Aiding Development: the Relevance
of a Local governance Perspective
Isa Baud
Department of Geography, Planning and
International Development Studies
Trends in development processes and
governance
• Neo-liberal paradigm in the 1980s led to a re-thinking of the role of
the national state
• Ideas:
– development should not be state-led
– Economic growth should be led by market forces
– National state should step back
• Results:
– State ceded powers to lower levels of government (local or
provincial)
– State ceded powers to higher levels of government
(international institutions; regional trading blocs)
– Government should work with private sector and civil
organisations
– Local governments started promoting economic growth policies
Local governance perspectives
• Local governments have closest contact with their
citizens, most responsive to local needs and
demands
• lowest level of electoral representation for citizens
towards government
• Classic responsibilities for QoL: public goods
provision (water, sanitation, waste management,
housing, basic education, health, safety)
• Major change that governments received more
responsibility for economic growth – entrepreneurial
local governments
Potential contributions of local governments to
MDGs - 1
• MDG 7c: increasing drinking water access by 50%
• 80% piped water in urban areas, 34% in rural areas;
coverage in rural areas increased; this target will be
met by 2015
• MDG 7c: halving people with no access to sanitation
• Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, 64-69% no access;
little progress in these two regions
• 40% of urban population in Southern Asia no access:
open defecation widespread
• In sub-Saharan Africa, rich have access, the poor very
little to sanitation
Potential contributions of local governments to
MDGs - 2
• MDG 7d: improve lives of 100 million slum dwellers
– housing (only 10% of actual slum population)
• 2000-2010: % slum dwellers down from 39 to 33%;
absolute numbers slum dwellers in cities going up
(787 million)
• But – sub-Saharan Africa, 70% of urban residents in
slums
• Conflict increases % of residents in slums:
– Iraq from 17% to 51% since 2000
Other contributions by ULGs
• Not included in the
MDGs; the role of cities
as drivers of the
economy
• Role of cities in political
processes – direct
interaction with citizens
WRR –report conclusions
• Recognizes importance of national governments in
‘aiding development’
• Aid should be relevant to development path of
receiving country, and fit national context
• diagnose country needs in terms of themes and
sectors before providing aid
• right aid channel should be chosen
• Aid should have catalysing effect (spill-over effects)
• How much does aid through local government
programmes contribute?
Urban local governments
• Netherlands: …. Local governments
• urban local governments association VNG
• VNG International works with other ULGs in
strengthening local governments elsewhere
• City-to-city cooperation
• Internationally:
– UCLG international association of ULGs
– UN- Habitat UN agency dealing with urban issues
International role of ULGs
• UN conferences indicated importance of LGs in
promoting local development (Earth Summit 1992
and Habitat Summit 1996)
• ULGs included in WB programmes in policy
consultative groups – Cities Alliance
• UCLG become member of OECD/DAC group in
making aid effective
• European Charter on Aid recognized ULGs role
through MIC and ACB
Aid from local government perspective
•
LOGO SOUTH programme
2007-2010 (DGIS aided)
Three components
•
–
–
–
Municipal International
Cooperation (MIC)
Association Capacity
Building (ACB)
Policy Development and
Research (PD&R)
Municipal international cooperation
• MIC partnerships between municipalities
• designed to improve capacity of local government by
peer-to-peer exchange
• contribute to short- and longer term objectives
– service provision, poverty alleviation, institutional
strengthening, and knowledge exchange
– Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
– improve democracy and enhance responsiveness
Dutch MIC
• currently programme in 12 countries
– 8 countries in Africa, 2 in Asia, 2 in L. Am
- 40 twinnings: focus on thematic issues in progr.
