining the programme objectives, keep the sustainability criteria in mind and link the exit strategy to this; • Agree on gradual exit process;
2. Programme implementation stage
• Integrate programme activities into the structure of local organizations; • Continuously re-assess the exit strategy and its timeline, with attention for: o Review and adjustment of exit strategy; o Clarification of roles and responsibilities;
3. Exit preparation phase
• Review exit strategy with all stakeholders; • Target capacity building to stakeholder that will take over; • Exit gradually (e.g. implementer → funder→ adviser→ monitor);
4. Handover / phase out
In order to maintain the results after withdrawal of the programme, the IDEAL programme will gradually phase out its activities. • Sign agreements relating to the handover of finances/resources; • Include the topic of the Exit Strategy in the Final Evaluation, so that it could still possibly be adjusted; • Move towards full local ownership (local government, LGA, national government);
Post-2021
Without having communicated anything about a possible new programme to anyone outside the VNG International Head Quarters, the design of the new programme has implications for the sustainability efforts as well. At the moment the majority of the IDEAL countries are included in the brainstorm sessions on the design (i.e. Rwanda is most uncertain). We are using our experiences in IDEAL to estimate in which countries we could have the biggest impact and in what topic. We spent quite a bit of time analyzing the Theory of Change of IDEAL, including various publications written on the role of local governments in fragile settings (incl. OECD, UNDP and ODI). The welcome joint conclusion was that the lack of a strong social contract remains the key entry point for working on stability in fragile countries. We can still see that there are very few organizations working on the social contract from the perspective of the local government. As the Mid-term Review concluded: we clearly have a niche. It has, however, not always been easy to relate issues on legitimacy and inclusiveness to the practical day-to-day reality of a civil servant or politician in these contexts.
IDEAL - Burundi
Werking with 8 municipalities and the Association Burundaise des Elus Locaux (ABELO)
Matana
23 M,gamba f--_. / Rutovo Songa� / Output Legitimacy People Trained Bururi • • Service delivery is in line with the needs of citizens 3,110 Vyanda� 1,029Wamen I w34' Key Achievements
8 inclusive Advocacy Security, gander committees strategy on and inclusivity on communal human security incorporated development are and transference into Communal IDEAL• in place of competences Development INCLUSIVE DECISIONS Enabling Environment Plans /2 AT LOCAL LEVEL lmproved conditions for policy making and institutions A �� n
Most Valued Aspects of VNGI Collaboration
Input Legitimacy �@00 Citizens are a part of municipal decision-making Technica! Connecting Policy lnfluencing Expertise and Convening people Burundi 11
3 Burundi
3.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far
Given the global situation, 2020 has demanded much resourcefulness and flexibility. Additionally, the electoral cycle and the passing of the president were at the centre of attention from February till September and also impacted some of our activities. This effect was of course strengthened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related restrictions. While some delays were already taken into account in the planning, additional delays occurred.
While the joint project team of VNG and ABELO have been flexible in adjusting the timing of activities, we have faced challenges in building, maintaining and strengthening our ties with the board of ABELO, with government partners, civil society organisations and others concerned with political space in Burundi due to limited presence on the ground. This has required us to adapt as an organisation, and increasing responsibilities have shifted to the in-country RPM to work on the development of our partner organisation ABELO, and representing VNG. Given the political realities in Burundi, there are limits to the tasks that can be shifted to the RPM, which has resulted in making our intervention increasingly technical.
3.2 Explanation of any deviations
In the revision of the ToC increased attention was put on the linkages between outcomes, for example through adding an extra layer of high-level outcomes: that dialogue, coordination and monitoring structures are in place and functional (under outcome 1); that ABELO is able to articulate the importance of diversity and inclusiveness in decision-making (linking outcome 2 and 3). Moreover, the capacity and inclusiveness of planning, budgeting and monitoring of development plans was placed at the centre of the ToC, as it is the core of our intervention.
In the remainder of the programme, continued focus is put on the communication of local governments towards their citizens, most notably women and youth and the communication of ABELO to its members. This corresponds with our planned activities below, as well as with our sustainability approach, in which more and more responsibilities and formalized/institutionalized coordination mechanisms come to lie with ABELO and with citizen groups.
In April 2020, Burundi confirmed its first COVID-19 cases (currently 529 officially confirmed cases and 1 confirmed COVID-19 death). Burundi’s initial response to the virus was one of denial, whereby no rules on social distancing were imposed, elections continued as planned and the WHO was expelled from the country. Since March, VNG International has pushed our partner ABELO and the municipalities with whom we work to maintain rules on handwashing and social distancing. After the death of President Nkurunziza and with the inauguration of President Ndayishimiye in June, more serious COVID-19 related restrictions were imposed, including a country-wide three-month coronavirus screening campaign. As of September, Burundi claims to have the coronavirus outbreak ‘under control’.
Burundi 12
COVID-19 has inevitably had its impact on our planned activities. Activities such as the kick-off of a Women Leadership Network and the second cycles of the Community Score Card and of the Village Savings and Loans Association were unfortunately delayed. Travel of international experts has since March no longer been possible, and we had to show flexibility and adaptivity in training local trainers digitally. With the support of The Hague Academy for Local Governance, who conducted the earlier trainings to the eight IDEAL-communes, we have trained four "master trainers" within ABELO digitally who will in turn train local government staff in all 119 communes in Burundi on local inclusive and gender- sensitive governance, using various new technologies for exchanging online in an active manner. These in turn can be used to re-watch recordings of the training, train others, and share them with the local governments as well.
3.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation
After the electoral year of 2020, it is important that we finalize the IDEAL programme in 2021 in a sustainable manner. Even though the security situation has improved, and the municipalities are back on track, the COVID-19 pandemic has serious implications on the activity planning for 2021. Therefore, we have limited the number of activities in 2021 to increase the level of focus per activity to implement these in a safe and durable way. We have started with the development of a number of tools and protocols for organizing activities in a responsible manner, such as a protocol for organising exchange fora, for online trainings, but also how to organise office work. While documentation and institutionalization has always been part of our exit-strategy, it has become especially important in 2021, with a shift in political staff of ABELO and in our communes.
3.4 Planning January - December 2021
Outcome 1
Under outcome 1 we will organize an evaluation of our programme to share the experiences of our pilot communes to other communes in the shape of both a forum and practical guidelines, to be developed and disseminated in close collaboration with ABELO. In 2020, we supporter ABELO with the development of a guide for newly-elected leaders on inclusive governance, capitalising the best practices of IDEAL and translating these in practical new guidelines to be used in the induction of new councillors. We will continue to develop such tools for various branches and roles within local governments in Burundi in 2021, refreshing those trained in the previous years of IDEAL collecting the good practices, tools and guidelines from the whole project. Moreover, we will ensure that this is done in a COVID-proof manner. Moreover, activities will be organized so that communes in Burundi are able to cope with COVID-related problems and improve their communication with citizens on crisis management, now and in the future.
Burundi 13
Outcome 2
Under outcome 2 we will capitalize upon the results achieved in 2019 and 2020 on the successful participatory planning and budgeting of the third PCDC-cycle. We will continue with activities that were started or postponed in 2020, such as the Community Scoring Card and the VSLAs. In 2021, we will focus on capitalizing these approaches and ensuring their sustainability in CCDC and CLBG committees. This way, the active involvement and meaningful participation of youth, women and (other) civil society organisations in decision-making processes will be institutionalized. Moreover, we will organize a second grant cycle for civil society organisations and/or youth and women groups in collaboration with the local governments, to tackle issues such as gender-based violence, protection of the rights of children and transparency on communal finances – all issues that were brought forward by women and youth in the development and elaboration of the PCDC in 2018/2019.
Outcome 3
Given the changes in the political labour force of the collines and the communes following the electoral cycle of 2020, the IDEAL Burundi programme started to institutionalize the lessons learned from the programme and by doing so instructing the new layer of political leaders on the local level in all of the practices of IDEAL Burundi since 2017 until now, including inclusive decision-making processes on the PCDC and related Investment Plans and Budgets in 2020. In 2021, we will work on the sustainability and proper closure of the IDEAL programme with ABELO and RFEL as well as lobby the most important results of 5 years of IDEAL towards National Government with lobby and advocacy activities (most notably the referral of competences from national to local level). Also in 2021, we will continue to support ABELO and RFEL with their visibility strategies towards their members, for example through organization of events and trainings around the 16 days of activism against domestic violence, as we did in 2019 and 2020.
3.5 Sustainability efforts
As mentioned before in this chapter, documentation of best practices of the 8 IDEAL communes and the dissemination thereof to all 119 communes in Burundi, in collaboration with ABELO, is the focus of our last 1,5 years of intervention within the IDEAL programme. Throughout the years, we have placed increasing responsibility with ABELO and RFEL as development partners and placed them at the driver’s seat of promoting the importance of diversity & inclusiveness in decision-making on a national level and to contribute to improving the policy & institutional environments for communes to address human security and gender issues more effectively.
For example, through the development of the Guide for Locally-Elected leaders and its dissemination throughout Burundi, we leave a practical tool to support and sustain inclusive governance after the closure of the programme. ABELO staff developed and adapted the guide on inclusive local governance to the Burundian context and were equipped with the skills and knowledge to themselves train a new layer of trainers within each respective commune in Burundi. This guide can be used and shared by ABELO as part of its' platform function as an Association of Local Governments.
Burundi 14
This is important, as this does not only allow for the lessons of the eight pilot-communes to be shared throughout the country, it also ensures that the knowledge of, and ability to train others on, inclusive local governance now capitalized within ABELO, who can continue to do so after the programme has ended and are no longer dependent on external consultants to do so. By increasing awareness and teaching local governments on the importance of inclusive decision-making, and including all citizens in decision- making processes, these processes will be more inclusive, participatory and conflict-sensitive.
IDEAL- Mali
Werking with 5 municipalities and the Association des Municipalites du Mali (AMM)
s Dialogue Processe al/public to strenthen politic debate
36 Meguetan Output Legitimacy P o Service delivery is in line with the needs of citizens 1 : 2äb ..-,-Kouoro -25 Wo � e..J men 201 Youth Tagandougou �� Niena �2· 5 Ln Key Achievements
Professions are Conflict resolution Communes� take (ÇjAMM has willing to pay initiatives ownership in organized activities daily municipal between gold drafting inclusive promoting gender access fees exploitation five-year annual equality werkers and other plans IDEAL• water users in INCLUSIVE DECISIONS Baya AT LOCAL LEVEL Enabling Environment lmproved conditions for policy making and institutions IA �� n
Input Legitimacy Citizens are a part of municipal decision-making Mali 15
4 Mali
4.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far
In the challenging context of Mali - which has proven increasingly difficult because of amongst others the recent coup d’état, COVID-19 restrictions and increasing security problems - , we have learned that 1) flexible programming is a necessity to respond to upcoming or ad hoc needs and 2) giving AMM more space to take initiatives increases ownership of their action plan with regards to pathway 3 (enabling environment). AMM invested in activities like awareness raising in the communes on the importance of social distancing using radio messages for example. They also supported communes with the mobilisation of funds to organise these and other type of prevention activities. This highlights the role and importance of local governments, even or especially in times of crisis.
Another important lesson in 2020 has been around trying to improve and increase monitoring and evaluation. Over the last year, we found that while we organised a lot of activities (in line with the ToC), it was not clear to us whether we were reaching the best-possible, and most relevant results for the communes. Through a “capitalisation” exercise with our partners in the five pilot communes we obtained a more adequate and holistic view of our results so far that also helped to steer the programme into 2021. This focus on monitoring and learning will be continued also next year. Finally, we have also learned that the small grants prove to be effective and we will continue using this instrument.
4.2 Explanation of any deviations
The changes made in the ToC show better the interlinkages between the outcomes. For example, we have linked outcome 2 (more participatory and inclusive decision-making processes) with outcome 3 (improved policy and institutional environment for IWRM) through the dialogue function and coordination of AMM with communes, state-level institutions and NGOs. While these links were already made in programme activities, the ToC now also better reflects these realities. Moreover, CSOs and other community groups now form a more explicit part of the ToC, seeing their increased role in the programme since 2019. It is also made more clear in the ToC that only through improved participatory and inclusive decision-making processes (outcome 2), more effective services and more responsive local governments are achieved (outcome 1), thus reflecting the main logic of our intervention.
In the remainder of the programme, continued focus is put on the communication of local governments towards their citizens, most notably women and youth. Although local governments indicate that they have improved (i.e. more inclusive services) communication with and towards their citizens, this could still improve. To support this, we have set up a collaboration with a local marketing and communication bureau specialized in reaching out to younger people whereby we will stimulate communication between local governments and youth via social media. Moreover, the grants will continue and help the local government with providing services tailored to local needs, which are known to increase the citizen satisfaction of their local governments.
Mali 16
In March, Mali confirmed its first COVID-19 cases. A state of emergency was instituted including a curfew from 9.00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Flights were suspended, schools were closed and large public gatherings were banned. However, planned elections in March–April, which had already been postponed several times due to the poor security situation, went ahead as planned. On top of the pandemic, in August 2020, Mali was shocked by a revolt, later leading to a coup d’état in Bamako. This context of instability meant that many activities could not pursue as planned. The study visits between municipalities that we had planned were not able to take place, and the same goes for the follow-up trainings on inclusive governance, and the development of GIRE plans per commune. These activities will be organised later this year and in 2021 in a different form: International experts give guidance and training from a distance, and local experts are trained to perform the planned activities. As mentioned before, we used this time to capitalize efforts made in the programme (in small meetings with the pilot communes, as travel within Mali and small gatherings remained a possibility throughout 2020).
4.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation
The structural issues in Mali that we have described in earlier plans and reports remain challenging. The coup d’état in August 2020 did not impact our programme as much, as the central government of Mali is not financially involved with regards to our activities, and the local governments involved in our IDEAL programme did not experience a need to discontinue activities or plans. Yet, this change of government does affect the functioning of AMM, and also has a direct (security) impact in the communes we are active in: people are less inclined to speak their mind. Therefore, as in 2020, increased focus is put on collaboration with CSOs and other community groups, COVID-situation permitting.
