Towards Local Democracy and Local Development through Local GovernmentTraining in Sweden, September, 2011

Regional part in Africa, Spring 2012

ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME 2011

www.icld.se www.uncdf.org

INVITATIONInternational Training Programmes (ITPs) are used as one of the tools in Swedish global development policy to alleviate poverty. In co-operation with Sida, the International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) offers ITPs as one of several methods to support institutional and capacity development at the local level in low and middle income countries. The ITPs are specially designed to meet the needs forcapacity and competence development in co-operational countries and to support Sweden’s development goals. Advanced International Training Programmes are of strategic importance to the social and economic dev-elopment in the participating countries. The Internatio-nal Training Programmes are specially designed for persons qualified to participate in reform processes of stra-tegic importance at different levels and hold positions to run processes of change in their home organizations. This methodology is based on the assumption that the parti-cipating countries wish to carry out changes and are willing to invest own resources to achieve these changes.

In the long-term, the programs are intended to contribute to strengthening institutional capacity in the participating count-ries. Training is focused on support to individual or team plans for change. The plans should be well established in the parti-cipating organization and are a basic part of the programme concept. This program is specially designed for professionals who work actively with issues related to decentralization, local development and local democracy and who hold positions in their institutions with a mandate to run processes of change. If planned well, decentralization can move decision making closer to people and thereby improve democracy at the local level as well as local development, including efficient service delivery. Local authorities are able to respond more quickly to local needs if they do not have to await approval from central governments, a major obstacle to equitable and sustainable global human development. This brochure includes information on the specific objectives for this particular programme, its content and structure, and how and when to apply. Enclosed you will also find an appli-cation form. We hereby invite your organization to nominate candidates.

Birgitta SvenskSecretary GeneralICLD

I am pleased to invite you to the first ‘Towards Local Demo-cracy and Local Development through Local Government’ International Training Programme, a joint ICLD-UNCDF initiative aimed at building local government capacity and making local governments more responsive.

In many developing countries, local governments lack critical capacity that would allow them to be engine for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The response to this capacity gap requires the creation of an enabling environment with appropriate policy and legal frameworks, institutional development, including community participation, human resources development and strengthe-ning of managerial systems.

The ICLD-UNCDF International Training Programme aims to be this response. It aims at offering a high quality capa-city development programme to future local govern-ments’ leaders in developing countries, and combines ICLD’s

David MorrisonExecutive SecretaryUNCDF

well known comparative advantage in terms of methodolo-gies for training programmes, network and resources, with UNCDF’s strong expertise in ensuring that local capital investment – in schools, irrigation schemes, roads, water supply – is sustainable, and responds to the needs of poor communities.

We are excited about the potential of this International Training Programme to build the capacity of future local governments’ leaders and proud that the ICLD-UNCDF partnership presents another boost for reducing poverty and accelerating progress towards the Millennium Deve-lopment Goals.

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVESThe main objective of the International Training Programme (ITP) “Towards Local Democracy and Local Develop-ment through Local Government” is to contribute to the ongoing and new reform and change processes in the participating countries. The programme seeks to foster institutional change through capacity building and individual learning in a number of areas relevant to local development.

After completing the programme, the participants are expected to have acquired improved knowledge and cap-acity in the following specific areas:

Understanding and using relevant • tools to support local development;

Nature, scope and purpose of local •governments;Different approaches to implementing •decentralized governance reform pro-

cesses; Drawing and learning from experiences, •methods and tools for driving change

for local development and local demo- cracy;

Developing and expanding networks •in support of local development and decentralized governance at different levels; and Developing a shared understanding •and utilization of gender enabling approaches to local development and decentralized governance.

The program is a joint venture between the UNCDF and ICLD and will draw from the experiences of Sweden, and the participating regions and countries in the context of a facilitated collaborat-ive learning process using the Internat-ional Training Programme (ITP) methodo-logy. The ITP methodology is designed to facilitate capacity development for middle or senior level managers as change agents that drive impactive institutional and policy reform processes.

CHANGE PROCESSESEach participant is expected to identify and work on a change project with the sup-port of a designated mentor. The change projects form the link between the theore-tical knowledge articulated throughout the programme and practical implementation considered relevant for each specific institu-tional context. It therefore clearly establishes an explicit improvement in the outcomes and development impact of an institution as defined in its mandate.

