TOLON KUMBUNGU,
1 ? 3RD
FEBRUARY 2005
REPORT
The Pan
African Organization for Sustainable Development
PARAKUO ESTATE
C15 LASHIBI
ACCRA-GHANA
Tel: 022 404517/18
Email: posdev@ghana.com
URL:http/www.posdev.org
CONTENT
Acronyms
1. Introduction
2. Background
3. Workshop Framework
4. Opening Ceremony
5. Presentations on Advocacy and
Good Governance
I.
Civil Society Perspectives on Policy advocacy
II.
Perspectives on Decentralization in
III.
ECOWAS Agriculture Policy.
IV.
6.
Observation and Conclusion
7.
Workshop Analysis
8.
Annexes:??
? Structure of Local Government (
? List of participants
? Presentations
ACRONYMS
1. ACHD:??????? African Centre for Human Development
2.
AMCNMS: Association des Municipalit?s des Cercles de
Niono, de Macina et de Segou.(Association of Municipal Areas
in the Niono, Macina, and Segou Districts)?????
3. CAFO: Coordination des
Associations et ONG f?minines. (Women Coordination
Associations of NionoTownship)
4. CBP :
Community-Based Plan
5. CLUSA GAIT: Cooperative
Leagues of
6. CSO: Civil Society Organization
7. CU: Civic
8. DA: District Assemblies
9. DCD: District Coordinating
Director
10. DCE: District Chief Executive
11. ECOWAP: Economic Community of
12. ECOWAS: Economic Community of
West Africa States
13. IDP: Integrated Development
Plan
14. IFAD: International Fund for
Agricultural Development.
15. INAGEF: Institut National de
Gestion et de Formation (National Institute of Management and Training)
16. KOKARI : Service
d?Intermidation en Credit Rural.
17. MEDET: Mangaung Education and
Development Trust.
18. MISTOWA: Market Information
Systems and Traders? Organizations in
19. MWANGAZA: NGO in
20. NACOGG: New Advocacy Committee
on Good Governance.
21. NCCE: National Commission for
Civic Education
22. NGO: Non-Governmental
Organization
23. OHVN: Office de la Haute
Vall?e du Niger
24. PDRT: Programme for
Development of Root Crops and Tubers
25. POSDEV: Pan African
Organization for Sustainable Development
26. PROMIC: Projet de Micro
Finance et de Marketing (Micro finance and Marketing Project)
27. UGOA: Union des GIE de
l?Organization de la Haute Vall?e du Niger. (
28. USAID: United States Agency
for International Development
1. ????? INTRODUCTION
The West Africa Regional Consultation was held under
the auspices of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and
Pan African Organization for Sustainable Development (POSDEV) project on
Building the Capacity of Civil Society Organizations in Policy Analysis and
Advocacy for Local Development in Tolon-Kumbungu, Northern Region, Ghana from 1
to 3rd February 2005 under the theme ?Promoting Good Governance
through Civil Society Empowerment.
The workshop had the main
objectives of sharing lessons and best practices in good governance and
decentralization in the West Africa sub-region and sharing grassroots
perspectives on the newly adopted ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy for
Participants were mainly drawn from civil society
groups and local authorities from project beneficiary countries namely
2. ????? BACKGROUND
One of the greatest challenges facing the development
of effective and reliable local governance is the lack of institutions and
structures that support and promote participation, transparency and
accountability.? It is in view of this
that the IFAD/POSDEV project:
Building Sustainable Civil Society Capacity in Policy Analysis and Advocacy for
Local Development has identified and mobilized Producer Groups and other Civil
Society Groups from Segou and Koulikoro in Mali, Kollo and Gaya in Niger,
Kadjebi and Nkwanta in Ghana and equipped them with advocacy skills to enable
them engage their local government on policy that affect their lives and rights
to social services.??
Local authorities on the other hand are encouraged to
impress on government authorities the need to devolve decision-making to the
grassroots to ensure effective participation of grassroots in decision-making
on local development issues.? The Project
also sought to create strategic advocacy networks and alliances between
producer groups and CSOs to enhance effective citizens? analysis in the areas
of agriculture, civil rights and local development.