In “our” communes of Baya and Tagandougou, an interesting spin-off of the IDEAL programme in collaboration with Commissie MER (the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment) is taking place: together with the municipality of Sankarani (outside of our intervention zone), the three municipalities are developing a vision of sustainable development through their Integrated and Sustainable Development Program for the Sankarani Basin (PDIDBS) and its Strategic Environmental Assessment. This joint vision brings together existing and future interventions in the Sankarani basin, particularly in the three municipalities, within a framework that takes into account the well-being of the populations, sustainable economic development and the ecological integrity of the area. The mayors and general secretaries of the municipalities stressed the importance of their union to deal with problems that cross administrative boundaries.
Mali 17
4.4 Planning January - December 2021
Outcome 1
Over the last years, we have focussed on enhancing the capabilities of communes to provide effective IWRM related services, and to mobilize their own resources to do so (e.g. tax collection of fisherman and subsequently use these tax incomes to improve water quality). In 2020 we have continued this process as best as we could (due to COVID-19) by delivering tailor-made approaches, tools and providing expertise to our communes in the field of IWRM most relevant to them: fishery, gold/sand exploitation and drinking water. Moreover, in order to achieve that communes effectively and participatory planned, prioritized and monitored IWRM service delivery. In 2021 communes will be supported and guided through the development of IWRM plans per commune. These IWRM plans per commune are a tangible result that we are focusing on for the remainder of the program. This includes a financial and institutional sustainability perspective that we are working on in collaboration with (inter)national experts.
Outcome 2
Under this outcome, we will work on increased involvement of multiple stakeholders in local government processes. Since mid-2019, CSOs were included in our programme design and in 2020 we wanted to further increase this. However, due to COVID-19 and related travel restrictions, these activities were delayed. Community- and water user group representatives will be trained on inclusive governance and how to better voice the needs of the population, in partnership and continuation with local decision makers. As mentioned before, under this component, we will also work with information campaigns (radio, signs, brochures, etc.) and support visibility of best practices. Grants will encourage and reward behavioural change of both communes and civil society with a specific focus on youth and women.
A new cycle of grants will be launched in 2021 and used to support the communes to execute their mandate and resolve conflicts and issues related to IWRM in a practical manner, while at the same time responding better to the needs of excluded groups in their communes. For example, the grant of Kouoro in 2019/2020 did not only allow for the reparation of a dam, but also for an increasingly active role for the women's groups with regards to the maintenance of the dam. Through their inclusion in the decision- making processes, stakeholders are more inclined to work together with the communes, now that both parties have an improved understanding of each other's needs and wishes. These grants are aligned to the priorities as came forward in the capitalisation effort mentioned above.
Outcome 3
In order to ensure an improved policy and institutional environment for IWRM, we align with AMM, the Association of Malian Municipalities, as they are the main actor in enabling a dialogue between the communes (its members) and the national level. Many of the activities planned for 2020 were delayed, and as mentioned before, a shift was made in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. In 2021, they will initiate new activities aimed at ensuring the visibility, accessibility and legitimacy of AMM. Moreover, AMM plays an important role in assuring key lessons learned and best practices in the five communes are translated to the national level (in lobby & advocacy) and to other communes in Mali.
Mali 18
4.5 Sustainability efforts
As mentioned in the 2019 Annual Plan, three (out of five) municipalities in the IDEAL intervention zone have successfully convinced their citizens – fishermen in particular – to pay municipal taxes (one related to fishing permits, another related to embarkation tax). This should reduce illegal fishing (as one needs a permit) on the one hand, and protect against riverbank erosion on the other, since the collected taxes are used for activities around riverbank protection. The collection of taxes furthermore ensures that the interventions and plans developed by the IDEAL programme in Mali can be continued after the programme ends, as communes are able to finance these plans themselves. Moreover, this ensures that the IWRM plans (to be developed in 2021) can be implemented using own revenue sources. Plus, as these plans are developed with the communes in the driver’s seat, we ensure ownership of the plans and an increased willingness to implement these also after 2021.
We have focussed on building partnerships and networks in Mali to expand the influence of our programme and the key lessons learned in Mali. In 2020, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Join for Water (formerly known as Protos) to complement each other’s activities and approaches. The collaboration with Commissie MER (2020) and MoU with World Waternet (2019) are other examples. Our most important partner, AMM, is also key in the sustainability of the programme. We offer AMM specific institutional support under the form of personal coaching to key staff members, and we support activities that they deem important to their citizens, to increase their visibility and legitimacy.
IDEAL - The Palestinian Territories Werking with 5 municipalities and the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA)
Dialogue Processes l/public Oalqiliya � to strenthen politica debate 37 �AIBkeh 612 ParticiP,_ants Jericho Ramallah� � Output Legitimacy Service delivery is in line with the needs of citizens
/Du,a� # w21' Key Achievements '"" oOo 11 � 0 Enabling private APLA has started Community- investment for to deliver LED driven initiatives districts' business cases IDEAL• INCLUSIVE DECISIONS Enabling Environment AT LOCAL LEVEL lmproved conditions for policy making and institutions A ��
Input Legitimacy Citizens are a part of municipal decision-making Palestinian Territories 19
5 Palestinian Territories
5.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far
We are still coming to grips in what way we can still perform valuable capacity building activities for our beneficiary municipalities under the current circumstances. Most of our learning in this respect is ongoing and we are experiencing new unforeseen challenges with every new turn in the COVID-19 crisis. So what can we say that we have learned so far?
Our main learning point is to re-appreciate our work under the pre-Covid circumstances. Motivating and inspiring our beneficiaries remotely-only has been very difficult. And it did not help that municipalities’ staff were preoccupied with finding their footing working under these ever changing circumstances. In topics where we found resistance already before COVID-19 and especially as these related to our inclusivity process of the LED Forum under Component 2, we are still trying to find a successful method to convince municipal decision-makers of that importance (see also the deviations below).
5.2 Explanation of any deviations
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic (and the subsequent delays) there are a couple of notable deviations. Under Outcome 1 Palestinian municipalities create better conditions for economic growth and increased employment opportunities, we faced delays with the implementation of the LED Cycles, as municipal capacity to follow-up was severely strained. We made virtue of necessity with the start of the second LED cycle by focusing on supporting municipal LED projects that provide immediate economic relief and job-growth support. This way we are in line with the PA’s COVID-19 Response Plan in addressing the economic stagnation due to the pandemic.
Under Outcome 2 Decision-making processes at the municipal level in determining policy priorities and planning on economic development are more inclusive and participatory, we are working on the improvement of the consultation processes of our 5 pilot municipalities. We achieved our targets concerning awareness raising on inclusivity and participatory processes and the institutionalization of the LED fora. Here too, we encountered delays. Since it was not possible to organize public meetings and because of a shift of municipal priorities towards immediate COVID-19 response and economic support, municipalities were able to misuse the legitimate COVID-19 excuse to avoid continuing the development of an inclusivity and participatory approach. To face this challenge, we are currently readapting our LED Forum approach in close consultation with each of the 5 municipalities in order to tailor support that municipal leadership can and will commit to under the current circumstances.
Palestinian Territories 20
Under Outcome 3 Legal and political environment for LED has improved, we are working together on national level with APLA, MoLG, and MDLF. Again, we used the COVID-19 pandemic as an inspirational casus, for the provision of our support. We instigated a Crisis Management Coordination Framework, not only to be used for public health crises but also for any major sudden political upheaval. The COVID-19 crisis has brought to light the lack of coordination between government bodies and a lack of experience in dealing with crisis situations at local level. This was further confirmed in the MoLG national survey on COVID-19 and the impact on municipalities. Our activity comes at the request of both MoLG and APLA. The immediate output is a midterm roadmap on how to manage and coordinate crises for local authorities. The roadmap will include advice for future (capacity) needs for local and national governments.
5.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation
Without a doubt the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our programme implementation, but since these are already described in detail above, instead we bring to attention the (semi-related) developments in the policy environment of LED.
Ever since the change at Ministerial level at the Ministry of Local Government we have noticed a less pro-active stance of the Ministry towards LED, even though its LED Unit remains activated. In practice, little was done to support municipalities, with the planned – but cancelled – VNGi-MoLG LED Conference being the main exception. However, in recent months the MoLG has been advised with support of Enable to restructure its LED Unit in order to play – again – a central, coordinating role in municipal LED practices.
Also this year, MDLF ordered a large national study on the Development of Policy and Regulatory Framework for Public-Private Partnerships at LGU Level in Palestine. A study which was also to be presented publicly at the LED Conference, but which is now planned to be published by the end of 2020.
These two developments will influence the LED policy environment heavily, although its effects are difficult to foresee exactly before both are crystallized. It should be up to APLA to monitor these developments closely and ensure that municipalities’ interests on LED are not threatened.
5.4 Planning January - December 2021
A major underlying assumption of the schedule presented below is that the restrictions on travel and face to face meetings will persist for the first six months of 2021 and will then be relaxed for the remainder of the year. Should these restrictions last longer, we will readjust our plan and budget accordingly.
Palestinian Territories 21
Outcome 1
According to the Financing Agreement between us and MDLF, all disbursements should be made before 1 January 2021. As MDLF incurred procurement delays over the past years, due in part to its own under- capacity of which we have been critical, we have been increasing our capacity building support as well as increased pressure for MDLF to prioritize procurement on our behalf. That seems to have paid off as the tempo has significantly improved this year. Further recognizing the COVID-19 impact, we have agreed with MDLF to extent the Financing Agreement until March 2021. This means that we will also continue our Grant Support activities from 2020 into the first quarter of the new year.
In addition, in our ToC we assumed that completing the Community Driven Initiative Cycle and drafting LED Project Business Cases with the municipalities would preclude a successful effort of the municipalities to leverage external financing for their LED projects, thereby creating better conditions for economic growth. We have now noted that in 2020, discussions with multiple potential investors were initiated by municipalities, but as soon as the COVID-19 crisis start, those evaporated. So, we have already started and will continue in 2021 with 5 intensive individual coaching and consultancy assignments for the LED staff of each municipality on how to use their Business Case to identify and leverage financing under these difficult circumstances.
Originally planned for 2020, we still have the ambition to organize a national LED conference in the second half of the year. The LED Conference feeds into our exit strategy (see Sustainability efforts below).
Outcome 2
Under this outcome we provide support for municipalities to institutionalize consultation processes that inform and guide their LED policy formulation. We have reported before that we have struggled with a lack of motivation that we encountered with our beneficiaries to put effort in such a process. The chosen vehicle for it, the LED Forum, has been set-up in every municipality, however it is not consulted in a structural manner, neither in the project identification phase nor in its design phase.
The mid-term evaluation recommended – and which we subsequently adapted into our Toc – to localize our political economy analysis for each of the 5 municipalities. Furthermore, it recommended to seek out direct contact with local CSOs in those municipalities, especially those representing youth and women interests, in order to hear their advice regarding their position and role in the LED Forum.
In line with these recommendations we will continue with the delayed interventions of 2020, precluded with a consultancy assignment on adapting these efforts and paying special attention to finding ways of incentivizing municipal decision under the current COVID-19 circumstances.
Palestinian Territories 22
Outcome 3
We will focus on doing follow-up assignments for the Crisis Management Guide that is currently under development. The first priority will be to deliver simulation exercises in a selected handful of municipalities. These exercises serve two purposes: they provide practical, hands-on capacity building and will provide a validation opportunity for the Crisis Management Guide itself. In turn, the Guide may be further specified by our Crisis Management experts and handed-over to the Ministry of Local Government. Finally, we will support a public presentation of the plan with support of mandated institutions. We will also dedicated a small flexible consultancy budget under this component to respond to specific COVID-19 related needs as they arise in 2021.
For APLA, we will provide our final capacity building support actions in order for them to be able to advocate LED needs on behalf of their associated members. Considering the developments on the LED policy environment described above, we will look to commit senior Dutch municipal practitioners on lobbying and advocacy to advice and coach APLA on how to influence MoLG and other national stakeholders on behalf of the municipalities. In addition, we will reserve funds for any legal advise interventions in reaction to the services oriented MDLF’s PPP Framework study.
5.5 Sustainability efforts
Our Exit Strategy revolves around the outreach and promulgation of the best-practices and lessons learned of our Community Driven Initiatives (CDI). At the start of the programme we had held the ambition to be able to provide a full LED module that could be propagated with municipalities across the West Bank. Instead, a CDI-guide applicable for municipalities that have the goal to identify LED initiatives in close cooperation with their communities and leverage external financing for their implementation will be more suitable.
The LED Conference mentioned above will be the main event to present and share key-elements of this CDI-guide.
For the 10 smaller LED-Growing Municipalities, that have received basic LED support these past years, we will prepare a step-by-step guide to design and implement simple CDI cycles, requiring limited human resources. We will organize workshop sessions to do kick-start and guide them through the process.
In the end, all knowledge as captured in our CDI-guide will be transferred to our national Partners. Currently, we are restrained by a lack of capacity at APLA to institutionalize LED interventions. So, we will broaden our scope a bit and provide not just APLA but also MoLG with a training on how to use the CDI-guide.
