Written evidence submitted by the UK Local
Government Alliance for International Development (LG-AID)
This is a response from the UK Local Government
Alliance for International Development (LG-AID)a partnership
established to provide a single voice for UK local government
in relation to international development.[207]
DFID made a commitment in Accra[208]
to ensure that developing country governments will "work
more closely
with local authorities
in preparing, implementing
& monitoring national development policies & plans".
It also committed to. "identify areas where there is a
need to strengthen the capacity to perform & deliver services
at all levelsnational, sub-national, sectoral and thematicand
design strategies to address them".
Decades of Aid programme delivery, review and
revision suggest that, whilst vital, aid alone is not the answer
to reducing poverty. As DFID's previous White Paper"Making
Governance Work for the Poor"recognised, DFID and
other donors must focus on tackling the causal factors
of povertythrough breaking down the institutional barriers
to progress, building self-sufficiency, empowering communities
and promoting real democracy on the ground. Strengthening local
government is a critical part of that process.
"Devolving power and the provision of
services to local units and layers of government has potential
as an effective means of bringing politicians and policy makers
closer to clients and making services more effective. However
at the local level, institutions and participatory development
mechanisms are often weak, resulting in poor service delivery"
UK Commission for Africa 2005.
Therefore LG-AID invites the Select Committee for
International Development to call on DFID to fulfil their Accra
commitment and work with local government in the UK and in developing
countries, in particular to:
Adopt a departmental strategy for strengthening
local governmentpromoting pro-poor and pro-planet local
governance and decentralisation programmes.
Work in partnership with local government
actors, in the UK and developing countries, alongside other donor
agencies, private sector and NGO groups, to elaborate and implement
this strategy.
The following response below from LG-AID refers
to each of the specific questions posed by the Select Committee
in more detail.
1. How effectively developing country governments
and donors, particularly DFID, are addressing the challenges presented
by urban poverty?
1.1 Enhancing impact of aid for urban communitiesThere
"is a growing consensus that the Paris Declaration has
fallen short in its objective of enhancing aid effectiveness.
Part of this failure can be attributed to the great emphasis placed
by donors on the mechanics of aid delivery rather than the development
impact generated by aid. Another key weakness that has been highlighted
is the absence of key development stakeholders" (United
Cities and Local Government, UCLG 2009).[209]
To enhance the impact of aid for urban communities, DFID needs
to work more effectively with local government actorslocal,
national and global. See Table 1 below.
1.2 Direct Budgetary SupportDFID
needs to work with national local government associations where
they exist to ensure a coordinate approach to decentralisation
and local governance strengthening. For example the Kenyan Local
Government Association is currently developing a National Development
Strategy for Local Governmentlinked to the central government's
national development plan. All donors can then effectively coordinate
the local governance and decentralisation work they are doing
via the national association and local government ministry, to
ensure a more effective response.
Table 1
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIVE
PRINCIPLES OF "AID EFFECTIVENESS"
|
Principle | Local government contribution
|
|
Ownership | Where directly involved in development strategies, LG can strengthen democratic ownership at a local level. In particular to: promote social mobilisation; participatory planning, budgets and monitoring; produce national LG development strategies; contribute, via LGAs, to national consultations for plans and PRSPs.
|
Alignment | Development strategies must be aligned with decentralized fiscal frameworks and resource transfer mechanisms, including through: linking national Local Government development strategies with national development plans and PRSPs; intergovernmental fiscal mechanisms to flow funds which support the implementation of development strategies at the local level; reducing transaction costs, as decentralized cooperation relies on partner country systems for procurement
|
Harmonisation | This must be embraced by all development actors, not just donors and partner countries. Through the UCLG Capacity and Institution Building (CIB) Working Group, member LGAs are working to enhance program coherence and coordination, promote collaboration on policy analysis, share practical knowledge and lessons learned from the collective experience of northern and southern LGAs, and reduce administrative burden on local partners. Through closer engagement with local government DFID could further promote aid harmonisation outcomes
|
Mutual Accountability
| Strengthening transparency and accountability for improved development results: Northern and southern LGAs are working toward true co-management of decentralised cooperation programs, holding each other mutually accountable in planning and assessing progress in implementing country strategies and programs; Through the UCLG CIB working group, northern and southern LGAs have agreed to work toward a code of ethics reinforcing mutual accountability and transparency to each other as partners, to their constituents and to donors.
|
Managing for results | Keeping in mind donor requirements, northern LGAs are working with host country LGAs to develop, harmonized results-oriented reporting and monitoring frameworks, including indicator sets. Through working more closely with local government in country and providing the necessary resources and training, programmes could be better evaluated, leading to a stronger focus on targeted results
|
Adapted from UCLG 2009 (op cit). |
|
|
1.3 Climate changeglobal urban challenge.
Climate change cuts across the whole development agendaespecially
in terms of urban areas, where an estimated 80% of Green House
Gas Emission are emitted.[210]
Whilst the IPCC predicts the greatest climatic changes are expected
in the northern hemisphere, it is clearly the developing nations
that are least equipped to mitigate against and adapt to the threat
posed. Indeed they are not adequately responding to current climate
variability (ODI 2009[211]).
