Local Governance Component1
LCEP’s local governance component focuses on strengthening the capacity of Community Development Councils (CDCs) to become the foundation for grassroots development planning and management in Afghanistan. Activities will focus on the following core areas:
- strengthening the overall management capacity of CDCs;
- promoting transparent and accountable governance through community monitoring and public audits;
- strengthening linkages between CDCs and the formal Government institutions at the district and provincial levels.
Through the NSP, Community Development Councils have been established in all the communities where the LCEP program will be implemented. LCEP uses social mobilization as a tool for inspiring local people to form their own organizations, to promote their development through their own and other resources, and to actively participate in a decision-making process for improving their lives and their surroundings. The approach encourages participation of men and women in decision-making processes and enhances their voices through their own organization at the grassroots.
For CDCs to become effective institutions of local governance, CDC governance should be supported across two dimensions:
- Internal Governance: strengthened capacity for transparent and accountable governance to ensure CDCs continue to truly represent the interests of the people that elected them. Enhancing the capacities of CDCs to effectively plan and manage participatory and sustainable local development to enable them to uplift their living standard. In the process, they also transform themselves into self-governing institutions at the grassroots. This will help “inoculate” communities against elite capture.
- External Governance: enable CDCs to capitalize on new opportunities to improve quality of life in their villages. CDCs should begin to look outwards to identify and seize opportunities that come from interaction with neighbouring communities, Government agencies, NGOs, service providers and the private sector (for example appropriate technology, SME opportunities, etc.)
The LCEP governance component should strengthen CDCs along both tracks, and with a view to enabling the CDCs to mature in line with the Government’s vision for local governance and rural development.
6.2.1 Community Identification and Orientation
Identification of CDCs for LCEP
In addition to its work with LCEP, UN Habitat also works directly with the NSP Program. As part of its work with NSP, UN-HABITAT is working is over one thousand communities. LCEP communities were chosen from among these. The criteria for selection of communities are as follows:
Table 5: Criteria for Selection of Communities
| Number of communities / households | Existence of schools within walking distance in the proposed communities |
| Accessibility from Provincial Center | Number of schools within walking distance where girls can attend |
| Security Situation | Level of literacy |
| CDC established through election process | Number of block grant project completed |
| Number of woman’s CDCs established | Accounts of block grant projects maintained and members informed |
| CDC meetings are being held regularly, meeting records maintained | Maintenance system established for block grant projects |
| Public review conducted to review all aspects of CDC functioning and activities implemented | Block grant project community managed or contracted out to NGOs/Private sector |
| Number of self-initiative projects completed successfully | Clear expressed interest to strengthen community institution |
| Community savings box established and savings being collected | Clear expressed interest in implanting savings-credit program according to a set of rules |
| Accounts of savings box maintained and accounts reported to members | Potential for implementing micro-enterprise activities |
Orientation
After the communities have been identified, the next step is to introducing the LCEP program to the communities. The Social Organisers and trainers will hold meetings with the CDCs who in turn will conduct community cluster discussions to prepare them for further development planning consultations and data collection and analysis activities in the future. This process will plant the seed for regular community consultations linking CDC members back to the small groups that elected them. A prerequisite for the LCEP program being implemented in the given community is the written endorsement by the community of the program and organizational structure for LCEP.
Similarly, orientation workshops are organised for officials and stakeholders at the village, district and provincial levels. Prior to the LCEP staff being sent to the field an orientation workshop will be held first at the central level then at the district level. The topics to be covered and depth of discussion in the orientation workshop depend on the audience. Some of the topics are as follows:
Table 6: Topics to be Discussed during Orientation Workshops
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Community Resource Assessment
During 2003/4 a community profile was completed for all the communities where LCEP is being implemented. During the implementation of NSP, the communities have also conducted problem analysis for their communities. In order to reflect the information required for implementation of LCEP additional information will be collected at the community and household levels. Community cluster discussions will be held about community assets, as well as problems and problem causes as a precursor to the data collection. The details of data to be collected will be discussed in the monitoring section of this document.
