GIZ Results Data 2016 Supplementary qualitative evaluation

Transcription

1 GIZ Results Data 2016 Supplementary qualitative evaluation

2 Impressum As a federally owned enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. The Corporate Unit Evaluation of GIZ reports directly to the Management Board. She is separate from and independent of GIZ s operational business. This organisation strengthens the independence. The Corporate Unit Evaluation is mandated to generate evidence-based results and recommendations for decision-making, to provide a credible proof of effectiveness and to increase transparency on the results. Author: Oliver Karkoschka Conception, Coordination und Management Dr. Judith Müller-Gewrold, GIZ Corporate Unit Evaluation Responsible: Dr. Ricardo Gomez, GIZ, Director of Coporate Unit, Corporate Unit Evaluation Published by: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Registered offices Bonn and Eschborn Friedrich-Ebert-Allee Bonn, Deutschland T F Design/Layout etc.: DITHO Design GmbH, Köln Printing and Distribution: GIZ, Bonn Printed on 100 % recycling paper, certified to FSC standards. E evaluierung@giz.de I Bonn, 2017 This document can be downloaded as a PDF file from the GIZ-Website: For printed copies, please contact evaluierung@giz.de

3 Contents 1 Background, objective and presentation Procedure and methodology Results in the field of employment Pro-poor Growth and Employment Promotion in Nigeria Promotion of Economy and Employment in Rwanda Creating jobs through energy efficiency and renewable energies in mosques. Part of the special initiative for North Africa and the Middle East Imployment for Sustainable Development in Africa (E4D) Results in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) Supporting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Reform in Pakistan Vocational Training in the North and East of Sri Lanka Good governance: promoting democracy, decentralisation and municipal development Supporting Decentralisation and Municipal Development in Benin Political Participation in Governance Reform Processes and Poverty Reduction in Zambia Local Governance Reform Programme in the Palestinian territories Citizen service offices in the Local Governance Programme South Caucasus... 59

4 Abbreviations BDC BMZ CBN CBT CIM COVTET CSO CV CVT DFID DW E4D ECOWAS EU FC GIS GIZ IE KESC KOICA MFB MSME NGO NORAD NPC PEV Business Development Committee Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung/German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Central Bank of Nigeria Competency-based training Centre for International Migration Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Civil society organisation Curriculum vitae Cooperative vocational training Department for International Development Deutsche Welle Employment for Development Economic Community of West African States European Union Financial cooperation Geographic Information System Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH Integrated expert Kigali Employment Service Centre Korea International Cooperation Agency Microfinance bank Micro, small and medium-sized enterprise Non-governmental organisation Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation Non-profit company Project evaluation 4

5 SDG SIE SLGTI SME SOGA TC TRIMS TVET UNDP Sustainable Development Goal Société d'investissements Energétiques (Morocco) Sri Lanka-German Training Institute Small and medium-sized enterprise Employment and Skills for Eastern Africa Technical cooperation Trade Route Incident Mapping System Technical and Vocational Education and Training United Nations Development Programme 5

6 1 Background, objective and presentation GIZ results data 2016 Results orientation is one of the key quality features of GIZ s work. Both project management and monitoring and evaluation at GIZ therefore focus strongly on promoting and substantiating the achievement of results. This can be done by looking at individual projects and examples. But can these results also be presented in an aggregated form, that is, across projects and national boundaries, on a regional or global level? How can we combine individual results generated in different contexts by projects implemented in different settings? GIZ has carefully considered how best to record cross-project, transnational results, and since 2014 has been using aggregate indicators to capture these results. It should be borne in mind that projects that GIZ is commissioned to implement are always carried out with local partners and people, and possibly also in conjunction with other donors. GIZ s contribution towards achieving a result is therefore only one of many. Thus, GIZ describes its contribution to a specific result but does not attribute the achievement of this result solely to its own interventions. The collection of data on the aggregate indicators on which GIZ s 2016 results data is based was a company-wide initiative coordinated by the Evaluation and Corporate Communication units. Early in 2016 the Management Board, taking account of the recommendations from the 2014 survey and of the German Government s new priorities, selected 22 themes covering 11 sectors. Using 34 indicators, data on these themes was collected in the summer of By mid-november 2016, the plausibility of the findings had been checked with the cooperation of the Evaluation Unit, the relevant planning officers in the Sectoral Department and the Corporate Communication Unit and the results were published ( 1 This puts GIZ in a better position to report both globally and regionally on aspects of its work in the various sectors that are strategically important and of interest to the general public. The data collection findings can be used by all GIZ colleagues, for example for PR statements, in parliamentary affairs, as a reference in discussions with commissioning parties and for business acquisition purposes. The objective of the study zooming in on sample results This report provides qualitative information to supplement the quantitative results of the data survey. The 2016 results data will be illustrated by zooming in on individual projects and describing their results at target group level. By way of example, the results logic of individual projects from providing advice to reaching the target group will also be outlined. The results achieved will be placed in the context of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. GIZ also intends to incorporate the results presented in the report into a publication on the 2016 results data produced by the Evaluation Unit. The complexity of the approaches of individual projects and the causal links between results cannot be comprehensively depicted but is merely illustrated by means of examples. 2 Likewise, the diversity and strategies of the approaches in the sectors cannot be fully covered. The study simply sets out to place individual results in context in order to illustrate the figures in the 2016 results data. Structure of the report The sections on the three sectors of employment, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and good governance form the backbone of the report. Each section starts with a brief summary 1 The potentials and limitations of the aggregated reporting of results, together with the findings of the 2016 data survey and the lessons learned, will be set out in a booklet to be published in the third quarter of The comprehensive description of the causal links between results and the assessment of the success of the projects and their results is carried out as part of GIZ s evaluation system, partly in the course of project evaluation 6

7 of the results, approaches and contexts of the individual projects in the particular sector and an indication of the similarities and differences between the projects, or reference to their special features. Each description of an individual project begins with a short introduction to the context and specifies the project s objectives and starting points. Selected results of the project and the causal links between them are then summarised. Finally, the results of each project are placed in the context of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals to which the project contributes. How does GIZ work? GIZ works for sustainable development using a holistic approach and sharing responsibility for achieving objectives in a variety of roles including as advisor, intermediary, mediator and co-organiser. GIZ supports people in acquiring specialist knowledge, skills and management expertise. It helps organisations, public authorities and private businesses to optimise their organisational, managerial and production processes. And it advises governments on how to achieve objectives and implement nationwide change processes by incorporating them into legislation and strategies. The political and social framework plays a crucial role in ensuring reforms are effective and sustainable. Without an enabling environment, changes at the local level often remain superficial and have no real impact in the medium term. In addition, GIZ s work at national level increases the broad impact of solutions and results at local level. GIZ therefore operates at several levels: locally, subnationally, nationally and in some projects even regionally or continentally. In addition, the desired long-term results are defined and agreed with interest groups from the public and private sectors and civil society. GIZ has around 18,000 staff in more than 120 countries, of whom some 70 per cent work as national personnel in partner countries. Currently GIZ deploys around 640 development workers. Moreover, every year CIM, which is run jointly by GIZ and the German Federal Employment Agency, places almost 1,000 integrated and returning experts with local employers in the countries of assignment and supports them both financially and through the provision of advice and services. 2 Procedure and methodology GIZ set out to produce the supplementary qualitative evaluation of the 2016 results data by profiling sample indicators and selected projects. The requisite narrowing of the focus was achieved in several stages: 1. First, in December 2016 the Evaluation Unit selected three sectors for the supplementary qualitative evaltion: vocational education and training, employment and good governance. This resulted in five indicators (see box). 2. For each of the three sectors a list of around 20 projects was then compiled 7

8 as a basis for further selection. This was achieved by two complementary means: 2.1 Adopting the Sectoral Department s suggestions of vivid typical projects that were suitable for the evaluation. The selection was made on the basis of the experience of the (senior) planning officers. 2.2 Identifying the projects that had made major contributions to the selected indicators in the 2016 results data. 3. During December 2016 and January 2017 various approaches, contexts and areas of impact were identified by consulting the available documents (such as programme proposals and project evaluation reports) relating to the projects, of which there were around 60. Importance was attached to ensuring that the examples included in the evaluation covered a variety of main and subsidiary themes. These steps reduced the number of projects per sector to around In discussions between the Evaluation Unit, the Sectoral Department and appraisers, approximately 6 8 projects per sector were then selected. The examples were chosen in such a way that they reflected the diversity of contexts and themes. Practical aspects such as other simultaneous pressures on projects or the presence of contacts who could provide useful information on projects also played a part in the selection process. 5. A further reduction to 4 projects per sector was then achieved by considering practical issues such as the availability of relevant individuals in March 2017, when the interviews were conducted. The descriptions of the examples included in the qualitative information supplementing the 2016 results data drew on project documents and other materials, in particular programme proposals, project evaluation reports, project progress reports and other materials produced by the projects, such as videos and success stories. In addition, interviews were conducted with project managers. In some cases the project managers involved other project staff in the interview process or delegated the task. The original quotes were collected by the projects; in some cases it was possible to use existing interview material, whereas in others the interviews were conducted for the purpose of this report. Summary of the sectors and indicators selected for the report Sector Indicator Statement of results Employment The number of people who have obtained employment as a result of GIZ measures and projects. Between 2010 and ,919 people around the world obtained employment as a result of the contributions of GIZ and its partners. Around 50 per cent of the people who obtained employment as a result of GIZ s contribution were women. The number of people who have benefited from improved working condi- two million people around the world Between 2010 and 2015 more than tions as a result of GIZ measures and benefited from improved working conditions as a result of the contributions projects. The number of people who have a higher income as a result of of GIZ and its partners. GIZ measures and projects. Between 2010 and 2015 more than three million people around the world benefited from a higher income as a result of the contributions of GIZ and its partners. 8

9 Vocational education and training The number of vocational education and training students who have been reached by GIZ measures and projects. Between 2010 and 2015 more than 1.3 million vocational education and training students were reached by the contributions of GIZ and its partners. Good governance The number of people who have benefited from greater participation in the 34 million people around the world Between 2010 and 2015 more than political process as a result of support benefited from greater participation in from GIZ measures and projects. the political process as a result of the contributions of GIZ and its partners. The number of people who have received access to state services as a result of support from GIZ measures and projects. As a result of the contributions of GIZ and its partners, more than 91 million people have received access to state services. This includes improved access to municipal services. 3 Results in the field of employment The two indicators in the 2016 results data that deal with employment effects relate to the number of people who have obtained employment and the number who have benefited from improved working conditions, including a higher income. The people in the examples described below who have obtained employment through GIZ s work are mainly individuals who have completed various training measures in a wide range of sectors. Even in these few examples there is wide variation in the work contexts of the individuals who have benefited from better working conditions, including a higher income, as a result of GIZ s work. Frequently they are the managers and/or employees of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the various sectors. Some people working in the informal sector, such as local fruit sellers, also benefited from improved working conditions and at the same time from a higher income. All the projects described achieve results measured by both indicators ( Number of people who have obtained employment and Number of people who have benefited from improved working conditions ). For example, higher productivity and better marketing conditions for micro enterprises result in higher business earnings and promote investment in more jobs and better working conditions. Because the project examples quoted in this study also involve training elements and reach vocational education and training students, they therefore also contribute to the corresponding indicator in the area of vocational training. The approaches of the project examples are all based on an analysis of the reasons for unemployment, underemployment or poor working conditions. However, the concrete measures often vary and even within a country they are adapted to the specific context. There are two possible starting points: One approach involves creating jobs and improving working conditions, especially through promotion of the private sector, for example by improving the business environment in ways identified in the course of private-public dialogue. The intended results have also been achieved through access to business development services, or to financial services as a result of development of the financial system. Here, technical aspects such as product innovations and the development of new business models often go hand in hand with the promotion of 9

10 dialogue and cooperation, for instance by promoting structured dialogue between the state and the private sector on improving the economic environment and the business and investment climate. Approaches based on promoting Business Development Committees also help people to benefit from improved working conditions. In one example, higher incomes were achieved by boosting yields in agricultural value chains; in another, reduced corruption raised business incomes and individuals earnings. The second key starting point is improving employability through (vocational) education and training. In the examples given here, an important part is played by high-quality market-oriented training in technical subjects and other topics such as entrepreneurship, in some cases specifically for businesswomen. This has two consequences: it enables the now better-qualified individuals to obtain employment in the first place, and it often enables micro businesses to improve their income. In addition, the example from Rwanda sets out to improve labour market coordination mechanisms in order to help people into employment. Three of the four projects also target the national level. Local activities are combined with measures at national level in order to enhance reform, improve the enabling environment and foster sustainability and inclusiveness. To ensure sustainability, mechanisms to improve dialogue and cooperation between state and privatesector stakeholders also play an important part in the examples. List of examples in the area of employment 3.1 Pro-poor Growth and Employment Promotion in Nigeria 3.2 Promotion of Economy and Employment in Rwanda 3.3 Creating jobs through energy efficiency and renewable energies in mosques. Part of the special initiative for North Africa and the Middle East 3.4 Employment for Sustainable Development in Africa (E4D) 3.1 Pro-poor Growth and Employment Promotion in Nigeria Limited employment opportunities as a result of an unfavourable environment for MSMEs Despite high growth rates, Nigeria continues to suffer economically and socially from widespread poverty and underemployment. Two-thirds of the population live below the poverty line. The creation of new jobs is not keeping pace with population growth. In consequence, more than 40 per cent of people of working age are unemployed or underemployed or have withdrawn from the labour market because of the lack of job opportunities. Yet as a result of the huge domestic market created by Nigeria s 180 million inhabitants, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have considerable potential for development. There are also export opportunities, particularly within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Restrictive factors, however, are the unconducive policy setting and the limited access of MSMEs to investment capital and financial services. Microfinancing is not yet widespread in Nigeria. The number of people who are excluded from the formal financial sector and have no access to credit facilities is very high at almost 37 million. 10

11 The project s comprehensive solutions for propoor growth The Pro-poor Growth and Employment Promotion in Nigeria project, financed by BMZ and the European Union, targets several levers: it promotes economic growth, the creation of productive and decent jobs, and increases in the incomes of poor households. To achieve these objectives the project operates at national level, in three states and in selected municipalities. It involves four mutually complementary fields of activity: (1) developing the financial system, with an emphasis on enabling MSMEs to access efficient and customer-oriented financial services; (2) improving the business and investment climate through reform measures; (3) trade policy to boost Nigerian exports and (4) promoting the agricultural value chains of potatoes, cassava and rice and the non-agricultural value chain of affordable housing. Improving the business and investment climate through associations and 'one-stop shops The project advises state stakeholders on developing and implementing policies and reforms to improve the business and investment climate. An important starting point is strengthening cooperation between state bodies and business associations or privatesector centres of competence. The project also supports the formation of voluntary Business Development Committees (BDCs), thereby improving the planning and implementation of specific initiatives to promote local economic development. For example, training modules tailored to the needs of female entrepreneurs have been produced. Entrepreneurship and career planning have been sustainably incorporated into the curricula of 96 schools. To achieve this, the project supported entrepreneurs and their associations by organising training courses and mentoring schemes, conducting evidence-based studies and providing external expertise. The transparency of reform processes has been increased for everyone by involving chambers of commerce and private-sector associations more closely in the development and implementation of reforms and public forums on proposed legislation. An important element of the measures in the 32 municipalities in three states is the organisation of public-private dialogue forums on various topics. This led to the establishment of central contact points for businesses, with the project providing advice to the relevant public institutions on this issue. These onestop shops bring state services to businesses together under one roof. The one-stop shops are also supported by ministries and government agencies that second staff to them. In the state of Niger alone this has resulted in investment of over USD 75 million since Financial services to promote the development of small businesses In the field of activity related to financial systems development, the project targets a number of very different starting points: GIZ advises selected policy-makers and provides on-the-job training for local government staff and the staff of ministries and government agencies at federal state and local government level. The aim is to implement reforms and develop new policies, strategies and laws on the basis of improved data. Steps are taken to ensure that the expanded services on offer are relevant to the poorer sections of the population and geared to the needs of women. The project also helps to make the design of microfinance products fair and customer-friendly. This is achieved by supporting supervisory bodies through training courses and the provision of advice to working groups. The microinsurance guidelines that have been adopted are an example of successful support. The project also played a key role in the national steering committee on microinsurance. The committee had drawn up a work plan and one of the first and most important outcomes is the development and adoption of a microinsurance training plan for use by the College of Insurance and Financial Management. This ensures that the results are sustainable. Another priority involves helping the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to exercise its microfinance monitoring functions and implement the social objectives of the microfinance banks as set out in company mission statements. The project also helps the microfinance banks to calculate their costs and set their prices appropriately, with the aim of permanently and sustainably reducing interest rates on loans in the Nigerian microfinance sector. To enable the CBN to exercise its monitoring function more efficiently and permit the microfinance banks to assess for themselves whether they are meeting the CBN s requirements, a self-assessment instrument for microfinance institutions developed by the project is currently being harmonised with the CBN's inspection approach. 11