It has also provided an opportunity for local
authorities to build their capacity in good governance and created mutual trust
between local government authority officials and grassroots CSOs. In most cases
they now perceive each other as collaborators and partners who should
complement each other in decision-making, planning and implementation of
projects/programmes for the development of their communities.
The West Africa Regional Consultation therefore,
brought together regional stakeholders to interact and exchange experiences and
best practices in good governance and its impact on socio-economic development
at the grassroots level.? It was also an
opportunity for stakeholders outside the sub-region to participate to provide a
broader perspective on the issue at hand.
The meeting also gave opportunities to participants to
explore challenges facing agriculture in the sub-region and to exchange views
on the newly adopted Economic Community of West Africa Agricultural Policy
(ECOWAP) aimed at promoting economic development and eliminating poverty and
food insecurity, as well as overcoming unfair agricultural policies from
outside the sub-region.??
This report focuses on the best practices, lessons and
challenges as well as the way forward in policy advocacy and good governance.
It also contains a 6-month action plan by participants to build the
sub-regional policy advocacy network to enhance effective policy analysis and
advocacy in areas of agriculture and rights for local development.
3. WORKSHOP
FRAMEWORK
The meeting had the theme: ?Promoting Good
Governance through Civil Society Empowerment? with the overall objectives
of sharing lessons and best practices in advocacy for good governance in the
sub-region; and grassroots perspectives on the Common Agricultural Policy for
West Africa as well as laying the foundation for regional advocacy networks.
The specific objectives were:
a) To disseminate good practices
and lessons learnt from projects across the sub-region .
b) To broaden the knowledge base
on ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy and enhance scope of dialoguel.
c) To strengthen communication and
participation of CSOs and Producer groups in local government affairs.
d) To identify types of support needed and the
mechanisms required to build a strong advocacy network/alliance which will work
towards creating an enabling environment to lobby for policy reform across the
sub-region.
4.
OPENING CEREMONY
The Deputy Director of the African Centre for Human
Development (ACHD), Mrs. Emelia Oguaah chaired the opening ceremony. The
District Coordinating Director of Tolon Kumbungu District in the Northern
Region,
The Coordinator of POSDEV, provided background
information on the, objectives and rationale of the IFAD/POSDEV Project: Building the Capacity of Civil Society
Organization in Policy Analysis and Advocacy for Local Development. In
It has been anticipated that the project would have a
positive impact on the socio-economic life of the people in these communities
and that with time best practices would be replicated in other countries on the
entire African continent.
The District Coordinating
Director of Tolon Kumbungu, Ghana, Mr. Michael Opoku-Nkansah delivered the
keynote address and stressed Ghana Government?s commitment to deepen
decentralization by ensuring that the various District Assemblies establish and
resource the sub-district structures. However, he wished that the CSOs could
assist with building the capacity of the Assembly members, chairpersons of the
sub-committees and members of Town and Area Councils to ensure that resources
are judiciously utilized and to monitor some of the Assembly?s Projects.
The greater challenge
however is the formulation of effective strategies and mechanisms for the
development of agriculture in the sub-region as well as effective and reliable
local institutions.
5. ADVOCACY AND
GOOD GOVERNANCE
I. CIVIL SOCIETY
PERSPECTIVES ON POLICY ADVOCACY
? Mali
Mr. Makono Diarra, President of ?Institut Africain de
Gestion et de Formation? (INAGEF), an implementing partner, made a presentation
on the project in Mali which is being executed by three groups in two different
regions: ?Union des GIE de la Zone Office de la Haute Valley du Niger?-UGOA;
?Association des Municipalit?s des Cercles de Niono, de Macina et de S?gou?. -
AMCNMS
?Coordination des Associations et des ONG
feminines?. - CAFO
The project is specifically
supporting efforts of these groups in three major policy areas:
?