6.2.2 Strengthened Management Capacity
Regular Monthly Meetings, Record and Publish Decisions
CDCs are not only encouraged but required to compulsorily meet formally once a month for which a date will be fixed which is convenient to all the members. Besides this the CDC can meet any time as required. Once established the meeting will be held in the Community Building. At least 51 percent of the elected members must be present for the decisions of the meeting to be valid. Any community member can participate in the meeting as an observer. The Secretary will record the proceedings of the meeting and read the minutes before adjournment. The minutes will be published in the community notice board and the newsletter. It is hoped that such regular meetings will strengthen collective leadership and participatory decision making, establishing a pattern for good local governance. It will also promote civic responsibility, active participation and self-confidence, providing the ground for participatory democracy
Update Community Development Plan
The basic idea in preparing a community development plan in NSP was to mobilize local people to promote village development through their own and other resources and to let them actively participate in the decision making process for improving their lives and their villages. This planning process will promote and institutionalize participatory planning instilling strategic reflection and a holistic approach to solving community problems through proactive internal participation and meaningful engagement of the villagers with the external environment. This exercise will link available resources with the real needs of the community.
Following implementation, the NSP and their priority project through the block grant support the community should be encouraged to critically reflect on their experience and development challenges and prepare them for further development planning consultations and analysis activities in the future. The CDCs will therefore review and revise their Community Development Plan, and submit it for consultation and endorsement to the different community clusters. A large gathering will be held to review and endorse the plan. The revision process will also revisit the mission statement. The components of LCEP will be reflected in the revised plan. This planning process will be linked with the Community Development Fund.
The communities will also identify and implement another Community Self-Initiative project that requires neither financial nor technical assistance from outside. This initiative will help in building the community's confidence, and instrengthening the legitimacy of the CDC members.
Community Development Fund
Currently, the Community Development Plan prepared under NSP is largely a wish-list driven by the promise of NSP block grant funding. In order to breathe life in to it, the there must be a clear incentive and purpose for planning. In absence of visible opportunities to implement other elements of the CDP, the motivation of the communities for working on the community development plan will gradually fade out.
In order to sustain the motivation and enthusiasm of the villagers for community development plan, Community Development Fund (CDF) shall be established building on from the traditional practices in the villages. Starting initially with the community saving boxes the fund is expected to grow form the additional contributions of internal and external contributors. There is need to bring closer connection between community resources and community initiatives, ensuring that even without external funding, there is a mechanism to manage local resources.
In addition, the CDF will serve as the mechanism to manage the leveraging of local resources with external funding. Thus, the CDF will serve as the mechanism to generate matching funds to the external funding possibilities. The external contributors will have gained confidence to contribute once the villages prove that there is capacity of handling the funds properly and that they are taking self-initiative to implement community development priorities.
The local resources supplemented by external resources will become the “village budget,” and the CDF will manage the income and expenditure the community. Such a mechanism is fundamental to ensuring linkages between social and economic governance.
On a practical level, the Fund will also provide/process small grants for local initiatives. Each participating CDC will set-up a management board to coordinate and channel funds in an effective and efficient manner, and to formulate criteria for implementation.
Development of CDC Constitution and Formalization
Currently, there is no clear delineation of the mandate and responsibilities of elected CDCs. UN-HABITAT proposes to work closely with the MRRD and with CDCs to develop a generic constitution and code of ethics for the Executive Committee and members. These will be piloted and then mainstreamed within target communities.
LCEP will work towards preparation of a draft CDC constitution in a participatory way to define the roles, responsibility and authorities of CDCs in the context of community development. The aim is to get the constitution eventually registered and recognized by the state formally so that the CDCs have a role and function in the official local governance structure. The guiding principles and code of ethics (pledges) provide the terms of association for the communities and at the same time provide guidelines for the CDC constitution.
Following are the suggested steps for preparation of a draft CDC constitution with the participation of the communities.
- LCEP social organizers create awareness among the CDC and communities about the need of a CDC constitution.
- LCEP will develop a draft generic “Table of Contents” based on the constitutions of similar village organizations in neighbouring countries.
- LCEP social organizers will discuss the draft “Table of Contents” with selected CDCs.
- Facilitated by LCEP social organizers/district trainers CDCs meetings and cluster meeting will elaborate CDC constitution as per the “Table of Contents”.
- Draft Constitution prepared by some selected CDCs shall be harmonized in one format and will be field tested in selected communities.
- “Cascading up” discussions will be held at community, district and provincial levels to discuss and finalise the document.
- At the end of the first two years of LCEP interventions a CDC constitution, shall be available for formal endorsement. The constitution eventually shall get legal recognition of the government.
- During this process UN-HABITAT will consult on an a ongoing basis with MRRD and other relevant government agencies.