IDEAL - Rwanda Werki ng with 6 municipalities and the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA)
Processes Dialogue l Musanze al/pub ic to strenthen politic debate Rubav
18 .---- Muhanga Output Legitimacy u i People Trainad Service delivery is in line w th the needs of citizens 2,913 _169 Wamen 2,744 Men Workshops n 27 Key Achievements 09 6 lmproved Officials learned RALGA è:S. , , ... t1 l Most Valued Aspects of VNGI Collaboration Input Legitimacy �@00 Citizens are a part of municipal decision-making Technica! Connecting Policy lnfluencing Expertise and Convening people Rwanda 23 6 Rwanda 6.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far It is inconceivable to not admit that COVID-19 pandemic has shaped 2020 not only in the implementation of the programme but the roles taken on to adapt to the pandemic and regulations thereafter. We often speak of adaptability and this year provided the grounds to demonstrate this, highlighting the need for continuous flexibility, quick decision making, the importance of strong local partnerships for acquiring the local voice especially from the districts, and keeping abreast with local and global developments. From past lessons, we had already set the path for more localised capacity building, which we have now complemented with a blended approach that makes more use of digital means, such as on-line meetings and training. However, while we notice a strong development of “computer literacy” as a positive side- effect to a crisis, it is too early to gauge the efficacy of these online interactions. This will be evaluated by the end of this year. At the time of writing, the COVID-19 instructions once more allow for physical meetings, which we shall also resume, not for the least reason to respond to the requests of the districts staff. We will also make use of the remaining months of 2020 to leverage any opportunities to effectively implement adversely affected activities. For the best part, the IDEAL Rwanda team adjusted responsively to the COVID-19 restrictions (discussed in 6.2), postponing activities where necessary but also taking advantage of the budgetary outcomes of such postponements by proposing additional activities and extending minimally affected activities. One of the activities that has been in implementation throughout this period was the development of the land sub-division plans in prioritised areas of Muhanga and Nyagatare districts, which were postponed from 2018 (awaiting the finalisation of the National Land Use Master plan). The development of the land sub- division plans ties together a number of previous IDEAL activities, including the toolkit and coaching on pro-poor city development, the training on land readjustment and the involvement of various citizen groups in urban governance. The development of the plans allows the districts to put into practice the principles of inclusive urban planning, as the knowledge is applied in development of a subdivision plan for a prioritised area within the district. The activity will be completed with the beaconing of the area, providing physical markers for the community allocated land use and a plan that is responsive to their needs. To prevent underspending from the postponement of other activities, this activity was also extended to two additional districts namely Rubavu and Huye. In 2021, we would like to carry forward key lessons learnt over the last four years and work together with the Districts and RALGA in the sustainability of our achievements particularly the successes of an inclusive urban governance system. Rwanda 24 6.2 Explanation of any deviations For the most part, the ToC for IDEAL Rwanda has not changed. However, mid-level outcomes, were added for outcomes 1 and 2 to make clearer links to the expected outputs, as the indicators at output level correspond closely with the outcome level. The review of the ToC also highlighted the importance of collecting evidence to support our achievements. These achievements are demonstrated through the attainment of most of our targets in all 3 outcomes. Nevertheless, following the mid-term evaluation in 2019, emphases has been placed on improving the responsive and inclusive nature of district policies and mechanisms by developing pro-poor land subdivision plans, assessing youth engagement in urban local governance and the implementation of the gender mainstreaming transformative agents of change programme. At the start of the pandemic, it was hoped that the impact of COVID-19 would be limited. However, as months progressed and stringent measures were prescribed, the IDEAL Rwanda team put in place a contingency plan that has guided the implementation of 2020 activities. A major concern for the team was the restriction of movement between districts and the ban of gatherings especially as many activities involved capacity building in groups. In such cases activities were postponed. Other measures taken included pushing forward of desktop centred activities such as the completion of the urban planning module, the drafting of ToRs and concept notes, the creation of online platforms to facilitate training as part of our gender centred Transformative Agents of Change programme, the provision of data and modems to facilitate online access, the hosting of activities at district level in smaller groups and the postponement of community engagements. Although the measures we put in place have minimised the impact COVID-19 has had on implementation, the postponement of some activities and shifting to a blended approach with digital means, provided budgetary space to also accommodate additional activities. These activities include commissioning a study on the impact of COVID-19 on local governments, the expansion of the development land subdivision plans to two more districts and the provision of modems to facilitate the blended approach. 6.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation 2021 will be an important year for local government in Rwanda as the local government elections are held in the first quarter of the year. The elections will lead to a slowdown in implementation as technicians take over political leadership until the instalment of the new leaders in April. During this period, IDEAL will focus on desk centred activities that do not require district staff such as the development of products. The month of June also represents a need for adaptation due to the annual Imihigo (performance contracts) evaluations of districts. Our partner organisation: RALGA will also induct new committees and boards members following the election and Rwanda hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Lastly, we envision that COVID-19 regulations will continue and have thus planned for a number of online activities respecting such regulations. We will also take into account the additional crisis management responsibilities placed on district staff and continue to evaluate our contingency measures including the efficacy of online engagements. Rwanda 25 6.4 Planning January - December 2021 2021 is the final year of IDEAL Rwanda, in this year, focus is placed on tying up activities on all outcomes, their outputs as well as strengthening the sustainability of our successes. Outcome 1: Secondary city districts in Rwanda are more responsive and effective in managing the urbanisation process – in this outcome we come full circle by building the capacity of the technical staff in charge of urban planning and management at newly introduced City Management Office. The training is a culmination of various tools developed by IDEAL to provide staff with the capability to develop, implement and monitor pro-poor urban development plans. This outcome is further stimulated as we provide the tools for staff to implement more localised agricultural strategies and social welfare policies based on previously conducted training. The lessons learnt from various IDEAL capacity building activities will be shared with all 6 districts and satellite cities. Outcome 2: Local decision-making processes of Rwandan secondary city districts on urbanisation are more inclusive and participatory – in line with the objective to make decision making more inclusive, we conclude our transformative agents of change programme with the agents of change having completed their plans for more gender sensitive decision making and policy development including their Gender Budget Statements (GBS). In line with this, we will collaborate with the Gender Monitoring Office, to monitor and evaluate the previous GBS’ of the six districts which will further improve the gender sensitive nature of districts’ budgeting and planning processes. The theme of inclusivity is preserved with an update of the induction handbook for newly elected councillors, the handbook will ensure that these future councillors have a solid understanding of the need for inclusive and participatory urban governance sustaining the mechanisms beyond the lifespan on the programme. Outcome 3: RALGA lobbies and advocates for an improved policy and institutional environment for local governments in Rwanda – focus here is placed on concretising the lobby and advocacy efforts made by RALGA to create a national framework for the role of districts in pro-poor land readjustment as well as continued exchange on networking techniques with West African LGAs. These activities are central to RALGA’s role in securing an improved policy and institutional environment for their members. 6.5 Sustainability efforts In planning for 2021, we have worked even more closely with the districts on the activities they anticipate will have the most impact as we close the programme. A number of products have been developed throughout the programme and these have been and will be disseminated via RALGA to all districts. RALGA’s Local Government Institute is also the custodian of many of the toolkits which are used in the training of technicians and elected leaders, particularly relevant to their induction trainings to newly elected councillors (2021) to support the institutionalisation of the programme’s achievements. Lastly, throughout the implementation of the IDEAL programme we have aligned and sought collaboration with relevant government ministries further legitimising our initiatives and making them available for national use. IDEAL - Somalia Werking with 3 districts and the Association of Local Government Authorities of Somaliland (ALGASL) Dialogue Processes l/public to strenthen politica debate 8 LasAnod People Traine d l Output Legitimacy 676 Baligubadle Service delivery is in line with the needs of citizens 109 Wa men 101 Youth Workshops 22 t� Key Achievements (O)� �� Maximum ALGASL leads ALGASL naw expansion consultation provides trainings of ALGASL processes in pilot and services to membership districts IDEAL• reached INCLUSIVE DECISIONS Enabling Environment AT LOCAL LEVEL lmproved conditions for policy making and institutions @l Most Valued Aspects of VNGI Collaboration Input Legitimacy �@00 Citizens are a partof municipal decision-making Technica! Connecting Policy lnfluencing Expertise and Convening people Somalia 26 7 Somalia 7.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far District Development Frameworks (DDFs) and collaboration with MoI, UN JPLG, local CBOs/CSOs and communities: The finalisation of the DDFs in our three pilot districts (Baligubadle, Zeila, Las Anod) emphasised the importance of embedding our interventions in wider policy frameworks, as well as the value of active and direct engagement and coordination with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication between governance programmes. We underestimated how complex, sensitive and time-consuming this process would be. On the other hand, our work on the DDFs provided a valuable avenue to more deeply engage with local communities, CSOs and other stakeholders, which was a recommendation in the mid-term evaluation, and promote inclusive decision making. Working with ALGASL: The start of IDEAL was also the start of VNG International's work in Somaliland. Rooted in an association of municipalities, it is a natural entry point for VNG International to support and partner with local government associations abroad. As much as the added value of working with and through an LGA has proven itself, we insufficiently realized what the unintended effect would be of ALGASL’s enhanced capacity over the course of the programme. In a way, one could state that we are dealing with the pitfalls of our own success. ALGASL enjoys greater legitimacy as a consequence of a significant membership expansion, increased internal capacity, and improved service delivery to districts. This increased capacity and assertiveness resulted in increased ownership and involvement in the IDEAL programme, and a demand by ALGASL for more control over IDEAL’s course, disregarding remaining limitations in capacity, which led to discussions with IDEAL management. Changes in leadership of ALGASL’s secretariat (e.g. replacement of the Executive Director) and limited financial and HR capacity, combined with limited proactivity and ambition on the side of the Board of Directors have caused delays in implementation or confusion around the planning of activities. The continuous postponement of elections and the fact that not all BOD members are running in the local elections planned for April 2021, can be argued to affect the legitimacy and effectiveness of ALGASL’s BOD. We have learned to avoid a dependency relationship. Providing direct support to districts through Somaliland-based VNG staff and local coaches, and working with other local actors such as NAGAAD and SONYO, next to our continuous collaboration with ALGASL, have been ways to address this. Nexus – linking development and humanitarian response: In our intention to promote development in a fragile setting, complementary to humanitarian programmes, we may have lost sight of the nexus. COVID-19 especially, but also droughts and floods, have made us reconsider the importance of ensuring links between economic and disaster management support. External shocks have a devastating effect on the economy, especially on an unstable and informal economy such as in Somaliland, where the line between relative stability and fragility is thin. Consequently, we submitted a proposal on inclusive disaster risk management to the Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi. Somalia 27 7.2 Explanation of any deviations The year 2020 has been marked by the global outbreak of COVID-19, which has also drastically affected IDEAL Somaliland’s annual plan. As of mid-March international experts as well as HQ staff were no longer able to travel. Moreover, our local staff and partners could not travel outside Hargeisa to visit pilot districts to implement interventions causing much delay and cancellations to the programme. However, as much as possible we have adapted our strategy and operations to accommodate the circumstances. Examples of our mitigating measures have been localisation of support in the form of deploying more local staff (e.g. local coaches in the three pilot districts), using tandems of local and international experts with remote support via online platforms, and adjusting the set-up of activities (e.g. promoting hygiene measures, finding suitable locations to allow for social distancing and local travel restrictions, reducing the number of participants). In addition, we communicate closely with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Planning, National COVID-19 Secretariat and Coordination Center. The latter has requested our support in providing trainings on COVID-19 response to local government officials in our pilot districts. We will investigate the conditions of the request and whether it is possible to incorporate this into our IDEAL budget and results framework. Based on the mid-term evaluation, we revised our Theory of Change (TOC) on the online Kumu platform to more clearly define our pathways of change4. This led to the introduction of intermediary outcomes since the level of ambition of the original TOC was deemed too steep. The current pathways better reflect that strengthening government capacity and improving a social contract is an incremental process. Where training courses and workshops initially focus on building knowledge and skills, they eventually aim to bring about behavioural change (see outcome stories in 2019 Annual Report). We have also elaborated the thematic focus of the programme, further defining LED as a cross-cutting theme, as well as the strategic focus, targeting local governments, communities, CSOs, private sector and other stakeholders. Partly because of our lesson learned on collaboration with ALGASL we have chosen to start supporting pilot districts directly for the sake of effectiveness and efficiency and to partly make up for the time lost due to COVID-19. 7.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation The local government elections and parliamentary elections have been rescheduled for many consecutive times (now planned for April 2021). This is especially worrying as 2021 marks the last year of the IDEAL programme, which will likely also still be marked by COVID-19. In anticipation of the local elections we will focus on embedding our efforts sufficiently with non-political counterparts, to not be too reliant on mayors and local councils. We will engage Executive Secretaries, civil servants, CSOs, neighbourhood committees, the private sector and our local coaches. 4 Theory of Change IDEAL Somaliland Somalia 28 At the same time, we will also invest in our relations with likely electoral candidates and MOI, to promote buy-in before and beyond the elections. As much as possible we will attempt to confirm our activity planning in writing (e.g. district-level MOU) with the district officials before the elections to make the programme less vulnerable to shifting political priorities when new mayors and councils are elected. COVID-19’s second wave and its expected aftermath will surely have an effect on the pressure on planning and budgeting in IDEAL’s last year. Whilst it currently seems as if Somaliland is eluding a second wave, Europe surely is not. The weak Somaliland health system, the lack of capacity to act and little transparency also make it difficult to evaluate and predict the local situation. In any case, it is very likely that international travel for both international experts and HQ staff will be very limited, if at all possible. As a consequence, our planning will initially be based on the localisation and mitigation measures as discussed in the section on “deviations” above. It is difficult to determine whether our intended results can fully be achieved through this approach. Likely, the support for our pilot districts will mainly be provided through the district-based local coaches and, where and when local travel is possible, also by local VNG International staff and ALGASL. Our local coaches are currently receiving distant online support on coaching skills from an international VNG expert. 