The Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery (LG&D) Joint Programme encompasses:
Three regions: Somaliland (Berbera and Boroma), Puntland (Garowe and Bossaso) and South Central Somalia;
A duration of five years, from 01 April 2008 to 31 December 2012;
Partnerships with the Ministries of Interior in Somaliland and Puntland, Government of National Unity, the Transitional Federal Government, Government of State of Puntland, Government of Somaliland, regional councils, targeted district councils, legislatures, municipal associations, international and local civil society organisations, and the private sector.
The overall goal of the Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery (LG&D) Joint Programme is to support good governance (transparency, accountability and participation), and the effective and efficient management in regional and district councils, increase public investment in basic services, and strengthen civic awareness and participation in local decision-making and development.
The LG&D Joint Programme strategies include:
Policy and legal frameworks for decentralisation, local government, service provision and land;
Institutionalising local government systems, vertical and horizontal inter-government linkages and civic education initiatives;
Investment in public services and goods through testing the Local Development Fund model, direct service provision and promotion of public/private partnerships; and
Processes and systems for housing, land and property disputes and resolution.
Throughout the LG&D Joint Programme, strong emphasis is placed on gender and women in local government, human rights and local governance, and good governance principles of transparency, accountability and participation.
The main LG&D Joint Programme outcomes are:
Local governments have basic structures, systems and resources to fulfil prioritised roles and responsibilities;
Communities, private sector and local governments have better means and capacity to deliver equitable basic services;
All key stakeholders participate in equitable and inclusive community and village-level planning, policies and development; and
Land is more equitably managed and accessed resulting in reduction of disputes.
The United Nations Transition Plan (UNTP) for Somalia is the common strategy, plan and programming framework for 2008 to 2009. The UNTP states that local governance contributes to peace and equitable priority service delivery in selected locations.
The main objective of the national Steering Committee is to facilitate effective implementation and coordination of the LG&D Joint Programme. The Steering Committee consists of Participating UN Organisations, the Ministries of Interior in Somaliland and Puntland, Government of National Unity, the Transitional Federal Government, Government of State of Puntland, Government of Somaliland, and the donors as observers. Other stakeholders may be awarded member or observer status as approved.
The Steering Committee discusses and approves work plans and budgets as well as any substantive or financial issues pertaining to implementation of the Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery (LG&D) Joint Programme. The members assume responsibility for performing joint monitoring of LG&D Joint Programme activities. Decisions are made by consensus. Members provide regular feedback on its implementation and propose any necessary corrective actions to resolve problems, ensure accountability, and make recommendations.
The Administrative Agent [Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTF Office) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)] for the LG&D Joint Programme is responsible for the receipt, administration, and management of contributions from donors; disbursement of funds to the Participating UN Organisations; and consolidation of financial reports produced by each of the Participating UN Organisations and Non-UN Participating Organisations and provision of these reports to the Steering Committee for onward submission to the donors.
Participating Organizations are required to submit final year-end expenditures by April 30 in the following year; Interim expenditure figures are submitted on a voluntary basis and therefore current year figures are not final until the year-end expenditures have been submitted.