Establishment of Community Centers
Lack of access to ideas and information for social and economic empowerment is one of the major deficits in rural Afghanistan (accompanied by the high levels of personal indebtedness and dearth of access to capital).The establishment of community centers will provide a more permanent base of CDCs to meet, location for conducting literacy classes, etc.
It will also be a venue to connect rural villages to external ideas and information. Information available will include: awareness information in such areas as health and hygiene; “how to” information on establishing kitchen gardens, composting, earthquake resistant construction techniques; appropriate technology opportunities, information on Government, NGO and Private Sector services available, information on village expertise available locally, market information for produce, etc.
It will also serve as a venue to bring together members of neighbouring communities for social, developmental and economic activities. Community Centers will also support the literacy component by providing an additional venue for educational meetings and for the dissemination of locally produced information, such as newspapers. The CDC will identify a centrally located and accessible space to build the centre and construct the space where necessary. The CDCs will not expect LCEP to provide financial grant for this.
Youth Groups
One in five people in Afghanistan are between the age of 15 and 24. Nearly 10 percent of male elected members and nearly 15 percent of female elected members in CDCs are in their twenties. They have been particularly elected to the important positions of CDC secretary and treasurers. Youth are the future leaders of CDCs. Therefore, all LCEP program CDCs will encourage formation of youth groups with a mirror leadership management structure as the CDCs. The youth groups will be encouraged to organize sports tournaments, debate societies, cultural events, reforestation activities, publish newsletters, volunteers for management of CDC’s programs, or any other constructive activity.
Training
LCEP will provide the CDCs with management support to strengthen their institutional capacity to plan, monitor and coordinate various community development activities specifically the literacy, micro-finance, micro-enterprise and NSP related block grant projects. The CDC officers and volunteers will be given training on planning tools and techniques so that they can better serve the CDCs' sectoral sub-committees in participatory planning, monitoring and coordinating. Training program components will also include creating awareness in inclusive decision making, how to communication effectively, active listening, effective consultation, facilitation, etc. Refresher training will be provided on booking and financial management for treasurers and secretaries.
6.2.3 Transparent and Accountable Community Governance
Community Development Record Book
In order to record and maintain transparency of its activities each CDC will maintain a Community Development Record Book. This book kept at village level will record all key information related to village development activities coordinated by the CDC. This record book forms the basis for the discussion during the Social Audit sessions.
The village development books are to be standard, unique and identifiable among the villagers. One village development book should be used for one tenure of the elected Community Development Councils. The CDC Secretary and Treasurer will be provided training on maintaining the book.
The key information in the village development book shall include; village profile, village map, village development plan, names of the CDC members, their roles and responsibilities, names of the committee formed for various purposes such as literacy, savings and credit micro-finance. The roles, responsibilities and relationships between committees and councils shall also be recorded in the book. Furthermore, it shall contain sections on resources generated, resources provided and resources utilized. It shall also contain sections for decisions and minutes as well as a section for recording proceedings and decisions of the Social Audit meeting.
For the infrastructure projects there shall be a separate section in the village development book, which shall be enough to record 2-3 infrastructure projects. The technicians should describe clearly the project design, project estimate, technical and managerial advises in an understandable way to user committee. The Record Book should be kept at work site when this work is ongoing so that anyone interested can easily study the book. After the completion of the project, the pages which are not used should be marked ( x ) clearly. None of the pages (including those unused) of this project book should not be torn apart.
Should there be more community infrastructure projects within the tenure of a CDC, supplementary project books shall be used. Supplementary project shall just be the extract of the project section from the village development book printed in same size and colour.
The village development book shall be accessible to any interested member of the community at any time. The Secretary of the CDC is responsible for maintaining the Record Book. All records should be completed clearly on the respective pages.
"Public Audit" System
Public auditing implies large community gatherings conducted on-site during the implementation of projects. This is a process of assessing project progress in mass meetings of project beneficiaries and representatives of facilitating organizations. The method of periodic and structured public review of project progress by the members during the program implementation is one of the tools to be applied to achieve the objectives of self-help, confidence, empowerment and transparency and accountability.
The basic aim of the Public Social Audit is to instill in the community a sense of confidence and empowerment. The community will become a powerful and organized pressure group able to secure and transparently manage resources for their own community development. The concept of public audit strongly serves to reinforce the idea of downward and horizontal accountability, rather than upwards to donors. Such peer oversight has proven much more effective than external oversight. Such audits involve a regular review of physical progress and financial auditing of income and expenditure. These meetings are organized on-site and matters related to program implementation and resources flow are discussed openly by participants. In such mass meeting beneficiaries review the progress of the project, its income, expenditure and resources.
