HIGHLIGHTS

Transcription

1 HIGHLIGHTS A project co-funded by European Union s Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development Programme (multi-country) IN THIS HIGHLIGHT: The Project behind the Acronym Revealed The Website Major Capacity Building Training Secrets Innovative Element: Transfer Concept National Workshops Interview with the Deputy Mayor, Yala City The Vital Role of Local Government Associations (LGAs)

2 WELCOME DELGOSEA THE PROJECT BEHIND THE ACRONYM REVEALED DELGOSEA LOOKING BACK ON A SUCCESSFUL YEAR Welcome to the first edition of DELGOSEA Highlights, introducing a series of publications drawing attention to various aspects of the DELGOSEA project, the exciting promotion of best practices in Southeast Asia local public administration. What makes a best practice model? How do you transfer the experience of one city to another city in a different country? These were the kind of questions being asked in the first phase of the project, and this edition of the highlights concentrates on some events and activities of this phase, while also providing some background on the project elements that make DELGOSEA special. There are reports on two major events, and the vital role that Local Government Associations (LGAs) play in this project is explored. The innovative transfer concept, which is a key to the project s success, is outlined and the secret behind terms such as Fish Bowl and World Café is revealed. The DELGOSEA team plans to publish these highlights at regular intervals, focusing in each edition on a different aspect of the project, so that over the next 15 months, a complete picture of the project s aims, activities and results will emerge. Never before has there been such a systematic approach to exchanging experiences between local governments from different countries in the region, to learn from each other and to partner with each other in tackling local development issues. This project treads new ground: DELGOSEA (Partnership for Democratic Local Governance in Southeast Asia) is creating a network of cities and municipalities to exchange experiences and learn from each other across borders. Best practices in local governance from one partner country - Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam - are being replicated by a local government in another one. It supports the role of Local Government Associations (LGAs) in assisting the transfer and providing sustainability of these best practices replications. This is the unique character of this project. It facilitates a genuine dialogue between local government institutions from different countries with different political systems - transnational dialogue in action.

3 The project has also emerged as a bona-fide multistakeholder network, with cooperation between local authorities, universities and NGOs, breaking new ground in this area as well. Most importantly, through the exchange of best practices in the region, DELGOSEA intends to contribute to the improvement of living conditions of disadvantaged groups in Southeast Asia by helping increase their participation in local planning and decisionmaking. The project has been running for 12 months a good time to present some highlights of what was an exciting and busy year! The first half of the year was very much conducted as a preparatory phase: carrying out research, selecting 16 best practice examples of local governance in the five participating countries, matching pilot cities with these best practices, completing the transfer concepts and having these officially accepted by each mayor as guidelines for the implementation. The ground has been well prepared for the second phase where the LGAs and their facilitators will guide the 16 pilot cities in their implementation of the best practice replications. DELGOSEA comprises a strong and colorful consortium of stakeholders specialized, highly professional organizations like the Thai Environment Institute and the Philippine Local Government Development Foundation, 10 Local Government Associations from the five partner countries, the regional umbrella organization United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific Branch (UCLG-ASPAC) and more than 30 best practice places and pilot municipalities in the five countries. DELGOSEA was launched in March 2010 and is cofunded by the European Union and the Konrad- Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) of Germany through the German Ministry of Development Cooperation. DELGOSEA - THE WEBSITE Our website is a vital tool for sharing lessons learned in our support of the replication of good governance best practices with our partners in the five participating countries and beyond, says Susanne Stephan, DELGOSEA Project Manager in Manila, Philippines. The Partnership for Democratic Local Governance in Southeast-Asia (DELGOSEA) website, was officially launched on September 26, The website serves as a portal for partners, stakeholders and the public to learn about DELGOSEA s activities with partner municipalities in replicating good governance best practices across the region.