12 The project is also helping commercial banks to access financial services. For some selected value chains such as potatoes and cassava, the project has produced a tool for the overall economic analysis and evaluation of value chains that are integral components of creditworthiness.this enables commercial banks to make a better assessment of the creditworthiness of a (potential) borrower. In a complementary approach, the project is also improving the skills and bankability of the MMEs themselves. This is achieved by improving the advisory services of private providers and enhancing the skills needed to support business chambers and associations relevant to MSMEs. In addition, selected participants have received training in business management directly from the project to encourage them to set up their own businesses or qualify them for the labour market. Better basic financial education is also being provided on a very broad scale through roadshows and the distribution of educational materials, e.g. on World Savings Day. This makes young people and job-seekers aware of the potential for building a future for themselves in their own country as micro-entrepreneurs. In the second phase, the project s partner microfinance banks were classified into three categories. This enables deployment of the project s resources to be appropriately targeted, since the project s further support of the banks can be geared to their management capacities and potential. As a result of these measures the banks developed appropriate and customer-oriented financial services for MSMEs and economically active households. Due to the project s support, the volume of loans provided by the microfinance banks has increased by 22 per cent since The support provided increased the number of borrowers per microfinance bank by an average of 55 per cent; the number now stands at 214,000 per bank. These borrowers can now make better use of their economic potential. GIZ is thus helping people put entrepreneurial ideas into practice and earn an income by their own efforts That was many years ago, when his small bakery urgently needed an injection of cash. By proceeding gradually, and repaying further loans on time, he now has the largest bakery in his neighbourhood, employing ten people. And that is not all; he has also added a second string to his bow. With his latest loan from Landgold MFB, which was for EUR 6,750, he was able to buy a powerful electricity generator for his professional event hire service. To increase the breadth of the project s impact, the lessons learned from supporting the microfinance banks in the three Nigerian states are presented in a way that enables partner institutions to use them also in regions in which the project is not providing direct support. Developing improved technologies and business relationships for smallholders In the field of activity promoting value chains, business relationships between the potato or cassava-producing MSMEs and further processing businesses are being developed. The project s activities on this front include facilitating business contacts, promoting the use of new and improved technologies and clarifying financing issues. Its initial action was to analyse the particular relevance of the value chains to poorer sections of the population and identify the specific needs of female workers and MSMEs managed by women. The support measures were then designed to take account of the findings. Support networks of public and private organisations were created for each value chain and specific training measures were organised and implemented. The project s promotion of the potato value chain has been a particular success story. Potato consumption in Nigeria has doubled in recent years. However, the potatoes are often expensive and of poor quality. Important growing principles are not adhered to. Inadequate storage facilities result in high harvest losses. The project tackled this by adopting a holistic approach: Mr Abiodun from Ota, a town in the Nigerian state of Ogun, is one example of effective development-oriented microfinancing. As soon as the Landgold Microfinance Bank opened a branch in his locality, Mr Abiodun opened an account. He soon obtained his first microloan of an amount equivalent to EUR Before the start of the project, only four potato varieties were registered in Nigeria; in South Africa, by contrast, the number is over 200. In cooperation with the German Food Partnership, 12 new varieties were introduced. More than 1,000 farmers were trained in good agricultural practices, and courses in potato 12

13 processing and marketing were organised in order to increase the value added. To boost entrepreneurial skills, the concept of the Farmer Business School was used. As a product innovation, potato cakes which were previously unknown in Nigeria were introduced. The recipe was adapted to local tastes and around 1,000 operators of hot food stalls and cookshops were trained. This boosted potato consumption and increased incomes, particularly those of women. The construction of 12 potato storehouses increased potato farmers revenues by about 30 per cent. Assistance was provided to the potato association to enable it to better represent the potato farmers interests with regard to issues such as legislation, seed import procedures and access to fertiliser. This approach has produced results: potato farmers yields have increased from 3-6 t/ha to more than 12 t/ha. As a result of the larger quantities, the improved quality and the amalgamation of numerous individual groups into an umbrella association for potato producers in the Nigerian state of Plateau, smallholders were able to meet the requirements of national supermarket chains and be integrated into their supply chains. The new smallholders association handles the transactional side: its activities include forecasting requirements and managing storage, transport and the further training of members. As a result of this model, the total earnings of its members have risen by around EUR 230,000 per year. These successes are particularly significant for the farmers involved, because social and ethnic tensions in the state of Plateau make for a difficult investment environment. The cassava value chain presents a similar picture: the project expects the turnover of cassava growers to increase by around EUR 200,000 per year as a result of direct supply relationships with 26 processing businesses. Facilitating trade and exports The fourth field of activity operates mainly at national level; it seeks to facilitate trade by working with the Ministry of Trade and the customs authority to remove administrative obstacles. To achieve this, the project is producing studies of the impacts of trade measures and helping the relevant public bodies to implement ECOWAS measures relating to trade. As a result, some 700 customs officials and employees of other institutions have been trained in trade promotion. To date, the project has worked directly with business associations and some 1,000 MSMEs, providing information on trade issues, raising awareness and offering training. This capacity building is partly targeted specifically at female entrepreneurs, enabling them among other things to make better use of the opportunities for importing goods tax-free. In addition, the impacts of roadside checks on freight transport and trade are being systematically monitored and evaluated. The project, with the Nigerian state of Ogun and the chamber of trade, is adopting a completely new approach to this.a smartphone app developed specifically for the purpose is being used in an attempt to combine curbs on corruption with enhanced economic development. Corruption in Nigeria is possibly one of the biggest obstacles to democracy, economic development and human security, is the verdict of Etannibi Eo Alemika, a Nigerian expert in the sociology of law. For example, Human Rights Watch stated in its 2010 report that widespread corruption in the police force is resulting in the abuse of civilians and undermining the rule of law. The Trade Route Incident Mapping System (TRIMS), a smartphone app developed by the project, enables people to report illegal checkpoints on trade routes and at border crossings anonymously. With TRIMS, the whistle-blowing approach has for the first time been adapted to the Nigerian setting and used in the context of customs operations and the transport of goods. An important feature of TRIMS is the use of modern yet widely available information and communication technology. This means that anyone affected by corruption or violence will in future be able to send an anonymous report to an internet-based crowdsourcing platform. The report includes details of where the incident occurred, what government agency was involved, whether violence was used, how long the person was detained for and the amount of the bribe that had to be paid. 13

14 Because no names are mentioned, the system cannot be misused for false accusations. With the project s support the app has been publicised via radio programmes, advertising boards and information events at the 35 principal district markets and it can now be used everywhere in Nigeria. One of the users is Mr Sunday, a 74-year-old charcoal trader. For him TRIMS has brought about some very important changes. On top of the normal road charges that he has to pay when he uses his truck, he used to regularly have to pay more than twice that amount in bribes. Now we rarely have problems with the officials. If we say that we are not going to pay, they usually accept it. So far 2,200 reports have been received. Analysis reveals a clear pattern among the complaints, with about 70 per cent of them relating to the police. In order to use this information to drive improvement, the project assisted with the anonymised distribution of the collected data in a newsletter in one Nigerian state and discussion of the findings at an event attended by representatives of all the security forces. A corresponding code of conduct for the security forces was subsequently drawn up with the involvement of business organisations and signed. Other dialogue events were organised by the National Association of Nigerian Traders with the aim of putting a joint action plan in place. Ensuring sustainability and broad impact Parallel and complementary support measures at national, state and local level, systematic analysis of lessons learned and the incorporation of these lessons learned into policy dialogue at national level promote further use and hence the broad impact of the project. Supporting private and public stakeholders simultaneously and promoting dialogue between them has enabled structural obstacles to the development of financial systems and the private sector to be overcome. Important synergies also arise from dovetailing with German financial cooperation in the complementary deployment of investment and the provision of advice by GIZ on promoting and advising microfinance banks and MSMEs. Mr Sunday 14

15 The project s areas of impact The project s results contribute to the three aggregate indicators in the 2016 results data: People in employment: The number of people who have obtained employment as a result of GIZ measures and projects. Improved working conditions: The number of people who have benefited from improved working conditions as a result of GIZ measures and projects. And the number of people who have a higher income as a result of GIZ measures and projects. Vocational education and training: The number of vocational education and training students who have been reached by GIZ measures and projects. The successful support of MSMEs and microfinance banks promotes economic growth, the creation of productive and decent jobs, increases in the incomes of poorer households and the reduction of poverty. The project therefore has positive impacts on SDG 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all, and especially the targets: o 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalisation and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services. o 8.10: Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all. SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere. SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 3.2 Promotion of Economy and Employment in Rwanda Higheconomic growth with only a limited impact on employment Since the mid-1990s Rwanda has been developing rapidly both in economic and political terms; in recent years the economy has grown at a rate of almost eight per cent per year. Despite this high level of economic growth, unemployment and underemployment are still among the greatest challenges that the country faces. Most of the population works in agriculture or in poorly paid positions. Women in particular are employed mainly in relatively unproductive work in the informal sector. Almost 90 per cent of micro and small enterprises have between one and three workers and the productivity of these enterprises is low, partly owing to the low levels of vocational training and the limited capacities of state and private business promotion 15

16 institutions. The relevant public and private stakeholders do not yet have the capacity to contribute either individually or collectively to the development of sustainable employment. Promoting employment is high on the national development agenda. The major challenges are the need for more employment opportunities, especially for women and young people, and the need to improve working conditions. Rwanda would like to improve vocational training, promote the private sector and intervene in the labour market. It plans to create 200,000 new jobs each year and to become a middle-income country by Promoting the private sector and vocational training for more employment and greater productivity The objective of the BMZ-financed project Promotion of Economy and Employment in Rwanda is to improve the individual and collective capacities of public and private institutions to develop long-term employment. This is achieved by combining three fields of activity. 3 Private sector development: The project improves the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. GIZ s support focuses on improving the business and investment climate at national and local level. In all the selected sectors, high priority is given to environmental aspects and the promotion of women. Vocational education and training: The emphasis is on establishing demand-oriented, sustainable and high-quality vocational training schemes for the growing numbers of apprentices, students and employees. These two fields of activity are linked by activities in the field of labour market interventions. The support provided promotes the integration of target groups into the labour market. This is achieved by developing coherent national employment strategies and improving the coordination and implementation of employment-oriented interventions such as employment centres and employment services. In addition to managing the project jointly with the partners, GIZ provides the partners with technical and organisational advice and trains the partner organisations experts and managers. Another key aspect of GIZ s role is moderating and facilitating organisation of the dialogue and cooperation between state agencies and the private sector; it also plays an important part in developing and designing the cooperation mechanisms. By way of example, some of the results of this approach are described below. Structured dialogue between the state and the private sector to improve the economic environment Opportunities for representatives of state agencies and the private sector to exchange information and ideas usually via dialogue Marie-Bonne Consilie Musumayiri events were created at district level in order to address key issues and problems affecting the private sector and devise improvements. These meetings, known as Rwanda Public Private Dialogues, were supported by the project and the responsible national secretariat. In addition, the project organised preparatory workshops for businesswomen in advance of these meetings to enable them to better present their concerns and to benefit from the dialogue. Businesswomen usually work under different conditions from men and are therefore often confronted with specific problems. The role play during the preparatory activities showed me the importance of appearing confident, not only as a businesswoman but also towards our husbands. We play an important part not only in the development of our families but also in the development of our society and our country, says Marie-Bonne Consilie Musumayiri, a businesswoman from Muhanga. Rose Kanyange of the RPPD secretariat explains: The dialogue event helps women analyse the problems that they encounter in the course of their business activities. The aim of the structured dialogues 3 The project refined its strategy in The statements and examples here relate to the period of the results data, even though some aspects are still being continued 16

17 is to find a way of solving them. We hold roadshows beforehand in each district to make people aware of how the dialogues work and what they can achieve. But the dialogue helped us take action. A total of 388 decisions that directly affect the business outcomes of small and medium-sized enterprises have now been made at 145 dialogue events at district level. The preparation enables the women to analyse their problems with the help of a facilitator, clarify their priorities and speak with one voice at the event. Realistic proposals for solutions are also drawn up. We decided to set up a cooperative. With the help of the district government we then found a suitable site at the municipal market where we will be able to sell our goods, says Triphonie Nyiramagambo from Rubavu. Triphonie Nyiramagambo Claudine Nyirakanyana from Musanze also has very positive developments to report as a result of the dialogue event. To save tax, she sold her fruit from a basket instead of renting a market stall. But she always had to be on her guard in case there were policemen about. The police repeatedly confiscated all her goods, since selling in the street is illegal. This made life difficult for the 34-year-old mother of four, because her husband is unemployed and the family is entirely dependent on her earnings. Claudine didn t pin much hope on the meeting and the attempt to find a solution with the authorities. So she was surprised that she and her fellow sellers were able to give an account of their situation, the problems and the associated risks. The matter was in fact taken seriously and their concerns were brought to the attention of the mayor. We thought that our concerns would not be important enough for the authorities and so we never tried to contact them. The result was that the local government decided that women who switch from informal or illegal selling to the official market stalls should pay no tax for the first six months. That is good for the district but it is also helpful to us and puts an end to many of the problems that we were facing. The dialogue has also strengthened us. In view of how we used to be treated by officialdom, we are now very satisfied. The police no longer confiscate things from our stalls. That has come to an end and we are very happy, says Claudine Nyirakanyana from Musanze. In addition to these direct improvements as a result of the dialogue, better cooperation between the local government and the private sector has been achieved and placed on a permanent footing. In 30 districts, representatives of the private sector have been appointed as part-time members of the district government. This enables the private sector to have its concerns taken into account in the district government s discussions and decision-making on an ongoing basis. Development of the private sector through business development services Another starting point for developing the private sector was business development services, which involved advising businesses on ways of improving their competitiveness. This is particularly important for small and medium-sized enterprises, the majority of which have only limited access to vocational education and training and advisory services. The project worked with business associations and chambers of trade in implementing the business development services approach. 'Nuclei were formed, each consisting of businesses in a particular sector. Their nucleus gave entrepreneurs a space in which to analyse their problems effectively and benchmark their situation against that of other businesses. They were able to learn from each other and as a group they were empowered to ask for the support services that they needed. The benefits lay on the one hand in the opportunities for dialogue and learning from each other and on the other in the possibilities for cutting costs by taking action to solve problems together. This process not only results in business improvements but also boosts the entrepreneurs self-confidence. In all, more than 350 businesses organised themselves into 27 active nucleus groups. Among the groups, demand for vocational education and training was particularly high. For example, this was the case with a group of car repair shops in the capital Kigali that had combined to form a nucleus. The problem of insufficiently well-trained staff is one that affects many workshops in Rwanda. It reduces both productivity and the quality of the services provided. In addition, it means that the manager or owner must do a lot of supervising and checking. 17