The Secretary of the CDC is responsible to present to the members a program progress report on behalf of the CDC. Based on this presentation participants may raise, agree or disagree on questions regarding process and quality and process of work, resources used and any other relevant procedural issues. It is very crucial that the entire meeting process is moderated (by the Social Organizer) in a way that all involved get an opportunity to express their feelings particularly people of socially disadvantaged groups.
The number of public audit meetings to be organized during the entire period of work depends on the size of resources flow, type of project and project site specific circumstances. In LCEP public social audits will be organized two times a year. The minutes of the public audit meeting are recorded in a given format in the Record Book. The minutes are to be read by the Secretary to the public at the end of the meeting.
It should also be noted that this component will strongly reinforce the literacy and numeracy components of the LCEP, as well as the savings and credit programs to be established under the economic empowerment component.
Community Information Board
Information boards will be set-up at places of public gathering in order to inform the community members about the development activities in the community, decisions about CDC or other meetings, publish financial statements, or any other information of interest for the community. Following are some of the issues which could be published in the information board which are directly related to the LCEP activities:
Table 7 Suggestions for Types of Information to be Published
| Development Initiative | Key Information to put in the information board |
| CDC information board | Names of the office bearer s of the CDC, CDC meeting decisions, announcements, newsletter, wall newspapers, financial transactions |
| Infrastructure Projects | Name of the project, targeted beneficiaries, date of start, date of intended completion, internal contribution, resources available from external agencies, wage rates, quantity of material to be used and committee members etc. |
| Literacy Intervention | Schedule of literacy classes. Number of participants (M/F), number of classes, locations, duration of intervention, responsible committee members etc. |
| Savings and Credit Initiatives | No. of self help groups, number of participants, frequency of meeting, saving rates, responsible social organizer, savings amount (updated) and savings amount on pass book savings. |
| Enterprise Promotion | Training activities, market and product price information, availability of inputs and resources, etc. |
Publication of Village Newsletters
The program will encourage CDCs and provide assistance to share information within the community as well as with the external world. On one hand this forum will provide an opportunity to share their successes and experiences. A positive-stroke will provide encouragement to replicate successes. The newsletter will also be a forum to publish CDC decisions and financial statements, in order to promote transparency. On the other hand the newsletter could also publish information about training opportunities, market information, resources available, projects being implemented, community information, etc. Finally the newsletter will also be a supplemental reading material for the literacy component. The newsletter should be written in simple, understandable format.
6.2.4 Linkages with Development Agencies
Information Sharing Session: Development Market
LCEP cannot address all of the many needs of the community. Besides, there are other development agencies be they governmental, non-governmental, private sector, etc. providing services. CDCs are already seeing and capturing opportunities to approach other external agencies besides UN-HABITAT for services. Linked with the periodic updating of the community development plans and initiating the community development fund two-way information sharing forums will be organized at district level involving the CDC representatives and the development agencies working in that area. The communities can express their needs and also learn about what services are being offered which they could take advantage. On the other hand the development agencies can assess the felt needs of the people they are mandated to provide services to or assist.
Develop Cadre of Village Specialists
A CDC and/or through cooperation between a number a CDCs, in its/their effort towards self-reliance will explore the possibility of developing a cadre of village specialists which will thereby reduce their current dependency on "external" agencies to solve their problems. The CDCs will identify and request external agencies to help in capacity building, bringing them abreast of the latest technical know-how, management and marketing concepts, including professional skills training, transfer of technology, quality control and linkage with markets. These trained village specialists will also be an avenue to link technology transfer and skills training activities with the district-level government and non-government organizations. This program will be implemented in stages starting with identifying village volunteers to assist the CDCs in their day-to-day management.
Community Exchanges
During 2003-04, UN-HABITAT experimented with the facilitated exchange of experience between CDCs. As one participant explained, ‘we learned as much from this one half day visit as from one month’s facilitation.’ A component of the governance activities will be to facilitating exchanges between community and CDC members participating in LCEP. Besides organizing context specific exchange visits, in every training program such visits will be part of the curriculum. Through this community members get opportunity to discuss experiences, successes and failures, mistakes, i.e. a villager-to-villager exchange.
- This text is an excerpt from a larger document produced by UN Habitat for LCEP in 2005.