4 With the possibility to read and download short as well as detailed description of best practices and relevant capacity development materials, the DELGOSEA website intends to disseminate information and replicate best practices to other interested local government associations and cities. DELGOSEA S MAJOR CAPACITY BUILDING: THE TRAINING OF FACILITATORS Participants from completely different political and socio-cultural backgrounds found common ground when it came to discussing the problems facing local authorities on the ground, transcending the different political systems and cultural norms of their home countries. DELGOSEA is all about learning and exchanging experiences, and one of the most exciting activities of the first project year exemplifying this approach was a large transnational workshop focusing on capacity building for local facilitators who will be charged with guiding and assisting the local governments for implementing the best practices replications a Training of Trainers. Common values clearly matter more than political differences which was a fascinating experience not just for the 70 participants from five Southeast Asia partner countries, but also for the organisers of the event. It became clear that for a successful replication of best practices some preconditions have to be met: the mayor and other decision makers have to be fully behind the project; the political and legal framework of the pilot cities have to integrate the aims of the project; a private-public partnership has to be established. It is also vital that the real needs of the people are reflected and that the project fits into the local development plan. The workshop was first and foremost designed to support local facilitators understanding of and approaches to the development of best practice transfer concepts, a step-by-step guideline on best practice replication, with pilot cities partners in early Taking place in November 2010 in Pattaya, Thailand, the participants, experts and staff members from local government associations (LGAs), the local government apparatus and NGOs spent 10 days together exploring the issues surrounding the replication exercise. What actually is the transfer concept? How do you accompany a local authority through the replication steps? The important issues of monitoring and reporting were also discussed in plenary sessions with input from experienced trainers and facilitators. A theoretical background to the development of local governance in Southeast Asia was given through presentations by experts from Thailand and Germany, Associate Professor Woothisarn Tanchai from King Prachathipok Institute and Dr Peter Köppinger, Project Director of DELGOSEA and Country Representative of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in the Philippines, respectively.

5 In working groups, arranged according to different themes, the facilitators explored issues around their selected themes, Institutional Governance, People s Participation, Financial Management and Urban Environment. For these group sessions, innovative training methods such as World Café, Fish Bowl or Market Place have been used. In this way it was ensured that all participants were equally included in the discussion process, irrespective of their different cultural backgrounds and language skills. Finally, the local facilitators and partner (LGAs) from each country presented their first ideas on how to start the best practice transfer with selected pilot cities from March 2011 onwards. With the end of the workshop we have finalized the first project phase and are now ready to enter into the replication process, said DELGOSEA Project Manager, Susanne Stephan during the closing ceremony, where certificates were awarded to local facilitators. She thanked the LGAs for institutionalizing the training program into their organizations and spreading the knowledge amongst their network members; the political leaders for ensuring the political will to realize the replication of best practices, the facilitators for playing their roles in helping the pilot cities with expert advice and training and her DELGOSEA colleagues for ensuring smooth coordination. Let us join forces and make this project a success not for us, but for the good of the people, she added. WORLD CAFÉ The idea behind World Café is simple: people find it easier to chat in a relaxed environment. A Café conversation, therefore, is a creative way of initiating collaborative dialogue. Four people join a table where a facilitator is already seated and talk for about 20 to 30 minutes, changing tables several times and thus deepening the discussions more and more. At the end, the group comes together again. FISH BOWL The Fish Bowl concept suits discussions in large groups: four participants and one facilitator sit in a small circle being surrounded by a large circle made up of the remaining participants. The people on the inside start discussing the question with the outer circle looking on. Once a point has been made, a participant leaves and another one joins the discussion group. MARKETPLACE This is a dynamic way of presenting working group results. Each group is asked to visualize their group s findings on a stand. Now, all participants can stroll around and visit the different stands in which they are interested, asking questions to the group s spokesperson. After a certain time, unanswered questions are discussed in a plenary session.

6 NATIONAL WORKSHOPS SHARING AND JOINING FORCES FOR REPLICATION DELGOSEA is moving on and into the implementation phase after a year of research, building networks, selecting pilot cities and best practices to match, and capacity building, the pilot cities are starting to carry out the replication of the best practice examples they have selected. To help them along, the DELGOSEA team is organising one-day local governance best practice workshops in each country, providing a forum for sharing information and experiences between pilot cities, local and national government officials, civil society, trainers/coaches on the transfer of experiences between the best practice models and the pilot cities implementing them. Five national seminars have taken place, in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia with the pilot cities in each country sharing their plans and ideas with all partners. It has been a great exercise in building cooperation between all the stakeholders as well as providing a sounding-board for ideas. In Cambodia where the two pilot cities are implementing replications of best practices from Udonthani in Thailand and Solo in Indonesia, 46 participants, local government stakeholders of Kampot and Choam Chao, were particularly interested in environmental issues, having chosen the themes of Low Carbon City and Constructed Wetland Wastewater Treatment as their models. Economic issues as well as e-government provided the focus for the national workshop in Vietnam, were the three pilot cities were using models from the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. The 49 participants looked at ways to implement best practices from these thematic areas to modernize city government and to make cities more attractive, both for tourists and the citizens themselves. 40 stakeholders from four pilot cities in Thailand met in Bangkok to discuss how best to plan their transfer concept, having chosen three models from Indonesia and one from Vietnam. The concept of e-government sparked interest here as well, together with other innovative best practice in improving the delivery of public services. Indonesia is another country where four cities from different islands are keen to learn from the experience of other local governments, in this case from the Philippines and from Thailand. It was yet another well attended workshop, with around 40 participants from pilot cities, civil society and academia sharing their experiences after the first meeting on transfer concepts. The focus here was on best practices in the area of urban environments and fiscal policy, with the discussion concentrating on issues such as leadership and sustainability. The workshop in the Philippines was another success: the participants, stakeholders involved with the three pilot cities, shared their first experiences of implementing best practices in the area of public service delivery and fiscal management clearly