7.4 Planning January - December 2021 Due to COVID-19 we have not been able to fully implement our 2020 activity plan. This means that some of our interventions are now planned for or will continue in 2021. Moreover, during the second half of 2021 an end line measurement will take place as well as an external evaluation. We know from experience that this will involve a considerable investment of time and we have therefore adapted our activity plan accordingly. In 2021, ASPIRE’s toolkit will provide a framework for our activities.5 Outcome 16: In 2020, we have commenced with the roll-out of a grant scheme on inclusive LED for the IDEAL pilot districts as well as for Berbera district. We expect to receive grant applications and to disburse some of the grants in quarter four of 2020. Grant activities will most likely take place or continue in 2021 and we aim to release a second Call for Proposals in 2021 as well, funds and planning permitting. We will provide workshops and trainings on LED service delivery to pilot district staff, officials and local CSO partners on topics such as financing, Public-Private Partnerships, as well as gender sensitive services design. This will go hand in hand with a joint assessment of opportunities for service delivery on the basis of the DDF/LED Strategy (OC2). Combined these interventions might result in establishment of Public-Private Partnerships for service delivery or creation of a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs to promote LED. Outcome 2: we continue with facilitating the establishment of LED Forums composed of local government, private sector and civil society representatives, as well as the development of district LED strategies, building on the DDFs. These interventions will be supported through workshops on multi- stakeholder and participatory governance, as well gender sensitive policy making. 5 In May 2020, our EU-funded (and IDEAL co-funded) project “Advancing Strong Partnerships for Inclusive and Resilient Economic Development (ASPIRE)” ended. ASPIRE piloted the multi-stakeholder approach that we now also apply in IDEAL. One of ASPIRE’s key outputs is a toolkit for local governments: VNG International (2020), “Tools for Promoting Inclusive and Resilient Economic Development by Advancing Strong Partnerships” 6 Throughout the year we will promote active exchanges across outcomes (‘benchmarking’) between the pilot districts and Berbera district (beneficiary under ASPIRE) to generate peer learning. Somalia 29 Our trajectory to support women and youth in political participation and policy dialogue related to LED is followed-up via facilitating the implementation of the action plans developed in 2020. Support will be provided in cooperation with umbrella organisations NAGAAD and SONYO. Outcome 3: ALGASL will work with a local and international finance expert to improve internal financial and administrative processes, and to develop a financial strategy in view of enhancing longer-term financial sustainability. Also, we will work with ALGASL on sustainable HRM processes. In the field of lobby and advocacy (L&A), we will assist in the development of L&A tools (e.g. strategy) and drafting of policy papers. To bolster ALGASL’s wider outreach and IDEAL’s footprint, ALGASL will be supported in membership outreach through communication tools and in organising a National LED Conference, which will build on ALGASL’s convening power as local government association, bringing together key stakeholders. Finally, we will continue on-the-job coaching for ALGASL and staff will co-deliver IDEAL activities. 7.5 Sustainability efforts Next year will be the final year of IDEAL and probably also the last year of (part of) the current local political leadership in Somaliland and within ALGASL’s BOD. Enduring political buy-in for the programme’s results beyond the programme are crucial for lasting change, but remain for a large part outside our scope of control. In addition, there are various other factors that may hinder sustainability of results such as deteriorating safety and security, high turnover of local government staff, lack of financial resources despite our efforts to promote release of fiscal transfers to ALGASL, etc. However, we try to counter this by focusing on building capacity on multiple levels (individual, organisational and institutional level): • ALGASL is increasingly appreciated by its members for the services that it provides (e.g. trainings, information about new legislation, access to best practices in local governance). And more and more, ALGASL is recognised as a valuable representative of local governments in Somaliland and able to carry out its mandate through lobby and advocacy toward the central government. Through IDEAL, we have targeted the individual capacity of its staff and BOD, but also the organisational and institutional capacity (e.g. revision of strategic documents such as constitution and strategic plan, improved internal operational processes, membership expansion) and will continue to do so in 2021. • In IDEAL’s pilot districts we promote the establishment of sustainable LED platforms in which stakeholders are able to coordinate and cooperate to ensure that IDEAL’s interventions are institutionalised (e.g. DDFs, LED strategies, organisational structures and workplans of the district). These platforms will stay in place beyond IDEAL. This should foster a sustainable enabling environment to promote LED, e.g. for attracting investors, creating business plans, red tape reduction for local entrepreneurs, setting up PPPs, etc. • The local coaches are district employees and thus more likely to retain their position following the end of the programme This is more sustainable than using external consultants for same tasks and will promote continuity and follow-up of interventions. • We hope to set a precedent by stimulating exchanges on both best practices and lessons learned that will make it easier for districts to reach out to each other in the future. This should not only ensure improvements in, for example, policy making processes and services, but also bring about multiplier and scaling effects, e.g. through intergovernmental cooperation. IDEAL - South Sudan Werking with 3 municipalities in the south east of the country. 10 Output Legitimacy Service delivery is in line with the needs of citizens Kapoeta North 65 Wo3 men2 19'4 Youth Kapoeta South wf3' Ln Key Achievements �� Staffengage with Strenger and more First full grant ether counties effectivedialogue cycle completed and stakeholders with ether independently organizations IDEAL• INCLUSIVE DECISIONS Enabling Environment AT LOCAL LEVEL lmproved conditions for policy making and institutions IA �� n Most Valued Aspects of VNGI Collaboration Input Legitimacy �@00 Citizens area part of municipal decision-making Technica! Connecting Policy lnfluencing Expertise and Convening people South Sudan 30 8 South Sudan 8.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far 2020 has been dominated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions that have come with it. Regarding programme implementation, travel restrictions have had the biggest effect. In order to prevent the programme from being impacted by severe delays, the management was forced to come up with new ways of working. These, however, also showed the IDEAL management the benefits and potential of distant learning and new communication technologies. Experts can provide long distance learning on certain subjects through online courses and coaching. It is important to mention, however, that strong internet connections and the availability of certain hardware are crucial. Equally important is the presence of a strong local team in the target region (Kapoeta) to facilitate the remote expert through on the job coaching and with technical support. However, this also means that when these conditions are not met, it is extremely challenging to work towards the programme results – an issue that we experienced under outcome 3 and which will be elaborated upon in section 8.2. Consequently, the abovementioned adjusted way of working taught us that effective activity implementation can be realized in a more cost effective and sustainable manner, as less travel and accommodation costs are incurred for the experts’ deployment. Leveraging the experiences obtained, such a ‘remote’ way of working could also be applied to project implementation after the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. The involvement of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Juba is key in our programme. Unfortunately, face-to-face interactions have come to a halt; and it has come to the IDEAL SS management’s attention that long distance consultation meetings have not taken place in an equally structural manner. The IDEAL SS management team will reach out to the Embassy on a more structural basis from now on. 8.2 Explanation of any deviations For sustainability reasons, the IDEAL SS team, in cooperation with an M&E advisor, included the future coordination role of the counties more explicitly in the theory of change (ToC). This prospective coordination role had always been a result that the program has been working towards. Nevertheless, making it more explicit allows the team to communicate about this objective more clearly and supports the team in managing the sustainability expectations of beneficiaries better. In 2020 the programme has increased its focus on cooperation between CSOs and counties, and it is committed to do so in 2021 as well. The most important tool in our toolbox to achieve this result are the grant schemes for LGs and CSOs. The impact of the (inter)national restrictions, imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, changed the IDEAL SS programme in two significant ways: 1. Activities delayed Certain trainings could not take place due the lack of long distant learning infrastructure (a good internet connection on the experts’ side etc.), or due to the size of the groups that needed to be trained (inability to socially distance). As such, hitherto the M&E trainings, some technical trainings and the database building trainings had to be postponed. South Sudan 31 In addition, as the IDEAL team in Kapoeta is not present in Juba to assist the LGB on a fulltime basis, activities under outcome 3 have experienced delays as well. 2. Shifting focus towards grants and job coaching Due to the restrictions, the programme shifted its focus towards those components that were not affected by the emergency regulations. In general, these are the activities that required no travelling, and therefore, focused on the actors permanently present in Kapoeta: the counties and CSOs. As mentioned in the Annual Plan for 2020, the programme had already planned for a shift from stand-alone trainings to on the job coaching and the rolling out of a grant scheme. During the pandemic on the job coaching has been intensified and grants have been increased to accommodate for this shift. In addition, another governmental entity, Kapoeta Municipal County, showed interest in joining the programme. As Kapoeta Municipal County is located within the geographical area of Kapoeta South County, is a local government entity and willing to work towards the programme results, it was decided to include them as well, thereby expanding the programme’s reach. 8.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation Implications of security situation in South Sudan South Sudan is currently implementing the revitalised peace agreement. Although this process is long and cumbersome, it has created a more secure environment when it comes to reducing clashes between the government and opposition groups. This reduced insecurity creates for a more conducive environment for project implementation as tension in the country, and especially in the capital, decreases. This translates to facing fewer delays because there are fewercheckpoints, for example. However, it must be stressed that the structural violence between groups on the community level has not benefitted from the implementation of the revitalised peace agreement. In fact, intercommunal violence creates an environment that provides limitations to IDEAL South Sudan project implementation. For example, as was the case in 2019, it is still not possible to travel to Kapoeta East County at this moment in time. Implications of changes to state-level administrative divisions An important aspect of the revitalised peace agreement is the return to a 10-state system. This means that the current states of Kapoeta and Torit will be merged into a state that was previously known as Eastern Equatoria State. One of the implications of this change is that the state government will be (re)located to Torit. This constitutes a movement away from its current location, Kapoeta, where IDEAL South Sudan is also being implemented.. Consequently, this will increase the physical distance between the target counties and the state government and will most likely have a negative impact on the target counties’ influence over decision making processes at state level. Implications of COVID-19 restrictions The government of South Sudan has put in place stringent measures to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. These measures include a 14 days quarantine upon arrival. This quarantine makes the deployment of short-term experts less cost effective, thereby forcing us to delay certain activities. South Sudan 32 8.4 Planning January - December 2021 Outcome 1 In 2021 the programme will continue to support WASH partners to (1) strengthen their coordination and monitoring role; (2) to provide support to water management committees (WMCs); (3) to contribute to operation and maintenance for sustainability of water points and providing WASH services in way that is gender sensitive (outputs 1.1, 1.3 and 1.4). We will provide trainings on monitoring of county strategies; financial management for sustainability of water points; gender follow-up trainings; Moreover, coupled with on the job coaching and training, we will provide support for LGs through the small grants cycles, which aid them to organize coordination meeting with key stakeholders, community structures, civil society organizations and other organizations. In 2021, IDEAL South Sudan will continue to develop a community participation monitoring system and toolkit: the monitoring toolkit is to be used by the counties to check and ensure communities identified needs and priorities at the grassroots are reflected in the annual plans of the counties. In addition, as was the case in 2018, a long-term local government expert will support the counties in their process to make inclusive multi-annual WASH strategies. These will assist the counties in coordinating inclusive WASH interventions when the IDEAL SS programme ends. Outcome 2 We will continue to support civil society organizations (CSOs) in strengthening the capacities of communities and citizens with the aim ofenhancing citizen participation in local governance decision making processes. Additionally, it seeks to improve collaboration between communities and local government. Our partner CSOs will support WMCs and Women’s Associations in understanding how to identify community needs,participate in the development of county strategies and how to involve communities in these participatory planning procedures (outputs 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 2.4). As such, we will provide trainings to improve the roles and responsibilities of community organizations in leadership, representation and participation in the decision-making processes. This will include training of community leaders (Chief, youth and women’s group) in participatory planning, identification of needs and engagement with local authorities to present issues of community concern. Concretely, IDEAL South Sudan will conduct water access points management and peace building trainings: IDEAL will train 45 women leaders in the three counties (15 each county) on water access point’s management and peace building. After these trainings participating women leaders will share their knowledge and skills with other women in the counties, payams and bomas. In addition, a long-term governance expert will work together with the CSO development expert on providing trainings to CSOs, WMCs and WAs on the government calendar; and on how to apply the calendar in combination with their communication strategies. This will create more well-timed, and therefore more effective, participation. Outcome 3 At the end of the IDEAL SS programme, the target counties should be able to provide a coordinating role for NGOs and CSOs when it comes to WASH interventions. Therefore, in 2021 the program will continue to support WASH partners in increasing their capacity to maintain intergovernmental relationships and to identify key stakeholders in the WASH sector. The programme will also support the Local Government Board (LGB) in order to enable them to lobby for support to county governments at the national level. South Sudan 33 As such, the program will support the LGB in executing their mandate when it comes to facilitating learning between counties and their L&A activities at the national level. For instance, we will provide training on Lobby and advocacy, stakeholders mapping and stakeholder analysis. Similar to the aforementioned approach for CSO and LG, we will make use of a small grant scheme to support the LGB in engaging with key WASH stakeholders, with the aim of improving relations and support for their programs at national level (outputs 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3). Concretely, IDEAL will support in LGB field trips to three States in South Sudan to expand and strengthen its network of state and county level governments, and seek 3 NGOs, willing to become a partner on WASH issues and to coordinate and conduct monthly coordination meeting with government and CSO partners. 