18 Half of my staff benefit from the alliance. I have helped select the training modules and topics. I expect that this will both increase the productivity of my workshop and bring in more customers, says Leandre Munyororo, the owner of the ATECAR workshop in Kigali. The workshops in the nucleus got together to purchase customised training courses at a vocational school. As a result, the workshops are benefiting from high-quality training tailored to their needs. In addition, the training centres at the vocational schools have been able to use the accumulated experience of the workshops both to adapt their normal training courses to the needs of the market and to generate additional revenue. Other support services developed and organised by the nucleus groups have included training courses on issues such as bookkeeping and joint presentations at trade fairs. Furthermore, Sector Skills Councils comprising representatives of private and public stakeholders have now been set up in 12 different sectors. The councils meet regularly to discuss and define training needs in thesector. To ensure the sustainability of the councils and integrate them into Rwandan policy, the project has involved and advised the relevant national authorities such as the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the national business promotion organisation. This resulted in the Cabinet adopting a national framework that puts the platforms on a secure footing and provides them with guidance. The project also provides technical and methodological advice to associations and chambers of commerce, again at national level. The project helped chambers of commerce provide services for their members and represent the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises. Improving the vocational training system matching practice and theoretical knowledge with need Working with representatives of vocational schools, private training institutions and the Ministry of Education, the project team drew up a vocational training programme geared to the labour market. The partners conducted cooperative vocational training under the dual system in the four sectors promoted by the project. With the Ministry of Education, the vocational training agency and representatives of the private sector, the project refined the demandoriented vocational training system. An important element of this was refining the initial and continuing training of vocational school teachers and the training of company trainers. The training of trainers initiative improved the practical and technical skills of teachers involved in vocational education and training. 1,832 vocational teachers, 206 of them female, and 475 company trainers were trained. Twenty-four-year-old Dieudoné Niyonsega confirms that training is now needs-based. He completed a course in construction work and found a job immediately. The teaching method is good. I acquired all the necessary theoretical knowledge and all the practical skills that I now need for my work. I have been here as a foreman from the moment that work started on this building, he says with a certain pride that reflects his new-found confidence in his abilities. Since I started work I have had no difficulties at all. This is partly due to the practical experience I gained on other building sites in the course of the dual training. Dieudoné Niyonsega In addition, 364 heads of vocational schools were trained in management issues. Forty-two heads participated in nucleus groups that helped them manage their schools in an even more entrepreneurial manner. In this field of activity too, the project s advisory services at national level played an important role. The good experiences of concrete implementation at local level were used to develop policies and strategies in Mairus Rwangasore the sector. The vocational education and training policy adopted by the Cabinet in September 2015 is an example of this. Another example is the framework that has been developed and approved for implementation of the training of trainers initiative by the vocational training agency. The framework not only promotes broad impact but also ensures the sustainability of the successes achieved locally. The efficiency and effectiveness of Rwanda s system of vocational education and training has thus been improved since it is now better geared to the needs of Rwanda s growing and changing economy 18

19 Improvements to the labour market as an important link between vocational training and promotion of the private sector With the project s support, the first employment centre the Kigali Employment Service Centre (KESC) opened in the capital Kigali in May It offers services to job-seekers and helps businesses fill their vacancies. More than 1,500 job-seekers have already registered with the centre. One thousand job-seekers have been offered support, mostly in the form of vocational counselling or training in producing a CV or preparing for job interviews. Eighty individuals have successfully completed an internship and 361 jobseekers have been placed in employment. Marius Rwangasore is one of them: I studied information technology at university. After graduation I couldn t find a job straight away it wasn t easy. I learned about the KESC from friends and I started by taking courses, especially in entrepreneurship and web design. My details were also added to the database of job-seekers. As a result I managed to get a job at Property Mode. I recommend all job-seekers to use the KESC, to register online and to keep looking at the vacancies in the database themselves. With technical support from the project, the KESC and the Rwanda Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs also offer a mentoring programme dealing with business and personnel management specifically for women. Umuhire Esperance is one of the female managers who have completed this programme. The three-week training course came at the right time for her when she was unemployed. It helped her emerge from her partly self-imposed isolation so that she was able to identify new opportunities and grasp them. As an unemployed person I felt that I was on my own. Through the programme I have met a lot of people again and I have stayed in touch with them since the course in October After the course she applied for several jobs. At the interviews I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had been extremely well prepared by my mentor. This enabled me to come across as self-confident and to get my present job. A survey confirmed that clients are satisfied with the services of the KESC. Eight-nine per cent of job-seekers and 95 per cent of businesses are happy with the service they receive. 19

20 The project s areas of impact The project s results contribute to the three aggregate indicators in the 2016 results data: Vocational education and training: The number of vocational education and training students who have been reached by GIZ measures and projects. People in employment: The number of people who have obtained employment as a result of GIZ measures and projects. Improved working conditions: The number of people who have benefited from improved working conditions as a result of GIZ measures and projects. And the number of people who have a higher income as a result of GIZ measures and projects. The project s results contribute to SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all SDG 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. o o 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalisation and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services. 8.6 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. 3.3 Creating jobs through energy efficiency and renewable energies in mosques. Part of the special initiative for North Africa and the Middle East Energy transition helps to safeguard social peace in Morocco Apart from Algeria, Morocco is the only North African country that has so far been spared major political and economic upheavals in the wake of the Arab Spring. But the Moroccan exception is under threat. High unemployment and lack of development, especially in rural areas, pose a risk to social peace, and constantly rising energy prices impede economic development. Morocco has no significant minerals apart from phosphate. Ninety-five per cent of fuels such as oil and gas are imported. Energy imports and subsidies impose an increasing burden on public finances. Poorer households are disproportionally hard-hit by rising energy prices, and this exacerbates social disparities. Expanding renewable energies and upscaling energy-efficient technologies are therefore among the top priorities of Moroccan policy. Morocco is pioneering the transition to sustainable energy in the Arab world. The country plans to generate 52 per cent of its electricity from renewables by It intends to draw up plans to promote the use of renewables in mosques, other public buildings, businesses and private households. However, 20

21 the increased use of these forward-looking technologies has so far had only a limited impact on business and employment. Decision-makers and the general public tend to view the trend with scepticism. Through the nationwide Green Mosques programme, the government aims to upgrade the energy performance of mosques, thereby accelerating the spread of renewable energies and energy-efficient technologies. BMZ s special initiative for sustainable economic development in North Africa and the Middle East The objectives of BMZ s special initiative for stabilisation and development in North Africa and the Middle East include promoting sustainable economic development and creating and safeguarding jobs. These two objectives are combined in the BMZ-financed project Creating jobs by improving energy efficiency and using renewable energy in mosques. The project aims to create business and employment opportunities in the fields of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energies (RE). To achieve this the project has developed an approach involving several levers. Boosting the demand for services in the fields of energy efficiency and renewables If businesses in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energies are to create jobs, they need orders. However, many decision-makers and potential clients are unaware of the advantages of renewables and of existing efficiency potentials. A key aspect of the project is therefore making the advantages of these technologies clear to potential customers in order to boost demand. The mosques are a good starting point for this. The electricity bills of some 15,000 mosques in Morocco are paid centrally by the Ministry for Religious Affairs. The Ministry therefore has significant potential for improving energy efficiency and reducing costs. Furthermore, the mosques are central to the lives of many Moroccans and can thus inform people about the issues and raise public awareness. This can pave the way for steps to improve energy efficiency measures in other public and private spheres; it further leads to the creation of jobs and helps to stabilise the economy. It is also about demystifying renewables. Many people are still sceptical; they fear that LED lights will destroy the religious atmosphere and make the prayer rooms look like operating theatres. People don t yet see the benefits, because in Morocco energy is still relatively cheap, says Ahmed Bouzid, project manager at the state energy investment company SIE. As a company subordinate to the Ministry of Energy, SIE is an important partner in the project. New energy-saving business model creates many winners A key element of the support offered by the project is the provision of advice to partner institutions on developing a financing and contract model for mosques that are due to be renovated. The model needs to be profitable and hence self-funding in the medium term. The first phase targets state mosques in the metropolitan areas of Rabat, Casablanca, Fès and Marrakech. The project has started upgrading the energy performance of the first 100 mosques. This included a pilot project that involved equipping the two biggest mosques in Marrakech and a mosque in rural Tadmamt with LED lighting and photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. The solar cells provide electricity and hot water while LED lighting reduces electricity consumption. The aim is to cut the mosques energy requirements by 40 per cent. The pilot project at the As-Sunna mosque in Rabat has cut energy costs from the equivalent of EUR 600 per month to around EUR 100. Creating jobs and improving service quality through training However, in many cases the specialists needed to install and maintain renewable energy systems are not sufficiently well trained. Putting in place the necessary training opportunities is therefore another important means whereby the project aims to create jobs in the fields of energy efficiency and renewables. There is wide variation in economic structures in the different parts of Morocco; taking this into account in designing the training programmes posed a particular challenge for the project. As part of the process, the project facilitated consultations that involved representatives of various state agencies, the staff of banks and a large number of companies, and specialists from other sectors. The consultations revealed that there is strong demand for measures to improve energy efficiency by using renewables but 21

22 insufficient awareness of the services that are currently available. As part of the project, training programmes tailored to local needs were then drawn up jointly by GIZ and the Moroccan partners. The topics covered in the roughly three-week courses included business management, the development of business plans and marketing. The courses had a practical bias, so that as part of their training participants contacted some initial potential clients (e.g. hotels) and practised presenting offers so that they could attract them to their future services. This encouraged the establishment of new businesses and supported skilled workers and technicians in their training, enabling them to operate more professionally. The businesses were also offered advice on improving their competitiveness and accessing new market segments. At the same time, jobseekers were given specific training to enable them to take up employment and fill existing or new posts successfully. in order to analyse the potential of LED technology for promoting employment in Morocco. She also supported the energy audit in a pilot mosque in Marrakech. Most of my fellow students were unable to find work when they graduated. Through the energy audit and the market study of LED technology that I conducted I acquired important technical knowledge and had opportunities to talk to experts in the LED sector. It enabled me to find a job as a field service technician in the solar LED street lighting sector with a company in Salé, the next town to Rabat. Mohamed Belhaj also benefited from taking one of the project s courses. The course equipped me with new skills in marketing, conducting discussions with customers and developing the energy efficiency and renewable energy market. These new skills enhanced my CV and after the course I was able to get a job with a company that deals with street lighting and industrial lighting. Yassine Alj, who lives in Agadir, became self-employed more than two years ago and has participated in Yassins Alj several of the project s training courses. He set up a business called Ecotaqa, which specialises in energy services. He now employs three people and has thus created new jobs. Yassine Alj is an energy and environmental engineer. The early stages were difficult, but our business is now picking up speed. Our experience with the Energy efficiency in mosque project enabled us to improve our work on energy efficiency in public buildings and thus become more competitive internationally. Among other things I have been able to employ an engineer who specialises in energy efficiency and two technicians. My aim is to acquire more projects so that I can make these jobs permanent. So far 117 individuals have obtained a new job through the project. One of them is Jihade Kamouss, who works at an LED company in Salé, near Rabat. She studied energy efficiency at the University of Applied Sciences in Tangier. As part of the Energy efficiency in mosques project she conducted a national market study of LED lamps Sustainable market development to safeguard the effects on employment In mosques alone there is major potential for exploitation of the project s approach to saving energy and reducing energy costs. So far, energy systems have been upgraded in one hundred mosques. To achieve sustainable market development and ensure that the employment effects are permanent, the model that the project has developed for mosques is being transferred to other public and private buildings. The approach is now being applied in places such as the Moroccan parliament and a major university. At present, public and private demand for services in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energies is still low, because many decision-makers and potential clients are not yet aware of the advantages of renewables and the savings potentials that exist. Awareness-raising measures are therefore an important complementary aspect of the project. For example, media reports of the advantages of the technologies that are beginning to be used help to raise public awareness. On this issue the project works directly with multipliers in the mosques, such as imams and mourchidat (female Muslim clerics in Qur anic schools). So far almost 400 imams, mourchidat and officials of the Ministry of Religion (including 94 women) have attended the project s awareness-raising workshops and passed on, in their own context, the knowledge they have acquired. In the workshops the participants learned how to 22

23 deliver sermons and presentations on energy efficiency and renewable energies, including how to incorporate messages from the Qur an into their material. In their everyday work they talk to Muslims and explain how they can save electricity at home. This process has resulted in the production of guidelines that include religiously based arguments for energy efficiency and the increased use of renewables The project s areas of impact The project s results make a direct contribution to three aggregate indicators in the 2016 results data: People in employment: The number of people who have obtained employment as a result of GIZ measures and projects. Improved working conditions: The number of people who have benefited from improved working conditions as a result of GIZ measures and projects. And the number of people who have a higher income as a result of GIZ measures and projects. Vocational education and training: The number of vocational education and training students who have been reached by GIZ measures and projects By creating jobs and supporting implementation of Morocco s policy on expanding renewables and upscaling energy-efficient technologies, the project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. SDG 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all, and especially the targets: o o 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalisation and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services, 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead. 23

24 3.4 Imployment for Sustainable Development in Africa (E4D) Economic growth and investment as a driver of employment but only under certain conditions Economic growth, the continent s natural resource wealth and its young, growing population mean that there is major potential for sustainable development in Africa. Yet this can only occur if growth generates income and employment for the young generation. In many countries, however, rapid economic growth has not yet resulted in a sufficient increase in employment. Underemployment and precarious working conditions are a widespread feature of the labour market in many African countries. Both poorly paid workers and underemployed people such as day labourers with no fixed conditions of employment may have a paid job, but they are still affected by poverty. To reduce poverty, boost social security and cohesion and prevent conflict, the countries need more jobs and jobs of better quality. The private sector drives the economic development of Africa and is thus a key player in the generation of jobs and income. At present, however, private investment does not lead to substantial employment. Jobs will not be created and incomes will not increase unless private business models reach new customer groups and integrate local workers and suppliers on an inclusive basis. Many African governments are increasingly coming to recognise the private sector as an important partner in the design and implementation of their development agendas. More and more frequently they expect multinational and national companies, especially in the resource sector, to make more use of local service providers, manage natural resources more efficiently and contribute to local employment and training. The companies themselves are aware that they cannot make a profit in the long term unless they invest in improving the immediate social, economic and ecological environment. The governments of countries such as Ghana, Kenya and South Africa have made the generation of income and employment a priority. Almost all countries include improving the employment situation as one of the objectives of their poverty reduction strategy. Flexible incentive instrument for involving the private sector in promoting employment at local level The programme taps into this potential and provides a flexible incentive instrument to encourage private-sector companies based in Africa to become more involved in the development process. The aim is to work with the private sector to create jobs for 38,570 people, boost the incomes of 100,000 people and improve the working conditions of 32,000 people. The programme operates in seven countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. In addition to the funding by BMZ, parts of the programme are also being financed by DFID, NORAD, the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, the Korean development agency KOICA and private-sector companies. The programme develops, negotiates and implements public-private partnerships that promote more productive and decent employment in the target countries. One strand of the programme involves employment initiatives with companies: education and training schemes are set up and geared to market demand in order to improve the productivity and employability of people in the formal and informal sectors. Another strand of the programme helps local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to become more competitive and to integrate into international value chains. Employment for Development (E4D) works with companies, enabling them to promote local employment, invest in inclusive business models, improve working conditions and make more use of local resources in the formal and informal sectors. Many projects also boost the participation of women and young people in economic activities. The formal framework for cooperation often takes the form of a public-private partnership. These are projects that are planned, financed and implemented jointly by companies, GIZ and other partners. Such partnerships combine the business interests of the private partners with development objectives, to the benefit of all concerned. The programme also utilises many other forms of cooperation with the private sector, such as industry round tables, strategic partnerships and cofinancing arrangements. 24