The change project may be imple-mented by an individual or by a team.The programme is based on a series of lectures, study visits, intensive interaction between participants and designated mentors and reflective workshops. The change projects are to be anchored within, supported by and drive the change processes within the sponsoring institutions of the participants.

CONTENTThe content of the programmes is structured and informed by a range of themes in relation to local governance and local development. Each subject area will be presented as a module drawing on relevant experiences in-corporating gender as a cross-cutting issue. The following thematic areas covered under the programme are anchored in a commitment to theories of policy and organizational change.

Decentralized Governanceand AccountabilityThis focuses on developing a common understanding of governance and accountability as the exercise of eco-nomic, political and administrative authority to managing the affairs of a country at all levels of government. It includes the assessment of me-chanisms, processes and institutions through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate their differences. Some of the key principles that underpin decentra-lized governance relate to legitimacy and state capacity, and the creation of space for the articulation and confir-mation of group needs, interests and rights. The participation of national stakeholders and their ability to hold public institutions and governments answerable, including the opportunity to change them through democratic means at all levels, are also key in the governance and accountability discourse.

Local Government Finance This theme focuses on local go-vernment finance in relation to the mobilization, allocation and utiliza-tion of public finance by national and local governments in support of local development. It generally defines how and in what ways expenditures and

revenues are generated and organized between and across dif-ferent levels of government in the national polity in order for them to effectively implement their defined mandates, roles and responsibili-ties.

Inclusive Service Delivery The growing demand, complex-ity and costs of service delivery problems in developing countries calls for innovative interactions and more inclusive policy and programmatic collaboration among increasing numbers of actors. A significant number of local governments in Africa have already proven their ability to find creative solutions and form innovative coalitions to respond to their citizen needs and preferen-ces. However, local governments alone cannot meet the continually expanding demand for services and will need to develop inclusive partnerships with other key stake-holders, including the local private sector. This theme will focus on identifying opportunities for broadening models and approaches to facilitate the entry of a range of institutions including national and local government, the non-state actors, communities and donors in partnerships to provide responsive infrastructure and social services in support of sustainable local economic development.

Local Economic Development (LED)This theme will explore the nature, scope and purpose of LED. Many efforts at LED have focused on municipal level interventions. In other instances, private sector interventions focus on individuals but do not really create integrated policy and programmatic agency at national, local government and community levels. How can we develop interventions which build on local assets, capabilities and re-sources, while linking to the broa-der economy, and at the same time build the capacity for communities to take forward their livelihoods and their local economy; and what tools, instruments and methodolo-gies can be mobilised from practice to change perceptions and prac-

tices to impact sustainable LED? These are some of the issues to be addressed under this module.

Gender Equitable Local DevelopmentA gendered approach to local deve-lopment combines the use of a gender lens in analyzing the instrumentality of social, political, economic, institutional and cultural factors in determining the nature and scope of the incidence and intensity of development challenges faced by women. It also identifies and exami-nes the tools and methods that can be used to target and deploy resources in the planning, programming, implemen-tation, management and evaluation of local development processes in relation to women and men.To optimize the impact of gendered local development interventions, particularly in relation to the achievement of the MDGs, it is imperative that a compre-hensive range of skills, flexible tools, operational guidelines and manuals are developed and piloted as a necessary condition for effective up-scaling and mainstreaming into governance and de-velopment processes at the national, local government and community levels.

Capacity Development for Local GovernmentA number of local governments in Africa have significant administrative and technical responsibilities decentra-lised to them without the requisite re-sources to enable them to fully discharge these responsibilities. This results in un-funded mandates. There is also abundant evidence that most, if not all countries, despite their level of decentralisation, are faced with the problem of lack of adequa-te absorptive and generative capacity in the local government sector. This theme will examine the different sustainable approaches to and options for developing capacities to strengthen local governme-nts and local institutions to sustain local development and reduce poverty with a particular focus on the efficiency benefits to be gained by adopting a regional ap-proach to capacity development for local government.

Inception meeting - where the participant, the designated mentors, representatives of sponsoring institutions and the programme manager meet to develop a shared understanding of the content, structure, methodology and management of the program. This meeting will be held in June in the home countries of the participants

Phase 1

Training in Sweden – this will consist of a series of lectures and study visits covering all the modules that address the the-matic areas of the program. This phase will take over a period of three weeks and starts in the middle of August, 2011. The learning process will be facilitated by a team of resource per-sons from academia and practitioners from relevant national and sub-national institutions mainly from Sweden.

