Programme description

Title: Programme to support decentralisation and the fight against poverty
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Burundi
Lead executing agency: Ministère du Plan et du Développement Communal
Overall term: 2011 to 2013

Context

Ten years after the end of the civil war in Burundi, decentralisation is now a crucial element of political reform. The participation of citizens in local development is strengthened through the transfer of decision-making processes from central government to municipal level. With a particular focus on disadvantaged groups such as displaced persons and returnees, young people and women, this involvement is a prerequisite for stable social co-existence.

Burundi has already made some early progress towards decentralisation, although it still faces many challenges at both municipal and state level. The Ministry for Planning and Local Development and the Ministry of the Interior do not yet have sufficient capacity to manage political processes. Most staff dealing with decentralisation issues are inexperienced and inadequately trained, as there is still no uniform system of training for local authority employees. A national fund has been established to promote municipal investment and has the potential to greatly enhance development at local authority level. As yet, however, it is barely functional. As a result, local authorities are unable to provide their populations with a satisfactory level of basic services in the areas of health, education, drinking water and administration. Without these, sustainable economic development is impossible.

Objective

The participation of the population in political processes and local economic development enhance the capacity of municipal authorities and of other decentralised actors to provide basic services.

Approach

Building on the positive results of an earlier project entitled ‘Support for the Reintegration Programme’, GIZ advises key ministries, national authorities, provincial governments and municipalities on decentralisation issues. Government bodies and specialist authorities are involved from the beginning in project activities and in the evaluation of their impact.

The programme (Programme d’Appui à la Décentralisation et à la Lutte contre la Pauvreté – ADLP) is divided into three main components:

• Support for decentralisation
• Support for local governance
• Local economic development

Some areas are being implemented by a consortium made up of the consulting firms PEM, Ambero and IP. An additional component aims to promote municipal infrastructure development and access to energy among rural households. These activities are part of the Energising Development Initiative (EnDev), which is being implemented with support from the Dutch and German Governments.

Key project measures are:

• strengthen the coordination and management capacity of the Ministry for Planning and Local Development and the capacity of the Ministry of the Interior to implement decentralisation;
• support the development and implementation of a national training programme for local councils, municipal officials, public authorities and other state actors;
• promote the participation of disadvantaged groups in local planning and development committees;
• advise the national authority charged with administering the municipal investment fund;
• support the creation and implementation of municipal development and investment plans;
• strengthen provincial and local authority administrations in their efforts to promote local economic development, with a particular emphasis on measures to promote businesses run by women;
• professionalise small agricultural businesses in Gitega province;
• disseminate innovative agricultural production methods;
• promote the cultivation and marketing of new agricultural products;
• provide training for solar power engineers and producers of more efficient stoves;
• organise sales exhibitions and build up a distribution and maintenance system for decentralised energy provision at municipal level.

The programme advises the 11 local authorities with a population of around 715,000 that make up the province of Gitega in the centre of the country. The aim is to involve the population more effectively in local decisions and planning. To this end, the project helps local authorities to become more accountable to their citizens, with a particular focus on transparency.

At the same time, GIZ advises the responsible ministries on the implementation of reforms and is thereby helping to create a sustainable judicial and institutional framework for decentralisation in Burundi.

The EnDev component supports the local economy by helping to set up a distribution and maintenance system for solar power provision at municipal level and advising on how to extend the use of more fuel-efficient stoves.

Results achieved so far

The programme has helped establish national quality standards for municipal development plans. These plans are being implemented in all the local authorities in Gitega province. A survey has shown that they are in line with 96 % of the needs of the local population. With the help of the programme the partners have developed a national system to evaluate the efficiency of local authorities. This system is also currently being implemented. The contributions of different donors towards the introduction of national training standards are being coordinated by GIZ. Exchanges with colleagues in other African countries (South-South exchanges) help to raise awareness of the issues and enhance the capacity of the partners to find solutions.

In the field of rural economic development, the programme supports the dissemination of profitable and innovative production methods. This creates up to 4,000 seasonal jobs and, by helping to increase food security and incomes, contributes to poverty reduction. At the same time, the new methods are specifically designed to help protect natural resources.

Together with its partners, the programme has also had a significant impact in terms of conflict reduction. The structures established for mediating in local disputes have led to a peaceful resolution in 94 % of the cases submitted for mediation in the target area. The remaining cases are referred to a higher judicial level for settlement. Particular support is given to women, who now play a central role on mediation committees, hill councils and municipal councils. Their involvement has increased substantially since cooperation with GIZ began.