7 topics that spark interest in local governments countrywide. The chosen best practices came from Thailand and Cambodia. The workshops also provided the pilot cities with their first opportunity to present their road map to implementation to the public. While the project ideas and transfer concepts differ in scope and theme, there is agreement on some basic principles: 1. The viability of the projects needs to be ensured; 2. All the projects should be based on actual public needs and been embedded into the local strategic development plans; 3. All relevant stakeholders need to have a clear view on their roles and communicate regularly; 4. There is a need for constant follow-up and monitoring. The transfer concepts themselves were already drafted in earlier workshops and they will further assist each pilot city to better target replication activities in alleviating problems or improving current condition, coming to sustainable solutions. These documents are available in English and will be available as downloads from the DELGOSEA website. The workshops left all the key stakeholders well prepared for the actual implementation of the models, which is the next big step for the DELGOSEA project. The national network has been strengthened and everybody involved in the project the city government s departments, academia, national decisionmakers are keen to get started on the joint enterprise. INTERVIEW WITH MR. SATHAPORN KARNJANABUT DEPUTY MAYOR, YALA CITY, THAILAND Yala City is a provincial capital in Southern Thailand with around inhabitants. The city has felt the effects of the South Thailand insurgency, experiencing some unrest, so restoring peace and stability is one of the main priorities of the local government. Yala has a reputation as the best planned city in Thailand and it is keen to also become known as one of the best run cities in the country, leaving the recent troubles behind.

8 INNOVATIVE ELEMENT: TRANSFER CONCEPT It sounds so easy replicating a best practice model but how do you ensure that the transfer of knowledge and experiences runs smoothly? The development of the so-called transfer concept is one of the most important building blocks of the DELGOSEA project, linking the preparatory phase of selecting best practices to the implementation phase of carrying out the replications. This transfer concept aims to translate a selected best practice model into the specific political, legal and cultural background of the respective pilot city. During several workshops in the first quarter of 2011, pilot cities and their partners came together to develop a transfer concept for each replication. The comprehensive documents that emerged from these workshops will guide the cities through the implementation of the replications which is not seen as just schematically following instructions, but as being part of a structured learning process, finding solutions for problems on the way. The following elements are part of a typical transfer concept: An assessment of the situation in the pilot city, focusing especially on the differences to the best practice city; Stakeholder analysis and strategy to involve all stakeholders; Definition of objectives, results and outputs; Development of action plan, including activities, timetable, responsible parties, indicators, and budgets; Identification of risks and risk management; Development of monitoring system; Impact and sustainability. Other important information will be the identification of strategic partners as well as the development of communication plans to properly disseminate the results. While the aim and the structure of the transfer concepts is identical for all the best practice implementation, the content varies according to the needs of the pilot city, making these documents targeted and flexible at the same time.

9 Why did Yala City decide to join the DELGOSEA project? DELGOSEA supports local governments in Southeast Asia to that they can solve their problems in a way that responds to people s needs a concept that greatly appealed to us. Being able to use a best practice model makes it easier for us and makes it more likely that we succeed in solving the problems of our city. This really can save us time and resources and we are able to plug into a regional network for local development. Why precisely have you chosen the Public Institutional Innovation from Lang Son Municipality, Vietnam for replication? We selected Lang Son in Vietnam because its government has succeeded in reforming public service administration, making it more efficient. We have been successful on some issues, but not in the area of watersupply services. If we manage to replicate Lang Son s experiences and integrate their approach into our services, as well as inspiring local people to become engaged, it is likely that we shall also succeed and fulfill local needs. What kind of elements would you like to pick up for replication in your city? The element that we would like to concentrate on is One Stop ServiceShop (in Indonesia the term is One Stop Service ), both at the municipal and community levels. Clearly, this was a successful concept since Lang Son City was recognized as a model municipality in the area of public administration reform. The city manages to provide fast access to public services for citizens, businesses and other organizations, while at the same time enhancing service quality, strengthening discipline and improving attitude towards public services. What would you like to achieve during the next 18 months? Which impact do you see for the people living in your city? We are aiming for the watersupply services of Yala City to become more comprehensive, faster and more efficient as a result of public participation. We hope that people will have better access to quality running water, become more satisfied with the service and find that any problems are solved quickly. We want Yala to become a strong community where local people feel that they can influence local development. Do you already know how to gain the support of the people and the main stakeholders and how to involve them in the process? Public and stakeholders support is crucial, so we shall involve them in every step of the process. Providing public service at local level requires cooperation and involves a large number of stakeholders. If we involve them in sharing their thoughts, taking joint action, making recommendations on how to proceed, analyzing the performances and taking remedial action, their sense of ownership and positive attitude towards the public services shall be developed. Their involvement will also serve as a role model to others and will inspire them to participate more actively in local development.

