Date: September, 2013 KiLGA Newsletter Vol.3 Issue: 3 The Kiribati Local Government Association ARIAL Good Practice Sharing Seminar Government Association of Local Authority Association Gambia at the Africities sum- of Vanuatu (LAAV) 2) Mar- mit “Local Association asso- shall Islands Mayors Asso- ciations are often forgotten in ciation (MIMA) 3) Cook development programmes Islands Local Government whilst the associations need Association and the 4) Kiri- programmes such as the bati Local Government ARIAL Programme to be Association (KiLGA). The really strengthened” The training was facilitated by a final ARIAL seminar has group of Local Govern- once again brought together ment experts from VNG Participants gather for a group photo at Auckland’s Ellerslie Hotel LGA‘s in the Pacific region to International, Local Gov- facilitate exchanges among ernment of New Zealand Pacific Local Government ation of Dutch Municipali- peers who normally would (LGNZ), Hunter Group of officials and representa- ties (VNG International). not easily meet. Councils of New South tives gathered at Novotel The aim of the seminar Since 2010, ARIAL has been Wales and FSPI. Ellerslie, Auckland, at the was to 1) share good prac- working towards strengthen- The two days seminar pro- final regional seminar on tices on the participatory ing emerging Local Govern- vided an excellent oppor- ―Sharing Good Practices‖ role of LGAs in political ment Association (LGAs) at tunity for Pacific Island which was organized by dialogues with national in- the national, regional and Local Governments to dis- the Foundation of the Peo- stitutions and development intercontinental level with its ples of the South Pacific partners, 2) share good objective of promoting the cuss lessons learnt International (FSPI) on be- practices of newly started, political recognition and en- amongst themselves and half of its consortium part- emerging local government gagement of local govern- most importantly how they ners, ARIAL from 2nd – 3rd associations and 3) to stim- ment as important players could support each other of July,2013. The seminar ulate exchange of ideas and partners of develop- was officially opened by and knowledge between after December 2013, ment. when the ARIAL project Anne Lies, a representative LGAs. There were 4 Local Govern- life finally comes to the of the International Cooper- In her speech she reiterat- ment Association present at ation Agency of the Associ- ed the words of the Local the seminar. They are 1) end. The KiLGA holds its second Executive Board meeting for 2013 Inside this issue:- KiLGA held its second Exec- Councils are compiled was elected by the Bien- KiLGA establishes a network utive Board meeting on and ordered in bulk by nial Conference of with KIT, Pg. 2; Wednesday, 21 August, the association and then Mayors in Kiribati in 2012 2013 at the BTC Conference distributed to Councils at and oversees the Execu- ARIAL Programme Extended, place in Betio. reasonable prices, 3) Fi- tive and staff of the KiL- Pg. 3; The Board was currently nancial and Management GA Office, housed in the chaired by Mayor Ruoikabuti reports, and others. BTC Office complex in Launching of the Pacific Local Tioon, Mayor for TUC and The main theme of the Betio. Government Association Net- consisted of Mayor Ataraoti current meeting is It meets three times a work, Pg. 4; Bwebwenibure,and Mayor ―Building the Capacity of year, with the last one Kauongo Moote. Some of Councils‘ Staff‖ and for held in May, 2013. This Financial Sustainability Study the main items for discus- this, the Board met and meeting is jointly spon- sion during the meeting are discussed training oppor- sored by the ARIAL of KiLGA by ARIAL, Pg 4; 1) consideration of Local tunities for staff of Coun- Programme and KiLGA. Six Council Staffs certified Economic Development pro- cils with the Director of The ARIAL Programme posals that will be funded by PSO Human Resources is a EU- funded project trainers on Climate Change, the CLGF; 2) the establish- Division, the Principal of set up to assist Local Pg. 5; ment of a business venture KIT, the Director of Local Government Associa- known as ―Bulk Purchase Government and others. tions in the ACP coun- Strategic Planning workshop, Scheme‖ where needs for KiLGA‘s Executive Board trie s . Pg. 6 1 KiLGA establishes a network with KIT KiLGA and the Kiribati interests in having their staff Institute of Technology have undertake training courses to agreed to pursue a partnership improve their effectiveness. over the development of train- At the end of the ing courses for Councils staff. meeting, it was agreed that This was the main item KiLGA would seek funding of discussion of the meeting , for training for the Council held at the Institute‘s campus in staff and work together with Betio, on the 22nd