8.5 Sustainability efforts In an environment where counties face severely limited human and financial resources, modesty in the expectations around sustainability is key. Under the IDEAL programme target counties have been trained on various subjects and they have been enabled to apply their knowledge into practice via various small grant cycles. These grants shall come to an end after December 2021. Hence, it is pertinent that county staff needs to be able to rely on their knowledge in order to remain an effective actor in the WASH sector. Given the limited financial resources allocated from the central level, however, we foresee that the strongest role that the county could perform is that of a coordinator. In this role as coordinator counties can still liaise with other governmental and non-governmental actors active in the WASH sector, and coordinate efforts in order to prevent overlapping, or even conflicting, interventions from taking place – and aim for complementarity instead. To effectively play these roles IDEAL South Sudan has prepared counties in strengthening communities and community outreach (WMCs and WUGs). IDEAL South Sudan, as well as the counties involved envisage these community institutions to function as grassroot partners for the county, which are needed to ‘feed’ county governments with the different needs of communities. Therefore, our governance expert will assist the counties on drafting a new strategic WASH plan for the coming years, in which community institutions will take part. In addition, under the grant scheme, the counties will continue to train communities on technical and organizational subjects with the objective of creating strong grassroot partners to work with when the IDEAL programme has ended. IDEAL South Sudan considers the capacity of LGs to continue supporting local structures (WMCs, WAs and WUGs) crucial to the sustainable impact of our programme. The final year of the programme shall therefore focus on enhancing LG capacity mainly, while targeted CSOs require skills for resources mobilisation and strengthening their collaboration with LG WASH service delivery. The cooperative structures that are being created under the IDEAL programme will allow CSOs, community structures and counties to work together in the future as well, even if resources are limited. As for the enabling environment, the support provided by IDEAL to the governments and CSOs at county level is gradually creating an enabling environment for sustained WASH service delivery in target communities in KNC, KSC, KEC, KMC despite the COVID-19 adjournment. The sustainability approach towards an exit of the program will focus on capacity gaps, behaviour change and strengthening partnerships. The program will support the LGB to continue supporting the counties in replicating the results of the IDEAL programme. IDEAL - Uganda Werking with 7 municipalities and councils and the Uganda Local Governments Association (ULGA) and Urban Authorities Association of Uganda (UAAU) s Dialogue Processe Lira al/public unicipal Council ------e to strenthen politic debate 22 Kas�s, Bukomansimbi District & Town Council Output Legitimacy p ! Service delivery is in line with the needs of citizens 1 :9s2 L.04 Women 27 Youth w2ä' f n Key Achievements 0�lncreased Development �UAAU organized resource of Municipal Strategie and collection Development Regional Cities in target Forums in Kamuli Conference IDEAL• municipalities INCLUSIVE DECISIONS Enabling Environment AT LOCAL LEVEL lmproved conditions for policy making and institutions !li "y n Most Valued Aspects of VNGI Collaboration Input Legitimacy �@00 Citizens are a part of municipal decision-making Technica! Connecting Policy lnfluencing Expertise and Convening people Uganda 34 9 Uganda 9.1 Lessons Learned from 2020 so far 2020 has taught us about the flexibility and adaptivity of our partner local governments, both in Uganda and in the Netherlands, and of our programme team. While COVID-19 has naturally led to a delay in programme implementation, it has also granted us the time to better align our programming. COVID-19 realities made it difficult to predict whether physical engagements between UG and NL LGs would be possible in 2020. Our RPM and RPO have invested in more one-on-one time with the LGs, we further tailored our interventions per LG, broadened our local expert team and we have invested time and resources in ensuring all partner LGs are able to link up online. We have successfully hosted digital meet-ups with all involved. It has also offered new opportunities: as a follow-up of the Gender-Inclusive Governance trainings in January 2020, the Community Development Officers of each LG were asked to develop action plans to improve the position of women in their respective LG. As a result of the COVID- 19-restrictions, many of the awareness-raising activities could not take place. Therefore, in September, all these plans were adapted to incorporate a local COVID-19 response, as women are disproportionately influenced by COVID-19. These action plans now address the psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 (e.g. early and forced marriages, teenage pregnancies, suicide, sexual and gender-based violence) on women and are currently rolled out. We have also realized that while our trainings are valued, it remains difficult to ensure a trickle-down of training results from those trained to the rest of the LG staff and politicians. Therefore, there is a need to improve the communication and transfer of knowledge and competences within the LGs. This also takes into account the earlier-identified lesson learned that Ugandan LGs often plan in the same way: LGs seem to be using blueprints, regardless of its contents, reducing all creativity and leading to ineffective solutions. Consequently, the programme believes that activity planning, stimulating collaborative actions and finding innovative solutions requires more attention, as well as a strong learning platform in which the LGs can reflect and engage. 9.2 Explanation of any deviations The new ToC allowed us to better visualize the interlinkages between the outcome and the underlying programme logic. For example, in the new ToC, it is more clearly shown that only through improved participation and consultation with citizens, prioritization, decision making, planning and delivery of services can be effective. This is in line with our approach, namely that input legitimacy is the first step towards improved output legitimacy. As for outcome 3, we have renewed our focus on working with the LGAs as their previous transitional periods made it difficult to ensure close collaboration at the time. Uganda 35 COVID-19 has had a strong impact on Uganda and on the implementation of our programme. As of 18 March, public gatherings were suspended with immediate effect. Afterwards, public and private transport was halted and a national curfew was declared. While during summer 2020 many of the initial measures were lifted, and some intra-municipal travel was allowed again, the measures in border LGs, including Koboko and Kasese remained. In addition, the floods in Kasese and the influx of refugees7/displacement from the floods had a direct effect on the performance of LGs. This has complicated the implementation of our programme. As a response, IDEAL has focussed on more one-on-one coaching, for example to ensure a continuous implementation of the grants. Moreover, IDEAL supported the Municipal and Town Council task forces with some prevention and disinfection materials, with the surveillance and case tracking, coordination of tests and referrals, but also community awareness creation through community radios,. In addition, it supported the LGs with all necessities to work from home and supported the focal persons in their first online training, provided by The Hague Academy. 9.3 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation The provision of budget support to LGAs by the central government for the financial year 2019/2020 to implement some membership mobilisation initiatives diverted the focus of LGAs to respond to government expectations, as opposed to strengthening the engagement of their members. For IDEAL, apart from lobby and advocacy the focus will remain on supporting member-targeted activities and activities aimed at financial independence and sustainability. Furthermore, elections in 2021 and the electoral campaign that comes with it has negative implications on both the civil space and space for public dialogue, implying that the priorities of LGs and LGAs will shift towards political engagements. Finally, the upgrading of Lira Municipal Council to Lira City has changed the focus of the Municipality with expected changes in institutional structures and composition in responding to new expectations and challenges brought about by the new City pronouncement. 9.4 Planning January - December 2021 Outcome 1: The delivery of territorial development services by Ugandan Local Governments is more effective and responsive Outcome 1 will be structured around 4 intermediary outcomes: LGs enhance their capability to mobilise resources to provide effective territorial development services. Technical and political LG staff have increased their awareness about use of their discretionary space in promoting territorial development planning. LGs strengthen their capability to act within their discretionary space and to deliver territorial development services. LGs have enhanced their capacity to develop their own policies and programmes in response to the demands of their constituencies. In 2021, IDEAL will focus on combining all our approaches and strengthening the linkages between them (OSR, discretionary space and service delivery). Furthermore, IDEAL will focus on collecting and capitalizing on real life examples. Some of the activities that will inform the implementation of the Programme in 2021 include the following: a) Support the implementation of the OSR enhancement plans within the target LGs; 7 Congolese refugees fleeing tribal conflicts in Beni and Bunia (Eastern DRC), coupled with the displacements as a result of the flooding in Kasese. Uganda 36 b) Coach and stimulate LGs to further identify activities/choices within their discretionary space and take action to implement them8; c) Enhance learning and collaborative actions with Dutch LGs in planning, service delivery, OSR; d) Launch a new cycle of grants to be used to support the LGs to execute their mandate and tackle issues in their respective communities in a practical manner, while at the same time responding better to the needs of excluded groups. Outcome 2: Local decision making processes as a foundation for enhanced territorial development by Ugandan Local Governments are more inclusive and participatory Outcome 2 will be structured around 3 intermediary outcomes: Target LGs effectively use support grants to facilitate the input of for various societal partners. Consultation sessions take into account the needs from excluded groups in the TALD sector and LGs organize consultation sessions for relevant societal stakeholders. The implementation of the programme will be informed by some of the following activities within outcome 2. a) Facilitate community dialogue sessions through MDFs and budget hearings to discuss and adapt TALD; b) Support LGs to align their community priorities to the NDP III themes and TALD focus areas and support the development of their own five-year plans to implement these community priorities; c) Facilitate Barazas for the LGs collecting OSR through IDEAL; d) Strengthen dialogue between political and technical staff and between various layers of local governments; invest in collaborative leadership among the key power holders within LG: Mayor/LC5 Chair, Town Clerk/Chief Administrative Officer, and Speaker of the Council9; e) Facilitate peer-to-peer exchanges to share best practices. From the discretionary space study it was found that strict regulations from central government are still difficult to overcome, but LGs have found ways to cope with these; f) Develop more structured ways to empower the Focal Persons to be agents of change within their LG; strengthen their communications and transfer of knowledge across the LG. Outcome 3: ULGA and UAAU enhance the policy and institutional environment for Ugandan local governments to enact their roles and to use the discretionary space in improving territorial development. Outcome 3 will be structured around the following intermediary outcomes: ULGA and UAAU improve their capacity to represent LGs at national level through improved dialogue/lobby activities, and to facilitate learning between LGs on using discretionary space. The following activities will inform the implementation of the programme. a) In the run-up to the 2021 elections, formulate a joint LGAs agenda for revitalising Uganda’s decentralisation policy. Incremental improvements will not fundamentally empower LGs to fulfil their potential as the main intermediary between citizens and the Ugandan state; b) Strengthen ULGA/UAAUs capacity to identify and document policy briefs for engagement with central government and stakeholders, such as its COVID-19 response or support LGAs lobby to remove the obligation to transfer local revenues first to the ministry of Finance, before being transferred back to LG level; 8 This is further enhanced by the increased fiscal space under a. 9 Where possible additional focus is put on the collaboration between senior and junior staff, as well as between men and women. Uganda 37 c) Stimulate LGAs and members to have regular internal reflection about ethical dilemmas around political interference, corruption and nepotism; d) Enhance institutional coordination and facilitate member peer learning and experience sharing on discretionary space, inclusive decision making etc. Gender In 2020, IDEAL started with the development of a Women Leadership Network in collaboration with the Centre for Women in Governance (CEWIGO) and ULGA, aiming to provide a knowledge and experience- sharing platform for female leaders in local government. It is noted that for women it is often not likely that they will pursue a career in (local) governance due to lack of role models10. Moreover, the network will also be active in awareness-raising of communities. 9.5 Sustainability efforts Sustainability efforts Constraints/Challenges 1) Active engagement of structures within the targeted LG in • High turnover of staff, especially by coordination and knowledge sharing across the LG departmental heads and accounting officers • Concentration of key knowledge and information in the hands of individuals (absence of institutional knowledge system) 2) Enhancing the capacity of LGAs in supporting LG action • Commitment of members to support activities of and engagements; embedding IDEAL interventions and LGAs. insights in multi-annual municipal plans (linked to NDPIII) 3) Document and publish best practices, experiences and • High level of illiteracy- especially among some knowledge areas for reference of the key political leaders. • Weak information dissemination practices within LGs. 4) Continuing the OSR collection support- Through this LGs • No physical visits of Dutch municipalities or are able to better use their discretionary space to other international experts possible; effectively plan for, prioritise and monitor services that reflect the needs of different groups in their respective communities, even after the IDEAL programme/after external funding stops. Moreover, the tailor-made approach of the IDEAL programme to the specific needs of each LGs, thereby ensuring ownership, means that there is incentive to continue the “IDEAL” way of working even after the closure of the programme. 5) Close collaboration and planning with partner LGs, CSOs- • Commitment and willingness of CSOs and CEWIGO, donors- EC and government structures- Local Government structures to invest in the areas Government Finance Commission, Equal Opportunities identified. Commission to take on key aspects achieved11. 10 Supported by the findings in de the report about discretionary space. 11 Implementation of the EU trust Fund grant in Koboko Municipal Council is building forth on some of the aspects the IDEAL Programme had already initiated with the Municipality. The Municipality is expected to receive support towards the Waste Management infrastructure, equipping and completion of Lasanga Health Centre III and Institutional and capacity support to the different departments of KMC, the CSOs and CBOs operating in KMC. Libya: (ISAL project) 38 10 Libya: (ISAL project) 10.1 Introduction As has been discussed on various occasions with DSH, we are including a co-financing request for the ISAL/PAF-III project in Libya. This project is primarily financed by the European Commission and implemented by VNG International and consortium partner DRI from Germany. 10.2 Reflection on key developments in programme environment and implications for implementation The implementation of ISAL started in full in April 2020. The COVID-19 crisis and related restrictions, however, caused for further delays in the implementation of activities. Nevertheless, the ISAL team has been able to implement certain activities during and after the Inception Phase. These activities include preparations and needs assessments for development of further interventions with the beneficiaries, including but not limited to the 15 target municipalities in Libya, the National Municipal Councils Association, the Network of Elected Women, and the Ministry of Local Governance. During these activities, as well as for the Conflict Sensitivity Analysis, it became apparent that one of our targeted municipalities, Al Bayda, was not responding to any of our requests. We therefore changed this selected location into another location in the East. Based on the selection criteria, the ISAL team is now working in Jebel As Sahel instead. The ISAL team has also been able to adapt certain activities in order to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in Libya. These activities include the setting up of an active Facebook group for the beneficiaries for Q&A with international experts, as well as sharing of awareness materials for citizens. Other activities include the supply of Personal Protective Equipment to 14 municipalities in Libya and the organization of an interactive Webinar on COVID-19 in Libya. As ISAL experienced delays, the level of achievement of the outputs and outcomes is limited. In addition, the original Logical Framework – in particular its indicators - did no longer fully reflect the results that ISAL is planning to achieve. We have therefore contracted an external M&E expert with ample experience with Logical Frameworks to support us in revising the Logical Framework. 