COMMUNITIES DRIVING THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN IRAQ
Date: 8/28/2008
Communities and local government in Iraq have set out on a journey to improved service delivery through an innovative process of consultative development in Iraq. The “Consultative Service Delivery Initiative” (CSDI) project in Iraq has been established with the objective to support community development activities initiated by Iraqi citizens, in consultation with the government. The main purpose of the project is to provide tangible improvements in service delivery through a long-term sustainable process of consultative development in the country, ensuring that Iraq’s substantial resource base is being utilized fairly and transparently, in an atmosphere of increased mutual accountability.
The CSDI project embodies community-driven development principles coupled with a strong focus on the process of community planning, as well as close engagement with government in project preparation. Since project commencement in January 2008, eight grassroots Community Action Groups (CAGs), comprised of 7-13 volunteer community members, have been established and introduced to the Initiative. These Action Groups have received training in project development – from proposal writing and procurement, to community outreach and monitoring and evaluation of results.
The Action Groups have presented their project ideas to the community and local government, fostering dialog between citizens and their government representatives in an open meeting format, to allow for feedback and project ranking through a democratic vote. In this process, the government has remained open to input by communities on prioritizing community needs.
The uniqueness of the CSDI program lies in its structured approach to community development which combines training and learning by doing. The practical aspects of “learning by doing”, combined with training and mentorship by CSDI staff, provide a popular and effective interactive and participatory environment for government and community members alike. The initiative is expected to generate increased citizens’ faith in the effectiveness and legitimacy of their government, as well as improved confidence of government officials in engaging with citizens.
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AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVO COMMIT TO IMPROVED DECENTRALIZATION
Date: 7/31/2008
Authorities in Kosovo have committed to a time-sensitive objective of improved decentralization within the budget cycle for 2009. Since February, 2008, they have remained involved in activities aiming to improve existing mechanisms of budget allocation to municipalities and increase the transparency of expenditures at municipal level. These objectives are supported by the ongoing “Support for Kosovo Decentralization” grant which became effective earlier in 2008.
The Law on Local Finance, prepared by the Government in Kosovo, in cooperation with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, has marked the first step in effective decentralization arrangements. The Law was adopted by the Assembly on March 13, 2008, and promulgated by the President of Kosovo on June 15, 2008, committing authorities in Kosovo to an improved legal framework of decentralization.
Alongside efforts to improve the legal framework decentralized activities in Kosovo, central government and municipal leaders have engaged in workshops and learning field visits aiming to increase their understanding of the implications of decentralization and enable them to identify municipalities’ needs in terms of capacity development. As a result of the workshops and visits, participants have expressed their increased interest in using citizen feedback to improve public services in Kosovo. Additional demand-driven learning events are expected to further improve the understanding of successful decentralization by government leaders in Kosovo.
The project has also supported the Government in managing the decentralization process and, in particular, implementing the Decentralization Action Plan and improving formulas for budget transfers to municipalities, while complying with the new Law on Local Finance. The project is also expected to improve network links between the central government and municipalities and provide substantive technical assistance activities in the areas of transport, healthcare management, cadastral and real estate registration, and business registration and licensing.
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COMMUNITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES IN SOMALIA COMMIT TO IMPROVED DECISION-MAKING AND SERVICE DELIVERY
Date: 6/30/2008
Despite deterioration of security conditions in Somalia, municipalities and communities in the country have remained dedicated to strengthening and building local level institutions as part of the “Support for Community-Driven Recovery and Service Delivery” grant. The World Bank-supported pilot project aiming at establishing mechanisms for community-driven service delivery and participation of the population in decision-making processes as a basis for good governance and accountability was completed in December, 2007. However, project activities are expected to resume due to increasing interest by international NGOs operating in Somalia which have expressed their willingness to participate in the pilot project.
There has been a strong ownership of the pilot community-driven development project by the participating communities and their corresponding municipalities, the Somaliland government, and implementing partners. Government authorities in the country have expressed their commitment to carry out the project on their own. The Somaliland Government has already set up its own internal inter-ministerial committee to support the pilot project. In addition, municipal governments involved in project activities so far have indicated their willingness to make both financial and in-kind contributions to the pilot project. While it might be difficult to see any tangible impact of the grant in the short run, the willingness of municipalities, communities, and international partners to continue the project point to promising outcomes and impacts in the medium and long run.
Due to the security situation in the country, the activities initiated during the grant were mostly confined within the northeastern region of Somaliland. The project supported intensive in-country consultations with Somali communities, survey of community-based activities in the country, the establishment of a Community/Village Development Committee, and the development of Community Action Plans and corresponding proposals by target communities.
A stock-taking workshop is expected to take place at the end of 2008 in Nairobi, Kenya, to review lessons learned and results from the implementation of the pilot project.
To read more about the project, please click here
THE WORLD BANK LAUNCHES PROGRAM TO ENHANCE SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY IN CAMBODIA
Date: 2/6/2008
More than 950 government representatives, donors, NGOs, students, and monks, participated in the launch of the World Bank Program to Enhance Capacity on Social Accountability (PECSA) in Cambodia on December 3, 2007. The event focused on social accountability and actions by civil society to help citizens achieve greater voice and influence in promoting good governance.
