TOWARDS A LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENDA: LESSONS AND ...

526 Pages·2008·3.14 MB·English

TOWARDS A LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENDA:
LESSONS AND CHALLENGES
DGP-Net e-DiscussioN 27 AuGust – 16 october 2007
TOWARDS A LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENDA:
LESSONS AND CHALLENGES
DGP-Net e-DiscussioN 27 AuGust – 16 october 2007
TOWARDS A LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENDA:
LESSONS AND CHALLENGES
DGP-Net e-DiscussioN 27 AuGust – 16 october 2007
December 2007
E-Discussions and the Process
E-Discussions are time bound electronic discussions designed to facilitate dialogue and debate
on timely issues relevant to the practice. E-discussions allow members of the Democratic
Governance community of practice to pro-actively address topics that present challenges or
opportunities to the practice, identify UNDP strategic niches and ground ‘practice agenda setting’
documents or events in country level experience. An e-discussion can serve as an effective tool
to complement other means via which community members communicate, and their extended
duration allows a deeper level of reflection and learning on the subjects discussed. In reality,
thematic e-discussion on the Democratic Governance Practice Network (DGP-Net) acts as
virtual ‘policy forum’ for the democratic governance practitioners.
About the DGP-Net E-discussion Process
The process of identifying DGP-Net e-discussion themes for 2007 started with an analysis of
queries and consolidated replies posted during 2006 in the DGP-Net. The analysis identified
knowledge gaps and members’ demand. The analysis was followed by a Virtual Focus Group
Discussion (December 2006-January 2007) with the active participation of 20 top contributors
to the network in 2006. The VFGD provided critical inputs in refining the 2007 e-discussion
priorities identified through the network analysis. A brief assessment of past e-discussions
and knowledge products across the Practice also informed the process. The identified themes
were subsequently put to a vote in the network “priority poll” to assess further interest, share
information, and ensure community ownership of the process. The DGP-Net priority poll
identified local governance and decentralisation as one of the priority themes to be discussed in
the DGP-Net in 2007.
 e-DiscussioN
Table of Contents
1. Introductory Note ...........................................................................................................6
2. E-Discussion Pre-Launch Message .................................................................................8
3. E-Discussion Launch Message ......................................................................................10
4. Consolidated Reply .......................................................................................................14
5. List of Contributions ....................................................................................................43
6. Closing of E-Discussion by The Moderation Team ......................................................522
towArDs A LocAL GoverNANce AND DeveLoPmeNt AGeNDA: LessoNs AND chALLeNGes 
1. INTRODUCTORY NOTE
 e-DiscussioN
1. Introductory Note
This document represents the compilation of the most participatory E-discussion in UNDP
networks since their establishment in 1998. The Democratic Governance Practice Network
received 153 substantive contributions over a period of two months. The contributes embody
opinions of colleagues from UNCDF, UNDP, UNFPA, UN-HABITAT and UNICEF; from the
networks of the United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) – the largest association of cities,
local and regional authorities; but also regional banks, research institutes, universities and NGOs
from several continents in the South and in the North.
The variety and content of the contributions, as well as the number of countries to which they
have referred to, reflect the importance and relevance of local governance and decentralization
both as a broad thematic area and, a substantive development process. They benefited from the
active participation of all those involved with international development, poverty reduction and
the improvement of democratic practices with appropriate level of regional and local settings.
This E-discussion is also representing an unprecedented effort of interagency coordination
and collaboration. Although promoted and hosted from the UNDP Bureau for Development
Policy, this forum was organized and implemented together with the participation of colleagues
from UNCDF, UN-HABITAT and UCLG. The diverse experiences have served together with
other parallel processes to prompt the establishment of an inter-agency knowledge sharing and
networking platform for the exchange of knowledge on local development and local governance.
This (DGPNet-Local) will be launched in 2008, hosted by UNDP/BDP in close coordination
and collaboration with the Democratic Governance Practice Network (DGP-Net).
In preparing this material all efforts have been made to keep the originality of text of the messages
as we received it. Minor editorial changes have been made to ensure consistency, however, not at
the cost of diversity!
The document is prepared in a PDF format with hyperlinks that facilitate electronic navigation.
Several electronic links in the text will lead to archives within the UNDP intranet, accessible only
to UNDP staff. We do apologies for this limitation. However, many of the linkages included in
the text do also lead to webpages in the public domain, and, they will be accessible to all.
Monjurul Kabir Lenni Montiel
[email protected] [email protected]
Knowledge Management Specialist and Senior Policy Adviser
DGP-Net Facilitator Decentralization and Local Governance
Democratic Governance Group Democratic Governance Group
towArDs A LocAL GoverNANce AND DeveLoPmeNt AGeNDA: LessoNs AND chALLeNGes 
2. E-DISCUSSION PRE-LAUNCH MESSAGE
 e-DiscussioN
2. E-Discussion Pre-Launch Message
Olav Kjorven and Richard Weingarten, UNDP and UNCDF
20 August
Dear Colleagues,
As you may recall, earlier this year, members of the UNDP Democratic Governance Practice
Network (DGP-Net) selected “Local Governance and Decentralization” as a priority theme for
network e-discussion proposals in 2007. Within this framework, and in response to a growing
demand to strengthen the agenda for action on local governance, an online eDiscussion is being
organised for colleagues and practitioners to exchange views on ideas, proposals and challenges.
Your contributions, discussions and hopefully lively debates will provide critical inputs for the
identification of key areas of demand, challenges, and frontiers that are needed to explore and to
improve the effectiveness of UNDP and UNCDF in strengthening local governance, promoting
local development, and supporting decentralization efforts in programme countries.
We will be looking for the experiences, views and strategies of our network members and
some selected external experts. The debate will focus on how UN agencies can better support
national and local governments in the improvement of local governance, and the promotion
of local development. The eDiscussion intends to pro-actively address, through the DGP-Net,
topics related to local governance that present challenges and/or opportunities to UNDP staff/
practitioners in the field. We also hope to identify strategic niches for UNDP, UNCDF and the
UN System at large by taking stock and laying the ground for further discussions in a community
of practice setting.
The eDiscussion, “Towards a Local Governance and Development Agenda - Lessons and
Challenges” will begin Monday morning, 27 August and will end on Monday, 17 September
2007. It will be moderated jointly by the following team:
• Mr. Rafael Tuts, Chief, Training and Capacity Building Branch, UN-HABITAT
• Ms. Emilia Saiz, Director of Statutory Issues and Institutional Relations, UCLG
• Mr. Kadmiel Wekwete, Director of Local Development, UNCDF
• Mr. Monjurul Kabir, Knowledge Network (DGP-Net) Facilitator for Democratic
Governance, BDP/UNDP.
• Mr. Lenni Montiel, Senior Policy Advisor. Democratic Governance Group, BDP/UNDP
The details of the e-discussion will be available next week from the team of the moderators and
the DGP-Net facilitator.
We look forward to a vibrant and rich discussion that will enable us to improve our programmes,
respond to your concerns, and most importantly, better serve our programme countries.
Best regards,
Olav Kjorven Richard Weingarten
Director Executive Director
Bureau for Development Policy UNCDF
UNDP
towArDs A LocAL GoverNANce AND DeveLoPmeNt AGeNDA: LessoNs AND chALLeNGes 
3. E-DISCUSSION LAUNCH MESSAGE
10 e-DiscussioN