25 Maximising the employment effects of investment in natural resources regional employment initiative in East Africa The E4D/SOGA initiative Employment and Skills for Eastern Africa is an employment initiative in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda co-financed by DFID, NORAD, Shell and the EU Trust Fund. The aim is to use the development momentum created by major planned investment projects in the field of natural resources to promote local employment. This covers not only employment with the resource companies themselves but also jobs in upstream and downstream value chains in sectors such as construction, infrastructure, services and catering. To achieve this, the initiative works with all companies involved in the investment chain: the resource companies themselves, potential engineering/procurement/construction companies, building firms and local suppliers.the initiative plans to create jobs for 32,000 people. An example of a partnership set up with GIZ s support: in Kenya E4D/SOGA is involved in a partnership with the mining company Base Titanium in order to identify and train potential local suppliers in the vicinity of the mine. The company aims to increase the proportion of local goods and services purchased to 80 per cent. The measure intends to place 400 people in employment and increase the incomes of 1,000 people. Local partnership with many winners an example from Ghana One of the programme s largest country portfolios involves Ghana, where 7 projects are currently ongoing and 12 are in the pipeline. As in each of the seven countries, GIZ started by analysing the market. This enables sectors and fields of activity to be selected that have significant potential for placing people in employment and boosting incomes. In line with this, the focus in on basic vocational training, including for the informal sector, in occupations for which there is private-sector demand. Mining companies are important cooperation partners in Ghana. They are granted extraction licences, implement large-scale investment projects and make substantial profits. In return the government and the general public expect them to help improve the local employment situation. In collaboration with the E4D programme, the gold mining company Asanko Gold has since 2013 set up two vocational schools near the mines that offer training courses in bricklaying, roofing and catering. Gladys Agyemang in Esaase was among those who benefited. When Asanko started constructing its largest Gladys Agyemang mine near where I live, there was a promise of 1,500 new jobs, she recalls. But Gladys and her friends were soon disappointed to discover that they didn t have the necessary education and qualifications for a jobthe partnership with GIZ gave Gladys and about 180 other young adults the opportunity to learn a trade that would ensure employment. For me as a single mother it was a real challenge: I had to attend the course and do the necessary learning, feed and raise my small child, support my elderly mother all the time and also work on my small cocoa farm. Now I hope that I am a good role model for other female trainees, comments Gladys Agyemang after training as an electrical installer. Later on, when she has saved enough money, she would like to open an electrical shop and combine this with offering professional installation services. To prevent a local surplus of workers, the young adults who benefited from the initiative were also trained in a number of other trades including bricklaying, welding and catering. We must remember that around 180 young people have already completed our programme, explains Solomon Ahenguah Anokye, the director of the two training centres supported by the programme. The aim is that in future 240 young people per year will complete their training there and find employment. However, good trade-related knowledge and skills are not all that the trainees need in order to succeed. All participants are also taught financial management skills. In addition, GIZ has now helped the course graduates set up cooperatives through which they can continue to develop their expertise together. Asanko Gold also benefits from the partnership. Good relationships with the local population are important to the company, partly because they help prevent dissatisfaction and frustration in the local community erupting into blockades or other forms of unrest. 25

26 In 2015 we invested USD 470,000 in local communities, explains Dr Ben Adoo, Asanko s chairman in Ghana. The company operates a number of support programmes that are specifically developed for the local situation in order to respond to the community s particular expectations and hopes and find solutions. Developing local health services an example from South Africa South Africa is another of the seven countries in which the programme operates. The country s health system faces numerous challenges. Eighty-four per cent of the population are reliant on the overstretched national health system. Yet because of cost, time or transport problems, the majority of the population have only limited access to these health services. Treatment is usually carried out in clinics, while local services and preventive health care are neglected. Against this background, Imperial Health Sciences, Africa s leading company for logistics services in the health care sector, and Unjani Clinics NPC, a non-profit organisation, have developed a model for primary health care based on the principles of social franchising. It delivers high-quality local health care services at affordable prices while also creating jobs. The initiative trains professional nurses to open a container health care station in a community of their choice. The patients receive access to local health care at affordable prices. At the same time, pressure on the public clinics in the cities is reduced. Unjani Clinics NPC has so far set up 25 container health care stations that have treated more than 100,000 patients. The majority of the health care stations are already able to cover their costs. E4D is helping Unjani Clinics NPC expand the business model and acquire small and mediumsized enterprises as clients. The plan is for the number of clinics to be increased by this means from 25 to 50, so that the business model is selfsupporting in the long term and more jobs are created. In addition, the SMEs are able to obtain basic health care for their staff and to improve their working conditions. The programme is also developing an IT-based management system that covers patient management and monitoring, procurement and accounting, thereby making management tasks easier for the self-employed nurses.the programme has multiple winners: the trained nurses have a secure source of income and at least 75 people have been given employment. More than 180,000 patients have received better health care via the health care stations as a result of shorter journeys and easy access to preventive services. Some 250 businesses that have entered into an agreement with one or more health care stations benefit because their attractiveness as employers is increased and they are able to safeguard or increase the productivity of their workers. The working conditions of at least 2,500 people are being improved. Imperial Health Sciences benefits from having a larger number of guaranteed purchasers of its services. 26

27 The programme s areas of impact The programme s results contribute to the aggregate indicators in the 2016 results data: People in employment: The number of people who have obtained employment as a result of GIZ measures and projects. Improved working conditions: The number of people who have benefited from improved working conditions as a result of GIZ measures and projects. And the number of people who have a higher income as a result of GIZ measures and projects. Vocational education and training: The number of vocational education and training students who have been reached by GIZ measures and projects. The successful implementation of the partnerships promotes economic growth, the creation of productive and decent jobs, increases in the incomes of poorer households and the reduction of poverty. The programme therefore has positive impacts on the following Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all, and especially the targets: o 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. o 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. 4 Results in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) In the TVET sector, the indicators used in the 2016 results data refer to the number of TVET participants reached by GIZ measures and projects. In the examples selected, these individuals are the managing directors of enterprises in the formal or informal sectors, their staff members, master craftspersons and trainees. The occupational areas covered are extremely broad, and are determined on the basis of their relative importance for economic development in the country or the specific region. The examples also contribute to the indicator number of people who have obtained employment, since the qualifications acquired have enabled them to find employment. The approaches adopted by the projects presented here aim to gear TVET more closely to the needs of the private sector, as well as improving the quality of training. The main levers are enhanced practical orientation and capacity development for teaching 27

28 staff in terms of both technical and pedagogical skills. Key factors in all the projects presented are greater participation on the part of the private sector in designing and realising TVET, and direct support for selected public and private training institutes to help them develop their TVET programmes and implement the new initial and continuing training courses. Support measures at national level also underpin reforms and foster inclusiveness and sustainability. The projects Promotion of Economy and Employment in Rwanda (see 3.2) and Sustainable Economic Development in Ghana link TVET and private sector promotion. The project in Ghana targets the informal sector and focuses on enhancing traditional vocational training. One special feature of the TVET project in the North and East of Sri Lanka is its objective: making a direct contribution to peacebuilding and conflict transformation in the country by improving employment opportunities and a number of other measures Sustainable Economic Development in Ghana; TVET component List of examples in the field of TVET 4.1 Sustainable Economic Development in Ghana; TVET component 4.2 Supporting Technical and Vocational Education and Training Reform in Pakistan 4.3 Vocational Training in the North and East of Sri Lanka 4.1 Sustainable Economic Development in Ghana; TVET component Limited competitiveness as a result of the weaknesses of training in the informal sector In spite of substantial progress in reducing poverty over recent years, the lack of social protection, and the unequal distribution of economic opportunities, income and wealth are an obstacle to social and economic development in Ghana. More than 80 per cent of Ghana s 11-million-strong workforce find employment in the country s informal sector. Most young people are also trained outside the formal education system, in the form of a traditional apprenticeship. On average these apprenticeships take three years and have hitherto been conducted solely inside enterprises and on the job. Recent technological developments are rarely covered, since they are seldom found in the informal sector. Training follows no curriculum, and there are no officially recognised final examinations and hence qualifications. Scant attention is paid to the theoretical side. There are no entrance requirements, in terms of general education, nor do any official standards apply. In most cases, this traditional training does not then qualify individuals for secure employment neither in the informal sector, nor in the modern formal sector. The consequences for economic development as a whole can be seen in the low level of competitiveness of many small and medium-sized enterprises, which are unable to recruit the qualified staff they need. In quantitative terms too, the growing demand for training opportunities at all levels, particularly in those sectors most relevant for employment, and the demand for trained individuals remain unmet. One important potential is the TVET reform already launched by Ghana s Government, which ushers in a paradigm change from a primarily supply-driven 28

29 approach to a skills-based and demand-oriented approach to TVET. Getting the private sector involved in designing and implementing TVET Enhancing employability through competencybased training The BMZ-financed project Sustainable Economic Development in Ghana builds on these efforts of the government. It aims to enhance the employability of trainees and those already in work.a special role is played by traditional apprenticeships in the informal sector, which account for between 80 and 90 per cent of all technical and vocational education and training in Ghana. In the TVET sector the project aims increasingly to provide needs-driven initial and continuing training in selected sectors for young job-seekers, trainees, people in work and the owners of MSMEs. With this goal in mind, the project is focusing on three levers: Strengthening the involvement of the private sector in designing and implementing TVET Providing direct support for selected public- and private-sector training institutes to help them devise their TVET programmes and offer new competency-based courses Establishing a national quality assurance system for modernised TVET courses. At the heart of GIZ s services is the delivery of specialist advisory services to Ghana s national TVET agency, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), to business associations and to training providers regarding how to put in place and fine-tune an enabling environment for competency-based training. Capacity development measures are supporting training institutions and private-sector players. And parallel to this, organisational development measures are being undertaken. Cooperation between training institutes and privatesector actors in the regions is also fostered in the interests of providing demand-driven training. One key approach of the project is to step up the level of involvement of the private sector in the design and implementation of TVET. The project is helping private businesses, associations and cooperatives to have their wishes and needs incorporated into the design of TVET offerings within the framework of a public-private dialogue. To this end, the organisational structure of bodies representing the interests of private industry is firstly reinforced. Bodies of this sort include the umbrella organisation of business associations. The project promotes dialogue and cooperation between the state training institutes and the private sector, in order to develop appropriate course contents and training offerings. Experts from skilled trades associations, including the electronics sector, for instance, collaborate on curriculum development and on the design on individual courses, thus bringing their practical expertise to bear on the content of training courses. In this way the state and private-sector stakeholders ensure that traditional training is geared more closely to the actual needs of industry. As is the case with most reform initiatives, the stakeholders play a crucially important role. As well as the technical and managerial training provided by GIZ for key persons within the institutes involved, this makes it particularly important to foster identification with the measures and ownership on the partner side. If the results of the project are to be sustainable, the associations and the providers of TVET must be able to lobby at political level for the training system to be modernised. The umbrella organisation of the skilled trades associations and its members have now been co-opted by the national TVET agency onto the pertinent specialist committees that are responsible for assessing competency-based training materials. To date, cooperation arrangements have been established between 16 state- and private-sector training providers and 9 business associations including their member companies. These partnerships are helping to formalise and organise cooperation between technical and vocational schools and the informal sector. A platform is then available, on the basis of which the private-sector and vocational schools can organise their cooperation independently in line with their needs. The provision of training centres is regulated and the curricula are agreed, including, for instance, the form that courses should take for 29

30 trainees in the informal sector (on an hourly basis, or as a block during the school holidays, for instance). This takes into account the capacities of the schools and the peak workloads of trainees in the companies. Harnessing the potential of development partnerships to realise competency-based training Building on the positive experience gained by the project in the field of electrical and electronic engineering, the GIZ-implemented regional programme Employment for Development in Africa (E4D) (see 3.4) has established what is termed a development partnership with the private sector, which focuses on giving girls the chance to train as electronics technicians. The programme has managed to attract the technology giant Samsung and the South Korean development agency (Korea International Cooperation Agency, KOICA) as partners. girls being forced into prostitution, early marriage, or teenage pregnancies. Jaqueline Asiedu and her classmate Hilda Sam are two of more than 100 young women currently training as electronic technicians at the Accra Girls Vocational Institute, and thus benefiting from GIZ support.they have already been subjected to many derogatory comments from boys and young men, but these self-assured girls are not going to let that put them off. The boys are just envious that we are going to have the chance to get the jobs they would like to have, says Hilda. When the young women finish their training in just over two years, they will find lots of opportunities on Ghana s labour market. They could work as electronics technicians with international companies, in sales with high-tech stores, as owners of their own electronics store or find good jobs with the police force or army. Girls and women suffer particular disadvantages when it comes to access to TVET and to secure employment. It is difficult for women to break into the many male-dominated professions. They generally find themselves barred from higher-level positions and sometimes subject to hostility. In some areas there is no fundamental understanding of gender equality in the workplace. However, since women in Ghana often contribute a significant percentage of the family income, this is a major challenge. Ghana s new president, Nana Akufo-Addo, elected in December 2016, has repeatedly stressed the importance of education and training, especially for women and girls, for the development of the country, more and more of our girls can have access to affordable and quality education, which will, in turn, speed up the development of our country. With support from GIZ, progress is already being made towards this end. At four vocational schools, significantly more girls are now being trained. The aim is to raise the percentage of fully trained female electronics technicians from about 2 per cent in 2012 to 30 per cent in It makes sense to invest in girls. Most of our schoolgirls will one day be mothers themselves. Then they will ensure that their own children get a good training, says Edna Boafo, Director of the Accra Girls Vocational Institute. Our education and training system should be so good that Ghanaians are no longer forced to leave their country if they want to train in specialised professions. With her school she also hopes to prevent poorly trained Direct support for training institutes providing competency-based training The project is advising selected public- and privatesector training institutes to help them develop and adapt their TVET programmes so as to provide new competency-based courses. These institutes are given support in designing and conducting training courses for the owners and staff of small enterprises, and for their trainees. Training is broken down into various modules, in line with the principles of competency-based training. The individual modules focus on specific skills. For welding, for instance, this might be tube welding or the manufacture of gates, or container production. Courses are also offered on generic subjects like English, maths and entrepreneurship. Each module lasts about two weeks and complements the on-the-job training received in the company. To ensure things run smoothly the project is firstly developing the capacities of key persons including teaching staff and managerial staff. They need the relevant technical and pedagogical skills and knowledge to enable them to teach modern, competency-based courses. Secondly, the necessary structural changes are introduced in the institutes, along with new procedures and processes, in order to implement the new approaches. To ensure the connectivity of traditional training with the formal sector and the formal TVET and education system, it was helpful to make 30