related to main responsibilities LGs
- Waste management, water provision, housing,
citizen participation, Hiv/AIDS
- Also water boards and housing corporations
involved (semi-public companies)
Association Capacity Building
• Association Capacity Building (ACB)
programmes focus on developing LGAs’
capacities and skills
– for their advocacy and lobby roles
– provide services to their members and
– to act as networking facilitators and knowledge
brokers vis-à-vis national governments, regional
networks
Recent changes in programme
•
•
MIC – one theme per country (40 twinnings)
ACB – stronger regional focus
–
–
•
3 LGAs in 4 regions
Focus on improving service delivery; management capacities; capacity for
lobby and advocacy; financial sustainability
Pd& R – recent addition
–
–
LG in peace-building and fragile states;
LG and MDGs;
Aid architecture, policy dialogue, accountability;
Support to LG in conflict areas
Zuid Afrika: water en afval management
• Water management: water scarcity but also
very unequal division of water
• Explicit request national government to
Netherlands for developing Dutch water board
model
• Water boards with stakeholder participation
set up: cross-border negotiation with
Mozambique also developed
C2C Buffalo City – Leiden (Waste)
Activities
– Exchange NL-SA - SA – NL
• P2P, many forms of informal
learning
– Exchange within SA of
municipal staff and
community leaders (BCMEkuhurleni and Port
Elizabeth)
– Tailor made training (PR skills
in NL
– Construction of Waste-drop
off points
Results in Pilot Community Duncan
Village
• Construction of 36 waste collection points in Duncan village.
• Ca. 30 community members trained in basic principles and
functioning of waste-cooperatives (in exchange visits) and in
all aspects of waste-management (during trainings).
• Basic materials bought to ensure that 100 community
members can now act as managers of the waste collection
points and clean litter.
• All relevant ward-councillors trained in principles of the
project and the role of the community
• Public awareness campaigns on waste issues in Duncan Village
• The community members very proud of the project, and
attract many visitors to their community
Results within BCM municipality
• Numerous learning effects for the staff involved who reported
– Increased technical skills (better understanding of waste-management system,
increased PR-skills)
– Increased project management skills, including project-formulation and
fundraising
– Change in work-attitude (substantially more committed to their work, pride,
no longer working for a salary only).
– In Leiden: increased creativity, commitment and possibilities for “out-of the
box” thinking.
• Strengthening of Buffalo City Municipality
– Improved cooperation between departments involved (road and
infrastructure (stormwater), waste-management, community services)
– Improved management skills of staff involved (including capacity to raise
additional funding)
WRR: Development aid has to be relevant
• Relevance high because
• Covers key sectoral
priorities of LGs and
LGAs
• Follows national policy
in relevant sectors
ULG programme
•
•
•
•
Addresses key priorities of LG
Municipalities and sectoral organisations involved
Possible upscaling good practice to country level
Ownership and commitment high among staff
• political commitment varies locally
WRR: A good diagnosis is necessary….
• Peer-to-peer exchange is basis for diagnosis
• ULGs in South directly involved in preparing
project proposals: South Africa
• Projects provide direct inputs to local policy
making
• Learning exchanges between partners
N-S, S-N, S-S
WRR: The right channel should carry it
out…
• Unique in efficiency and sustainability
– Builds on existing organisation and staff on both sides – inbuilt capacity for long-term sustainability
– Overhead costs of programme much lower than other
types of development coop programmes (PMUs, salaries)
– Missions effective means of peer-to-peer exchanges;
learning from practice
– Knowledge exchange through expert networks nationally
and regionally
Creativity in MIC projects





Adaptability in funding
programme;
Partners bring in extra resources
(human, technical, financial)
knowledge exchange, research
added
Country coordinators important
Missions to Netherlands useful
Can still be strengthened..
• Working together with LGAs and sectoral
organisations (water boards, housing corporations)
and with national government dpts.
• Comparing examples of ‘good practice’ nationally, for
other ULGs to utilize
• Political representatives need to included more (ACB)
• Local public goods, but also global public goods
should be included (CO2 reduction, energy saving,
recycling, water management)
WRR: Effectiveness linked to
knowledge exchange and learning
• Learning effects strong between peers N-S, S-N, S-S
• Strengthened municipal organisations: policy
formulation, project management, technical skills
• Potential leverage learning effects to sectoral and
national levels
• Embedding programme in existing organisations
provides learning continuity beyond project period
• Dissemination to other municipalities strong
Strengthening local government programmes;
recommendations 1
• Maintain adaptability in funding programme
• Make strategic choices for critical mass by country
• Promote combinations of stakeholders at different
levels,
• Promote learning between municipalities by sector
• Promote scaling-up impact of municipal activities by
links with sectoral and national organisations
Recommendations 2
• Involve councillors and mayors to increase political support
• Combine ACB with MIC components for synergy
• Include MDGs in programme in accordance with municipal
priorities
• Knowledge partnerships with universities, knowledge centres
• Promote model of working with existing staff and
organisations as efficient and effective model for other aid
programmes
Thank you!