Decentralizing Development: Evaluation of the Palestine Local Rural Development Programme Report Prepared For UNCDF and UNDP by Development Workshop Massar Associates October 1999 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................i Acronyms ...............................................................................................ii Executive Summary..............................................................................iv 1 Introduction.......................................................................................1 1.1 Background and Program Description ......................................................................... 1 1.2 Evaluation Purpose and Methodology ......................................................................... 4 1.3 Structure of Report....................................................................................................... 7 2 LRDP as Designed and its Assessment .........................................9 2.1 Context......................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Rationale and Concept............................................................................................... 14 2.3 Objectives .................................................................................................................. 15 2.3.1 Development Objectives ..................................................................................... 15 2.3.2 Immediate Objectives ......................................................................................... 15 2.3.3 Policy Objectives................................................................................................. 15 2.4 Strategy and Components ......................................................................................... 16 2.4.1 Capital Assistance .............................................................................................. 16 2.4.2 Capacity Building ................................................................................................ 17 2.4.3 Local Planning Process ...................................................................................... 22 2.4.4 Monitoring and Evaluation .................................................................................. 26 2.4.5 Local Economic Development ............................................................................ 29 2.4.6 Scale of Operations and Expansion Strategy ..................................................... 30 2.4.7 Resources: Organizational Structure, Human Resources, Funding ................... 31 2.4.8 Expected Results ................................................................................................ 34 2.5 Assessment of LRDP As Designed............................................................................ 34 3 LRDP as Implemented and its Assessment .................................37 3.1 Overview .................................................................................................................... 37 3.1.1 Changing Contexts ............................................................................................. 37 3.1.2 Start-up and Development .................................................................................. 39 3.2 Resources and Management ..................................................................................... 47 3.2.1 Funding ............................................................................................................... 47 3.2.2 Organizational Structure, Human Resources, Planning and Management......... 49 3.3 Strategy and Components ......................................................................................... 54 3.3.1 Capital Assistance .............................................................................................. 54 3.3.2 Capacity Building ................................................................................................ 67 3.3.3 Participatory Planning and Implementation Process .......................................... 74 3.3.4 Monitoring and Evaluation .................................................................................. 82 3.3.5 Local Economic Development ............................................................................ 84 4 The Results and their Assessment ...............................................86 4.1 Results of the LRDP’s Strategic Components ........................................................... 86 4.1.1 Capital Assistance .............................................................................................. 86 4.1.2 Capacity Building ................................................................................................ 88 4.2 Results Against Objectives ........................................................................................ 89 4.2.1 Provision of Local Infrastructure and Services.................................................... 90 4.2.2 Promotion of Local Economic Development and Employment Generation ........ 91 4.2.3 Promotion of Community Participation in Planning and Implementation ............ 92 4.2.4 Strengthening local authorities of Smaller Rural Municipalities .......................... 94 4.2.5 Improving Living Conditions and Eradicating Poverty in Rural Areas................. 98 4.2.6 Aiding Decentralization Policy Development ...................................................... 99 4.3 Conclusion: What Happened, Why?........................................................................ 101 4.3.1 What was Achieved, What Remains to be Done .............................................. 101 4.3.2 Reasons Underlying the Above ........................................................................ 101 5 Recommendations........................................................................105 5.1 Basic Recommendations ......................................................................................... 105 5.2 Systemic Recommendations.................................................................................... 106 5.3 Recommendations Specific to Components and Objectives ................................... 108 5.3.1 Capital/ Financial Assistance Component ........................................................ 108 5.3.2 Capacity Building Component........................................................................... 108 5.3.3 Infrastructure and Service Provision ................................................................. 109 5.3.4 Local Economic Development and Employment Generation............................ 110 5.3.5 Participatory Planning and Implementation ...................................................... 111 5.3.6 Strengthening Local Authorities and Supporting Institutions ............................ 111 5.3.7 Aiding Decentralization Policy Development .................................................... 112 5.3.8 Using Palestinian Resources ............................................................................ 112 5.3.9 Immediate Action.............................................................................................. 113 Figures Figure 1-1 Location of Palestine ................................................................................ 2 Figure 2-1 Palestinian versus Israeli Controlled Areas ........................................... 11 Figure 2-2 Location of Micro-regions/Program areas ............................................. 13 Figure 2-3 Local Rural Development Facility (LRDF): As Designed (Funding, Payment, Replenishment Process through MoF) .................................................... 16 Figure 2-4 Organizational Structure of LRDP2/CBU and Targets of Capacity Building .................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 2-5 Local (Project) Planning Process: As Designed .................................... 24 Figure 2-6 Micro-region Planning Process: As Designed ....................................... 25 Figure 2-7 LRDP2/CBU Proposed Integration within MLG ...................................... 32 Figure 2-8 Detailed Organizational Structure of LRDP2: As Implemented ............. 33 Figure 3-1 Jenin Micro-region (J2, J3, J4) .............................................................. 42 Figure 3-2 Jericho Micro-region (JE) South ............................................................ 43 Figure 3-3 Jericho Micro-region (JE) North............................................................. 44 Figure 3-4 Yatta Micro-region (JH) ......................................................................... 45 Figure 3-5 Qalqilya Micro-region (Q1) ..................................................................... 46 Figure 3-6 Funding, Payment and Replenishment Process: As Implemented – Direct Through MoF ................................................................................................. 58 Figure 3-7 Funding, Payment and Replenishment Process: As Implemented - Direct through VCs ............................................................................................................. 59 Figure 3-8 MoF Internal Circuits for Processing Payments..................................... 61 Figure 4-1 Sustainable Programme Cycle ............................................................. 104 Tables Table 1-1 Program Basic Data.................................................................................