31 Ghana s TVET system as a whole modular and competency-based. The modular nature of the system makes it possible to offer courses that complement and complete the traditional training within the framework of existing standards. The competency-based approach makes it easier to recognise skills acquired through traditional training. The modernised traditional training has hitherto been offered on a pilot basis in 3 of Ghana s 10 regions, at 16 vocational schools and in 5 occupational areas (electronics, welding, automotive, apparel and cosmetics/hairdressing). In each case, 232 trainees and master craftspersons have received training. Thirty-eight per cent of participants were women undertaking master craftsperson training, and 42 per cent of trainees were women.188 trainees (81 per cent) completed their training and were awarded the officially recognised certificate for Proficiency Level 1. The TVET providers receiving support are able to expand their role as purveyors of knowledge, and will find themselves in a stronger position since the additional courses will generate additional income. They have been able to enhance their expertise in terms of school management and in-service teacher training, enabling them to offer effective training for the relevant target groups in the informal sector. This was confirmed by Edna Boafo, Director of the Accra Girls' Vocational Institute. This measure has really helped put our school in touch with private enterprises, also in the informal sector, which has benefited both sides, but most of all the trainees themselves. The results are also appreciated by teaching staff, affirmed Osei Fokuo, who teaches at the Accra Girls' Vocational Institute. Since the competency-based training approach was introduced I have stopped comparing students with one another. Now I concentrate on ensuring that everybody in the class acquires the skills they need to achieve the next proficiency level. The students are now much more geared to practical work. That motivates them more to learn and makes them more self-assured, adds Isaac Dzimabi, principal instructor for electronic engineering at the Accra Girls' Vocational Institute. Companies now get helpful services and both students and participants in continuing training courses can enjoy stimulating instruction, since both teaching methods and school organisation have been improved. By involving local service providers and institutions (e.g. University of Education), capacities have also been developed for future development measures. This was confirmed by participants, including master craftsperson Isaac Oware from Accra, The project has introduced me to other aspects of my profession that I had not previously thought were important. This has enabled me to attract more customers and increase my sales. And more young people are now interested in doing a traineeship with me. The trainee Confidence Dogbe from Accra pointed out, The combination of in-company and school-based training means that I see customer orientation as central to my work. Ninety-five per cent of trainees confirmed that the quality of training has improved.seventy-seven per cent of master craftspersons confirm that the employability of trainees has improved significantly. There is thus a high level of demand for further courses and training cycles. Building on the lessons learned and with the help of European Union cofinancing, the approach is now to be rolled out in a total of six of Ghana s ten regions, and in eight occupational fields including agriculture. A voucher programme introduced within the scope of financial cooperation is soon to fund the training courses of trainees and master craftspersons who are part of the GIZ-supported Ghana Skills Development Initiative. This close cooperation between technical and financial cooperation will expand the approach to benefit up to 15,000 people. Support for quality assurance and broad impact at national level The work of the project at national level complements the two approaches presented here, and plays an important part in ensuring broad impact and sustainability. At this level GIZ is helping develop and implement accreditation, examination and certification procedures in order to put in place a quality assurance system for the modernised training courses. Learning mechanisms too are to be developed. And GIZ is helping develop the Technical Examination Unit, which is part of the Ministry of Education, to make it an examination body for competency-based training. Strategic capacity development and organisational development are being conducted in an effort to improve the general environment for the further development and realisation of needs-driven, competencybased training, thus underpinning the sustainability of the measures. The reform initiatives are to be in- 31

32 corporated in corresponding national strategy papers. In this way, appropriate mechanisms are to be developed and sustainably established that are capable of promoting this form of training, ensuring in particular its connectivity to the formal TVET and education system. The far-reaching support delivered to the Council for Technical and Vocational modernised traditional training. Education and Training (COTVET) to help it coordinate and steer the reform of TVET has made it possible to elaborate and in some cases put in place the general framework for uniform, nationally recognised TVET standards as well as a national approach to examination and certification for needs-driven, The project s area of impact The project s results contribute directly to achieving the aggregate indicators in the 2016 results data: Upskilling/TVET: The number of vocational education and training students who have been reached by GIZ measures and projects People in employment: The number of people who have obtained employment as a result of GIZ measures and projects. With its results the project also helps achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all The following targets are particularly relevant: o 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university o 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship o 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls SDG 8, in particular 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training SDG 17, in particular 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships 32

33 4.2 Supporting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Reform in Pakistan The context of challenges in the field of TVET Pakistan is facing enormous economic and social challenges, partly as a result of the global economic and financial crisis and the large number of internally displaced people in the country. Millions of young people flood onto the labour market every year, but many of them do not have the qualifications they would need to find a job. The country s formal TVET system can meet only a very small percentage of the demand for training. And 70 per cent of Pakistanis live in rural areas, while most training institutes are in towns and cities. Women find it particularly difficult to access TVET and find a foothold on the formal labour market. Although at nationwide level girls account for 37 per cent of trainees, they attend courses in only a few occupations, mostly traditional in nature. Few courses lead to formal employment and, in line with prevailing cultural taboos, women tend to exercise their professions at home. More than half of the companies that do offer jobs, conduct their own three- to six-month on-the-job training courses because of the poor quality of existing training courses. Pakistan has not yet managed to initiate sustainable economic and social development on the basis of existing energy resources, positive conditions for agriculture and its geopolitical position as a trading corridor for neighbouring states. TVET reform to enhance quality and equality GIZ is thus supporting the Government of Pakistan, on behalf of BMZ, in its reform of TVET, in order to enhance the relevance and quality of TVET as well as equality of opportunity. The programme was launched in 2011 and has also benefited from the financial support of the European Union, the Netherlands and Norway. A new programme phase began in January 2017 with the support of the European Union; the intervention priorities have been modified. GIZ is using a number of levers that we will look at in more detail below. Alongside technical advice, GIZ plays a key role as facilitator for the design of effective and sustainable lateral and vertical cooperation structures. The clarification of the roles and mandates of the various partners involved in cooperation has proved to be an important success factor in view of the often competing mandates of line ministries, and between national and provincial levels. TVET policy for quality, shared responsibility and on-the-job training At national level, the focus is on delivering advisory services on the development and implementation of TVET policy that revolves around a competencybased training system. With the support of the programme, Pakistan s first national TVET policy was elaborated and adopted in March GIZ s most important inputs were the advice it provided on substantive matters. Organisational advice is now playing a key part in the implementation of the reform. GIZ is also involved on an ongoing basis in fostering constructive cooperation among the many actors involved in the reform and the implementation thereof. They include the representatives of other line ministries, of the provinces, the training institutes and the private sector. And of course, GIZ supports the coordination activities of the National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), which is the most important partner of the programme. The reform constitutes a paradigm shift in developing the capacities of millions of young men and women. It is considered to be an important building block in achieving the economic and development goals that Pakistan has set itself at political level. The reform closely links schoolbased and industry-based training. While vocational schools in Pakistan used to teach primarily theory, trainees today become familiar with the day-to-day reality of their chosen occupation from the outset, which allows them to acquire valuable skills. The new policy puts in place an enabling environment for TVET and plays an important part in quality assurance, aligning training with the needs of the labour market and industry, and in standardising qualifications. Training courses are increasingly being recognised by Pakistani and foreign companies, and demand for graduates is rising. It is particularly important for many people who have hitherto worked in the informal sector, to realise 33

34 that their previous occupational experience will be taken into account. This is essential, given the great importance of the informal sector in Pakistan. Specific improvements for companies and graduates through practical orientation and a mentoring system The upskilling and professional development offered to teaching staff at vocational schools, and the piloting of comprehensive monitoring and evaluation systems in the TVET sector are also part of the new policy, and are being supported by the project through nationwide measures. One central outcome of the advisory services delivered by the project is the shared responsibility of public partners and industry for designing and implementing TVET, and for assessing learning achievements. This has Amir Munir now been laid down by the political level and institutionalised.one focus in this context was the introduction of competency-based training, in line with the needs of industry. Now that the first trainees have successfully completed their training under the new system, a total of 175 institutes across the country have adopted the new principles. Seventy-two different qualifications are available. Since the measure started, more than 17,000 vocational school students throughout Pakistan have begun this kind of competency-based training. In conjunction with the shared responsibility, the concept of cooperative vocational training (CVT) was devised and implemented. Under this concept school-based training is linked to training in private companies. This gives graduates the skills they will later need in working life. Currently 145 companies are involved and more than 1,000 trainees have already completed their training. Khurram Azeem Khan Khurram Azeem Khan from Sialkot believes that the new training to emerge from Pakistan s first TVET policy is the right approach to take. He is proprietor of Improving pedagogical concepts in TVET. Acorp Safety Products, a company that employs a workforce of about 250. He puts his faith in the quality of the products of his still young company, for which he needs not only enthusiastic and dedicated staff, but also highly trained skilled workers. Quality is the watchword of my products. I am very happy with the staff I have employed, who have completed the new training. They can competently operate the latest machinery with digital applications. Thanks to their customer orientation and communication skills they are also able to serve customers in the professional manner I would like to see. In Lahore, Misbah Naz was one of the first graduates to complete the cooperative training programme developed by GIZ in cooperation with national Shurmaila Nuz and international companies, and public- and private-sector training institutes. In spite of her four-year degree course in economics, Ms Naz had almost no practical experience. Like most of her friends, she was unable to find a job even though she had a university degree. So she applied for the one-year customer advisor course. After six months at the vocational school, she began a traineeship in the logistics sector with the company CEI Supply Chain. Her theoretical training included customer service, social skills, IT and English. At the start of her practical traineeship she learned how to handle concepts she had never heard of, and gained an insight into the work of the various departments. Now I can do any job here. If 34

35 somebody is off sick in any department, I can do their job. That is also thanks to a training coordinator, who looks after trainees during their practical placements at CEI Supply Chain. The mentors are trained at GIZ-organised pedagogical seminars. Her boss Amir Munir did not find it difficult to make a decision. At the first interview he felt immediately that Shumalia Naz would be a credit to his company. She is very ambitious and knows how to behave in a business environment. He also noted that the graduates of the new cooperative system are more self-assured. His company is one of the first 145 companies in Lahore and Karachi to offer traineeships as part of the new system. What the students learn at vocational school complements what they learn in the company. Amir Munir has worked with GIZ to develop the curriculum for training in logistics. Improving pedagogical concepts in TVET Another important approach of the programme is to enhance the quality of TVET being provided by the institutes. Shabir Hussain from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province trains vocational school teachers in pedagogics. He is one of about 100 instructors who have been trained by the project in new and innovative teaching forms and methods. A total of 8,500 vocational school teachers throughout Pakistan have had the opportunity to hone their pedagogical skills in this way. One of the innovative elements is a blended learning concept, which combines the advantages of face-toface events with the benefits of e-learning. The blended learning course and supplementary materials were very comprehensive. The in-service training provided by the project enabled me to develop my skills and modify my courses for vocational school teachers, using new and modern teaching methods so that they could better achieve the learning goals. I can thus help teachers make their instruction better and more effective. Shumaila Naz also confirms the huge success of this measure. She teaches at the Government Vocational Institute for Women in Affandi Town, Hyderabad, Sindh. She is one of the 8,500 vocational school teachers who have benefited from the in-service pedagogical training. I am very happy with the training, which was a catalyst for me to become more effective in my work. It enabled me to better develop my skills as a teacher. In her view the training provided and the investment in the teaching staff is an important factor for the success of the project in Pakistan, since it is not only an investment in skills. It also motivates staff and develops their personality. The training changed the way I think about how I design my lessons and assess students. In the final analysis I see that this is also changing my students. All these achievements for Pakistan as a whole are the result of several consultation rounds supported by the programme, involving numerous state agencies and important stakeholders in the vocational school sector along with national and international representatives of the private sector. The standardisation of curricula at Pakistan s 3,500 or so vocational schools is still a major challenge in a country in which central government and provincial administrations do not yet cooperate satisfactorily. Innovative and flexible training elements to ensure that women, refugees and young people find employment As well as improving formal TVET courses, the programme initiated shorter, innovative training courses designed specifically for Pakistan. The Learning Region approach, adopted by the programme from 2011 to 2016, brought together important partners. Education authorities, vocational schools, associations and private enterprises developed effective TVET measures for selected sectors, especially in border provinces. The measures were designed to target women, refugees and young people from poor households and give them access to the labour market. In addition, a national Fund for Innovative Training financed innovative pilot training projects for TVET reform. These were implemented on the initiative of the organisations submitting the proposal. The new forms of cooperation between private businesses and training centres met training needs and tapped the employment potential available. New curricula were developed for new participant profiles with the support of the programme. On completing these courses, participants are now far better equipped to meet the needs of the labour market. An independent study has demonstrated that more than 90 per cent of course graduates and the business representatives are happy 35

36 with the results. So far, more than 125,000 people have attended courses offered by 36 TVET centres. In the Pakistani context, it should be noted in particular that this figure included more than 37,000 women and 90,000 people from poor households. And, in two border regions, 1,800 people have been trained in agricultural technology and fish production. Naila Parveen is one of the 125,000 course participants. She lives in the remote Gilgit region in the Himalayas. Being so isolated, the region is less suitable for many conventional business models. Naila Parveen attended one of the three-month courses on e-marketing and was immediately able to put her newly acquired skills to profitable use. My qualifications enabled me to take on a data sifting job recently for a Malaysian company. Contracts of this sort now mean that I can pay my own training fees and still support my family. Since January 2017 this approach has no longer been part of the programme. The programme has documented the positive experience gained with TVET and employment programmes for specific target groups and with the Learning Regions approach. These approaches are to be scaled up to achieve broader impact. and 700,000 trained employees is available on the website ( Every day, more than 400 job-seekers upload their profiles on the website. Information provided by more than 3,500 private- and public-sector TVET institutions is available, showing courses available and other details. This platform is a step towards establishing a stable and lasting link between public- and private-sector actors in the field of TVET. Evidence-based management is not possible in the TVET sector unless reliable data is available. The monitoring and evaluation systems provided for under the new policy are thus being developed and piloted by the programme, so that evidence-based political decisions can be made regarding the management of the system. Abdul Sami Khan works for the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (AJK-TEVTA). The Authority is currently responsible for 67 vocational schools and 82 training centres. Every year, these public- and privatesector institutes train 15,000 people. The programme has supported the development of the new monitoring and evaluation system on a pilot basis. Following the successful pilot phase, which ran until January 2015, the system is currently being rolled out nationwide. For me it is a dream come true to have all the data about the TVET sector in one place, transparent and without any duplication, says Abdul Sami Khan, Chairman of the Authority. Naila Parveen Information and evaluation system as a precondition for steering TVET Reliable labour market information is also important for decisions on TVET policy. Until the programme was launched though, no statistics were compiled on labour force requirements. In this context, a National Skills Information System was introduced under the auspices of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC). The information is also made available to partners involved in planning, training institutes, industry, job-seekers and students. Currently, the information provided by over 70,000 companies Quality assurance and shared responsibility for sustainability The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), which is responsible for implementing the innovations, now faces the challenge of effectively managing the roles and responsibilities of all bodies involved in TVET, while forging ahead with policy and strategy development and initiating and managing a quality assurance system. Coordination and networking with other ministries, the Planning Commission and private-sector bodies are very important in this. GIZ is providing organisational development services and advisory services to support key processes. At provincial level, the responsible vocational training authorities play the 36

37 most important part in gauging success and underpinning the quality of TVET. They are also crucial in the implementation of national policy and the introduction of innovations at province level and within the individual institutes. The demands made of managers and of the steering process have thus increased substantially. The programme has addressed this important aspect of the reform, and trained 880 executive and managerial staff in management subjects, to enable them to handle their new and more demanding managerial, administrative and strategic development responsibilities. 37

38 The programme s area of impact The programme s results contribute directly to achieving the two aggregate indicators of the 2016 results data: Upskilling/TVET: The number of vocational education and training students who have been reached by GIZ measures and projects People in employment: The number of people who have obtained employment as a result of GIZ measures and projects. The programme results contribute indirectly to achieving the aggregate indicator of the 2016 results data. Improving working conditions: The number of people who have benefited from improved working conditions as a result of GIZ measures and projects. And the number of people who have a higher income as a result of GIZ measures and projects. The results of the programme contribute to achieving the following Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The following targets are particularly relevant: o 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university o 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship o 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations. SDG 8, in particular 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. 38

