(TIMES) Decentralisation to help identify needs

Decentralisation to help identify needs
WITH GILLIAN MUKULA - MWABA

It is generally believed that the best way to empower citizens by any government is through decentralised governance.

The subject of decentralisation has occupied the government of Zambia and indeed many minds since post-independence era. Successive governments have made attempts to empower the people through democratic governance and decentralisation implementation.

This week, Coreen Chooye-Madondo writes on decentralisation as an element of democratic governance.

The author is assistant director, communication and sensitisation at the decentralisation secretariat in the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.

In recent years, the concept of local self-government as an element of democratic governance has been used to argue the case for decentralisation.

From a local authority perspective, the need to deliver adequate services within the districts and communities entails that there is a level of delegation and self-sufficiency regarding allocation of resources.

Thus, decentralisation is embedded in the process of developing an effective mechanism for local development to support Millennium Development Goals (MDG) achievements.

Effective decentralisation is today regarded as an expression of democratic practice, effective and efficient public administration.

It is also recognised that elected local authorities, alongside national and regional authorities, are key actors in democratic governance and administration.

However, the national and regional authorities have their own autonomous spheres of public action.

Local democracy thus constitutes an essential element of democracy itself whatever the form of the state.

The National Decentralisation Policy (NDP) approved in 2002 and launched in 2004 is the means set out by Government for achieving a ‘fully decentralised and democratically elected system of governance.

The policy aims at achieving a fully decentralised and democratically elected system of governance characterised by open, predictable and transparent policy-making and implementation processes.

The broader goal of implementing the NDP is based on government’s democratic agenda and wishes to consolidate it through the decentralisation process.

To promote democratic governance, the Government embarked on a programme to reverse the low performance of councils with the objective of enabling them to play a key role in the democratisation process by offering platforms for effective citizen participation.

Councils would be rejuvenated to instruments capable of delivering quality services for the people.

Since Government launched the NDP, tremendous progress has been made to step up efforts to implement the policy. Progress in implementing the policy has been recorded in many fronts and this includes the establishment of a fully fledged secretariat which is based at the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to spearhead the process.

The decentralised system will also entail effective local community participation in decision-making while maintaining sufficient linkages between central and local Government.’

This is the final goal of the successful implementation of this policy.
However, one must acknowledge a number of obstacles to the development of a fully decentralised system.

Most notably, it has been argued that there is the issue of real or perceived lack of capacity at district and local level.

Therefore, the process of decentralisation will require concerted efforts in capacity building and institutional reform in order to strengthen the capabilities of local authorities as well as other sub-district structures.

The preamble to the decentralisation policy states that ‘Government realises that currently the capacity to attain such decentralisation system of Government does not exist and has therefore, de-concentrated some of its functions, powers and resources to provincial and district administration levels while the necessary capacities are being developed in the councils.’

In order to support the building of capacity within local authorities, it may be necessary to look at alternative and innovative practices to improve service delivery in the short-term until adequate financial and human resources are provided.

A number of countries globally have increasingly relied on the involvement of the community in identifying development needs/priorities to help with allocating limited resources and to provide pioneering methods of addressing or meeting these needs.

For instance, in Tanzania, the ‘Opportunities and Obstacles to Development’ methodology implemented with support from JICA, sees village committees and ward development committees playing a central role in the community planning process. The three year community plan, which is reviewed annually by the village committee.

In the UK the ‘Leading the way by working together’ was an approach which involved communities working with councils to find solutions to common problems, relating to the environment and involvement of youths in community initiatives.

Given that Zambia is a predominantly rural country, the importance of the district councils cannot be underestimated.

The variation between the needs of the various districts and communities also suggests that a community based and influenced development plan and strategy would be most relevant.

A number of districts have developed area development committees (ADC) which aim to fulfill this role, but currently these vary in terms of level of input and organisation.

While these structures are being reviewed, where they exist, and being developed where they are absent, it was felt that holding public discussion forums could provide both input into ADC formulation and also begin the process of promoting community involvement in council planning to improve service delivery and work towards achieving development goals.

Sharing these experiences with councils or providing guidance to local authorities on community priorities will result in better allocation of scarce resources, improved community development planning and implementation and this will possibly result in councils playing a more effective role in service delivery.

Additionally, if communities understand the administrative and resource constraints that councils operate within, they may come to appreciate their limited capacity to address community concerns and the need to prioritise needs.

The Decentralisation Secretariat under the Ministry of Local Government and Housing has been conducting public discussions in Chama, Lundazi, Luangwa, Kalomo, Gwembe, Monze, Namwala and Sinazongwe district councils to among other things increase public participation in local planning processes as well as encourage councils to include communities in the formulation of development plans.

The deliberations have also been conducted to encourage consultative approaches to local development planning, increase understanding of councils on community priorities and needs.

The discussions have increased community understanding of constraints impacting on councils’ capacity to deliver quality services, share experiences and develop innovative approaches to improve service delivery; and provide input into the ADC formulation process.

The end aim of decentralisation implementation is to complement the Public Service Reform Programme (PSRP) objective of creating a public service that serves to generate and apply the political and economic benefits of democratic governance to all citizens.

It is appreciated in democratic societies the world over that local government provides the best platform for citizens to participate in the governance of their countries.

By its nature, local government offers opportunities to a large number of citizens to participate in various aspects of public life.

This process occurring at the local level is crucial as it provides the much needed engagement between government and citizens. It also prepares a large pool of citizens to take up increasingly challenging assignments at higher levels in public service.