Many cities lie on the floodplains and coastal areashalf
of Africa's cities are on the coast or very close to it (IIED
2007[212]). Locating
cities on such sites is of strategic valueat least historicallyin
terms of being natural harbours, access to fresh water and fertile
land. However, once situated in these locations, cities rarely
move even in spite of severe disasters such as floods and earthquakes
as too many have an interest in sustaining the sitefor
commerce, homes and institutions.
1.4 "There is a clear urban agenda focusing on
more competent and accountable city and municipal governments,
with adaptation built into development plans. But there is little
evidence of national governments and international agencies responding
to this. In most nations. National and state/provincial governments
still concentrate most of the power and control over public investments.
Most international agencies reinforce the power of central governments,
as their funding goes through central governments. In addition,
too many climate change experts see urban change as a local issue
that they do not need to understand, let alone address. It is
within urban centres and urban governments that so much of the
battle to prevent climate change from becoming a global catastrophe
will be won or lost. Yet when urban governments do try to respond,
they receive little support"(IIED 2007). DFID must therefore
ensure its programmes and aid specifically supports urban local
government to face up to the climate challengehelping them
to integrate climate mitigation and adaptation strategies into
local development plans, policy and practice.
1.5 Missing the urban crisisaround 3 million
people are added to cities in the developing world every week
according to UN-HABITAT's State of the World's Cities Report 2008-09.
The report finds that the rate of change of the urban population
in Africa is the highest in the world. And if trends continue,
by 2050 half of Africa's population will be urban. With 1.2 billion
people living in cities and towns, African cities will soon host
nearly a quarter of the world's urban population (UN Habitat 2008).[213]
The pace of urban growth is phenomenal and not only in the "mega-cities"
but also in medium-sized conurbations. This growth is occurring
at a rate which many municipal authorities are unable to keep
up withfaced by the joint pressures of economic decline,
climate change, population growth/flows. Within Poverty Reduction
Strategy Papers (PRSPs), there is little evidence of long term
strategic planning for growth in urban populations and the
consequent pressures on access to land (ComHabitat 2005).[214]
1.6 Despite clear warnings DFID, along with other doors,
continues to ignore the significance of the growing urban crisis.
In-country DFID needs to work directly with national representative
bodies, local government associationswhere they existas
well as central government ministries to ensure that its work
(direct and indirect via development agencies, including the World
Bank and EuropeAID, the Regional Development Banks) builds up
the strategic and practical capacity of urban government and their
communities.
1.7 International policy dialogue and coordinationDFID
should build on the work of the world local government bodyUCLG
supporting national local government strategies, and other organisations
like the Commonwealth Local Government Forum(CLGF), which coordinate
the development work of local authorities internationally and
provide support for building local democracy and good governance.
2. DFID's contribution to meeting the MDG 7 target
which seeks to improve the lives of slum dwellers
"One out of every three people living in cities of the
developing world lives in a slum." UN State of the World's
Cities 2008-09
2.1 Stimulating MDG-orientated Local Development PlansThe
MDG slum target is clearly off track and this is in spite of the
fact that the original target was criticised at the time for being
unambitious. Clearly DFID cannot be responsible for this failure
alone but it does have a strategic role to play in steering pockets
of good practice (eg City Alliance, Community-Led Infrastructure
Finance Facility (CLIFF), CLGF Good Practice Scheme) more into
mainstream practice. DFID needs to examine how it can better contribute
to ensure sustainable long-term self-sufficiency in addressing
this issue within municipal government. Local government needs
to address burgeoning slum communities, along with the full gamut
of the MDG targets that are most relevant to their local
communities ie demand-led local development plans. This will require
ensuring their plans identify those targets that link local poverty
priorities with national and global targets.[215]
Therefore DFID needs to:
Work directly and indirectly (via WB, EuropeAid, UN
and other funding routes) to build in-house local government capacity
to achieve more pro-poor and sustainable local development strategies
in partnership with all sectors of their communities.