Phase 2

Mentoring and documentation – this first phase of mentoring involves intense interaction among participants, their desig-nated mentors and sponsoring institutions focusing on the change projects, their implementation and documentation for a period of six months. The participants must be able to work on their projects and the documentation to a minimum of 8 hours/week during this phase.

Phase 3

Regional training – this will build on phase two and consist of a series of lectures and study visits covering all the modules that address the thematic areas of the program. It will also fo-cus on the progress of the change projects and the documenta-tion. This phase will cover a period of one week. The learning process will be facilitated by a team of resource persons from academia and practitioners from relevant national and sub-national institutions mainly from the region.

Phase 4

Mentoring and documentation – the second phase of mento-ring involves intense interaction among participants, their de-signated mentors and sponsoring institutions focusing on the change projects for a period of six months. The participants must be able to work on the projects and the documentation to a minimum of 8 hours/week during this phase.

Phase 5

Reflective learning and sharing - This phase entails presen-tations at a workshop prepared by the organizing institutions of the change projects reflecting on the learning outcomes and implications for organizational and policy change for the spon-soring institutions. It is also an opportunity to recognize and appreciate sponsoring institutions and award certificate to the participants. The documentation of the projects shall follow a special template provided by the program organizers. Each re-port shall consist of 20-25 pages. The reports will be published in ICLD’s Publication Series.

Phase 6

PROGRAMME STRUCTUREThe International Training Programme (ITP) “Towards Local Democracy and Local Development through Local Government” consists of the fol-lowing six phases;

Date and venue The training in Sweden during the se-cond phase of the programme will take place in Visby and in Gothenburg, Swe-den between August 27 and September 17, 2011. The exact time and place for the regional seminar and the workshop will be announced later.

TeachingThe participants, the sponsoring institu-tions, the programme management team and others participating in the program-me (academics and practitioners from national and sub national governments) are primarily co-operational partners. It is therefore vital that all participants actively take part in the programme by sharing their knowledge and experienc-es with the other participants.

Management and staffThe programme is organized by the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy and UNCDF in collabora-tion with leading academic institutions, national and sub national governments and technical experts on local demo-cracy, local development and local governance.

PARTICIPATIONOnly applicants from the following countries are eligible: Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Rwanda.

Target group: The programme is intended for key decision makers and professionals invol-ved in reforms related to local develop-ment and local democracy. This could include decision makers at intermediate to high levels in ministries responsible for local governments or decentraliza-tion processes and local and regional governments. We allow more than one participant from the same institution and strive for a gender balance among the participants. Only participants officially nominated by the appropriate authority within their home institution will be considered for admission to the programme. The selection of participants will to a large extent be based on the commitment of the participant’s home institutions and engagement in concrete actions. Thirty participants from the selected countries

will take part in this capacity develo-ping programme. Due to the character of the programme, family members are not allowed to accompany participants in the programme.

Language requirementsParticipants must have a good know-ledge of English as they are expected to write and make presentations in Eng-lish. Applicants must take an English language test with an official body in their home country and must submit a diploma with their application, unless the applicant can provide other docu-mentation to support their ability. The Swedish embassy/consulate does not perform language tests but may be able to recommend appropriate language institutes for conducting tests.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications submitted after the clo-sing date will not be considered. Appli-cations should be made on the special form attached with this document and include a recent photograph of the applicant and the required information and documents. The applicant MUST be nominated by her/his organization or institution. The application form and the information brochure can also be found on – and downloaded from – the ICLD’s or UNCDF website at www.icld.se or www.uncdf.org. The application, as well as the pro-posal for the change project, must be approved by a legitimate authority at the applicant’s workplace. In the app-lication, the authority is expected to explain the intentions and importance of the change project.

A 1-2 page description of the individual’s project should be sub-mitted with the application. Please indicate which module your project is related to. The following headlines should be included in the description: Background and explanation, inclu-ding the role and responsibility of the applicant’s organization;

Objectives of the change project 1. within the sponsoring institution;

The closing date for application is April 25, 2011

Problem analysis and/1. or situa-tion analysis;Participant’s intended approach 2. and strategy in responding to the problem/situation;Participant’s intended approach 3. and strategy in responding to the problem/situation;Work plan; specific tasks and 4. estimated time allowance for the activities specified.

