1. SCALING UP CAPACITY BUILDING WITH TECHNOLOGY: THE EXPERIENCE OF MDP BY George Matovu Regional Director (MDP) Paper presented at the Capacity Building Workshop for Urban Local Authorities in Ethiopia October 2 –3, 2003

2. Introduction African local authorities are characterized by weak human and institutional capacities. High costs of travel to attend capacity building programmes carried out in other countries / distant municipalities Technology based capacity building initiatives bring training nearer to where it is needed most.

3. The use of technology in capacity building There has been a boom in information and communication technology since the 1990s There exists a huge gap in access to technology between the developed and developing countries The emergency of new technology is creating opportunities for low cost access to information African countries should take advantage of the low cost technologies

4. MDP’s experiences with technology in capacity building Videoconferencing The Digital Radio Web-based training

5. 1. Videoconferencing An innovative and cost effective strategy for capacity building which is used by the MDP in its capacity building programmes

6. Advantage of videoconferencing Cuts across national and continental boundaries Cost effective as people do not travel long distances Municipal managers and other staff do not leave their stations for consecutive days Conducive and relaxed atmosphere for participants to learn from one another, create networks and foster municipal cooperation

7. Countries participating in videoconference programmes Ethiopia Ghana Kenya Malawi Rwanda Swaziland Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe

8. ETHIOPIA UGANDA TANZANIA RWANDA KENYA ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE MALAWI SWAZILLAND GHANA WASHINGTON D.C Countries Participating in MDP Capacity Building Activities through Videoconferencing

9. Capacity Building Courses delivered through videoconferencing The Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations and Local Financial Management Course The Africa Local Government Action Forum The Urban and City Management Course for Africa The Pilot Anti-corruption Municipal Distance Learning Course for Anglophone Africa

10. Challenges Faced in the use of Videoconferencing Many local authorities have no appropriate technology to enable them take part and geographical coverage remains limited to major cities Inadequate and poor infrastructure has led to disruption of sessions Mobilisation of participants difficult Time management is difficult Sustainability of centres after donors pull out is questionable

11. 2. The Digital Radio Has an advantage over videoconferencing because it reaches more people, especially those located far away from capital cities Pilot programme was launched in Malawi

12. Partnerships in Technology-Based Capacity building Programmes Partnerships are very critical MDP has forged partnerships with international, regional, national and local partners ALGAF is delivered through partnerships between the WBI, DLCs and National Associations of local Authorities

13. -The World Bank Institute (WBI) -The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) -The International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) -The Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Forestry (RUAF) -The Netherlands Government -The Government of Canada -The Institute of Social Studies in the Hague -The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat) INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS REGIONAL PARTNERS NATIONAL PARTNERS LOCAL PARTNERS CITIZENS MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP FOR EASTERN & SOUTHERN AFRICA -The Urban Management Programme (UMP) - ESAMI - SNV - SAfAIDS -Local Government Associations (ALGAK, MALGA, RALGA, ALAN,ULAA, ALAT, SALGA) -National Institutions (Uganda Management Institute; the Malawi Institute of Management; Ethiopian Civil Service College) -Universities -Resource Municipalities such as (Illala Municipal Council, Tanzania; Nairobi, Kenya, Jinja, Uganda, Kwekwe, Zimbabwe). -NGOs and CBOs MDP Partners