Working with national, regional and global local government
associations, Local Government ministries and networks to build
up tools to strengthen urban authorities' capacity to plan for
urban growth and slum upgrading.
Support programmes that target joint local government/civil
society strengthening and partnership working in achieving the
slum target and other locally relevant MDGs.
3. The provision of basic services and infrastructure in
slums, including energy, housing, transport, sanitation, water,
health and education
3.1 Critical challenges for provision of basic servicesEnvironmental
health issues, such as a lack of access to clean water and sanitation;
local air pollution; waste; poor housing quality; all pose massive
burden on the health of the urban poor (UN Habitat 2008). Studies
have show that urban child mortality can be higher than rural
areas eg in Nairobi. Poor urban populations can more vulnerable
to climate change threats (IIED 2007). Inadequate infrastructure
also remains a major obstacle for sustainable urban development
and economic stimulation (Tannerfeldt and Ljung 2006).
3.2 Decentralisation of finance and powers, as well
as responsibilitiesIn SSA and North Africa, local government
is still limited in its capacity to provide basic services. This
is slightly greater in Asia and Latin America, and more significant
in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Many countries
have sought to decentralise service delivery without the necessary
financial means and investing in establishing sufficient powers/technical
capacity to allow authorities to deliver effectively. Municipal
budgets typically require central government approval, however,
in many countries fund allocation is not rational or transparent,
they can be determined by political considerations and vary from
year to year making it impossible to plan for infrastructural
investments that may require capital outlay over a number of years
(Tannerfeldt and Ljung 2006[216]).
3.3 Promoting partnerships for slum up-grading and
pro-poor service deliveryAn internal stock-take of
DFID's work on Decentralisation and Local Governance in 2008 indicated
that 70% of its work focused on supporting the delivery of core
services (education, health, social, rural livelihoods). However
this review was unclear to what degree this focused on the delivery
of urban services. The review also noted that there needs
to be willingness from local institutions to promote and implement
pro-poor policies.
3.4 DFID therefore needs to work in partnership with
local government ministries, civil society and local government
bodies to provide incentives and the political push to ensure
that decentralisation processes are more effective in promoting
this agenda.
4. Supporting opportunities for employment and livelihoods
for the urban poor
4.1 Strengthening local urban catalystsUrban
authorities can and should play a strategic role in this arearesponding
to the demands of their local communities to stimulate SmallMedium
Enterprise (SME) start up and development, providing training
and skills development for marginalised groups, and enhancing
access to employment and business opportunities via improving
transport and communication infrastructure. However this is often
not the case in developing countries, partly due to lack of capacity,
resources, powers and technical know-how.
4.2 Greening urban economiesAs indicated
by the Local Government Association publication "creating
green jobs", there is a huge potential for focusing on green
technologies and approaches to produce both environmental benefits,
as well as stimulate new business and working opportunities. For
the UK, and looking at local carbon economies aloneinvestments
in renewable energy, energy efficiency measures and climate adaptation,
the LGA estimate that it could generate a minimum of 150 000 new
employment opportunities.[217]
This could be significantly higher for developing countries.
4.3 Financial arbitration"only bankers
can get mortgages". It is generally felt that financial institutions
prefer clients with steady income and property with registered
titles. The transaction cost of loaning to the poor is seen as
high and staff are rarely trained to deal with them (Tannerfeldt
and Ljung 2006). Local government can act as an arbitrator facilitating
dialogue between the informal sector and formal service providers;
and offer guarantees, aimed at improving the access of the poor
to financial services eg for housing development as well as business
generation. It cangiven sufficient powers and resourcesalso
provide mortgages itself. Local government therefore needs to
be better equipped to adopt the most appropriate approach.
4.4 DFID needs to work with national associations, local
government actors, CSOs and local government ministries to build
in-house local government capacity in this critical area.
5. The role of property rights in improving the lives of
slum dwellers
5.1 Security of tenureSecurity of tenure is one
of the five factors in the UN's definition of a slum household,
and is the indicator for MDG Target 11. Security of tenure enables
slum dwellers to invest in the improvement of their own homes
and living conditions and to access essential services, whereas
the threat of forced eviction inhibits investment and places people
in constant fear that their homes may be demolished. Slum dwellers,
by virtue of where they live or their tenure status, are often
excluded from access to key elements of city life. They may be
excluded from citizenshipfor example the right to vote
and rights to subsidies and entitlementsor from full protection
through the operation of law. Not having a formal, legal address
can prevent slum dwellers from accessing services including healthcare,
education, water, electricity and credit.[218]
5.2 The United Nations Millennium Project report in 2005 concluded
that improving security of tenure is central to improving the
lives of slum dwellers.[219]
The report made it clear that there is a need to "Enact
legislation against forced evictions and provide security of tenure.