August, KIT and other stakeholders, 2013, between the Principal especially MISA to develop and his staff and the KiL- the curriculum and details of GA‘s delegation, led by Mayor training courses for Councils, Ruoikabuti Tiion (TUC). Up to bo th s hor t– a nd lo ng- Members of the Executive Board posing with the Prin- 1993, KIT and MISA used to termed. It was also agreed ciple of KIT and some of his staff. (L-R) Mayor Ata- raoti Bwebwenibure, Mayor Kauongo Moote, Rokoba- run formal training courses for that an MOU be developed in ti Tearo (Principal KIT), Australian Advisor, Tiema Councils staff. Currently many the near future to guide Toka and Mayor Ruoikabuti Tioon. Councils have expressed their their cooperative work. KiLGA’s Executive Board’s meeting KUC Profile Launched with PSO In August 2013 - the The profile aims to pro- official launching of vide general assistance the Kiritimati Urban in relation to infor- Council (KUC) Profile mation, contact and took place on Kiritimati awareness on the Island. The CLGF News- Council, which is one letter reported that the of the three urban launch was the second councils in Kiribati. objective of the Kiritimati This is the second in a mission among other series of Council Profiles tasks that was success- produced by the Kiribati fully completed during Local Government Asso- the trip to Kiritimati Is- ciation. The first was the land. TUC Profile published in The delegations consist- 2012 for Teinainano Ur- ed of an international ban Council and the third PSO staff with members of the KiLGA Executives team of local government which has also been The members of KiLGA‘s Deputy Chairperson of professionals and spe- funded by CLGF Pacific Executive Board had a meet- KiLGA and Mayor for cialists comprising of rep- will be that for the Betio ing with the Director of Hu- TUC, requested to have resentatives from CLGF Town Council (BTC). man Resources Develop- Council‘s staff included in Pacific, the Hunter Group Funding is being sorted ment (Training) of the Public the revised Section K, of Councils in NSW, Aus- by the Association Service Office, Mr. Moannata since they are as much Ientaake, in Bairiki on 22 Au- civil servants as the gov- tralia and the Ministry of (KiLGA) for the produc- gust, 2013.The Director ernment staff. It was re- Internal and Social Af- tion of the remaining made a presentation on Sec- ported that there were fairs, Tarawa. island council profiles tion K of the National Condi- several training pro- The KUC Local Govern- as they have ex- tions of Services that deal grammes for Council staff ment Profile was pro- pressed their interest with training, which is cur- as contained in MISA‘s duced by the Kiribati Lo- in having their Profile rently under review. The sec- Training Plan for the peri- cal Government Associa- produced as part of tion currently deals with train- od 2013-2015, but the tion in a field work carried the Strategic Planning ing for government and meeting agreed that the out in late January, 2013. process undertaken SOE‘s staff but not the Coun- plan should be reviewed Funding was provided by for their councils. cils‘. The KiLGA‘s delegation, to include more Council the CLGF Pacific, based led by Mayor Ruoikabuti, staff training. in Suva Fiji. 2 Approval of Extension of the ARIAL Programme to end of 2013 on recommendation by KiLGA’ Chairman The ARIAL Pro- extend the ARIAL pro- gramme‘s support for gramme was first sug- LGAs in the Pacific gested by KiLGA‘s has been extended Chairman, Mayor Ro- for another five mano Reo during a months to December, meeting between VNG 2013. This will result staff and KiLGA. VNG in the payment of is the Association of KiLGA staff and pro- Municipalities in the vision of Technical Netherlands responsi- Assistants to assist ble for implementing (Photo) - The Vice President, Hon. Teima Onorio, posing with delegates to KiLGA‘s operations the ARIAL Pro- the CLGF Forum in Kampala, Uganda that took place in May, 2013. During for the extended pe- gra mme. the forum, the members re-elected the Vice President to the CLGF Board for another term for the Pacific Asia region. (Photo courtesy of CLGF) riod. The proposal to Pacific Island Local Government Associations can now have access to the Africa Caribbean Pacific Local Government Platform In early July 2013 at the gional Local Government ARIAL Good Practice Association in the Pacific Seminar held in Auck- at the time; with the new- land, local government ly established Pacific Is- associations in the Pacific lands Local Government namely the Local Authori- Association Network, with ty Association of Vanuatu membership from Cook (LAAV), Cook Islands Lo- Islands, Marshall Islands, cal Government Associa- Vanuatu and Kiribati, the tion, Marshal Island Pacific is now more visi- Mayors Associations ble on the Platform.