Commonwealth Local Government Conference 2009 on the theme: “Improving Local Government: The Commonwealth Vision” held in Freeport, Grand Bahamas, form 11 to 14 May 2009: Dr. John-Mary Kauzya Chief of Governance and Public Administration Branch Division for Public Administration and Development management Department of Economic and Social Affairs United Nations New York Web site: Promoting Strategic Partnerships for Developing Local Governance Capacity to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals

1.Introduction 2.Capacity and Capacity Development 3.Partnerships as local governance capacity 4.Local governance partnerships and capacity building for what? 5.The Euro-African Partnership for Decentralized Governance 6.Developing Partnerships: Some hints?

Introduction  Local governments operate closest to the people  Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), development objectives, local community level development and the capacity of local governments  Seek close partnerships with local governments  Local government & local governance  Partnerships constitute an element of capacity for local governance. Partnerships and capacity are symbiotic.  What is local governance capacity and how do partnerships contribute to local governance capacity building?  Some hints on how to develop partnerships  UNDESA’s Euro-Africa Partnership for Decentralized governance  Ability to build, develop, and sustain partnerships is one of the important competences in local governance leadership,  Building partnerships and capacity must be purposeful

Capacity and capacity development g Developing comprehensive capacity Education and informing the public  Institutional development  Organizational development  Developing human resource, leadership and management systems  Resource mobilization  Creating and developing an enabling governance and legal environment  Developing infrastructure and facilities including ICTs  Building and developing appropriate networks and partnerships Local Governance capacity An informed and coherent community,  Partnerships  Institutions, systems, structures  Capable individuals  Resources,  Appropriate governance environments  Infrastructure and facilities

Partnerships as Local Governance Capacity  Partnerships facilitate capacity sharing  They promote peer to peer and experiential learning, exchange of knowledge and information,  provide opportunity for additional expertise including expertise from research centers, universities etc.  They facilitate replication of successful practices and spare resources that would be wasted on re-inventing the wheal.  They provide opportunity for accessing extra financial and material assistance.  Partnerships can help develop strong catalysts and champions for certain development causes  For these reasons and more any local governance leader needs to engage in developing appropriate networks and partnerships as part of their capacity development.

Local governance partnerships and capacity building for what? Millennium Development Goals MDG 1: Eradicating Extreme Poverty and Hunger MDG 2: Achieving Universal primary Education MDG 3: Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women MDG 4: Reducing Child Mortality MDG5: Improving Maternal Health MDG 6: Combating HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and other Diseases MDG 7: Ensuring Environmental Sustainability MDG 8: Developing Global Partnership for Development

MDGs and Local Governance Capacity  MDGs have been globally agreed and most development actors are anxious to see them achieved at local community level for maximum impact.  Most of the functions and responsibilities directly linked to achieving MDGs are in many countries decentralized to local governments.  Agricultural extension (related to MDG 1),  Primary health care (related to MDG 4 and 5),  Primary education (related to MDG 2),  Prevention of communicable diseases (related to MDG 6) etc.

Developing Partnerships: Some hints? Hint 1: Know the Stake holders and actors Hint 2: Know your & others’ development objectives Hint 3: Approach creation of partnership from the angle of objectives Hint 4: Link your development objectives to MDGs and IADA Hint 5: Seek practitioner to practitioner partnerships Hint 6: Provide space for knowledge and information. Hint 7: Build relationships and establish trust and credibility Hint 8: Take advantage of fora where political and technical leaders of potential institutions for partnership are likely to be present

Know the Stake holders and actors Institutions of Central Government Achieving MDGs Institutions of Local Government Institutions of Civil Society Institutions of the Private Sector Mul tina tion al Priv ate Sect or Inter natio nal Civil Socie ty Orga nizati ons International and Regional Inter-governmental Bodies International and Regional Local Governments and Partnerships

“Ija turye kumwe biri aine aki akurebireho”.  Know the development objectives of your local government and the development objectives of the stakeholders:  No stakeholder seeks to achieve the objectives of others. Local government leaders should know objectives of their stakeholders and how these link with the objectives of their local governments. It is at the meeting point between these two sets of objectives that partnerships that are mutually beneficial can be developed.  Therefore Approach creation of partnership from the angle of objectives not resources  For wider possibilities link development objectives of the local government to MDGs and other internationally agreed development agenda

The Euro-African Partnership for Decentralized Governance  Outcome of the Conference of European and African Regional Assemblies held in Florence in September 2004  a structural space for European Regional Assemblies and Africa local governments to enhance their collaboration and partnership for capacity building  Examples from Burkina Faso, Niger, Cameroun, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa

Messages  Ability to build, develop, and sustain partnerships is one of the important competences in local governance leadership,  Building partnerships and capacity must be purposeful (weaved around strategic objectives. At this moment in the history of the World the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) constitute noble objectives for development  Development partners need to know that any community, even the poorest has elements of capacity that can be used as building blocks to further develop its capacity.  There is a fine line between assisting and patronizing. Partnerships should not be built on patronizing relationships.  Develop systems, institutions, structures and officials. But most importantly develop the capacities of the communities so that they can engage with local governance leaders and hold them accountable.  Develop partnerships because they are an important element of an organization’s capacity.  Utilize convening power to make leaders and people aware of the global and local threats to peace and development and search for solutions collectively.