The forced demolition of urban slums has never reduced povertyit
creates poverty. Forced evictions have never reduced slumsthey
simply move slum formation elsewhere. Provision of secure tenure
in existing informal settlements with the participation and contribution
of existing residents is crucial to the process of slum upgrading.
It is important to note that "security of tenure" describes
a continuum of formal and informal legal arrangements that are
highly context specific."
5.3 Local government role and central government supportthe
Millennium project report highlighted the role of local government
in this regard"Local authorities should provide
secure tenure to women and men in informal settlements in cooperation
with national governments and slum dwellers. All local authorities,
supported by the national government, need policies to ensure
a supply of land to keep down prices and ensure alternatives to
slums for the present and future. Two necessary first steps are
to establish a system of effective land regulation to ensure the
future supply of well located land as cities grow and to ensure
that private transactions in the land market are based on transparent
information."
5.4 DFID should therefore focus on supporting local government
ministries and local government directly, to promote secure rights
of tenure, establish effective and sufficiently resourced systems
of land regulation, and install good systems of governance (transparency,
accountability etc) in land market transactions.
6. The implications of the current global financial downturn
for urbanisation in developing countries
6.1 "It is clear that the slowdown is going to
hit different places in different ways. Our response to the downturn
must be tailored to local circumstance
Local councils are
already showing they are best placed to respond to this economic
crisis. They are at the centre of helping people, businesses and
other groups through tough economic times ahead. When things go
wrong, councils step in, both to help kick-start the economy when
it hits rock bottom and to provide a safety net for people in
need
It is councils that can keep people in their homes;
that can get people back on their feet when they have lost their
job; that can form partnerships with business; that can help keep
the local economy going when the outlook is bleak." Cllr
Margaret Eaton, Chair of the LGA[220]
6.2 Utilising UK Local Government expertiseIn
addition to all the challenges urban authorities already face
in developing countries, they will be subject to huge pressures
from the current economic crisis. As indicated above local urban
government has a critical role to play to address such pressures.
However they will need significant support and guidance to face
up to the challenges. This will require DFID to focus much more
directly on local government strengthening, as referred to above.
In addition, it should tap into UK Local Government expertise
that offers know-how that is directly relevant to this and other
urban challenges. UK Local Government offers first rate practitioner
knowledge that is directly relevant to the needs of development
partners at local, regional and national levels. UK councils are
at the forefront of good practice in public sector management,
service delivery and performance improvement, including:
Multi-cultural service deliverylocal
councils are at the front line of providing core services to all
sectors of our communities;
Locally strategic dialogueEnglish models,
such as the Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) engaging core
local partners and Multi Area Agreements (MAAs), ensure effective
ownership on the ground and regional coordination of development
processes;
Enhancing performanceLed by the Improvement
and Development Agency (IDeA) English LG provides an institutional
model of how to strengthen the local public sector internationally,
including through tools such as the Beacon Council Schemewhich
uses peer-to-peer learning and mentoring to enhance good practice;
Regeneration and local economic developmentAs
UK central government has now recognised, it is local councils
which play the central role in fostering economic prosperity and
growth across their areasstimulating training and employment,
supporting Small and Medium Enterprises;
Climate mitigation and adaptationcouncils
are leading the way in terms of adopting a strategic approach
to climate change across their local regions. This covers areas
such as promoting energy efficiency, fighting fuel poverty, sustainable
local planning and emergency/risk management.;
Local data collection and analysiscurrently
for many municipalities in the south there is poor data relating
to the MDGs. This is required to assess needs at the local level
and therefore ensure more locally relevant policy and action.
UK local government could assist in developing the skills base
for effective monitoring and adaptation
6.3 Supporting "Public Excellence Overseas"A
partnership model where local and central government take a more
coordinated approach works well in other countries such as Norway,
Netherlands, Canada, and Flanders in Belgium. In these countries
we see strong and effective collaborations between central and
local government that directly seek to increase the effectiveness
of aid (See Table 2 for examples below).
6.4 LG-AID therefore calls on DFID to work with them,
to develop a new model of partnership between central and local
government in the to seek to increase the impact of UK aid programmes.
Table 2
PUBLIC EXCELLENCE OVERSEASCENTRAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
FIGHTING GLOBAL POVERTY IN PARTNERSHIP
Norwaypromoting good practice
The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad,
a directorate under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) provides
direct funding to send practitioners from local government (and
the private sector) to contribute to development projects. "Professional
and technical communities also provide valuable assistance as
advisers and development partners in Norway's partner countries".