Procurement and provision of agricultural
inputs to agricultural producers and granting of loans for agriculture;
?
Land management in rural communities in the
Niono area and the ?Office du Niger?;
?
Access by the marginalized, especially women, to agricultural land
administered by the ?Office du Niger?.
As a result of project
activities, UGOA was able to secure an order for 10,208,310 CFA francs worth of
inputs for supply to producers i.e. 48% of the value of total orders sent to
suppliers. They were also able to sell the agricultural inputs to their members
at lower prices.
The Association of
Municipalities in the Niono, Macina and Segou Areas are seeking transfer of
legal title to them for land being held by the Office du Niger, in line with
the legal and statutory provisions of Decree No: 96-188 PRM and Ministerial
Order 96-1695 MDRE/SG. These decrees order the transfer of land management
powers to Communes. Thanks to advocacy efforts, the Association has been able
to secure a draft lease drawn up by the ?Office du Niger? and negotiations are
still underway for the final lease.
CAFO of Niono are
advocating for a long lease from the ?Office du Niger? for 50 hectares land for
women. The Association was able to get support from the Prefect of Niono, the
President of the Council of the Niono area and some regional areas. 17 women
were trained in the techniques of writing advocacy messages and 757 women
obtained individual leases from the ?Office du Niger?.
Lessons
learnt:
?
Formalized mechanisms for dialogue are
particularly important in creating the space and the opportunity to strengthen
relationships.
?
The population participates more in rural
development programs when they are aware and understand what these policies are
all about. In this case INAGEF was able to train its partner groups to
identify?? policy decisions, which impact
on their lives so that they can take the first steps to influence these
policies.
?
Strategic alliances are necessary to remove
the barriers and bottlenecks linked to decision-making and local development
within local government structures.
?
Sensitization and capacity building
programmes targeted at both Local Authority officials and Civil Society present
an opportunity for building bridges to enhance information flow and dialogue.
Training of leaders and members of Civil Society Organizations in advocacy
skills is key to the success in actions to influence development policies.
?
Frameworks for consultation and dialogue
between local administrations, decision makers and Civil Society organizations
are indispensable for good governance.
Challenges:
?
Lack of commitment on the part of government authorities and other state
departments to address citizens? issues expeditiously?
?
Difficulties for UGOA in providing collateral for suppliers? credit for
procurement of agricultural inputs.
?
In some cases CSOs and the Government?s agencies are not aware of the
policies and their implications and so they are often unable to effectively
implement relevant policies for the good of the public.
?
Land
management skills training given to the association members are not being
applied; signing of land management agreement between AMCNMS and Office du
Niger is still pending.
The challenges will continue to be addressed through
capacity building support to consolidate these organizations to enable them
confidently engage decision-makers on policy issues for the long term.
Emmanuel Nyarko, Project
Manager in Nkwanta District, made a presentation for the African Centre for
Human Development.
Under this component of the
project, 10 groups engaged in the production, processing and marketing of
agricultural produce were targeted in the Nkwanta District.??? The District has a high level of
illiteracy, and lacks a unified and active civil society to promote development
in the area.
Through activities under
the IFAD/POSDEV Project efforts are being made to form and strengthen the
District Civic Union. The Committee was elected and they are preparing to
embark on activities aimed at bringing peace in the district where ethnic and
land disputes hinder social development.
With support of the
IFAD/POSDEV project, these groups were able to lobby the Agricultural
Development Bank for the total removal of high administrative charges on loans
taken.? As a result the loan recovery
rate has risen from 21% to 60% and groups dealing with the bank for
agricultural credits have increased from 31 to134.?
There is however quite a bit of work to be done as
follows:
-
Many groups in the district should be
identified and trained in advocacy
-
Advocacy must be a process not an event
-
Information flow to and from grassroots
communities should be promoted
-
More training of Assemblymen and women with
regards to their roles and responsibilities would enhance the active
participation of citizens in local development
Lessons
learnt:
?