The application should be submitted to the ICLD headquarter in Visby, Sweden. After the first selection, shortlisted candidates will be interviewed for the final selection. Once accepted, the participant and his/her supervisor must confirm the applicants participation and will then receive an invitation letter containing additional information on the programme and the practical arrangements. Considering the fact that the training programme consists of international travel and work away from home in a new environment, good health and full working capacity is required. It is therefore recommended that the applicant undergo a medical exami-nation before filling out the Medical Statement in the Application form.

COST OF PARTICIPATIONThe International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) will cover the following costs: – The participation fee and the ac-commodation costs including board and lodging; – International travel to and from Sweden; – International travel in connec-tion with the different phases of the programme.

The ICLD will not finance the participants’ change projects. Costs incurred in travelling to the nearest international airport as well as visa costs are to be paid by the partici-pants. Personal expenses are not included.

ACCOMMODATIONAll participants will be accommo-dated at the same hotel and have a single room during the programme period. The ICLD will cover local travel costs necessary for participa-ting in the programme. However, the participant will be responsible for covering any other travel costs. Participants may not be accompa-nied by family members, due to the special character of the programme.

VISASParticipants are responsible for obtaining and paying all visa costs necessary for their journey and stay during the programme. The visa should be valid for the whole period of the programme and the passport should be valid for at least three months longer than the entry visa. Inquires should be directed to the participant’s closest Swedish embassy/consulate or another Schengen representative as soon as possible after acceptance onto the programme. Participants visiting other countries on their way to or from Sweden must ensure that the correct visas are obtained before lea-ving their home country, especially for countries not included in the Schengen agreement. The website http://www.migrationsverket.se/english.jspoffers more information about visas for Sweden.

INSURANCE All participants are covered by a group insurance policy while in Sweden and on organized tours during the programme. This insu-rance covers costs for medical care in the event of serious illness or ac-cidents. Medical and dental check-ups are not included.

The Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) is an international and national actor and collaborating partner in the field of local democracy, local governance, and decentralization. The ICLD focuses on local development in low and middle income countries th-rough our various activities, such as international training programmes, municipal partnership programmes and knowledge management.

One of our main ambitions is to develop a balance between the practical knowledge gained through experience and the theo-retical knowledge gained through research. The ICLD is located in Visby on the island of Gotland, and is an autonomous organization that works in close collaboration with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), which has a majority

of the seats on the ICLD board. Sida finances the ICLD’s opera-tions, which cover three main areas; The Centre of Knowledge - Research and Capacity Develop-ment, Municipal Partnerships and International Training Program-mes. The ICLD’s overall target is to alleviate poverty, mainly through promoting democracy and demo-cratic processes at local levels.

PRESENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR LOCAL DEMOCRACY

UNCDF is the UN’s capital invest-ment agency for the world’s 48 least developed countries. It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to microfinance and invest-ment capital.

UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. It provides seed capital – grants and loans – and technical support to help microfinance institutions reach more poor households and small businesses, and local governme-nts finance the capital investments – water systems, feeder roads, schools, irrigation schemes – thatwill improve poor peoples’ lives.

UNCDF – UN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

from the private sector, deve-lopment partners and national governments, for significant impact on the Millennium Development Goals, especially Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger, Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, and Goal 7: En-sure Environmental Sustainability.

Established by the General Assem-bly in 1966 and with headquarters in New York, UNCDF is an auto-nomous UN organization affiliated with UNDP.

Contact information

Programme organiser: International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD)

The address for all communication is: International Centre for Local DemocracyP.O Box 1125SE-621 22 Visby, Sweden Telephone: +46-498 29 91 55Fax: +46-498-29 91 60 website: http://www.icld.se

Contact persons at ICLD and UNCDF are: Dr. Anki Dellnas, anki.dellnas@icld.seDr. Vincent Hungwe, vincent.hungwe@uncdf.org

UNCDF works to enlarge peoples’ choices: it believes that poor people and communities should take deci-sions about their own development. Its programmes help to empower women – over 50% of the clients of UNCDF-supported microfinance insti-tutions are women – and its expertise in microfinance and local develop-ment is shaping new responses to food insecurity, climate change and other challenges.All UNCDF support is provided via national systems, in accordance with the Paris Principles. UNCDF works in challenging environ-ments – remote rural areas, countries emerging from conflict – and pavesthe way for others to follow.Its programmes are designed tocatalyze larger investment flows

This document has been financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida. Sida does not necessarily share the views expressed in this material. Responsibility for its contents rests entirely with the author.

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