39 4.3 Vocational Training in the North and East of Sri Lanka The context of challenges in the field of TVET In 2009, more than 25 years of armed conflict between the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam finally came to an end. The years of war were marked by military action, expulsions, human rights violations and destruction especially in Northern Province, which is home mainly to Tamils, and the East of the country. Even today, traces of the war can still be seen in the region. Sri Lankan society suffers from poverty and from the mental and physical consequences of the war. Nationwide, 6.7 per cent of Sri Lankans live below the poverty line, and a high percentage of the people are either underemployed or work in very precarious jobs. In the areas worst affected by the fighting, and neighbouring regions, the situation is even more fraught. There is a lack of TVET aligned to the needs of the private sector or to the needs of society. One particular challenge is the need to give young women and persons with disabilities, as well as other marginalised groups, access to formal TVET, especially in rural areas. The distances involved, traditional role models, and family and economic commitments that tie people to their home areas limit their options. But there is also a severe shortage of skilled labour. This is an obstacle to economic development. The technical and vocational training centres often lack suitably qualified teaching staff who can give the trainees the knowledge and skills demanded by the private sector. State training institutes have hitherto paid scant attention to the need to adopt conflict-reducing approaches and foster reconciliation between population groups who have perceived each other only as the enemy over decades of fighting. Needs-driven training for skilled workers could foster sustainable economic development in the region. In addition, new income-generating opportunities may emerge, as new companies settle in the region, offering the young generation in particular new opportunities to earn an income. The project approach: improved employment opportunities for young people partly as a contribution to peacebuilding The vocational training project in the North and East of Sri Lanka aims to get young people to make use of an improved needs-driven range of training in these parts of the country. The improved employment opportunities this brings are to make a direct contribution to building peace and transforming conflict in the country. The project is currently supporting 15 vocational training centres in the North and East of the country, and helping them improve the quality and quantity of their training services. Support for vocational schools includes advisory services to improve the quality of the training on offer, upskilling for teaching and managerial staff, equipment on a lesser scale, supervision for internships in industry (on-the-job training), support for examinations and accreditation, the introduction of English courses, and the modification of curricula to bring them into line with needs. In addition to this technical advice, GIZ staff play an important part in facilitating cooperation between state authorities and the private sector, both at local level and in the national context. The direct involvement of the private sector in TVET processes and the promotion of cooperation mechanisms between state TVET actors and the private sector ensures that the training on offer will be needs-driven and sustainable. In the BMZ-financed project, support for TVET offerings in Eastern Province are made possible by a cofinancing arrangement with the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration. Development of new and practice-relevant training courses with the private sector The project has already introduced for the first time or qualitatively upgraded a total of 104 training courses in the fields of automotive training, construction, food processing, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, information and communication technology, hotel 39

40 management and hospitality, and skilled trades including tailoring/dressmaking, and cosmetology and hairdressing. New curricula have been developed to ensure that training is closely aligned with the needs of the labour market. To ensure that course graduates do in fact have better chances of finding employment, the project works intensively with the private sector to shape training. Partner organisations receive support to place trainees with companies for industry-based phases of training (on-the-job training). The sixto twelve-month on-the-job training session ensures that all trainees at GIZ-supported training institutes receive part of their training in the form of practical training in industry. Representatives of industry are also invited to the training centres in order to foster dialogue between private businesses and future skilled workers. The dialogue between government organisations and the private sector is assisted by organising business forums on selected topics. One such event, for instance, focused on renewables. Participants discussed how to modify curricula in view of the new technologies and how to make teaching staff and trainees more aware of green issues including solid waste disposal, water use, energy efficiency and the use of renewables. One essential component is upskilling for the teaching and managerial staff of vocational schools on the basis of previously identified professional development needs. As well as subjects intended to ensure the technical quality of courses and hone the pedagogical skills of teaching staff, gender equality, peacebuilding and conflict transformation play a key role in all schools, as does the ability to promote social skills and key qualifications. One special focus is on improving the English language skills of participants. English is an important bridge between Singhalese and Tamil speakers, and thus helps foster mobility on the labour market as well as encouraging understanding between the groups. Study trips to other vocational and technical schools in Southeast Asia round off the range of training available to selected participants. Ongoing intensive advice and support is available at top managerial level too. In a survey, around three quarters of companies involved in on-the-job training confirmed that they were satisfied with the competence level of graduates. The companies saw scope for optimisation in the language skills of graduates and in the field of soft skills, including communication skills, punctuality and work ethic. Structural improvements to cooperation between state structures and the private sector at national level Alongside the work in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, the project works at national level to ensure that the TVET courses developed comply with the official framework in place. On this basis, the project has advised the responsible University for Vocational Technology and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission. Innovations laid out above have thus been sustainably mainstreamed in the country s TVET system. In addition, the project is fostering dialogue processes between state actors and the private sector at national level, as well as supporting pilot processes. The Private Sector Forums have become established platforms for dialogue between the private sector and state actors. The project has thus been able to provide impetus to get the private sector more involved in curriculum development and in the training processes and structures in future. Better prospects for numerous young people and young adults In 2012 the first training centre promoted within the scope of the project opened its doors. The opening of the Sri Lanka-German Training Institute (SLGTI) on 18 July 2016 was an important milestone for the project. Conceived as a centre of excellence in the TVET sector, the Institute was opened in the presence of the Sri Lankan President, the country s Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training and the German Ambassador. In the run-up to the opening ceremony, a publicity campaign was conducted, designed to encourage young people from the east and south of the country in particular to apply for a place on the training courses offered. 40

41 More than 1,000 young men and women did apply for one of the 233 places available. Of the trainees accepted, 63.5 per cent are Tamils, 21 per cent Muslims and 15.5 per cent Singhalese. The project thus achieved its objective of creating a centre at which trainees from different ethnic groups and faiths would train together. The number of trainees at the facilities receiving support has risen steadily thanks to recruitment and the offer of additional training courses. A total of 1,075 trainees have now completed their courses. Currently, 2,075 trainees are enrolled at the 15 centres receiving support. Of the trainees and graduates, 40.8 per cent are female, significantly up on the figure of 30 per cent when the project was launched. This trend is largely thanks to the project s efforts to raise awareness in the field of professional orientation, involving parents and husbands. Over and above this, gender training is conducted regularly with partners, teaching and managerial staff and with the trainees themselves. Efforts are made to ensure a gender balance in the implementation of all measures. Cooperation with Jetwing is a good example of cooperation with private businesses in the field of TVET and of the successful transition of young people to the labour market. Under the provisions of a cooperation agreement between GIZ, the national TVET authority and Jetwing Hotels Ltd., 58 trainees from the VTA Karainagar Training Centre were given the opportunity to undertake a practical placement in one of Jetwing s many hotels in Sri Lanka, as part of their training. Once they had completed their training, 42 of them were employed in Jetwing s newly opened hotel in Jaffna. Susikaran Vinotha from Skandapuram is 20, and has completed training as an electronics technician. I saw many differences between school Susikaran Vinotha education and vocational training. When I was at school, for instance, I never spoke to boys. But at vocational school, we all learned and worked together, and shared our knowledge. The first time I saw a television in its component parts it came as quite a shock. Before, I never really knew what mobile phones are and how they work. Today, after my on-the-job training I find it quite normal to repair them. I have learned that it is not only boys who can do a lot so can girls. During the training I got to know other people and new parts of the country. I often needed translations though, because I speak Tamil and my English was not good enough. Thanks to my training I have now been to Colombo three times. I not only had to explain to my parents everything about electronics, but explain to them why this training is also good for girls. After my practical placement at Sri Lanka Telecom they understood. Later they allowed my sister to train as an electrician. With the final qualification it is easy to find work, or even set up your own company. Contribution to peace and conflict transformation. Against the background of decades of conflict, which only ended eight years ago, a special effort was made to get TVET to contribute to reconciliation and conflict transformation. The project supports vocational schools in moves to integrate peacebuilding and conflict transformation concepts and innovative activities in training. In close cooperation with national and international experts, the project has produced a manual for peace education and conflict prevention that can be used by teaching and managerial staff at the TVET institutions. The Manual to strengthen social competencies of vocational trainees contains an introductory section and detailed teaching and learning modules. It addresses issues relating to the role of responsible citizens and communication. Social skills also include personal development, physical and mental wellbeing and learning strategies. 41

42 For Jeyakulanathan Jenoji, training brought with it important personal development. I Jeyakulanathan Jenoji have a (girl) friend who was training as an electronic technician. After a while the idea began to take root in my mind that I would like to take a vocational training course too. When I first spoke to my mother about it, she was not happy with the idea. But I started training nevertheless. Later, during my first on-thejob training I was very nervous at first, but I learned to be braver. Today I am so self-assured that when customers have complaints I deal with them on my own and resolve the situation. For this, the social skills courses at the vocational school were very important. I would like to carry on learning and become an engineer. To date 21 training measures have been held to foster social skills, attended by more than 1,000 students and teachers from the TVET institutes supported by the project. The training measures included intercultural training. Members of all ethnic groups Singhalese, Tamils and Muslims shared the special features of their culture, religion and cuisine. This allowed young people to learn things from one another than they had never known. Professional situations were also simulated, including a job interview, a meeting with a line manager or how to solve a conflict at the workplace. The regular training measures reduce prejudices vis-à-vis other ethnic groups and foster peaceful coexistence. To inform young people, especially in rural areas, about the training on offer, and the potential offered by needs-driven TVET, and to encourage them to apply, Peace education and conflict prevention are also addressed at target-group-specific events. The North meets the South event is a study trip for vocational school students from the north of the country, who travel to Colombo. As well as being introduced to the latest technologies and work processes, and having the chance to talk directly to company representatives, this event fosters dialogue between young people from the north and the south of the country. The event has already been held four times, between 2012 and 2015, with a total of 562 trainees participating, including 185 from Colombo. The Young and Diverse event is a sporting and cultural event that specifically aims to promote social and cultural integration. The event focuses on cultural, religious and social diversity. Here too, young people from various ethnic and social backgrounds and different faiths come together and establish mutual understanding and trust. The event has been held three times, with a total of some 1,600 trainees participating. Better image of TVET for young people in rural areas The project has a positive influence on the popular view of TVET in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Young people see training on modern machinery at the training centres as an attractive option. They like the idea of going to a different part of the country after the school-based instruction for on-the-job training, and working there in a wellknown company. The chance to learn English is also very well received, since these skills open up new opportunities. Jeyakumar Inthuyan The project prioritises vocational and career guidance and counselling. A training bus provided these services at the outset of the project. Brochures, flyers, films, street theatre groups and discussion in the municipalities were used to publicise the TVET courses on offer. Later, training centre staff were trained to provide educational and career guidance and counselling. They now visit the 42

43 secondary schools in the region in order to inform students and parents about the training options available. Three fixed education and career guidance and counselling units in Kilinochchi, Jaffna and Trincomalee are also available as points of contact. Jeyakumar Inthuyan, a trainee at Kilonochchi Central College, says, We were given information about the prospects, also the economic prospects, offered by the various TVET courses. This guidance was important to help us make the right decisions for our future. A special focus was placed on educating and sensitising young women and their parents and/or husbands, with a view to overcoming cultural barriers and enabling young women to train and exercise a profession. The measures have improved the reputation of TVET in society and thus led to a rise in demand for vocational training at the schools assisted by the project. 43

44 The project s area of impact The project s results contribute to achieving the two aggregate indicators of the 2016 results data: Upgrading/TVET: The number of vocational education and training students who have been reached by GIZ measures and projects People in employment: The number of people who have obtained employment as a result of GIZ measures and projects. The results of the project contribute to achieving the following Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The following targets are particularly relevant: o o o 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations. SDG 8, in particular 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. 44

45 5 Good governance: promoting democracy, decentralisation and municipal development The two indicators of the 2016 results data refer to the number of persons who benefit from increased political participation through GIZ's measures and the number of persons who have received access to public and municipal services through GIZ. The results of the examples presented all contribute to the two indicators. The projects in Benin, Zambia and the Palestinian territories also illustrate that some of the municipal services were made accessible only through the improved political participation of the people and their civil society organisations. The example from Georgia shows the improvements brought about by setting up citizen service offices. Projects in the Palestinian territories use media and innovative forms of information and communication technology to improve political participation and access to basic services. The people who benefit in the context of the two indicators are usually citizens living in municipalities. The project approaches are often designed in such a way that the improvements benefit women and people from poorer households in particular. The basic services include education, health care, access to water and, in the case of Benin, basic services such as emergency aid and protection against risks. The approaches of the projects presented here focus on the following key leverage points: directly strengthening municipalities in order to improve their service performance, and supporting reforms at national level in order to improve the overall framework for the municipalities, for example with regard to their competencies and finances. In all cases, GIZ's support includes empowering civil society actors so as to improve the conditions for their political participation and enable them to demand improved services. What all the examples have in common is the high importance attached to promoting cooperation between stakeholders to achieve results. This applies to the cooperation among state authorities such as ministries as well as between the national level and the devolved services and decentralised administrations. Strengthening dialogue between state and civil society actors is a further key area. Creating durable and efficient mechanisms and forums such as public hearings is a core feature of these projects. List of examples in the field of good governance 5.1 Supporting Decentralisation and Municipal Development in Benin 5.2 Political Participation in Governance Reform Processes and Poverty Reduction in Zambia 5.3 Local Governance Reform Programme in the Palestinian territories 5.4 Citizen service offices in the Local Governance Programme South Caucasus 45

46 5.1 Supporting Decentralisation and Municipal Development in Benin Delivering basic public services to the population Benin is one of the poorest countries in the world. Just over one third of the approximately ten million inhabitants live below the poverty line. The poverty situation is particularly severe in rural regions, where around 50 per cent of the population are poor. According to the UNDP World Development Report 2016, the literacy rate is 38 per cent in the population over 15 years of age and 42 per cent among inhabitants under 15. In 2015 Benin ranked 167th of 188 countries on the Human Development Index. Improving the living conditions of the population on a sustained basis is therefore a major goal of the national development strategy. To achieve this, a key building block is to improve the delivery of basic public services. The territorial administrative reform has already laid an important foundation on which to build, and sets out that competencies and resources should be transferred from the central government to the local governments. The Ministry of Decentralisation is responsible for managing the reform process. A mechanism for financial equalisation between the central government and the local governments has also been developed. But despite this favourable environment, many challenges still need to be overcome for the decentralisation reform to be successful. Important responsibilities for delivering basic public services to the population have been transferred to local governments. But most sector ministries are still responsible for municipal affairs and transfer on average only around 2 per cent of their budget to their devolved services at the level of départements and local governments. Investment expenditure by local governments increased by 212 per cent 4 on average between 2008 and 2015, but the share of local expenditure in overall public spending remains relatively low at around 7 per cent 5 (2014). Furthermore, the local development plans and local political processes do not take sufficient account of the specific needs of disadvan- taged groups such as women, children, young people or persons with disabilities. Local civil society is weak and not yet in a position to represent the interests of the various groups of citizens and effectively involve them in shaping local development. This is particularly true for disadvantaged groups. While the management capacities of local governments have improved significantly since the first local elections in 2002, major deficits remain in many areas, and local governments do not yet have the necessary capacities and resources for self-administration. Principles of good governance are not yet being consistently followed at local level. Many local office and mandate holders have not yet comprehensively accepted the citizens' existing right to political participation. Moreover, the principles of needs-orientation, accountability and user feedback on the delivery of public services have not yet taken root in local political culture. As a result, the population's access to basic services of adequate quality and quantity is not yet sufficiently ensured. Programme approaches at local and national level The Supporting Decentralisation and Municipal Development programme, implemented on behalf of BMZ, has the following objective: 'The municipalities receiving advice use their improved competencies and increased capacity for self-administration to provide the population with high-quality basic public services, while adhering to the principles of good governance. The programme measures at local level focus on 25 of 77 municipal authorities in nine of Benin's 12 départements. They were selected on the basis of criteria centred on the need for advice, development potential and ways in which they complement the interventions of other development partners. The programme also improves the overall conditions for local development and democracy by operating at national and prefecture level, therefore benefiting the entire country. The following examples explain this approach. 4 From EUR 15,525,975 in 2008 to EUR 48,430,503 in Source: Aide-mémoire revue sectorielle 2015 «Décentralisation, Déconcentration et Aménagement du Territoire», exercice budgétaire