Shared decision-making among all stakeholders
brings about mutual understanding and commitment to policy decisions on socio-economic
development.
The
sensitization and awareness campaigns have improved citizens? understanding of
their respective roles, responsibilities and duties as citizens. People in
selected communities now know their rights, duties and responsibilities as well
as the role and responsibility of their local leaders.
?
A unified front for all civil society
organizations within the district is the most effective mechanism for citizens
to engage with local authorities as it provides more legitimacy to the groups.
? NIGER
Mr. Ayouba Amado, General
Secretary of Associations of Artisans in
?
Mr. Nicolas Bio Boni, Coordinator of
Micro Finance and Marketing Project (PROMIC) talked about the experience gained
during the implementation of PROMIC and the Programme for Development of Root
Crops and Tubers (PDRT). The two projects, which are co-financed by the
Government of Benin and IFAD, have the overall objective of improving basic
incomes, and participation of poor rural households, particularly women in
local development. The main lessons drawn from the implementation of the
projects is that women can improve their own standard of living and that of
their families and the community as a whole if they are empowered and
strengthened in various interventions of socio-economic development.
?
The presenter from
The success of the project was attributed to advocacy
and the close collaboration with the local authorities including the
traditional chiefs in the areas of implementation. The project was able to
create human rights awareness in different communities, leading to the
addressing of parallel issues like birth registration, issuing of identity
cards and enrollment of children in school.
The female genital mutilation practices were literally
buried.
Lesson learnt:
?
Involvement of the community at the concept stage of the project is
paramount to obtain the people?s participation
?
Citizens contribute meaningfully when well informed.
?
It is very important to establish confidence and trust in the community
at the beginning of the project implementation.
?
The community should always be seen as partner in the project
implementation.
?
Sustainable change requires time, resources and more importantly a sense
of beneficiaries? ownership.
?
Civic Unions of the Government Accountability Improves Trust Programme
in
Mr. Gregory Domanzing, from the Nadowli District Civic
Union and representing Civic Unions formed under the Government Accountability
Improves Trust Programme in several districts in
The advocacy process involves nurturing and collating,
issues from the grassroots CSOs level to a sub-civic union level. If issues
cannot be solved at the community level, they are passed on to the District
Central Civic Union who in turn may pass on difficult advocacy issues to the
New Advocacy Committee on Good Governance (NACOGG) to find solutions at the
level of relevant sector ministries.
Lessons learnt:
?
A Civic Union in the district brings about better and more effective
communication between CSOs and the District Assemblies and thus, creates
fertile ground for advocacy.
?
Citizens readily participate in citizen Policy review Clinics (example:
The Domestic Violence Bill, the Right to Information Bill, Budget Hearing
etc.), which has been achieved through awareness creation.
?
Citizens have the ownership of any policy taken when they are involved
in its formulation and ensure better implementation.
?
With an active Civic Union, District Assemblies become highly receptive
of issues that enhance sustained local development.
Challenges:
?
Some citizenry are slow in accepting the prevailing democratic
dispensation because of insufficient sensitization and education.
?
The high illiteracy rate undermines the confidence of some citizens to
put their concerns across for advocacy.
?
Some district Assemblies are quite willing to display their income
analysis but the story is dramatically the opposite when it comes to
expenditure analysis.
?
Some District Assemblies are not comfortable with Civic Unions ?nosing?
into their performance when it comes to some policy matters (e.g. budget
hearing).
?
Decentralization, in its present state, is not encouraging.? Some District Assemblies have some
difficulties answering questions on some issues because an order from the
central government could derail the process.
Proposed solutions:
?
CU/CSOs should collaborate with the National Commission on Civic
Education (NCCE), to access funding and organize education fora for citizens.
?
CSOs/CUs should be more diplomatic and less confrontational in their
interaction with DAs.?
?
CU/CSOs should continuously educate members to bear in mind that rights
go with obligations.
?
CUs/CSOs should form networks to share experiences. This could be done
at the national level and later cover the whole sub-region.
?
