Antecedentes
Local development programmes are strategic and flexible programming tools combining capacity building with development budget support to local governments. They embody both United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) experiences with and contributions to testing decentralized systems, funding mechanisms and capacity development.
UNDP Nigeria’s Local Development Programme (LDP) was designed as one of the main vehicles for improving the responsiveness of local governments to the felt needs of the people living in the Niger Delta. The programme is based on innovative local development approaches using decentralization and local governance as the entry point for sustainable poverty reduction, conflict prevention and recovery. Its principal aim is to support the development of effective, responsive and accountable local governance institutions capable of delivering public infrastructure and services using participatory, transparent and gender sensitive planning, monitoring and evaluation procedures. The immediate project objectives are to:
- Promote local dialogue, regular interaction and better communication between citizens, States, LGAs, civil society and private sector actors.
- Initiate measures to improve the policy, legal and regulatory framework for local development.
- Develop and pilot an inclusive, transparent and pragmatic procedure for local participatory planning.
- Establish local development fund (LDF) to support investments (in public infrastructure and social services) in an effective, sustainable and participatory manner.
- Enhance institutional capacity to respond to local needs and capability of local actors to plan, finance, implement and manage public infrastructure and services.
- Establish system for both institutional and participatory monitoring and evaluation of investments, including poverty reduction indicators related to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
LDP started in January 2007 with preparatory studies, assessments and stakeholder consultations. It was formally launched in Ondo State in October 2007 and Bayelsa State in February 2008.
Four pilot local government areas (LGAs) - Ogbia and Sagbama of Bayelsa State and Okitipupa and Ilaje of Ondo State were selected. To promote community participation in planning and development, 52 ward development committees have been established in these LGAs.
Thus far, the programme has disbursed two quarterly LDF instalments to Okitipupa and Ilaje. Disbursements to Ogbia and Sagbama are pending opening of State LDF account and fulfilment of State contribution.
Although only 2 years have elapsed since the project was launched, stocktaking is planned to review extent to which LDP is meeting its objectives, emerging experiences, implementation lessons, operational challenges and evolving best practices. Stocktaking is also intended to contribute to expansion and replication of LDP during UNDP’s new Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP), 2009-2012.
Deberes y responsabilidades
Objective
The objective of the assignment is to undertake stocktaking and provide strategic inputs to support the expansion and replication of LDP during CPAP 2009-2012.
Specific Objectives
The consultant is required to:
- Conduct stocktaking to assess how programme is developing, specifically examining the following: (a) relevance of the programme to the Niger Delta context; (b) the level of trust and cooperation achieved within communities and between communities and their local governments; (b) any signs of changes in the capacity of communities and local governments to identify, plan, budget and manage development initiatives/projects; (c) preliminary evidence about the effects of LDF funded projects on local level development; (d) the extent to which the relationship between States and LGCs has been affected by the work of the LDP; and (e) the level of popular and political ‘demand’ for LDF type interventions.
- Identify evolving best practices and lessons being learned based on progress thus far.
- Review extent to which participating States, local governments and communities are effectively carrying out their obligations and recommend ways of strengthening each party’s responsibilities.
- Review operational manual, facilitators guide on participatory planning and other relevant materials prepared under LDP to be used as guides. Specific attention shall be given to proposing procedures for improving LDF compliance, management, and accountability.
- Consider reports of baseline survey, capacity building assessment and legislative study and propose how they would be utilized to benefit potential programme States and local governments.
- Propose recommendations that deal with: (a) the implications of lessons learnt for developing sustainable capacity for local governance; (b) emerging policy and financing issues that need to be addressed such as the legal and regulatory framework for local governance and options and approaches being used to finance LGCs; and (c) the scope for an expansion of the LDP and, if recommended, timeframe and sequencing for any such scaling-up, in addition linkages with the Country Office’s up-stream outcomes and programmes such as anti-corruption and procurement reform, public accountability, HIVAIDS, peace building/conflict resolution, SME development
As currently no LDF has been disbursed to Bayelsa, review of fund management and accountability practices will focus on local governments and communities in Ondo.
Reporting and Deliverables
The consultant is expected to achieve the above objectives by employing a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach liaising with UNDP, States, local governments and other stakeholders, notably development partners and potential partner States.
The consultant will be responsible to submit the following reports:
- Inception Report detailing work plan and working strategy submitted not later than 3 days after commencement of the assignment.
- Draft Stocktaking Analysis Report to be presented at stakeholders’ workshop.
- Final Report based on workshop feedback and review comments received
Competencias
- Good communication and mediation skills.
- Excellent writing and reporting skills
Habilidades y experiencia requeridas
- Advanced University degree, preferably in political science, economics, management or administration.
- At least 10 years experience.
- Strong understanding and knowledge of local governance, development and participatory approaches.