Table of Contents
"The Way Forward" Panel Discussion and Recommendations
Chair
Mr Normand Lauzon, Executive Secretary, UNCDF
Panel Discussants
Dr Randi Kaarhus, Researcher, Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research
Mr George Matovu, Executive Director, MDP
Ms Katharina Huebner, Advisor to the South African Department of Provincial and Local government, GTZ
Ms Pratibha Mehta, UNDP
In this discussion, comments and suggestions were grouped into three themes, viz. Information Collection and Sharing; Networking, and Areas of Research.
Information Collection and Sharing
- There is an urgent need for compiling a data-base on what is available, and ensuring that participants have access to this;
- Coordination on training and skills enhancement courses offered by participant institutions should also be shared, with a view to joint programs;
- Use of internet for information sharing should be investigated to link partners and to forge new institutional linkages;
- In terms of information, the problem is generally not one of lack of information, but lack of access to that information. Access of different actors and stakeholders can be very uneven, and this poses the major challenge to the objective of information sharing;
- How to use the objective of information sharing to ensure structural change is another major challenge;
- There is a need for greater evaluation of paradigmatic dimensions of "received wisdoms" in decentralization and democratic governance debates, and an awareness of the differences between paradigms;
Networking
- There is a need to build on the existing base of networks and to identify areas which could be strengthened and consolidated, as well as where new initiatives could be taken;
- The goals of networking should be specified, taking into account the three first order questions: for what purpose, with whom and for whom?
- In terms of information and networking, there is a need to distinguish the different actors involved in the process of local government decentralization to ensure that both intra-and inter-governmental networking takes place effectively;
- Networking must also be seen as a dynamic process, if it becomes too complex and institution orientated, questions of financial sustain ability may occur in the long-term;
- Innovative initiatives in terms of use of internet and e-mail should be investigated as a more informal, cost-effective method of networking;
- The use of information technology in networking and information sharing should not be over-prioritized at the expense of setting up mechanisms to ensure a coordinated Africa-wide dialogue on local governance and decentralization;
- There are already solid institutional structures in place to promote networking, for example, the Municipal Development Programme (MDP Africa), conducting research and workshops on local governance issues such as planning, delivery, technical assistance and civil society participation. These institutional arrangements should be built upon;
- The UNDPs Strategy for Decentralization and Local Government which focuses on networking, information sharing, and research should also be taken into account when envisaging future networking strategies;
- The UNDPs African Governance Forum should also be remembered as part of existing networks aimed at playing an advocacy role on good governance and as a forum for sharing best practices; to mobilize funding; to share information with civil societies; and to strengthen governance in Africa;
- Organizations such as the GTZ are specifically targeting lower level intra-state networks, not national policy-makers to ensure decentralization with other partners, this type of synergy could be built upon;
- Networking which emphasizes a poverty reduction perspective is also necessary;
- Networking should not be seen as an end in itself, there is the risk of too many conferences and workshops before sufficient time has elapsed for substantive research and experience on themes to be built up;
- Optimizing existing structures working on decentralization and local governance is the gateway to the way forward with regard to networking.
Areas of Research
- There is a considerable scope for more comparative research not just on local governance and decentralization and related themes within Africa, but also between Africa and other developing continents and countries, as well as between the South and the North. North-South comparisons allow for the exchange of learning to occur also from South to North;
- There is a need for a stronger link between applied academic research and practice, research should be produced in a format which is also accessible to policy-makers and practitioners;
- It should be remembered that information is not knowledge, therefore applied research is essential;
- The sustainability of long term research projects, especially in terms of donor funding requires further discussion and analysis. It is clear that longer research cycles are needed to collect more comprehensive and conclusive data which can also connect local governance policies and processes to longer term strategies of decentralization and good governance;
Summation of the Way Forward
Presenters
Kadmiel Wekwete, Technical Advisor, Conference Secretary, UNCDF
Paul Smoke, Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York
- Not everyone has Internet, but many organizations at the symposium do have websites. One suggestion is to link participant organizations websites to the conference website;
- The symposium dialogue will be taken further between research institutions present here, to entrench communication;
- A stock-taking is necessary, perhaps by African institutions present at the symposium;
- A Secretariat could perhaps be set up to ensure ownership of information and to set priority areas as to the way forward in terms of the three themes;
- The Secretariat could also look into the issue of broadening the audience and involvement of other stakeholders;
- Is it possible to use institutions present at the symposium to compile a data-base on country lessons learned, mistakes and successes. This could perhaps be steered by the proposed "Secretariat";
- A short term operational strategy is necessary to take this process further, ownership of participating states notwithstanding;
- There is also a need for a specific short workshop or seminar to focus in more detail on strategies and priorities for the way forward.
Closing remarks
Albéric Kacou, UNCDF
I would like to address the following questions: what we have learned; where to go from here; and key challenges and possible outcomes.
What we have learned
There is a great deal of common ground and experience covered by the symposium. In sharing and discussing these experiences, we have encouraged and inspired each other and helped to overcome the feeling of isolation which we often find in our daily work. This symposium is a response to a frequent plea from our colleagues in the region for greater interaction with their peers and their neighbors. We all, policy makers, practitioners and scholars alike have gained new insights into promoting decentralization in our countries and to supporting and empowering the poor, ultimately the real measure of our successes. We have begun to pave the way for the future by identifying issues on which we must to continue to collaborate and exchange ideas over the short to medium term. Most of our expectations have thus been met, and more has in fact probably been achieved. Our learning agenda was greatly enhanced by examining the thematic areas, and we have understood the interconnectivity between these different and distinct areas of knowledge, and how they impact on decentralization and local governance.
Where to go from here
Decentralization obviously embraces far more than the five themes. The challenge is to build on existing knowledge in the way we formulate programmes. We have also learned there is a wealth of experience on decentralization in the African region and through further interaction we should share lessons and best practices. We would like to see more regional workshops, meetings, and greater recognition and utilization of African skills nationally and regionally. Indeed, the learning agenda must be determined by African institutions, researchers and scholars.
The concrete outcomes of this symposium that UNCDF are committed to, include: firstly, a Conference Report; secondly, we would like to facilitate a follow up to this workshop, this should led by participants with the UNCDF will playing a catalytical role together with other donors and institutions; thirdly we hope to mobilize resources for follow-up activities on the themes discussed, as well as to explore new dimensions. We would like African organizations to take the intellectual lead in shaping the agenda on decentralization and local governance. Thus strong partnerships are seen as a way of achieving our learning objectives.
With regard to our objectives our successes have been:
- We have examined decentralization programs by thematic issues, promoted learning and knowledge building that helped to create a learning forum on decentralization and local governance;
- We have made great strides in consolidation of existing networks of institutions, policy-makers and researchers on decentralization and local governance.
This symposium is the beginning of an ongoing dialoguing process and is a starting point of a major task, I look forward to the future outcomes of this process.
Return to top