Similarly study tours between CSOs/CUs should be encouraged for
experience sharing within the country and the sub-region.
?
CUs/CSOs should intensify the formation and operations of revenue task
forces to help raise revenue targets of District Assemblies.
?
The general citizenry should be educated on the duties of the District
Assembly Representatives and Members of Parliament. This will empower them to
advocate at the right quarters.
?
CUs/CSOs must be politically non-partisan and must exhibit transparency
and accountability to their membership to enhance their credibility.? You cannot ask for transparency and
accountability when you are neither transparent nor accountable.
?
DAs should be more transparent in their activities to allay the
suspicions of Civil Society Organizations about their respect for professional
ethics.
II. PERSPECTIVES ON DECENTRALIZATION IN WEST
?????????????????????? AFRICA
Presentations on Decentralization and Good Governance
by administrative authorities present at the Regional Consultation traced the
decentralization process in the respective countries from the colonial era to
date.?
It was observed that although texts about
decentralization are elaborate, there is no full transfer of power from the
central government to the local decentralized government entities. The local decentralized
entities do not have sufficient resources to run their activities and in some
cases the central Government does not give enough funds for these entities to
function adequately.? Although, they do
have administrative autonomy, the financial autonomy is not secured. On the
other hand, these entities in most cases do not render account to citizens, a
situation that jeopardizes the principles of accountability and
transparency.? In effect, participation
in policy formulation, decision-making, policy implementation and monitoring at
the local level is still very low.
In the case of Mali, the commune, a decentralized
entity closer to the people, does not even have access to land, which may be
used to build social structures such as schools, clinics or hospitals.
Meanwhile the decrees and laws, which give the right to communes to own land,
are very clear.?
In
In
Here also, challenges encountered in the
decentralization are the lack of financial, human and material means to enable
them to represent the state effectively in the areas of competence, which the
law attributes to them.
Challenges are the entrenchment of democracy, the
respect of regulations, and the good faith of the State, the duty and responsibilities
of local councilors/authorities, the lack of vigilance of Civil Society, the
mastery of the question of ethnic and religious pluralism. Decentralization in
The importance of active collaboration between local
government units and civil society was generally emphasized. The advantages
derived from this collaboration include:
?
Ownership by citizens of everything going on in the district.
?
Care and maintenance of the projects in the district leading to
sustainability.
?
Effective monitoring of projects/programmes and feedback to District
Assembly.
?
Community Based Planning - Experience of
The Mayor of Mangaung City in
A unique decentralization system is operating in
At the constituency level a ward committee is
elected.? Members of the Ward Committee
come from Civil Society in the community. They advise elected counselors on
matters concerning their social development. It is through the wards that
priorities are identified; plans and budgets are made and sent to the
municipality. All the ward plans are put together to constitute a 5-year
Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for the whole Municipality
The ward committee system gives effect to the
principle of participatory local governance. It is through the ward committees
that communities participate effectively in the Integrated Development Plan
process. According to the South African Constitution, local government has two
major developmental functions. First, it has to structure and manage its
administration, and budgeting and planning processes to give priority to basic
needs and social and economic development of the community. Secondly, it has to
participate in national and provincial development programmes. Some of its
objectives are to provide democratic and accountable government for local
communities, ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable
manner, promote social and economic development, promote a safe and healthy
environment and encourage the involvement of communities and community
organizations in the matters of local government.
The Mangaung municipality has been successful in
achieving effective citizens? participation in local governance through the
Community Based Planning (CBP) approach.
The CBP approach based on the sustainable livelihood
principles is people focused, participatory, responsive, realistic and
practical. It is also based on strengths not needs and on partnership. In
addition, it is holistic, flexible and dynamic, promoting mutual accountability
between community and officials.
Although this system deepens democracy it has some
weaknesses as well as challenges:
?
The system facilitates focus groups but there is a difficulty in putting
together all ward plans taking into consideration the different priorities in
the constituency.
?
There may be small budgets for specific priorities.
?
The advocacy is not structured through wards.
?
