Capacity Development in the context of Decentralisation

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Capacity Development in the context of
Decentralisation

• Some Observations
• Anthony Land

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Presentation Outline

• SNS Towards CD good practice
• CD Challenges in Decentralisation Context
• Core Capabilities for local governance

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Context SNS Towards CD good practice

• Long-term iterative perspective SNS guided by
  PNG decentralisation policy/strategy, and
  designed to adapt to emerging priorities over
  10-15 yr time horizon. CD prog is PNGs, not
  AusAIDs !
• Demand-driven responding to needs and requests
  identified by national and provincial
  stakeholders, and negotiated with AusAID
  counterparts (Co-location)
• Multi-level interventions - system-wide eg NEFC
  work organisational eg PPII individual eg
  TA-counterparts

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(Toward good CD practice Continued)

• Incentive-based CD support (PPII) provincial CD
  support staged, benchmarked/criteria and
  performance-based
• Flexible use of TA residential fly-in teams
  international national TA co-located
  coaching substitution
• ME for CD combining learning and accountability
  qualitative quantitative, multiple
  perspectives

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CD Challenges in a Decentralising Context (four
themes)

• Decentralisation as a whole-of-government/
  governance reform
• Sector Reforms/ SWAPs opportunities and threats
• Harmonising and aligning CD support
• Keeping sight of civil society

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1. Decentralisation as a whole-of-government/
governance reform

• Fundamentally a political change process that
  demands multi-actor engagement (incl. Civil soc)
  redefining institutional landscape
• A long-term and complex transformation process,
  difficult to plan and predict
• much more than a local govt sector reform - it
  requires engagement across government depts. (eg
  PLLSMA)
• Treat as an integral part of public service
  reform
• goes beyond technical/ organisational fixes
  taking account of context is critical eg.
  state-society relations/ local political economy

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2. SWAPs Decentralisation pulling in the same
or opposite directions ?

• Opportunities/potentials
• Offers coherent policy framework guidelines /
  standards-supervision/ objectives/ task-role
  division
• Predictable and increased flow of funds esp
  important for provinces with low local revenue
  potential
• Conditional grants as instrument CD/
  accountability planning, budgeting, expenditure
  tracking, reporting
• Harmonisation and alignment of external support
  around national systems discourages
  fragmentation of aid flows and forces national
  systems to work

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2. SWAPs Decentralisation pulling in the same
or opposite directions ?

• Threats/risks
• Vertical perspective rather than horizontal
  perspective piecemeal rather than holistic
• Narrow CD focus on sector technical aspects
  overlooking governance and process dimensions
• Centralisation of d-m/ planning processes SWAPs
  the business of donors, central agency
  technocrats, uncomfortable with letting go.
  Strengthening central authority, managerial
  approach
• undermine local political process incl.
  multi-actor engagement local accountability
  local level viewed as recipient/ beneficiary,
  rather than owner of sector resources.
  Deconcentration rather than decentralisation
  perspective.
• Can reduce scope for discretion and choice
  (priority setting) based on locally determined
  needs, and incentives for integrated planning

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3. Harmonising and aligning CD support

• Risk of multiple CD interventions every sector/
  central agency has its own CD programme/ project
  for local govt staff/ tech depts, with a narrow
  focus on sector needs rather than thinking in
  terms of integrated approach
• Lack of coordination between central HR agencies
  and local government who is in charge, who is
  coordinating, resourcing, supply or demand driven
  ?
• Importance of emphasizing provincial CD plan/
  strategy and provincial CD/ change capacity too
  much attention to supplying CD, too little time
  to develop capacity to manage CD locally
• Sector ministries also need CD - to adapt to new
  dispensation ! to effectively interface with
  local authorities and in particular strengthen
  capabilities for policy coordination and
  dialogue, programme monitoring, financial control
  and technical mentoring.

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4. Keeping sight of civil society

• What role for CS in a decentralising context?
  as legitimate actor in local governance ?
• Dialogue and monitoring role in local policy
  process creating space and opportunity for
  local dialogue on local matters eg localising
  MDGs and strengthening local accountability
• Service provider complementing provincial / LLG
  providers identifying opportunity for joint
  action on service delivery
• How to ensure access to funding ? once donor
  funding is channeled through national budget to
  local govt budget implications for their
  independence and accountability
• What kinds of CD support required ? CD for
  effective engagement dialogue, accountability,
  service delivery

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Core Capabilities for Decentralised Governance

• Need to look beyond capability to deliver core
  functions and technical services necessary but
  not sufficient So what else ?
• Capability to manage change and adapt
  fundamental to long-term organisational/ system
  sustainability
• Capability to dialogue and maintain/ manage
  multiple relationships Prov. Govt part of
  complex network of relationships upward,
  downwards, horizontal
• Capability to motivate, inspire and earn
  legitimacy balancing political and
  administrative dimensions, creating local level
  legitimacy and internal pride