"FK Norway" coordinates this in partnership with the
Norwegian Local Government Association "SK". The fund
supports "international development road shows" around
the country and municipalities hold events such as "international
development weeks" and a whole range of community activities
to promote understanding and engagement. Every year they give
an honorary award"International Municipality"to
the municipality that "distinguishes itself through international
involvement", and is intended to serve as an inspiration
to continue the good work. www.fredskorpset.no/en/FK2
CanadaTapping into local expertise
Working in partnership with the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA), FCM (the Canadian Municipal Association) uses Canadian
municipal expertise to support local governance and democracy
practices, and enhance the delivery of basic services. FCM's International
Centre for Municipal Development (ICMD) has partnerships with
municipalities and national associations of municipalities in
countries in Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America and Caribbean.
ICMD has involved hundreds of elected and non-elected employees
from Canadian municipalities in local development programs. Municipalities
in the developing world seek FCM's support to access unique Canadian
skills that are critical to successful local development. Like
Norway, FCM have an award for municipalities and individuals who
have made an outstanding contribution to international development.
www.fcm.ca/English/View.asp?x=484
FlandersPartners in progress
The Flanders Local Government Association was approached
by both the Flemish State Government and Belgian National Government
to manage their government programmes for local development engagement.
The Flemish Government has made over 2.5 million available
over three years to support 40 selected Flemish municipalities
participate in development programmes focussing on awareness raising
in Flanders and capacity building and governance overseas. The
Flemish programme started as a pilot scheme and, due to its success,
has now been embedded in Flemish law. The Belgian National Government
also has a programme that targets partner countries with programmes
developed around their specific requirements. In addition to locally-targeted
development outcomes, the domestic benefits of this work to Flemish
local authorities have included staff development and valuable
learning & input into policy work in areas such as ethics,
energy and water.
NetherlandsProfessional service support
The Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) has a
well established international reputation through its international
consultancy armVNG Internationalthe "International
Co-operation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities".
This supports national Local Government Association Capacity building
and municipal cooperation. They have also developed a methodology
for evaluating the impact of cooperation. www.vng-international.nl/html/ourworkvervolg.html
207
The Alliance partners are: Commonwealth Local Government Forum
(CLGF), Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), Local Government
Association (LGA), National Association of Local Councils (NALC)
and Society of Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE). Back
208
Accra Agenda for Action. Third High level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.
Accra, Ghana, September 2008 http://www.accrahlf.net Back
209
UCLG (2009) UCLG Position Paper. Aid Effectiveness and Local Government:
Understanding the link between governance and development. Draft,
5 February 2009. Back
210
Draft Local Government Declaration on Climate Change (2009) http://tinyurl.com/cofft4 Back
211
ODI (2009) Presentation from Andrew Watkinson-Director, Living
with Environmental change, NERC at "Planning for the Future:
Can climate change be brought into development planning through
scenarios" Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Public seminar,
2 March 2009. http://tinyurl.com/dfjm2s Back
212
IIED (2007) Reducing risks to cities from climate change: an environmental
or a developmental agenda? Environment and Urbanisation Brief
15. www.iied.org/human/eandu/eandu_briefs.html Back
213
UN Habitat (2008) State of the World's Cities report 2008-09:
Harmonious cities. http://tinyurl.com/d7qvqs Back
214
ComHabitat, 2005 "PRSPs, human settlements and urban
poverty", paper prepared by Kim Mullard and Ruth McLeod and
submitted to the Commonwealth Finance Ministers' Meeting, FMM(05)(INF)1,
Commonwealth Secretariat, London, August 2005. www.comhabitat.org. Back
215
UNDP (2005) Toolkit for localising the Millennium Development
Goals. Capacity Development Group, Bureau for Development Policy,
United Nations Development Programme, New York, Bratislava 2005. Back
216
Tannerfeldt, G., and P. Ljung (2006) More Urban, Less Poor: an
Introduction to Urban Development and Management, p. London: Swedish
International Development Cooperation Agency and Earthscan. Back
217
LGA (2009) Creating Green Jobs-developing a low carbon economies.
http://tiny.cc/EPaXm Back
218
Comments from Kim Mullard, Homeless International (2009). Back
219
UN Millennium Project (2005), "A Home in the City",
Report of the Task Force on Improving the Lives of Slum Dwellers',
Earthscan, London. www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/Slumdwellers-complete.pdf.). Back
220
LGA (2009) Global slow down, local solutions www.lga.gov.uk/lga/publications/publication-display.do?id=1191945 Back
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