PECSA is a World Bank-funded program in Cambodia, endorsed by the Ministry of Interior. It strives to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations to assist citizens of Cambodia in helping their government remain more effective and accountable. The program focuses on improving the effectiveness of public services, enhancing accountability for public spending through monitoring, strengthening the management of Cambodia’s national resources, improving private sector governance, and increasing the role of media as an instrument of good governance.
Fostering transparency and accountability, and overall anti-corruption efforts, have been central topics of government-donor dialogue in Cambodia in the recent years. The Royal Government of Cambodia has responded by declaring that fostering good governance is currently the top priority of its development agenda and that it is committed to trying new approaches towards governance reform. The Government’s “Rectangular Strategy” developed in 2004 places good governance at the core of the country’s development agenda, and recognizes the important contributions that civil society, the private sector and development partners can make in this regard. Donors and civil society in Cambodia have revealed their strong support for the initiative. Aid to Cambodia is expected to increase as a result of this commitment, as many donors, including the World Bank, are giving top priority to governance reform in their programs.
PECSA is designed to provide training and support for both specific tools that have been the mainstay of social accountability programs in other countries, as well as for development of broader skills that CSOs need in order to be effective in their governance support and advocacy roles. The program envisages the development of a Demand for Good Governance project, which will fund social accountability activities once PECSA activities are completed.
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HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DISCUSS TAJIKISTAN’S PRIORITY REFORMS DURING A LEADERSHIP SEMINAR ON STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Date: 2/2/2008
Representatives of the Government of Tajikistan conveyed their appreciation of discussions of the country’s development challenges, objectives and initiatives, organized by the World Bank as part of the Post-Conflict Fund grant for a Leadership Seminar on Strategic Directions for Development. The Seminar took place in April 2007, in Istanbul, Turkey, and provided more than 20 high-level Government officials with a forum for discussing Tajikistan’s development agenda.
The objective of the Leadership Seminar was to engage government officials in a dialogue on a set of key priority reforms, including sequencing and management of the development agenda, and to present international best practices in linking cross-sectoral development issues to strategic reforms. The focus of the event was placed on the approach of achieving sustainable growth, with special attention to the priority areas outlined in the Country Partnership Strategy and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. The Seminar also presented the Government with an opportunity to consider follow-up measures to some of the reforms which have already been undertaken in the country.
The event was preceded by a visit of an expert Russian mission on strategic directions for development in Tajikistan. The mission advanced the formulation of key strategic development themes by the Government, including investment climate, human development, infrastructure, private sector development, public administration, and public expenditures and finance management.
The Seminar also paved the way for the Tajikistan Development Forum, held on June 2, 2007, in Dushanbe, as it assisted the Government in preparing for the event and led to a coherent development strategy discussion during the Forum. The Development Forum represented a significant donor community meeting, as it brought together government representatives, development partners of Tajikistan, and civil society, in an effort to assess the implementation of the Tajikistan first Poverty Reduction Strategy and the National Development Strategy currently prepared by the Government.
A study conducted by the World Bank in 2004 revealed that using a experiential peer-to-peer format with abundant unstructured face time between visitor-leaders and participant-leaders presented a more efficient learning approach than technical lectures alone. Based on this notion and the success of previous leadership seminars, the event in Istanbul represented an experiential knowledge sharing approach characterized by interactive disclosure of best practices, lessons learned, as well as insights and new ideas. As a result, the Government of Tajikistan requested subsequent workshops, in an effort to continue the discussion of other, substantive, development topics in the country.
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YOUTH RESOURCE CENTERS ESTABLISHED IN KOSOVO
Date: 2/1/2008
Two resource hubs offering youth-friendly services to young people in Kosovo were established in Prishtina in 2007, as part of the World Bank Post-Conflict Youth Empowerment and Security Grant. The centers, located at the University of Prishtina and the University of Mitrovica, have a promising timetable of activities for the incoming students. They have also established good working relationships with Student Unions, Parliaments, and Youth Organizations in Kosovo.
Student services provided by the youth hubs include career information, guidance and assistance, mentoring, communication skills trainings, development of volunteer skills, library and web information services, and web design classes. The facilities also offer internet access and have a photo and camera lab and a cinema on site. Events organized by the Youth Hubs include joint activities for students, such as thematic seminars, trainings, and summer camps.
The purpose of the Youth Hubs is to contribute to the constructive involvement of young people in youth development and decision-making processes. This objective is aligned with the recommendations of the 2007 World Development Report entitled Development and the Next Generation and the youth development agenda in the Europe and Central Asia Region of the World Bank. Other activities supported by the Youth Empowerment and Security Grant in line with the youth agenda include business development for young entrepreneurs through business development training, as well as improvement of the performance and financial sustainability of existing youth centers through training of youth workers, development of extra-curricular and non-formal education activities, and building students’ life and livelihood skills. The grant also includes a focus on strengthening the project management and implementation capacity of the Youth Department. The overall purpose of the Post-Conflict Grant is to increase social cohesion and inter-ethnic interaction and cooperation among young people with different ethnic backgrounds in Kosovo.
To read more about the project, please click here
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