EU capacitates local authorities to improve service delivery

European Union (EU) extended its technical support to local authorities since it considers them to be development actors in their own right as they have a mandate to promote development at the local level.

This was revealed by Ambassador Timo Olkkonen, the Head of EU Delegation to Zimbabwe during the  Final Conference of the Local Authorities Capacity Enhancement Project (LACEP) II and the launch of knowledge management products held in Harare today.

Today’s conference marked the end of a six-year journey undertaken by VNG International and the Municipal Development Programme in partnership with the Associations of Local Authorities and the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. The Local Authorities Capacity Enhancement Project (LACEP) was implemented in two phases between 2014 and 2021.

“I am honoured to participate in this final conference of LACEP II and look forward to gaining more insights into the results, learning experiences, benefits, and best 3 practices of the Programme. Various knowledge management products that have been produced during the project implementation period (2018-2021) will also be launched today. The EU considers local authorities to be development actors in their own right as they have a mandate to promote development at the local level. Their role as development actors has been progressively recognised by the international community and confirmed within the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.

“Here in Zimbabwe, Chapter 14 of the Constitution recognises the important role of local authorities in development. As the public administration closest to the people, Local Authorities hold special institutional responsibilities in enhancing citizens’ participation in decision-making, with the objective of good governance, sustainable development, and equitable outcomes at the local level,” Ambassador Olkkonen said.

He added that local authorities also play a critical role in ensuring that people living in the territories they oversee not only participate in local public affairs but also receive adequate fundamental services and pledged the EU’s support.

“I am glad to say that the European Union has been a long-standing partner in the capacity building of the local government sector in Zimbabwe. EU support has also made a visible difference in the lives of Zimbabwean men, women, boys, and girls, which is the most desirable outcome of any development intervention.”

LACEP II was implemented in five target local authorities, Mangwe, Mwenezi, Zibagwe, Lupane, and Redcliff with a total budget of 1.1M Euro. Although the project targeted five (5) local authorities, the other local authorities also benefitted through training sessions that were undertaken at the national level and from knowledge products developed under the project which were disseminated widely.

The three major outcome areas of the project are as follows:

 Improving the financial management systems including budgeting, reporting, and revenue collection in the five (5) target local authorities.

 Improving the performance of ALAs to deliver quality services to their members.

 Support to Service Level Benchmarking and Training of Councillors after the 2018 harmonized elections.

The Ambassador said LACEP II has achieved tangible results that will contribute to good governance and accountability in the local authorities. He said the pandemic has also resulted in greater innovation and improved usage of ICTs. For, example, the introduction of the WhatsApp chatbot in 5 Mangwe Rural District Council (RDC) will improve the interaction between the residents and the RDC.

The project, working closely with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, supported the 5 target local authorities to improve public finance management and the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).

As a result:

 All the participating local authorities now have automated and integrated systems in place which have improved their budget processes and financial reporting.

 Databases and valuation rolls were updated leading to improved revenue collection

 Improved engagement with citizens through platforms such as WhatsApp ChatBots resulting in more citizens actively participating in council activities. This has also led to an increase in revenue collection as payment of rates has been made easy through the use of electronic means.

 Publication of a Councillors training manual and other procedures such as the accounting manual and the internal auditors manual.

 Institutional support to UCAZ and ARDCZ; Tools for the SLB process in RDCs

 Enhanced the knowledge of councillors on their roles and responsibilities as representatives of the citizens.

 Mainstreaming gender equality in LA processes.