10.3 Planning January - December 2021 Outcome 1: A better environment for service delivery Eight key themes and priorities have been identified, which have been consolidated into four themes. These will constitute the research fields of the programme as follows: Theme 1: Territorializing the national strategy for waste management Theme 2: Local processes for planning public policies and service delivery including financial resources and local economic development Theme 3: Municipal management including human resources, job descriptions and cooperation Theme 4: The role of CSOs in reinforcing community cooperation and assuring transparency, accountability and the inclusion of women and youth in local affairs Libya: (ISAL project) 39 The following three knowledge products will be produced for each of the four themes: 1. A theoretical paper with a comparative perspective 2. A practical study tailored to concrete local needs and implementation strategies 3. Policy recommendations drawing from the two products above Outcome 2: Municipalities and other local institutions are better empowered to enhance social cohesion through good governance and inclusive local economic development Interventions under this Outcome include: - On the job training and coaching for municipal staff - Implementation of 7 pilot projects - Study visits; if possible in person, but the ISAL team is also considering digital study visits Outcome 3: Increased involvement of Libyan citizens The activities related to this outcome focus on: - Modular training for municipalities on participatory approaches and inclusive governance - Support municipalities in responding to CSO initiatives - Support CSOs in their active and inclusive engagement with municipalities - Development of City Charters with municipality, CSOs and other local actors. 10.4 Sustainability efforts The ISAL project combines elements of a resilience-centred approach. The project helps municipalities to get things done (services delivered, conflicts mediated/addressed, accountability enhanced) in ways that will have a visible impact on the citizens’ life. The sustainability efforts in the project are thus focusing on sustaining these short-term and direct results for the longer term and after the end of the project. One of these efforts for the sustainability of results has been the knowledge that has been effectively transmitted to beneficiaries so that municipalities are able to reproduce the “successful” strategies even beyond the life of the project. Another example of a sustainability effort includes the consolidation of the network of women’s councillors from Libyan municipalities (Network Of Elected Women; NOEW). This network is very likely to exist after the project and has the ability to maintain and build on the women empowerment and political participation results. The NOEW has become a trusted partner in several other international development programmes as well, implemented by us as well as other implementers. In specific municipalities, the project works with the municipality and local actors to take steps in ensuring the financial sustainability of a pilot project. This includes capacity development on (financial) planning, as well as stimulating efforts to generate revenue out of the usage of such a pilot project. However, in other cases sustainability remains a challenge although the project tries to ensure that momentum and results will be carried forward after the end of the project. The main reasons for difficulties in ensuring sustainability are low level of trust between citizens and their local governments, and the focus on crisis management (short-term actions). Indeed, trust between citizens and their local governments appears to be too weak and too dependent on the capacities of mayors and local councils to deliver services in extremely stringent circumstances. Whereas the prevalent setting at the local level is one of crisis management and response, which does not bode well for institutionalizing new practices. Annual Budget 2021 40 11 Annual Budget 2021 Programme activity (submitted with annual plan 2021) € 4.188.851 Country Project number Outcome Burundi € 486.438 IDEAL21.BI.VNG VNG staff salaries and costs € 99.043 IDEAL21.BI.RPM RPM staff salaries and costs € 34.710 IDEAL21.BI.ORG PARTNER staff salaries and costs € 87.672 IDEAL21.BI.GE Gender € 23.707 IDEAL21.BI.01 Outcome 1 € 94.740 IDEAL21.BI.02 Outcome 2 € 107.907 IDEAL21.BI.03 Outcome 3 € 38.659 Mali € 562.661 IDEAL21.ML.VNG VNG staff salaries and costs € 94.970 IDEAL21.ML.RPM RPM staff salaries and costs € 31.000 IDEAL21.ML.GE Gender € 24.938 IDEAL21.ML.01 Outcome 1 € 293.466 IDEAL21.ML.02 Outcome 2 € 68.288 IDEAL21.ML.03 Outcome 3 € 50.000 Palestinian Territory € 786.466 IDEAL21.PS.VNG VNG staff salaries and costs € 90.655 IDEAL21.PS.RPM RPM staff salaries and costs € 74.180 IDEAL21.PS.GE Gender € 24.688 IDEAL21.PS.01 Outcome 1 € 466.370 IDEAL21.PS.02 Outcome 2 € 47.538 IDEAL21.PS.03 Outcome 3 € 83.036 Rwanda € 474.267 IDEAL21.RW.VNG VNG staff salaries and costs € 101.120 IDEAL21.RW.RPM RPM staff salaries and costs € 56.261 IDEAL21.RW.ORG PARTNER staff salaries and costs € 24.744 IDEAL21.RW.GE Gender € 20.910 IDEAL21.RW.01 Outcome 1 € 113.219 IDEAL21.RW.02 Outcome 2 € 102.248 IDEAL21.RW.03 Outcome 3 € 55.765 Somalia € 320.800 IDEAL21.SO.VNG VNG staff salaries and costs € 70.776 IDEAL21.SO.RPM RPM staff salaries and costs € 55.924 IDEAL21.SO.ORG PARTNER staff salaries and costs € 10.511 IDEAL21.SO.GE Gender € 26.726 IDEAL21.SO.01 Outcome 1 € 48.431 IDEAL21.SO.02 Outcome 2 € 48.377 IDEAL21.SO.03 Outcome 3 € 60.055 Annual Budget 2021 41 South Sudan € 590.065 IDEAL21.SS.VNGVNG staff salaries and costs € 106.019 IDEAL21.SS.RPMRPM staff salaries and costs € 121.784 IDEAL21.SS.GEGender € 0 IDEAL21.SS.01Outcome 1 € 104.460 IDEAL21.SS.02Outcome 2 € 186.975 IDEAL21.SS.03Outcome 3 € 70.828 Uganda € 509.154,00 IDEAL21.UG.VNGVNG staff salaries and costs € 85.517,10 IDEAL21.UG.RPMRPM staff salaries and costs € 79.194,80 IDEAL21.UG.GEGender € 58.741,60 IDEAL21.UG.01Outcome 1 € 97.519,15 IDEAL21.UG.02Outcome 2 € 135.348,85 IDEAL21.UG.03Outcome 3 € 52.832,50 Programme Wide Activities IDEAL21.PWAProgramme Wide Activities € 159.000 Libya 11410 ISAL € 300.000 11410.1Human Resources € 153.467 11410.2Travel € 10.438 11410.3Equipment and Supplies € 3.373 11410.4Local Office € 10.174 11410.5Other costs, services € 21.391 11410.6Other € 81.531 11410.7Indirect costs € 19.626 Programme management € 264.455 Management € 264.455 IDEAL21.02.VNGManagement (VNG staff time) € 123.570 IDEAL21.02.PSCSteering Committee € 9.820 IDEAL21.02.LEARNMonitoring and learning € 111.315 IDEAL21.02.GENDER Gender and conflict sensitivity € 19.750 External audits € 103.000 Audit IDEAL21.03 € 23.000 EvaluationIDEAL21.02.EVA € 80.000 Contingencies € 0 Contingencies € 0 Grand total (2021) € 4.556.306 Annual Budget 2021 42 Deviations of more than 10% compared to Budget 2021 in Inception Report There is only one budget line where the deviations of the above budget for 2021 in this Annual Plan (compared to the budget 2021 that was included in the Inception Report) where less than 10%. In other words there are big deviations for each budget line compared to the estimations made 5 years ago. It is important to highlight the key reasons for this. 2021 2021 Activity (Inception % (estimation) Report) Total 4.556.306 2.855.159 € € -60% 1. Programme activities € 4.188.851 € 2.428.159 -73% Burundi € 486.438 € 341.325 -43% Mali € 562.661 € 400.000 -41% Palestinian Territory € 786.466 € 240.864 -227% Rwanda € 474.267 € 333.024 -42% Somalia € 320.800 € 200.000 -60% South Sudan € 590.065 € 414.852 -42% Uganda € 509.154 € 348.094 -46% Programme wide activities € 159.000 € 150.000 -6% New : Libya € 300.000 2. Programme management € 344.455 € 392.000 12% Management (VNG staff time) € 123.570 € 150.000 18% Steering Committee € 9.820 € 7.000 -40% Monitoring and learning € 111.315 € 70.000 -59% Gender and conflict sensitivity € 19.750 € 25.000 21% Evaluation € 80.000 € 140.000 43% 3. External financial audits € 23.000 € 35.000 34% External audit € 23.000 € 35.000 34% 4. Contingencies Delays occurred in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis It goes without saying that there was a large under-expenditure in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis, especially in the first 6 months of the year. Once it was clear that this crisis was here to stay, we adapted and picked up program implementation in the second half of the year. Still, this means that there is a delay in activities which have been postponed to 2021. Initially, we had expected 2021 to be a warp-up year, which is why it had the lowest budget of all five years. The situation has changed, and now it has become a year in which we have to spend the first 6 months much more in project implementation than we expected. Annual Budget 2021 43 Budget transfer of €300.000 from South Sudan to Somalia In January 2019 we received approval from MFA to transfer €300.000 from the South Sudan budget to the Somalia programme. This explains the large deviation in those countries. The addition of the Libya programme This adds a new budget line of €300.000 to our multi-annual budget, leading to a strong deviation of course. Delays in reporting by MDLF in the Palestinian Territories The largest deviation is in the Palestinian Territories (227%). The reason for this is the delays of the MDLF in reporting on the advance payments they have received. We had expected to have received all the reports by 2020. This has not happened. While we will receive half the reports this year, the other half will be in 2021, which is why the budget for the Palestinian programme in 2021 is still so high. The budget of the external evaluation has decreased significantly Given the fact that we expect travelling to still be difficult in 2021, which have reduced the budget for the external evaluation. Initially we had planned for this evaluation team to visit each country with at least two evaluators and spend at least 2 weeks there. That will not be possible in these times. In addition, we have undergone an external evaluation in other programmes this year and notices that a combination of local experts and international experts (who work from home) works well and is a lot more cost effective. We will use this set-up for our final evaluation as well, thereby saving considerably on this budget line. Increase in Monitoring and Evaluation efforts As can be ready in the first chapter of the Annual Plan, for over a year now we are investing a lot of time in improving our internal M&E systems so that we are less dependent on external actors (such as KIT) to do the monitoring for us. This has led to increase in management time in the area of M&E. On the other hand this has led to a decrease in PWA budget for Year 5, given that normally we would engage KIT to assist us in collecting data for monitoring purposes. Annual Budget 2021 44 Deviations of more than 10% compared to the approved Overall Budget The overall budget for the IDEAL programme can be viewed in the most left column. This overall budget included the approved transfer of €300.000 from the South Sudan programme to the Somalia programme. The column on the right shows the deviation percentage of the total budget expenditure per budget line compared to the approved overall budget. This column demonstrates that there are few budget lines with a deviation of more than 10%. All country programmes have deviations of less than 4%. Below we will highlight those with more than 10%. 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 TOTAL Total 2017-2021 2021 2021 Total 2017-2021 Activity (Amended Jan 2017 Audited 2018 Audited 2019 Audited (estimation % (estimation) (Adjusted) 2019) Sept 2020) Total€ 17.500.000 € 2.624.971 € 3.070.449 € 3.869.139 € 3.379.136 € 4.556.306 € 17.500.000 0% € 1. Programme activities€ 15.850.000 € 2.353.390 € 2.818.487 € 3.531.667 € 3.106.000 € 4.188.851 € 15.998.395 1% € Burundi € 2.400.000 € 419.759 € 450.216 € 598.989 € 421.385 € 486.438 € 2.376.788 -1%€ Mali € 2.049.214 € 297.435 € 360.854 € 415.487 € 358.522 € 562.661 € 1.994.959 -3%€ Palestinian Territory € 2.724.918 € 309.952 € 429.357 € 532.317 € 605.341 € 786.466 € 2.663.433 -2%€ Rwanda € 1.970.868 € 301.145 € 283.781 € 450.311 € 475.006 € 474.267 € 1.984.510 1% € Somalia € 1.800.000 € 291.873 € 395.790 € 392.283 € 475.630 € 320.800 € 1.876.376 4% € South Sudan € 2.080.000 € 278.033 € 301.183 € 450.072 € 377.452 € 590.065 € 1.996.804 -4%€ Uganda € 2.000.000 € 311.728 € 448.825 € 500.146 € 262.664 € 509.154 € 2.032.517 2% € Programme wide activities € 825.000 € 143.466 € 148.480 € 192.062 € 130.000 € 159.000 € 773.008 -6%€ New : Libya € 300.000 € 300.000 2. Programme management€ 1.475.000 € 255.081 € 237.400 € 320.805 € 256.136 € 344.455 € 1.413.877 -4% Management (VNG staff time) € 755.115 € 152.966 € 154.310 € 152.249 € 139.741 € 123.570 € 722.835 -4%€ Steering Committee € 35.000 € 7.001 € 5.150 € 9.803 € 9.575 € 9.820 € 41.348 18% € Monitoring and learning € 349.171 € 70.934 € 56.098 € 70.826 € 87.550 € 111.315 € 396.723 14% € Gender and conflict sensitivity € 124.192 € 24.180 € 21.842 € 13.160 € 19.270 € 19.750 € 98.202 -21%€ Evaluation € 211.522 € - € - € 74.768 € - € 80.000 € 154.768 -27%€ 3. External financial audits € 175.000 € 16.500 € 14.562 € 16.666 € 17.000 € 23.000 € 87.728 -50% External audit € 175.000 € 16.500 € 14.562 € 16.666 € 17.000 € 23.000 € 87.728 -50%€ 4. Contingencies € - € - € - € - Programme management time The overall programme management time will remain approximately the same. Within the management time, we ended up spending more time preparing the Steering Committee meetings than initially planned. This did not decrease as a result of organizing it online, as it in fact took more time to plan and organize a good online event, which is interactive and all participants are able to contribute. As mentioned in other sections of the Annual Plan, we have increased efforts in Monitoring & Evaluation & Learning, and partly used the budget for Gender and Conflict Sensitivity for that. Within our MEL objectives, we have included aspects relevant for Gender and Conflict Sensitivity as well, including the development of a Gender Marker, with which we will be able to monitor our efforts on Gender more precisely in each country. External audit As mentioned in previous reports, the costs for external audits will be less per year than originally budgeted. Annex: Sustainability Plans IDEAL Burundi Sustainability Plan Inception report Update 2020 Sustainability of - At the level of the (pilot) communes, IDEAL will - Still stands. Trainings on Inclusive financial provide TA to 1) improve budget management Budgeting and Planning and Financial resources and to increase their capacities to raise taxes Management were held at LG level. and 2) support the lobby by ABELO for the Moreover, in order to ensure the implementation of the legislation on fiscal sustainability of these interventions, local decentralisation. trainers were used, and financial guides for - At the level of ABELO there is a great need for LG staff have been developed by ABELO. a clear and concise strategy to assure financial Moreover, these trainings are tied to local sustainability of the LGA. IDEAL will support planning cycles, five-year plans (PCDCs) ABELO to 1) attract other donors and other and annual plans per LG. These best sources of finance to decrease dependency on practices are shared in 2020-2021 to all VNG International; 2) develop and manage a 119 communes of Burundi. realistic HR policy and 3) reform the - An important focus of the programme has membership fee collection system towards a been to shift responsibilities towards level by which the functioning of the secretariat ABELO over the course of the programme. can be financed; 4) improve services and While they have shown improved capability visibility, which will increase the membership’s in implementing projects, the financial willingness to pay membership fees. sustainability of the organizations remains a worry. - With the help of ABELO, we have been able to secure more projects for the future and we are planning for increased independence as IDEAL moves to its end. - The topic of financial sustainability has been a recurring theme and will also be addressed in a programme-wide setting with other LGAs. Sustainability of - IDEAL will put the ownership and responsibility - Still stands. An important focus has been acquired for the coordination, implementation and on the ToT approach and training local (individual) monitoring of the dialogue and participatory trainers, thereby both ensuring the knowledge and processes at the level of the communal sustainability as well as the effectiveness skills, as well as administrative structures and their locally of trainings, as they could be delivered in organisational elected representatives and staff. IDEAL will Kirundi, also after the closure of the capacity. provide TA, (on the job) training, TOT and programme. In 2021, we will focus on coaching to facilitate these processes. capitalizing these approaches - Benchmarking will identify local good practices, (participatory planning/budgeting with subsequently IDEAL will support the CSOs and/or women/youth groups) and implementation of what works locally in other ensuring their sustainability in CCDC and communes. CLBG committees. - Innovation competitions will be organised to - Benchmarking: In 2020, we supported identify, capture and disseminate initiatives and ABELO with the development of a guide good practices in the communes, thereby for newly-elected leaders on inclusive stimulating the use of acquired skills and governance, capitalising the best practices expertise to develop innovative approaches to of IDEAL and translating these in practical the challenges in the pilot communes. new guidelines to be used in the induction of new councillors. We will continue to - Through the platform services of ABELO, the develop such tools for various branches acquired expertise, experience and good and roles within local governments in practices from the pilot communes, as well as Burundi in 2021, refreshing those trained in developed materials will be put available to all the previous years of IDEAL collecting the communes in Burundi. good practices, tools and guidelines from the whole project. - Innovation competitions: through a competition for grants, some interesting ideas have come to the surface. The annual journée de communes has been the source of much exchange between the communes (also beyond the IDEAL implementation zone) and has created more awareness of the role of the LGA. Sustainability of - As participatory annual investment planning - Still stands (see above) policy level and budgeting at commune and colline level - Done (2018-2019) development are at the heart of local policy development, IDEAL support to these processes will - In 2021, we will work on the sustainability contribute directly to ensuring the sustainability and proper closure of the IDEAL of the local policy development. programme with ABELO and RFEL as well - IDEAL will support the development and as lobby the most important results of 5 implementation of a gender policy at years of IDEAL towards National ABELO/RFEL level so that the LGA has the Government with lobby and advocacy capabilities to encourage new and more activities (most notably the referral of inclusive policies, procedures and directives competences from national to local level). that facilitate gender mainstreaming within the Also in 2021, we will continue to support local administration and within the community ABELO and RFEL with their visibility at large. strategies towards their members, for example through organization of events - By supporting bodies within ABELO in charge and trainings around the 16 days of of elaboration of common positions, IDEAL activism against domestic violence, as we aims to institutionalise the advocacy efforts by did in 2019 and 2020. the LGA. - Moreover, we have put focus on smoothening the transition after the electoral cycle of 2020, capitalizing on best practices and so instructing the new layer of political leaders on the local level in all of the practices of IDEAL Burundi since 2017 until now, including inclusive decision-making processes on the PCDC and related Investment Plans and Budgets in 2020. This also increased the visibility and legitimacy of ABELO towards the new batch of locally-elected leaders. Sustainable Besides the existing partnership with ABELO/RFEL, - Still stands. Synergies were sought with partnerships IDEAL is in the process of building strong ZOA (We Are Able!