47 Establishing an effective and citizen-oriented local administration The programme is strengthening management competencies and resources in 25 municipalities through needs-based coaching to establish an effective and citizen-centred local administration. It is also directly supporting the municipal authorities in preparing local development plans and promoting cooperation among local governments in specialpurpose associations. Dialogue processes are also being supported and moderated to improve cooperation between municipal authorities and services of the sector ministries, such as primary education and drinking water supply. Advisory services and targeted training measures are also being provided to build municipal authorities' capacities to introduce user-oriented management of basic services. Furthermore, since many resources are concentrated in the capital city, improving the management and development of human resources at local level plays an important role. In cooperation with the Ministry of Decentralisation, local governments and the relevant stakeholders, GIZ experts in particular have developed a tool that supports the municipal authorities in introducing and implementing a results-based management system. This tool also assesses the work performance of the local government staff and presents corresponding awards. After a pilot phase in three municipalities, the management system was introduced in the 25 partner municipalities of the programme in The example of Zogbodomey: increasing income from water leasing One of these municipalities is Zogbodomey. It has more than 90,000 inhabitants in 80 villages, some 150 km north of Cotonou, the capital. Introducing the tool had a positive impact on the performance capability of the local government and thus on the quality of municipal service delivery. The local officials responsible for the collection of fees and taxes are now more focused on achieving their annual targets. The strongly motivated staff was able to more than double the revenues from rural water supply within a period of two years (2014 to 2016). More funds are now available for other municipal services. Much of the local water supply infrastructure in Zogbodomey is leased out. Operators who failed to render their services, such as ensuring operation or making timely repairs, had their contracts terminated. That sent out a strong signal and ever since then, the contractually agreed services have improved and the municipal authorities have increased their revenues. The GIZ experts are supporting the municipality in introducing results-based management. One element has been a workshop with all department heads and other service managers. The local council endorsed the proposals and guidelines developed in the workshop. Revenues then doubled in the two years following implementation of the measures. This shows the high potential that exists, because these results initially emerged only from the activities carried out in four of the eleven rural districts. The commissioner for water infrastructure in the village of Houanzounmè, Véronique Assofounle, is also satisfied with the development. 'By signing the agreement with the local government, we promised to comply with specific rules. These include not just carrying out periodic measures to ensure hygiene, such as cleaning the water points on a daily basis, but also paying a portion of the water fees to the local government at least once a year. We are now consistently meeting these obligations. As the local 47

48 government is meeting its obligations as well, such as doing necessary repairs when there is a problem, we now have clean water here all the time.' Midomahoulomè Adjassoho, Secretary General of the Zogbodomey local government, is also very pleased with the development at the municipal authorities. 'The tool is a comprehensive Midomahoulomè- Adjassoho system for evalua ing the performance of our local government and its staff. Our municipality, Zogbodomey, has begun to work with it systematically. It would be wrong to claim it has solved all problems already. Many of our officers are not yet adequately trained and several important posts have not yet been filled. But our staff are becoming increasingly aware that results matter, and their work reflects this. Presenting awards that are justified and delivered in a transparent manner and anchored in the budget of the local government was also beneficial. But we need even more time and support to successfully internalise this attitude towards citizens and among all staff members in our day-to-day business as well. What is also essential is that the mayor and secretary general pull together as a team because I need the mayor's support.' Strengthening citizens' political participation to improve the delivery of public services Another focus of the programme's activities at local level is to provide advisory services and support for 25 municipal authorities on public accountability and civic participation. The municipality is being supported in setting up dialogue forums and other methods of civic participation. At the same time, citizens and civil society actors are being empowered to contribute to local decision-making processes through training and awareness-raising measures. Improving the organisation of civil society actors also plays an important role. Involving them and considering their interests in preparing the municipal development plans is an important lever. All municipal authorities in Benin are required to prepare a municipal development plan every five years. The measures are implemented on the basis of annual investment plans. In many cases, however, civil society groups have no significant participation in the preparation of the plans or in monitoring their implementation as part of the annual investment plans. One consequence of this is that the projects contained in the plans do not always reflect the priorities of the population and their implementation is flawed. This is a key reason why people have inadequate access to basic services. And it is precisely where the project comes into play, supporting non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as RODEL in the municipality of Natitingou with one development worker and one national expert. In cooperation with seven municipalities, in 2014 the nongovernmental organisation RODEL began developing and implementing a mechanism for civic participation. As RODEL was supporting civil society movements and action groups in the municipality of Natitingou at the same time, it became apparent for example that construction of a primary school in Yokossi had begun in 2009 but had not been completed. As a result, two classes were forced to share a classroom between 2010 and 2014, causing a significant deterioration in learning conditions. The health centre in Kotopounga in the same municipality was not completed either (see pictures). RODEL helped the local civil society groups to raise their concerns using the civic dialogue mechanism provided. The citizens' organisations first had to actually obtain access to the relevant information, for example to the public contract for the construction firm or statements of expenditure on the construction measures. The groups eventually persuaded the local government representatives to inspect the construction sites and gather information on the current situation from the firms and about the resulting difficulties for teachers, students and other affected citizens. The citizens' organisations for their part prepared a status report and formulated concrete proposals that were presented and discussed at a public hearing. That laid the foundation 48

49 for the completion of the construction measures and not only improved the situation at hand and the supply of the population with basic public services, but also encouraged other organisations. It showed that civic engagement and lobbying by civil society can achieve results. 'We are very thankful to the programme and RODEL because construction had stopped since 2010 even though we complained to the local government. Thanks to the systematic organisation of the dialogue with all relevant stakeholders of the local government and the state services, we now have two classrooms and are no longer forced to teach two classes in a single room divided by an improvised partition, confirmed Laurent Atcha, headmaster of the primary school in Sotchirantchikou. The primary school site after construction was suspended between 2010 and 2014 Improving overall conditions and achieving broader impact at national level The programme also aims to strengthen the Ministry of Decentralisation in its strategic capacity to implement the decentralisation policy. The support is primarily focused on two core areas that are crucial to the success of the decentralisation process: increasing financial transfer to the municipalities and integrating the line ministries into the decentralisation process. Without these two core areas it would not be possible to achieve visible improvements in the supply of basic public services for the population as described in the above examples. Coordination by the Ministry of Decentralisation plays a key role in both areas. GIZ is supporting the ministry in optimising its management and the needs-based allocation of its human resources by providing training, coaching and organisational advice. The programme activities also include strengthening the Ministry of Decentralisation in its role as lead ministry and coordinator of the decentralisation process. They focus on the interministerial committee for coordinating and implementing the decentralisation policy, the units doing the groundwork, and the body coordinating the contributions from the various international development partners. Another priority is to optimise the municipal supervision and coordination of the technical services at Condition of the primary school after successful talks between the citizens and the local government in 2015 département level. The six prefectures at regional level are being supported in performing their function as supervisors and advisors to the municipal authorities so as to enable them to perform the role assigned to them and improve and ensure the supply of basic public services for the population as described in the above examples. Another entry point for improving the financial situation of the municipalities is that of advising the Ministry of Finance with its devolved services. This involves improving the conditions for the municipal authorities and local tax authorities to increase local revenue by introducing innovative tools and methods for collecting local taxes and levies. It also involves increasing the financial transfers from line ministries to the municipal authorities through the national financial transfer mechanism known as FADeC. In addition to providing technical advice on this process, GIZ is conducting training courses on how to organise and manage coordinating bodies, and is also offering continuing training. This made it possible to substantially increase untied transfers to the municipalities from the equivalent of roughly EUR 38,000 in 2012 to more than EUR 60,000 in The 25 municipal authorities that received advisory services under the programme were able to raise 49

50 their revenues as well. In addition, more and more development partners are using the financial transfer mechanism to transfer investment funds to the municipal authorities. The support being provided at national level is also a lever to achieve broader impact by disseminating the best-practice examples developed in the context of local support through the decision-makers in Benin to further municipal authorities across the country. The programme s areas of impact The programme s results contribute to achieving the two aggregate indicators of the 2016 results data State services: The number of people who have received access to state services as a result of support provided by GIZ measures and projects. This also comprises improved access to local services. Political participation: The number of people who have benefited from greater participation in the political process as a result of support provided by GIZ measures and projects. The programme also contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals by providing the population with better access to (improved) basic services and through its further results: SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. In particular: o o 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. 50

51 5.2 Political Participation in Governance Reform Processes and Poverty Reduction in Zambia Poverty despite economic growth, and limited possibilities for political participation by civil society Zambia enjoys relative political stability. Since the multi-party system was introduced in 1991, elections and changes in government have consistently been peaceful. This offered good conditions for economic growth, which has now been steady for over 15 years. Economic growth averaged 7 per cent in the past ten years but dropped to 5.6 per cent in 2014 and around 3 per cent in 2015, according to estimates by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). A major cause for the current economic crisis and the poor budget situation is a drastic slump in earnings from copper on the world market, which accounts for more than 70 per cent of Zambia's export income. Nonetheless, average income has quadrupled in the past 15 years, reaching USD 1,490 in 2015, according to the World Bank. That makes Zambia a middle income country in the lower bracket. But economic growth and the associated increases in income are extremely unevenly distributed, and public investment does only little to alleviate poverty. Particularly in rural areas, more than 60 per cent of the roughly 15 million inhabitants of Zambia still survive on less than one US dollar per day. Undernutrition is widespread among children and nursing mothers. Ranking 139 of 187 countries, Zambia therefore remains in the lower one-fourth of countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. Zambia is characterised by a proactive civil society that participates in reforms aimed at improving governance and campaigns aimed at spreading the benefits of economic growth to the poorer groups of the population as well. But the possibilities remain limited for civil society to participate in decision-making processes on societal and political aspects and effectively demand transparency and accountability from government and authorities. The relationship between state institutions and representative bodies of civil society is tense and characterised by suspicion. For vast portions of the population, access to law and justice remains very restricted. Improving the conditions for political participation The programme on Civil Society Participation in Governance Reform Processes and Poverty Reduction, which was completed in March 2015, aimed to improve cooperation between the state and civil society. It operated in four fields of activity: 1. Involvement by civil society in policy-making processes, 2. Civil society participation in the implementation of reform policies, 3. Monitoring of policies by civil society, and 4. Supporting the 'Access to Justice' judicial reform programme. The programme Political Participation in Governance Reform Processes and Poverty Reduction, which has been implemented since 2015 and is also being funded by BMZ, builds on the results and experiences of the preceding programme and aims to improve the conditions for political participation and access to law and justice. The current programme focuses on two leverage points. First, it involves advising state institutions on reforms in order to improve the legal and institutional conditions for political participation and taking recourse to law and justice. In doing so it also supports selected civil society partner organisations in providing constructive and effective input into governance reform processes. Second, it supports civil society organisations in developing their competencies and capacities, and helps them access funding resources. To this end, the programme places a particular focus on further strengthening the Zambian Governance Foundation as a national support institution for civil society and securing its sustainability. The following sections highlight some of the results the programmes have achieved since

52 Civil society participation in policy-making processes Up to 2015, one of the objectives of the programme was to introduce civil society positions on poverty reduction policy or governance reform processes into policy-making processes. In order to achieve this, the programme supported selected civil society organisations and networks that were active in the area of governance reform. Tailor-made strategies for developing their performance capability were devised and implemented on the basis of an analysis of their organisation and capacities. The strategies involved training, improving internal processes through organisational advice, and strengthening networking activities in order to pool existing capacities. This enabled the civil society organisations to more effectively participate in policy-making processes and accompany the implementation of reform policies in a responsible manner. It also strengthened their ability to demand transparency and accountability from the state. One important result of the support provided under the programme in this context was that it strengthened the internal transparency, legitimacy and accountability of the civil society organisations and networks. At the same time, the programme worked to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the state and civil society. This mainly concerned reforms aimed at designing the processes of formulating and implementing policies, as well as standards, institutions and procedures that regulate the actions of state and non-state actors. One important process was the development and modification of the Non-Governmental Organisations' Act, which sets forth basic requirements and conditions for civil society engagement. Access to law and justice and poverty reduction were further reform areas. As a result of the support provided under the programme, various civil society groups introduced three papers outlining their common positions into the political debate. Although the Zambian Government had acknowledged at the time that NGOs played an important role for Zambia's development, the NGO Act restricted the independence of the civil society organisations. Government influence in their registration was a major point of criticism. Numerous civil society organisations (CSOs) perceived this as a threat to themselves and their possibilities for political participation, says Goodwell Lungu from Transparency International Zambia. 'At the time, implementing the NGO Act threatened our existence.' With support from GIZ, a legal opinion was then prepared that worked out the critical points and formulated recommendations for the further reform process. On that basis the government and civil society representatives jointly agreed on a roadmap and necessary further steps for revising the applicable law. The cooperation was formalised by a technical working group that included government and CSO representatives. Over the past years, an atmosphere marked by constructive cooperation and mutual understanding has developed and significantly improved the conditions for political participation by CSOs in Zambia. We have fought together and eventually persuaded the government to end the implementation of the draconian law. Civil society organisations also introduced common position papers on numerous other relevant reforms and processes, including on the contents of the administrative reform and the course of the constitutional reform process, on the improvement of the human rights situation (three thematic proposals), the draft development and budget planning policy for improving the effectiveness of support provided under development assistance, on the format and content of a citizen-oriented version of the national budget, and on the revenue and expenditure policy for the 2013, 2014 and 2015 budget plans. This political participation brought about numerous improvements that are also relevant to the target groups, as shown by the following examples: The government significantly increased the minimum wage among other things based on recommendations contained in the Basic Needs Basket put together by the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections. The recommendations submitted by Civil Society for Poverty Reduction as a network together with several SCOs, which included increasing the education budget and taxing the mining 52

53 sector, were taken into account in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 budgets. Several SCOs advocated for a development and budget planning policy and commented on the draft policy of the Ministry of Finance. The key recommendation to make the budget planning process more participatory was taken on board. Numerous proposals that SCOs had introduced into the debate on constitutional reform can be found in the constitution adopted in Several proposals developed by various women's and gender organisations under the leadership of the NGO Coordinating Council were included in the national gender policy 2014, which the Ministry of Gender and Child Development presented to the public in early Civil society participation in the implementation of policies Along with the above support provided at national level, the programme has also supported processes aimed at improving political participation at subnational level in selected provinces and districts. This also comprises two-fold capacity-building support. First, at subnational level it has supported platforms and mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation between civil society and state and municipal actors. Second, it has strengthened structures and processes within civil society that are aimed at linking the national with the subnational level. One example of these measures is support provided for waste management in the district of Mazabuka. Economic development and population growth combined with an increase in illegal waste dumping have exacerbated the problem in the past years. The waste problem overwhelmed the capacity of local authorities to find solutions on their own. With support from the programme, the 'Keep Mazabuka Clean' initiative was launched to tackle the problem and evaluate the solution. The support also involved private sector and civil society actors in addition to the municipal services. The programme supported the initiative and strengthened cooperation, particularly the participation of civil society through the People s Action Forum. The issue was also treated by the urban development committees as an important formal platform for cooperation. In addition, the programme supported the initiative through training in order to strengthen citizens, public servants and representatives of the private sector in their role of mobilising their engagement and raising awareness among key interest groups. This included drama enactments, for example, in order to address and discuss the problem extensively with the population instead of simply lecturing them on how to deal with waste. Successful examples were also compiled, developed further and disseminated in this way. Janet Myoni of the People s Action Forum sees the closer involvement of the population and other actors as an important factor for the success of the initiative: 'Waste management used to be regarded as a strictly municipal task. Now the people themselves also see the role they play in it. The initiative succeeded in improving cooperation between the local authorities, the private sector and the population in solving the problem. A number of further positive initiatives have been developed in this context. What is more, the population has developed a significantly more responsible attitude and illegal dumping has dropped noticeably.' Jim Fikoloma, a teacher and journalist in Mazabuka, confirms this. 'Now we see much less rubbish in the town. We have also helped to make this possible by holding school contests to award the school that generates the lowest amount of waste.' For Ms Karen, who is in charge of the waste management of the local authorities in Mazabuka, the behavioural change in the population is an eye-opening experience: 'The initiative has changed the population's mentality. And the relationship between the authorities and the population has also improved very much.' In a further 14 districts, and with support from the programme, local NGOs also submitted a total of 24 proposals for improving the quality of local services such as urban and rural drinking water supply, construction and maintenance of bus stations, and public markets. 53