Ward committee members are not paid. Therefore they do not meet
regularly because of lack of funds to take care of transportation, meals etc.
?
Low education among blacks which hinders the development of their
communities.
?
Local Government does not have a mandate to build schools, houses,
health centers. It is the responsibility of the Central Government.
The way forward is always
to create space for influence and promote equitable development.
III. THE ECOWAS AGRICULTURE
POLICY (ECOWAAP)
As part of the exercise in
policy analysis, participants were given an overview of ECOWAS Agriculture
Policy
The two resource persons ? Mr.
Patrick Ofori and Mr. Ken Kenny from the Ministry of Agriculture, and the
The Economic Community of West Africa Agriculture
Policy is set within the perspective of modern and sustainable agriculture
based on effective and efficient family farms and the promotion of agricultural
enterprise through the involvement of the private sector to guarantee food
security and secure decent incomes for agricultural workers.
?Its essential
aim is to harmonize national policies on agriculture and food security, ensure
regional food security, providing meaningful and gainful employment to the
people especially those in rural areas, enhancing the productive capacity of
our industries, especially, in the agricultural and related services sector. It
also seeks to enhance the export profile of the member states in the
agricultural sector for the overall growth of the regional economy by
supporting the equitable economic and commercial integration of agricultural
enterprises into national, regional, and international markets.? It is anticipated that this will improve
rural incomes, notably the incomes of females.
It will provide West African Agriculture with
appropriate funding mechanisms to meet the diversity of farming systems and the
various investments needs. It is expected to contribute to wealth, employment
and food security within the sub-region.
The Heads of ECOWAS adopted this Protocol in January
2005. It covers all agricultural production, including livestock and fishing
sub-sectors, along with forestry and natural resource management.
The axes of intervention to attain the objectives of
ECOWAP include:
1. Increased productivity and competitiveness
of West African Agriculture (Modernization of farming, Development of agricultural
and agro-food chains, Management of shared resources, Preventing and managing
famine and other natural disasters, Funding of agriculture).
2. Implementation of the trade regime within
the community.
3. Adaptation of trade regime with outside
countries.
The Policy implementation lies on the following major approaches, which
are: formulation of regional development programmes and adoption and
implementation of common rules and regulations.
The effort of Governments in
Participants remained, however, pessimistic of the
implementation of this policy. Countries do not implement protocols and policies
they have ratified. It has become very difficult to address issues at the
regional level, which do not get attention at the local and national
levels.? This is also expressed in the
words of the current Ghanaian Minister of Health and former Minister of
Agriculture Major Courage Quashigah (retired) in Ghanaian newspapers.? He said: ?It is unfortunate that ECOWAS had
passed many protocols, such as the protocol on the free movement of people
goods and services but they were not being enforced?.
IV. ALLIANCE
BUILDING
?????
ANALYSIS AND ADVOCACY IN THE WEST AFRICA
SUB-
????? REGION.
On this, participants decided to put forward a 6-month
action plan with the objective to network with all CSOs in the sub-region to
ensure a better policy environment and implementation of protocols ratified by
ECOWAS member states.
The following activities were planned for execution by
leading civil society organizations such as POSDEV and other stakeholders in
policy formulation and advocacy:
? Identify organizations for advocacy network
and inform them about the formation of a network in policy advocacy.
Organizations working on policy advocacy in
? Put in place the draft statutes of the
alliance by formulating vision, goals, objectives, roles and responsibilities
of the alliance and identifying a coordinating point.? POSDEV Secretariat would coordinate the development
of statutes in collaboration with and inputs from some of the identified Civil
Society Organizations before its adoption by the alliance general assembly.
? Develop fund raising strategy in order to
mobilize funds to develop the statutes document and host the general assembly
and meetings to adopt the alliance statutes and study and analyse policy
documents.
? After the advocacy network is created the
network secretariat will start organizing stakeholders? capacity building in
advocacy.
? At the end of August 2005, there will be an
evaluation of planned activities by the network secretariat when formed.