/L@S). Moreover, partnerships (see chapter on coordination with active engagement with the Embassy, has stakeholders) with other implementing organisations helped to contribute to ideas around the and donors active in the field of inclusive governance PIP approach and linking the development and decentralisation including the two Addressing at the household level to the colline-level to Root Causes (ARC) consortiums, the FLOW the commune level. programme, the PAPAB programme, Cordaid, ZOA, CARE, GIZ, UNDP, etc. Mali Sustainability Plan Inception report Update 2020 Sustainability of While most of the financial resources are used Still stands. Example: the hardware investments made financial for capacity development purposes – directly through the grants (e.g. reparation of dams) are resources and indirectly -, the modest part of the budget accompanied by a knowledge and skill transfer. In that is used for hard-ware costs are mostly for Kouoro, citizens are now able to keep the LG the benefit of existing organisations, which responsible for the maintenance of the dam with a proper handing-over at the end of the themselves. programme will continue to benefit from the Also, we worked on a system for local tax collection, investment. which is fully geared towards maintaining the hardware as provided by the IDEAL programme. As mentioned in the 2019 Annual Plan, three (out of five) municipalities in the IDEAL intervention zone have successfully convinced their citizens – fishermen in particular – to pay municipal taxes (one related to fishing permits, another related to embarkation tax). This should reduce illegal fishing (as one needs a permit) on the one hand, and protect against riverbank erosion on the other, since the collected taxes are used for activities around riverbank protection. The collection of taxes furthermore ensures that the interventions and plans developed by the IDEAL programme in Mali can be continued after the programme ends, as communes are able to finance these plans themselves. This is a prime example of financial sustainability. Sustainability of By identifying the right expertise, doing Still stands. Through the ToT approach, local trainers acquired demand-driven & tailor-made activities, leaving are able to master and train other officials and staff (individual) a written legacy (e.g. in the form of guidelines themselves, ensuring the sustainability of the knowledge and endorsed by national bodies) we strive for programme. skills, as well as ownership among the beneficiaries of the Moreover, IWRM plans (to be developed in 2021), organisational programme’s results (e.g. by formally which are an integral part of the local PDSEC, can be capacity endorsing training modules), and an optimal & implemented using own revenue sources (e.g. lasting effect of our capacity development taxes).As these plans are developed with the efforts. In this, the learning strategy will also be communes in the driver’s seat, we ensure ownership instrumental. of the plans and an increased willingness to implement these plans also after 2021. Sustainability of Supporting the lobby of existing organisations Still stands. Over the course of the programme, we policy level such as the 3 sub-national government have placed AMM in the driver’s seat of their own development associations, working with the farmers’ interventions by giving AMM more space to take umbrella organisations, taking a partnership initiatives which increases ownership of their action approach with these bodies and aiming for plan. This helps with the effectiveness of their better IWRM conditions at local level, will interventions and their legitimacy towards their hopefully lead to better policies and members. application. In addition, we have focussed on building partnerships and networks in Mali to expand the influence of our programme and the key lessons learned in Mali. In 2020 for example, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Join for Water (formerly known as Protos) to complement each other’s activities and approaches. The collaboration with Commissie MER (2020) and MoU with World Waternet (2019) are other examples. A successful exit IDEAL will strive for a successful exit by - See above. working as demand-driven as possible, by not adding temporary staff that is crucial for core functioning of the various stakeholders involved, strengthening the autonomy of these same organisations and leaving behind a legacy of endorsed & institutionalized capacity development results. Palestinian Territories Sustainability Plan Inception report Update 2020 How do you plan We will work through the World Bank audited MDLF Processes were followed as described on the to ensure the and draft a detailed grant manual to ensure left. sustainability of efficiency of procurement as well as the financial transparency of the investments. The 5 resources and municipalities that are eligible for grant support will investments? be required to draft detailed LED project plans under guidance of senior LED experts. The plans will be reviewed by senior VNG International and MDLF Public Finance Management and Procurement specialists. The plans need their approval before implementation can start. How do you plan In addition to our regular strategies of deliberately We initially developed relationships with the Bir to ensure the selecting motivated staff in key positions for capacity Zeit’s Master’s Programme on Public sustainability of building, we will introduce into the programme a Administration, direction Local public acquired graduate course on LED in cooperation with a Administration. In addition, we sponsored guest (individual) Palestinian university. This way cross-organizational, lectures at the University by both our inhouse knowledge and and even cross-sectoral learning is promoted and representative and a senior technical LED skills, as well as knowledge on LED is maintained at a prime planning expert who was on assignment for us organisational knowledge institution itself. in Palestine. However, we refrained from capacity? sponsoring a full graduate course as we assessed that the internal political machinations and requirements from our side to influence said process would not be a cost-effective manner to allocate our time and resources. The concept of a graduate course on LED directly tied to real experiences in the field remains an interesting idea that can bridge the gap between educational theory and municipal practice. However, in hindsight it would have required a dedicated outcome or at least output in order to justify sufficient allocation of resources. How do you plan One of the core features of our programme is the Throughout the programme we have followed to ensure the enabling environment of the municipality’s LED on this strategy. Please see the Palestine chapter sustainability of the national level. Our lobbying efforts towards of the narrative report for more details on the policy level MoLG, as well as our capacity building activities for current developments at MoLG and APLA development? MDLF, MoLG and APLA will specifically aim to regarding LED policy development and improve a conducive policy environment for LED. implementation and how it affects our activities. What Further close cooperation with MDLF and with other Still foreseen as described on the left. Core to partnerships will donors within MDPIII. Technical support is partly our activities next year will be the reactivation of you develop, of aimed at creating opportunities for municipalities to the financing conversations between which you find their own private and/or INGO investments. municipalities and private parties/INGOs, that foresee the were halted at the outbreak of Covid-19. For partners “taking more details see the Palestine chapter of the over” at the end narrative report. of IDEAL? How will the exit Dissemination and communication materials that Still foreseen as described on the left. For more strategy be highlight the case results of the LED projects of the 5 details see the Palestine chapter of the communicated core municipalities. narrative report. with stakeholders? How will the Procurement of dissemination and communication Still foreseen as described on the left. For more partnership materials. Advice on dissemination. Proactive details see the Palestine chapter of the prepare for exit? dissemination and lobbying through own networks. narrative report. How can the partnership help facilitate a successful exit? Rwanda Sustainability Plan Inception report Update 2020 How do you plan PPP constructions are seen as a key strategy to Although the PPP constructions were handed to ensure the leverage public resources for the urbanisation over to the central government, IDEAL sustainability of process in Rwanda. In order to enable Districts to continued to build capacity around multi-helix financial exploit this potential, IDEAL Rwanda will continue cooperation with particular focus on the resources? the PPP coaching programme initiated under LGCP. engagement of the private sector and learning Under LGCP RALGA and LGI developed financial institutions in local development. This was done sustainability strategies. Any loose end within these through Joint Forum with districts and includes strategies will be tied up during IDEAL Rwanda to training and the development of toolkits in ensure both organisations’ sustainability. English and Kinyarwanda. Under the IDEAL programme, RALGA finalised their financial sustainability strategy. This strategy is currently in use and runs from 2018 – 2023. RALGA’s new Strategic plan 2021 -2025 also place greater emphasis on RALGA autonym and sustainability. How do you plan RALGA has its own Local Governance Institute RALGA still has its own Local Governance to ensure the which provides training to local governance actors. Institute which provides training to local sustainability of Where possible, capacity building will be offered to governance actors, this includes technical and acquired the secondary Districts through the LGI. If the political staff. All tools (modules, toolkits, and (individual) curriculum of the LGI does not yet provide specific guidelines) developed during IDEAL have been knowledge and trainings needed for the IDEAL programme, these handed over to the LGI, who will use it in skills, as well as will then be given by external experts and later employee and induction (2021) training for newly organisational integrated within the LGI curriculum. A similar elected leaders. The toolkits have also been capacity? approach was followed for the closure of LGCP as disseminated (in print and digitally) to district staff recommended by the midterm evaluation. in conjunction with training provided on their use. Additionally, lessons learnt, and knowledge gained Furthermore, pro poor land subdivision plans from the project’s implementation will be translated have also been drafted for areas within districts, into RALGA strengthened lobby and advocacy skills. these land subdivision plans will guide future RALGA will also ensure diffusion of the gained development within the coming years in the knowledge to its members. specified areas. The IDEAL programme also collaborated with relevant national actors such as RHA, MINALOC and RGB in the development of toolkits in a variety of subjects including pro- poor city development, engagement of private sectors and higher learning institutions in local development etc. IDEAL has also worked closely with the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) in the improvement of the implementation and monitoring of gender budget statements in the 6 districts through the Transformative Agents of Change programme. The lessons learnt in TAC will be shared with GMO for application in the evaluation of the gender budget statements. This collaboration has facilitated richer diffusion of the knowledge and skills gained through IDEAL. How do you plan IDEAL Rwanda foresees to strengthen RALGA’s IDEAL Rwanda placed great effort in to ensure the lobby and advocacy skills, to better defend the strengthening RALGA’s lobby and advocacy sustainability of interests of local governments in Rwanda. The lobby skills and through IDEAL activities, RALGA has policy level and advocacy activities which will follow from this secured a key position in relevant fora including development? skills development will integrate some of the lessons Urbanisation Sector Working group. learned and constraints identified during the project Furthermore, during the timespan of IDEAL they activities’ implementation. This way IDEAL Rwanda have been engaged in the development of policy hopes to inspire policy change within its thematic guidelines based on IDEAL experiences, such as areas. Land Readjustment Guidelines that will assist district in Land Readjustment processes and the new City Management Structure adopted by all urban districts. RALGA played a significant role in advocating for the new structure to enable district staff to adequately address urban challenges. How do you plan The sustainability of investment will be assured by The capacity building approach utilised to ensure the way of the capacity building approach privileged by throughout the programme has facilitated the sustainability of the project partners such as toolkits handbook to be development of toolkits and a module which investments? produced, ICT system to support service delivery serve as physical “institutional memory” for all and M&E work (that will remain in use for long time districts in Rwanda. Furthermore, the toolkits after the project closure). have been endorsed by relevant national partners. Lastly, the pro-poor land subdivision plans will shape the manner in selected areas within the district are developed. What VNG International and RALGA boast a longstanding VNG International and RALGA have continued to partnerships will relationship, and RALGA has in the past shown its strengthen their longstanding relationship you develop, of capacity to take over results of both the Logo South throughout IDEAL including exchange visits and which you and LGCP programmes. We envision that RALGA as envisioned RALGA continues to demonstrate foresee the will once again take up this role. Additionally, the its ability to take forward the achievements of our partners “taking involved municipalities of Eindhoven and Rheden programmes. Partnerships with the Dutch over” at the end might also take over some activities. municipalities have also led to concrete of IDEAL? developments including coaching on Affordable Housing for all six districts with Eindhoven. RHA remains a key partner in this activity as the national authority that will disseminate the key lesson captured in the coaching process. The partnership between Rheden and Rubavu regarding an inclusive beach management plan is in development and relations between the district and local businesses (Heineken, local entrepreneurs) improved as to promote inclusive tourism development. Somalia Sustainability Plan Inception report Update 2020 Sustainability of ALGASL’s institutional sustainability and financial ALGASL is increasingly appreciated by its members for financial independence from donor contributions is a core focus the services that it provides (e.g. trainings, information resources of IDEAL. ALGASL is stuck in a vicious cycle, where it about new legislation, access to best practices in local does not generate sufficient financial revenues nor governance). And more and more, ALGASL is possesses the capacity to provide quality member recognised as a valuable representative of local services or to lobby effectively. Because of this governments in Somaliland and able to carry out its ALGASL is not able to prove its value to (potential) mandate through lobby and advocacy toward the central member districts and increase its revenues. IDEAL will government. target ALGASL’s core financial management and service delivery capacity, will address ALGASL’s However, ALGASL still does not generate sufficient visibility, and will work on membership expansion to financial revenues to be sustainable and to act create a broader resource base. Thus, ALGASL’s independently. Largely due to stalled fiscal transfers to revenues from membership fees and service fees will the districts at central government level, ALGASL increase and ALGASL will financially become more continues to rely to great extent on donor funding and ad self-sustainable. ALGASL will receive limited salary hoc contributions from member districts rather than support, based on performance-based criteria and a structural membership fees. IDEAL has not yet phase-out scheme. We take into account the institutionalised long-term financial strategizing in its “willingness to pay” as well as the “capacity to pay” of operations. IDEAL continues its efforts to promote the member districts. release of fiscal transfers and the collection of own- source revenues from members. The programme recognizes that this will hinder and/or limit sustainability of results. Sustainability of Retention of acquired knowledge will be sustained Partially still foreseen (and achieved) as described on acquired through working on reviewing internal strategic the left, for example the revision of constitution and knowledge documents, policies and toolkits, alongside individual strategic plan, improved internal operational processes, (documentation) and organisational capacity building in the field of membership expansion, TOT and service delivery to knowledge management and dissemination (e.g. districts. training-of-trainers). In doing so, acquired knowledge will not be limited to individuals and will remain in However, we would like to refer to the ‘Lessons Learned’ ALGASL and districts beyond IDEAL. Through IDEAL, section of the Somalia chapter. ALGASL is