10 Do you expect any difficulties in replicating a best practice from another country? The most challenging part is how to apply the best practice of Lang Son in such a way that it suits the local context of Yala City. There are obvious differences in culture, attitude and local customs - this really requires a trial run so that it can be adjusted to suit the local community. It is quite a challenge. But if we succeed, it shall be a great boost to the people in Yala City. THE VITAL ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATIONS (LGAS) LGAs are they the unsung heroes of the DELGOSEA project? The limelight is usually on the best practice models and, especially, on the pilot cities that are replicating these models, so it is high time to take a closer look at the important role the Local Government Associations (LGAs) play in the success of the project. 11 LGAs (Four in Indonesia and in the Philippines, and one each in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand) have been involved as key stakeholders from the very first beginning acting as the main contact points to the local governments carrying out the best practice replications. DELGOSEA is also counting on the LGAs to be there at the end of the project, supporting the implementing cities and ensuring sustainability of the project by including best practices in their activity plans and actively encouraging other cities to implement them. This is a role LGAs are very well suited to, since one of their key functions is the organization of opportunities and instruments for the exchange of experiences between their members. In terms of their contribution to the project, it is hard to overstate their importance: First of all, the LGAs have participated in the selection process for pilot municipalities in the respective countries. They have also been involved in the research and assessment activities on best practice examples in the first months of the project and, finally, they are staying involved with the project through having a number of staff members trained to specifically work with the pilot cities (2 experts from each LGA in each of the four thematic fields of the action). In this way, the LGAs are building up motivation and capacity to assist their member municipalities in the adaptation and replication of best practice examples. Finally, the LGAs have been instrumental in identifying and connecting the pilot cities with further academic or CSO specialists from the national or regional informal network. The LGAs are also taking on some of the monitoring tasks needed to help the pilot cities in their implementation, by staying in regular contact with each city. The respective LGA expert is also ready to assist the implementation team at the pilot municipality through the provision of additional thematic input or advice on the solution of any problems that have arisen. However, the LGAs role is not confined to direct support and monitoring. They are also playing an important political role in initiating a political dialogue on potential changes of policies and regulatory frameworks between the LGAs, specialised

11 NSAs or CSOs on one side and the government and parliamentary units in charge of these thematic fields on the other side. This will help to improve the political-administrative framework for best practice transfer in democratic local governance in the region and to promote the establishment of a regular dialogue on these issues between the LGAs and the respective governments and parliaments. The following LGAs are working with DELGOSEA: ACVN - Association of Cities in Vietnam, Vietnam; ADEKSI - Indonesian Municipal Councils Association, Indonesia; ADKASI - Association of Indonesia Regency Legislative Councils, Indonesia; APEKSI - Association of Indonesian Municipalities, Indonesia; APKASI - Association of Indonesian Regency Governments, Indonesia; LCP - The League of Cities, Philippines; LMP - The League of Municipalities, Philippines; LPP - The League of Provinces, Philippines; NLC/S - National League of Communes/Sangkats of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Cambodia; MLT - Municipal League of Thailand, Thailand. LOOKING AHEAD What s next for DELGOSEA? The project is entering a busy period and all eyes will be on the actual replication of best practice models. Now that all transfer concepts are finished and formally integrated into each city s development plan, DELGOSEA will start to look monitoring the implementation progress, come to policy recommendations and put in place good conditions for the sustainability of the project. Exchange visits will start between pilot cities and the best practice cities, where the examples are originating from, and the first external evaluation to gather feedback on the process and early outcomes of the replication exercise will take place. A major highlight will be the mid-term conference, taking place in September where all stakeholders will meet to discuss the evaluation results and review the process so far. The project team will also start to look towards the future: work on policy recommendations, based on the experiences so far, and the DELGOSEA network will be further extended by strengthening cooperation with civil society, academia and government bodies.

12 DELGOSEA Coordination Office c/o Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 5/F Cambridge Centre Bldg. 108 Tordesillas cor. Gallardo Sts. Salcedo Village, Makati City 1227 Philippines Tel: Fax: The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the implementing consortium under the lead of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.v. and can in no way be taken to reflect views o the European Union.