Support for Decentralisation and Local Development
Project description
Title: Support for Decentralisation and Local Development
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Senegal
Lead executing agency: Ministère de la Décentralisation et des Collectivités Locales
Overall term: 2013 to 2015
Context
Decentralisation is one of the priority areas of Senegalese politics. The legal basis for the division of labour between central government and regional bodies has existed since 1996. Nevertheless, today there is still a lack of properly functioning institutional mechanisms. In the 441 local regional bodies, there is a lack of appropriate resources and knowledge for the effective fulfilment of their responsibilities. Significant weaknesses are also evident in cooperation between the national level and the regions. Now, for the first time, the Senegalese Government has established a national programme to implement decentralisation: the local development programme (Programme National de Développement Local – PNDL). Closely aligned with this, the GIZ programme supports the development of skills and capacities at national and local levels.
Objective
Access to public services such as health care, education and water is improved in the programme region. Local people participate in the political decisions taken by their communities, the conditions for economic development are improved for the long term. All actors for decentralisation are better qualified, their management skills improved.
Approach
At the national level, GIZ advises those ministries and experts entrusted with the task of decentralisation on the development of skills and capacities. It advises on the assimilation of administrative and financial processes and the harmonisation of methods and instruments. This means that task forces, committees and dialogue platforms can receive expert, methodical and financial support. At the decentralised level, regional bodies are strengthened in their role. GIZ assists communities in setting up and implementing development plans and measures to promote the local economy. Schooling is provided in civic participation, administrative efficiency and transparency using tangible procedures. Infrastructure projects are implemented using funding from financial cooperation.
Support provided by GIZ is closely aligned with the national programme for local development. All measures are coordinated by the PNDL steering committee. GIZ has commissioned GOPA to provide the service package in the field of local private-sector development/DEL.
Results achieved so far
Lessons learned by GIZ on local development planning are currently being incorporated into a national guideline.
In order to render the impact of decentralisation measurable, performance criteria have been established for rural communities, on the basis of which it will be possible to examine transparency, community participation and administrative efficiency.
Access to social infrastructure and services in the project area has improved considerably: All communities are supplied with drinking water. The availability of schools and other institutions has risen by 15 percent since 2004; all such services are in use. Compared with 2004, approximately 40 percent more people have access to healthcare facilities in the programme area.