increasingly ALGASL should be enabled to serve as a service demanding for more control over IDEAL’s course, centre for districts. Focus on a feasible number of in- disregarding remaining limitations in capacity. On top of house services will be important. For other services, that, IDEAL was confronted with changes in leadership ALGASL will be supported as gateway (e.g. through of ALGASL’s secretariat, limited financial and HR mobilising specialised expertise). capacity, and limited proactivity and ambition on the side of the Board of Directors. Although IDEAL’s increased ownership and capacity positively affects sustainability of our results, the combined factors described above have paradoxically also complicated or delayed the performance of activities and the achievement of results. For that reason, we have decided to also start providing direct support to districts through Somaliland based VNG staff, local coaches, other local actors such as NAGAAD and SONYO and international experts. This will further ensure that acquired knowledge will remain in (pilot) districts beyond IDEAL. Sustainability of IDEAL will review ALGASL’s internal policy Limited proactivity and ambition on the side of the Board policy level documents. Further, IDEAL will strengthen ALGASL’s of Directors have had negative impact on the development capacity to engage in intergovernmental relations, e.g. implementation and especially follow-up of activities. The by setting up durable multi-stakeholder platforms and continuous postponement of elections and the fact that involving not only the ALGASL Secretariat, but also not all BOD members are running in the local elections the Board of Directors. Involving the Board will planned for April 2021, can be argued to affect the generate political legitimacy beyond districts that will legitimacy and effectiveness of ALGASL’s BOD. receive improved services, but also in the perspective of central government agencies that will better Yet, although ALGASL’s BOD as a whole may not be understand ALGASL’s mandate and representative very proactive, we do have an effective and constructive function. Ensuring consultation, participation of relationship with the individual mayors, which ensures stakeholders and accountability of the Board of access to policy dialogue with relevant stakeholders Directors and the Secretariat will be key. such as (line) ministries and donor agencies. More than at the start of the programme there is active coordination with and involvement of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Planning and the Vice-President’s Office. This is demonstrated in the MOI’s decision to assign ALGASL the task to facilitate the development of the DDFs of the IDEAL pilot districts. Also, the increased capacity of the ALGASL Secretariat, which boosted ALGASL’s legitimacy as a whole, has resulted in ALGASL being actively engaged in the Inter-Ministerial Committee, the governance working group on the National Development Plan, etc. Sustainable IDEAL’s aim is that ALGASL is self-sustainable at the In addition to what was proposed in the inception report, partnerships end of the programme, rather than to hand over to we will also seek close coordination with non-political partners. However, IDEAL will closely coordinate with actors, to not be too reliant on mayors and local councils JPLG and central government. Close involvement of in anticipation of the local elections. We will engage the ALGASL Board of Director will also ensure political Executive Secretaries, civil servants, CSOs, commitment beyond IDEAL. neighbourhood committees, the private sector and our local coaches. At the same time, we will also invest in our relations with likely electoral candidates and MOI, to promote buy-in before and beyond the elections. For more details see the Somalia chapter of the narrative report. General activities Constant coordination with JPLG, Board of Directors In addition to what was proposed in the inception report, to ensure that the and central government agencies, informally and in the we have started working with 3 pilot districts and partners can take IDEAL Advisory Committee to ensure synergies, recruited local coaches in those districts. In these over multiplier and spill-over effects. districts we will focus on the establishment of LED Trainings, workshops and platform events organised platforms in particular. Peer to peer learning and under IDEAL will create a community of practice exchanges on best practices and lessons learned will among districts that can be maintained by ALGASL make it easier for districts to reach out to each other in and promote replication. the future. This should not only ensure improvements in, Capacity building of ALGASL to be able to continue for example, policy making processes and services, but enacting its core mandate. also bring about multiplier and scaling effects, e.g. through intergovernmental cooperation. For more details see the Somalia chapter of the narrative report. South Sudan Sustainability Plan Inception report Update 2020 Sustainability of The target counties are stuck in a vicious cycle, where - This subject remains an area of concern. The fiscal financial fiscal transfers from the national level are limited and transfers from central to lower government tiers resources potential for local revenue generation heavily affected have not materialized yet. At the moment the by the economic crisis. IDEAL will target financial IDEAL management assumes that these fiscal management and cost-recovery mechanisms related transfers will not take place in the near future either, to WASH service delivery to the extent possible. and therefore, the program aims to empower the Further, we will closely liaise with other agencies (e.g. counties in such a way that they can play an WEES, LOGOSEED) to explore how other important role in providing basic services, without programmes can contribute to the sustainability of having to rely on uncertain financial flows. This financial resources linked to IDEAL interventions. The coordination role aims to enable county Advisory Committee will also be used to lobby for the governments to take a seat at the table and release of funds and to address specific activities to be coordinate the interventions of NGOs/CSOs within put into the annual budget (esp. the State Ministries, their jurisdictions. In addition, the IDEAL program MWRI, LGB). still aims improve the situation concerning the financial flows via its support for the LGB, as a lobby organization. - Counties have been trained on (inclusive) proposal writing and budgeting, allowing them to better tap into temporary, short-term, financial support via grants by (I)NGOs operating in Kapoeta. Of course this is a short-medium term strategy to ascertain minimal financial resource flows, thereby only transiently bridging the financial chasm left by a lack of sustained fiscal transfers from the national level. Sustainability of Retention of acquired knowledge will be sustained - From 2017 until now, the IDEAL program has acquired through working on reviewing internal strategic created documents, tools and other learning knowledge documents, policies, work plans (incl. HR) and the materials which, in 2021, will be compiled into a (documentation) development of a capacity development database. database for the counties. Such database already exists at MWRI level. We will establish a mentoring system within the counties to support the personal development of staff who are involved in capacity building activities through on-the- job application. Mentors and mentees will benefit from mutual sharing and reflecting. At the same time networking and cooperation between the three counties will improve. We will promote political commitment under outcome 3 to contribute to a more durable institutional enabling environment. Coordination of interventions with other agencies to strive for a holistic support system is also a way of promoting longer term impact. In doing so, we stimulate that acquired capacity is not limited to individuals, but will remain in the target counties. Involvement of the Advisory Committee is important. However, high staff turnover and the impact of the economic crisis are difficult to tackle fully. Sustainability of IDEAL will review internal strategic documents as - The IDEAL program has developed multi annual policy level explained above in consultation with state ministries WASH strategies with all target counties. These will development and national government. Further, IDEAL will come to an end in 2021. During this final year of the strengthen the capacity of county executive councils to program we will develop a new multi annual WASH engage in intergovernmental relations and in strategy for the years to come, thereby building on partnerships with other relevant stakeholders. the developments and results from the first Involving the county executive councils will foster the strategies. institutional enabling environment needed by WASH - Moreover, initial contact between the counties and departments and CRWSBs to provide services. It will WASH government experts has been established. provide avenues for lobby and advocacy about lacking Therefore, counties will be able to more easily resources. The involvement of the State Ministries, access the human capital in the shape of our MWRI and LGB is the Advisory Committee is WASH expert after the programme ended. He is important. familiar with the opportunities, chances and the counties’ way of operations, and can now easily be contacted by counties for policy level development in the future. - In addition, we have developed L&A strategies and communication plans with all counties, CSOs and LGB in order to enable them to not only get a seat at the table, but also on how to use it effectively. Sustainability of The programme does not foresee large-scale - The only exception made to this item is the investments investments. Where they occur interventions targeting purchase of two motorcycles and allowing CSOs to revenue generation and cost-recovery will also make use of them, as the costs of purchasing new address investments. For any investment that comes ones significantly outweighed the costs of providing with maintenance, mechanics and others will be the CSOs with an allowance to rent them. The trained in proper maintenance to secure sustainable possibility of transferring the motorcycles to the use of materials. Assets of the local IDEAL implementing CSOs, in order to sustain civil society management team obtained with IDEAL funding (e.g. support to counties will be considered in 2021. office equipment) will be transferred to counties when the programme ends. Sustainable Joint trainings and workshops (in which all three - In each and every activity multiple actors (both partnerships counties are represented, incl. stakeholders such as government and civil society) are invited and women’s associations, private sector, WASH cluster) stimulated to collaborate. A strong example of this organised under IDEAL will create a community of is the participative manner in which grant proposals practice among counties that we hope can be and the multi annual WASH strategies are sustained and promote replication. developed. Via this intensive cooperation we show, Dissemination and advocacy activities will start from in practise, that cooperation of various societal the beginning of the project to keep partners informed partners is beneficial for implementing effective and on-board. These activities will call on and show basic services and building trust. the need for joint accountability regarding the - In 2020 Kapoeta Municipal County (KMC), the only sustainability of the project results. county-level government not yet (foreseen to be) targeted in the greater Kapoeta area joined the IDEAL programme on its own initiative. As such, the community of practice has already begun to be replicated. General activities Constant coordination with WEES, LOGOSEED and - The WEES and LOGOSEED programs both ended to ensure that the other agencies in the WASH sector, in the WASH in 2018, however, up until that moment we have partners can take cluster / platform that we plan to establish, the sought for synergies in activities, management, over Advisory Committee and informally to ensure learning and operations. This resulted, for example, synergies, multiplier and spill-over effects. in sharing an office with WEES to reduce costs and Joint trainings and workshops organised under IDEAL improve cooperation. Since these programs have will create a community of practice among counties come to an end, we have shifted our attention to that we hope can be sustained beyond IDEAL and other potential partners. These partners are promote replication. ACTED! and Cordaid, whom we shared an office with in 2020. Uganda Sustainability Plan Inception report Update 2020 Sustainability The Programme aims to improve upon the Still stands. Both the improvement of planning- and of financial financial sustainability of LGs, by capacitating staff budgeting procedures as well as the collection of Own resources to plan and budget successfully for prioritised Source Revenue (OSR) are integral to our intervention. services in such a way that it is effective, efficient In each of the LGs a financial status quo report1 is and financially viable. LGs will be supported to generated and options for improvement are provided. maximize their potential to collect OSR through The positive steps forward in relation to OSR in fees and taxes, as a means of sustaining their Kalangala, Kasese and Bushenyi-Ishaka achieved in development interventions including IDEAL. In collaboration with Gemert-Bakel serves as a good addition, supporting the engagement with citizens practice which is shared with the other IDEAL LGs. and relevant stakeholders will ensure efforts to be Physical exchanges with non-IDEAL LGs have taken coordinated by the LGs and that funds are place focusing on digitizing local tax collection and sourced and allocated to the right interventions, effective service delivery. In 2021 this will require some including IDEAL during and after it closes. more attention to enhance sustainability. However by delivering upon the grant, like in Kalangala whereby the citizens demanded for safety measurements in the public space (e.g. street lights), the programme aims to combine all the elements2, as to establish a base line, whereby citizens start to trust the LGs, are invited to voice their needs, the LGs are able to respond and deliver services for which the citizens are willing to pay. Sustainability The colleague to colleague and focal person While our focus throughout the programme has been of acquired approaches ensure that the technical knowledge on colleague-to-colleague learning, focal person (individual) generated through this programme can be meetings, joint learning of political & technical staff and knowledge captured, shared and reproduced by colleagues ToT methods, it was observed that it remains difficult to and skills, as who do not participate in the interventions. ensure the trickling-down of knowledge and information well as Mechanisms for sharing information within the LG within the LG. Factors observed are the absence of organisational will be designed, e.g. the LGs suggested to set up institutional knowledge systems, silo working and the capacity working groups per LG, as to support the unwillingness of sharing information (as it gives a implementation of the programme whereby power position). As such, in the final year more knowledge is shared, to ensure there is a emphasis will be placed on active engagement of common understanding, buy-in and colleagues and knowledge sharing within LGs. contextualisation of the interventions. In addition, Moreover, in the final year IDEAL UG will focus on it is our experience by targeting both technical sharing identified best practices. For example, in 2019- staff and political leaders concurrently, results 2020 a study on Discretionary Space was conducted, tend to become more sustainable, since there is which provides ample examples of LGs using their more joint learning and cooperation. discretionary space vis-à-vis the national government. 1 Status quo in terms of planning, budgeting, financing, procurement and Own Source Revenue 2 Participatory planning, budgeting, OSR, service delivery, transparency Sustainability IDEAL Uganda aims to strengthen the lobby and Still stands. We have supported various studies and of policy level advocacy capacity of the two LGAs, ULGA and activities of the LGAs aiming at improving their development UAAU, by strengthening its internal mechanisms legitimacy vis-à-vis their members and improving their and by ensuring that the LGAs represent the policy/lobby position towards national government. interests of its members at the right platforms. Nevertheless, it should be noted that both the LGAs Good practices, lessons learned and constraints have been in a transition period, which has hampered identified during the programmes’ implementation the sustainability. In 2021 this will receive some more will be shared with the LGAs during working group attention. sessions and through the advisory committee. It should also be noted though that the elections in 2021 and the electoral campaign that comes with it has negative implications on both the civil space and space for public dialogue, implying that the priorities of LGs and LGAs will shift towards political engagements. Sustainable Apart from its longstanding relationship with the Still stands. Through close collaboration and planning partnerships two associations, IDEAL will continue to build with partner LGs, CSOs, CEWIGO, donors/EC and strong partnerships with other implementing government structures, such as the Local Government organisations and donors active in the field of Finance Commission and the Equal Opportunities inclusive governance and decentralisation. At LG Commission, IDEAL can enhance the impact of what it level, IDEAL Uganda foresees a facilitating role, in has achieved in existing structures. terms of developing partnerships, i.e. between the Sustainability of new ways of working as suggested LGs and relevant institutions, CSOs, CBOs and through IDEAL is facilitated, as the programme through engagement with the private sector by managed to support the Mid-Term Evaluation of the promoting Public Private Partnerships. IDEAL will LGs 5 year development plans and assisted in the assist LGs in carrying out stakeholder analysis, development of new five year plans linked to NDPIII. facilitate platforms, and by ensuring that LGs will be a strong partner at the (negotiating) table. To ensure sustainability of IDEAL activities, alignment needs to be sought with the LGs five year and annual Development Plan. 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