consultation process consultation objectives feed into the design of usaid’s direct assistance to...

CONSULTATION PROCESS

Consultation objectives

Feed into the design of USAID’s direct assistance to local government

Identify key democracy and governance challenges facing local government

CONSULTATION PROCESS

Interviews held with: City of Johannesburg (Gauteng); Nelson Mandela Metropolitan

Council (Eastern Cape); Amatole District Council (Eastern Cape); Buffalo City Municipal Council (Eastern Cape); Knysna Local Council (Western Cape); Klein Karoo / Garden Route District Council (Western Cape); Cape Metro Council (Western Cape); Durban Metropolitan Council (KwaZulu-Natal); King Shaka District Municipality (KwaZulu-Natal)

21 project managers for LGSP projects

National stakeholders: DPLG; LGTP; SALGA; MIIU, MDB; Parliamentary Portfolio Committee; National Council of Provinces.

ISSUES IDENTIFIED

Issues relevant to democracy and governance clustered under four headings:

1. Democratic council-community engagement

2. Social and economic development, citizenship and civic responsibility

3. Institutional restructuring for more developmental local governance

4. Council and community capacity for developmental local governance.

COUNCIL-COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Real commitment to participation Very little experience to draw on (‘post-forum’

participatory structures & beyond procedural mechanisms)

Community organisation not a given – many municipalities not geared to work in unorganised areas

Need agendas which are ‘relevant’ to engage citizens- current focus on input into Council processes (planning/ services/ etc)


Ward committeesDiversity: Wards that cross old community divides represent

divergent interests Participation of social structures like cartels, gangs,

illegal migrants, etc Principle of plurality respected but ward committees

may be designed in ways that mute opposition voices – to what extent are ward committees political structures ?


Ward committees Geographic distance in rural areas with dispersed populations-

wards too large to enable participation on local issues

Costs of participation prohibitive, especially in more rural areas

Roles of district and local councilors: Traditionally DCs worked through local councils in engaging citizens. Now need clarity on roles; and participatory structures to be established

Ward committees not a ‘solution’ to participation by themselves- Need to have guidance and sharing of experience on rules and procedures


Role of ward and PR councilors

Roles of councillors still evolving (ward & PR)- if ward councillors are the key interface with communities, do they have the power in Council structures & own party caucus to influence key development / political decisions

Councilors need supportive structures and mechanisms to be effective

Officials raised ‘catch 22’ re: councillor participation in projects- both essential as a ‘champion’ & link to Council, but also possibility of (perceived) party political bias


Communication and community access Communication seen as press-liaison or marketing

function (often with limited budget). Communication more difficult where communities are

isolated; high illiteracy rates; participation more difficult where local services standards are high (middle class areas)

Councils need to find ways to listen as well as talk to communities

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & CITIZENSHIP

Social and economic development Councils comfortable with economic development function, but

see social development as social welfare function or unfunded mandate

Recognize that weak social and community structures and social problems like crime, homelessness, family breakdown, gangs, etc impact on ability to govern

Need to create functional families and stable communities acknowledged


Some new approaches: “We build houses & give services, but we can’t build

communities”- Add social development functions to housing development

“Service standards are high, the problems are social”- Area based management

Use key social issues as a way to structure participation & establish Council-community relationships, even if those issues outside local government competence


Citizenship & civic responsibility Campaigns to encourage citizens to recognize what LG does;

take responsibility for services; trust government; know rights and duties; be involved; etc

Some areas (mostly urban) – problems less to do with services than with civic responsibility (what we let our neighbors get away with)

Local politics is being restructured, not just local government Need political solutions to problems of social exclusion &

vulnerable social groups- ‘strongmen’ filling the governance vacuum, eg: allocation of resources in informal settlements, indunas in hostels, drug cartels /gangs, etc


Poverty Key issue for local government New ways to allocate DC levies on pro-poor criteria Lack of skills to analyze and address poverty (poverty

assessment, move beyond income deprivation to look at other kinds of vulnerability, social capital, etc)

Need new economic and ‘regional economic’ strategies

Intergovernmental relations Need to improve intergovernmental relations in process of

tackling social under-development, social exclusion, poverty, weak citizenship etc

INSTITUTIONAL RESTRUCTURING FOR DEVELOPMENTAL LG

Opportunities of more developmental structures in current restructuring

Awareness of need for more developmental and democratic administrations

Municipalities feel there is an opportunity, but it’s a small window:

Need organograms to ‘normalise’ administrative management- tends to a structure-led process. Concern that ‘first-take’ structures will be difficult to change later

DoF grant with ring-fencing requirement interpreted as incentive to corporatise- tension between fragmented institution and integrated policy approach

Emphasis on cross-functional approaches to development- requires a more sophisticated policy apparatus

COUNCIL & COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING FOR DEVELOPMENT

Specific support for more specialised development capabilities needed

Need more rigorous approach in identifying capacity gaps Smaller municipalities: Need more specialised skills over local

government generalists Specific skills gaps: Regulation and contract management,

Labour relations, Project management, etc Councilor development is a critical issue Change management & “softer” skills

consultation process consultation objectives feed into the design of usaid’s direct assistance to...

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