54 In all ten provincial capitals and in another four municipalities, institutionalised partnerships between state institutions and civil society organisations also exist in the area of process-related and legal advice. They have significantly contributed to improving the relations between SCOs and the criminal justice institutions. For example, periodic joint inspections of prisons and police stations are being conducted in order to ensure that detainees' human rights are respected. Systems for processing gender-based violence have been introduced in Ndola and Livingstone. The programme s areas of impact The programme results contribute directly to achieving the two aggregate indicators of the 2016 results data Political participation: The number of people who have benefited from greater participation in the political process as a result of support provided by GIZ measures and projects. State services: The number of people who have received access to state services as a result of support provided by GIZ measures and projects. This also comprises improved access to local services. The programme also contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. SDG 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries. SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, in particular, target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. o 16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. o 16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. 54

55 5.3 Local Governance Reform Programme in the Palestinian territories Economic and political crisis affects municipalities and their delivery of basic public services The situation in the Palestinian territories is essentially characterised by the Israeli occupation that began in 1967, the restricted sovereignty of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and the blockade of Gaza. It has been exacerbated by the intra-palestinian separation between the West Bank and Gaza since The economic stagnation caused by the conflict has worsened the living conditions of the population and the revenue situation of the municipalities on a lasting basis. At the same time, persistently high population growth is leading to a growing need for social and economic services that the municipalities can meet only inadequately. The responsible Ministry of Local Government and the municipal authorities have very limited capacities. The relationship between ministries and municipalities is so far characterised more by central control than by developmentdriven municipal oversight coupled with advice. As the backbone of public administration, the municipalities in the Palestinian territories have a special responsibility for delivering basic services to the population. Towns and municipalities, however, are heavily affected by the impacts of the occupation and the associated economic and political crisis. Despite the significant increase in participatory planning elements, the vast majority of municipal authorities are not yet able to deliver municipal services effectively. Systematic and structural participation in political decisions by the population, particularly by women, young people and persons with disabilities, is only gradually taking hold. Accountability and transparency mechanisms are so far being used only sporadically. The Palestinian population does not have the power to demand accountability from public authorities. The lack of opportunities for political participation further weakens the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority. The programme: a comprehensive approach to improving public services as a contribution to social cohesion in Palestinian society The objective of the BMZ-financed Local Governance Reform Programme in the Palestinian territories is to improve the developmental and spatial planning as well as the finances and accountability of the Palestinian municipalities. Municipalities that have a higher performance capacity and are more transparent are expected to enable more effective and inclusive access to improved public services for all groups of the population and thereby contribute to securing and improving the population's livelihoods. The aim is to reinforce social cohesion in Palestinian society and to halt the exacerbation of regional disparities and territorial disintegration. This is intended to help preserve the potential for achieving a peaceful and inclusive solution to the conflict with Israel. The programme has been implemented since 2015 and builds on the successful measures of its predecessor programme 'Support for civil society at local level'. A key approach of the new programme is to improve relations between the state and its citizens. A further field of activity involves strengthening municipal capacities for generating revenue, including their access to development funds. At national level the programme also improves the prerequisites for the municipalities' developmental and spatial planning, and in a fourth field of activity it supports the Ministry of Local Government in bringing about a clear division of roles and tasks between the national level and the municipal administrative units. This complements all other fields of activity. 55

56 GIZ is implementing the programme in cooperation with several Palestinian partner organisations, including the Ministry of Local Government, the Palestinian Municipal Development Fund, and selected municipalities and civil society organisations. Improving relations between the state and its citizens by increasing transparency and accountability With the aim of improving relations between the state and citizens and promoting transparency and accountability as important principles for state action on a broad basis, the programme focuses on several leverage points in this field of activity: At local level it supports the municipalities in meeting their transparency and accountability obligations. It therefore supports them in conducting dialogue events with the population on municipal topics and priorities, informing the population about the budget and other municipal decisions in a transparent manner, and introducing other IT-based mechanisms for transparent decision-making and accountability. The programme raises awareness among the population, civil society organisations and representatives of the media about the functions, mandates and accountability obligations of municipal actors. At national level it advises the National Working Group on social accountability on institutionalising and further developing mechanisms for accountability in the work of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and local authorities. The working group includes representatives of ministries, municipal administrative units and civil society. Activities at local level include more traditional measures such as a comprehensive approach to strengthen stakeholders and society. Advice on designing an enabling environment, cooperation and networking are combined with building the capacities of important organisations such as the municipal administrations through organisational development. This involves developing procedures, processes and structures to enable municipalities to put in place dialogue platforms and communication formats that enable civil- society groups, the media and the population to participate. Public hearings moderated public meetings in which citizens can raise urgent topics and discuss them with representatives of their municipal administrations are one tool being deployed. The activities build the capacities of civil society organisations and the media for making their ideas and the concerns of disadvantaged groups of the population heard. This strengthens the overall capacities of the municipality for shaping their development. The competencies of selected groups of persons for specific tasks are also being developed. In particular, the management competencies of the professional and managerial staff of the municipal administration and the municipal mandate-holders are being built through advisory services, training and specialised study trips. The programme is also exploring new avenues by using innovative forms of information and communication technology to develop local platforms for citizen journalism and in the context of strengthening civic participation. The multimedia news portal 'Dooz' 6 is the result of a partnership between the programme and Deutsche Welle (DW) Akademie as well as An-Najah University in Nablus. The team at Dooz has taken on the task of getting the citizens and their municipal administration to talk to one another. Dooz is a multimedia news portal with its own Facebook page, and it is both a WordPress-based website and an exchange platform. Its thematic focus is exclusively local. 'We report on things that affect people directly, things that happen on their doorstep, explains Dooz editor Majdoleen Hassouna. We let people talk and take their concerns further'. Hassouna is one of three editors-in-chief in 6 See also and

57 the core group of the young editorial team. The Dooz team has developed creative journalistic formats to provide reliable information on current events in the region in a way that catches the attention of a young target group. Personalised stories or street surveys such as the column 'if I were the mayor...' let citizens have their say, while dossiers and service offers or event overviews provide daily updates. Politicians are interviewed about specific topics in the format 'From the helm'. The aim is to prepare citizens extensively for the public hearings, provide them with background information and make them aware of issues so they can argue convincingly, explains Abed Othman, DW Akademie trainer and project manager. Twentyfive-yearold Shaden Ghannam is one of the edi- Shaden Ghannam (Source: DW/Wendisch) tors-in- chief of the young editorial team. Dooz i s close to her heart as a journalist and a citizen. For her, the project builds a bridge between the population and municipal politics. 'The biggest challenge for us was the multimedia approach of "Dooz"'. So far there are hardly any online portals in the Palestinian territories that use multimedia resources for their reporting. But our committed team has overcome the obstacles. We were also worried about whether the local authorities would give us the information we need for our reporting. But we overcame these difficulties, too. The municipal authorities, the governor and the people in Nablus now know who we are. When we shoot our videos in the streets they approach us and say, Ah, you are from "Dooz"'. We've heard about you! This project means a lot to me because here I can develop my journalist skills further. I can network and get to know local authorities from the inside. But another reason the project is close to my heart is that it focuses on the concerns of the local population. We bring the municipal administration together with the population that is important for me as a citizen of Nablus. What 'Dooz' offers is unique especially in the region of Nablus. So far, there are no media here that address local themes and deal with Palestinian society in detail. I also like our section 'Dooz asks' because it lets citizens have a say. One recent example is our survey on the topic "What do you want from the municipal administration?"' The editorial team always seeks to enable a dialogue with the responsible political leaders. Small surveys, for example, allow the users of Dooz to direct requests and questions to politicians. Interviews have already been conducted with the mayor and the governor, as well as public hearings in which citizens debated with politicians. The discussions are accessible to everyone and documented on the website. In particular, it is Dooz's daily role as a watchdog to observe what effects specific improvements to basic services have on the local population. When Dooz makes the general public aware of failings in public service delivery (such as infrastructure or health care), the authorities usually respond quickly and correct them to prevent damage to their reputation. One example was the upgrade made to a public park/playground. A child severed one of its fingers when playing on a metal structure on a playground. The grandmother then contacted Dooz via Facebook and reported the incident. That same day, Dooz editors inspected the playground and documented the extremely dangerous conditions for children Dooz reporter during a public hearing in the municipal administration of Nablus child's experience and reported the incident. in the park. They also filmed a re- enact- ment of the They gave the municipal administration a chance to comment as well. The case garnered much 57

58 publicity and in the end the mayor decided to have the park/playground upgraded. 7 The more than 300,000 subscribers to the Facebook page and roughly one million visits to the Facebook page per week attest to how popular the project is. From June 2017 Dooz will begin to set up branches in Tulkarem and Jenin and train editors there. It is currently exploring the possibility of opening a branch in the Gaza Strip. The programme s areas of impact The programme results contribute directly to achieving the two aggregate indicators of the 2016 results data Political participation: The number of people who have benefited from greater participation in the political process as a result of support provided by GIZ measures and projects. State services: The number of people who have received access to state services as a result of support provided by GIZ measures and projects. This also comprises improved access to local services. In addition, the rational use of public funds and increased efficiency in the municipalities are important conditions for economic development, and by improving service delivery, they contribute indirectly to reducing poverty and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 1: SDG1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere. SDG 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries, in particular with target: o 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, with the targets o o 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. 7 The story can be accessed in Arabic on the Dooz website at 58

59 5.4 Citizen service offices in the Local Governance Programme South Caucasus Municipal services are inefficient and not geared to development The collapse of the Soviet Union had severe economic and sociopolitical impacts on the three South Caucasian countries Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Even today, half the population lives below the poverty line. The region is still marked by the experience of civil war (Abkhazia), war, and armed conflict (Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia). So far the municipalities have done little to improve the living conditions of the population. The three countries face similar challenges in their municipal development. Inadequate technical and human resource capacities for delivering municipal services effectively and in a manner that promotes development are major weaknesses they all have in common. Coordination between the administrative levels is generally inadequate and competencies are often not sufficiently clarified. The normative legal framework for local self-government has been only partly implemented in the three countries. The local government associations have limited capacities and influence. Another major problem is that the citizens have little faith in the local administrative structures. Their experience with excessive bureaucracy, lengthy administrative procedures and, not seldom, arbitrary bureaucratic action explains why the population traditionally sets little store by local governments. By ratifying the European Charter of Local Self-Government, the South Caucasian countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have committed to strengthening local self-government and democracy and creating the necessary legal and institutional framework. They are at different stages of implementing the necessary reforms. Georgia has made the most progress while Armenia and Azerbaijan have only just started their reform process. Strengthening local self-government The Local Governance Programme South Caucasus 8 aimed to improve local self-government and local governance in the South Caucasus. It focused on strengthening cooperation between the relevant actors. The three fields of activity illustrate the various programme approaches: Good local governance: The capacity of local governments to perform in accordance with good governance principles was improved. Support was provided by developing and disseminating examples of best practice relating to transparent, citizen-oriented and efficient municipal financial management and improved local services. Here, the programme worked with local and civil society actors in pilot regions and pilot municipalities and strengthened their performance capacities. Improving national frameworks for local development: The policy and administrative framework was improved by advising on national standards for local governance and implementing participation-oriented local and administrative reforms. This involved harnessing the experiences from local cooperation with municipalities to provide advice at national level and training staff in order to achieve results across the country through improved policies or their implementation. Policy advice also included strengthening the role of local government associations in all three partner countries. Governance at sub-national level: Cooperation and coordination between the municipalities and regional and central government 8 The programme was completed in 2016 and the title of the follow-on programme from January 2017 is currently Good Local Governance Programme South Caucasus. 59

60 were improved, e.g. by advising on the preparation and implementation of regional development strategies. A small sample from the programme citizen service offices in Georgia In Georgia the focus of the advisory services included developing and implementing regional development strategies. The Government of Georgia prepared its national regional development strategy with support from GIZ. The programme advised three regions on their strategic development with the involvement of local governments and the national level, civil society and the private sector. The strategies were adopted by the cabinet and are being implemented. The reforms supported by the GIZ programme were aligned with the EU's structural policy approach and assisted Georgia in the EU accession process. One focus of the advice provided at local level in Georgia was to improve the capacity of local governments to apply good governance principles. This includes greater involvement of the population in local decision-making processes but also improving the delivery of local services. Modernised administrative structures and trained staff formed the basis for local governments to deliver their services efficiently, transparently and in line with the citizens' needs. In this context, since 2007 GIZ has also been supporting the establishment of citizen service offices as central points of contact where citizens can raise all their questions and concerns. Irma Nosadze Also known as onestop shops and single windows, they are intended to make local government services more effective, transparent and customer-oriented. The citizen service offices deliver local government services such as the following: various social services, land registration, building permits, information about local government service providers and local tenders, services for implementing the mining code, applications for citizens' initiatives, applications for the naming of streets, etc. Setting up a central contact point for local government services usually requires in-depth restructuring and modifications to local administration. Standardised processing methods and clear directives are necessary for receiving, forwarding and responding to applications within a set period. Processing methods must therefore be defined and it must be clear which administrative units must be involved in which order. Improving a local authority's customer orientation often requires numerous changes. Fees and deadlines must not only be transparent and uniform but have to be communicated and adhered to. Successful citizen service offices need another transformation that is often even more important but can only happen in the minds of the local government officials themselves: they must come to see themselves as service providers and no longer as administrators. Applicants become customers and citizens. Embracing these new attitudes is not always an easy change to make, especially for some employees who have had a different attitude to their Nino Chanduneli work for decades. Anxiety and misgivings about the new challenges are therefore not unusual. We are a bit worried about all these new things. We hope to learn to deal with them. We want citizens to be happy with our services, says Nino Chanduneli from the Front Office of the citizen service office in Surami. GIZ's support therefore extended beyond purely technical advice on organising the citizen service offices and analysing and restructuring the work processes and methods. It also included training or backstopping and exchanging experience among colleagues to help them manage the changes and embrace a new mindset and new attitudes. Today more than half the 76 municipalities in Georgia have citizen service offices. As a result, citizens in many municipalities can now access government services, and their enquiries and applications can be processed in a smooth, transparent fashion. Many administrative procedures can be 60

61 completed in a single trip to the citizen service office. The most important improvements achieved are: Faster processing times. The average processing time per application was cut by more than 50 per cent. Improved accountability and more transparency through direct interaction between citizens and the local government, online accessibility of extensive information, and the possibility to follow up on measures, statistics or the municipal budget by civil society groups (monitoring) Higher efficiency as a result of focused, simplified and automated administrative procedures, avoidance of parallel processes Additional field offices enable accessibility even in remote settlements of the municipalities. Tatia Brodlidze, coordinator of the front office in Khasuri, adds that the changes brought about by the citizen service office are beneficial not just for the citizens but also for the administration itself: 'All processes and procedures have become easier since the citizen service office was set up. Citizens now have fewer bureaucratic hurdles to overcome. And ultimately, our work has become more pleasant for us, too. We provide our services fast and in a transparent way. Citizens have become our customers.' Irma Nosadze from the back office in Khasuri also sees benefits: ' For example, all applications for building permits are taken by the front office and checked for completeness. At the back office we now receive only the complete documents.' Her colleague Lia Meskhidze adds: 'Now we have more time to deal with the actual content of the application. That allows us to work more efficiently.' David Chkheidze from Gori believes 'it also takes a load off our mayor's shoulders and allows him to focus on the important projects for our town.' their citizen service office, as exemplified by comments from two citizens: 'Before, service wasn't really poor, but we had to wait longer and were faced David Chkheidze with indifference and even rejection, says one. 'The difference is enormous. We used to have to wait in long queues, but now we are called individually and everything runs completely on time,' comments another. Moderating the continuous improvement process Citizen satisfaction surveys are conducted to continuously improve the services delivered by the citizen service offices. GIZ organises annual workshops with representatives of several local governments. The satisfaction scores given for the individual criteria are compared between the municipalities. This allows each municipality to identify its strengths relative to the others and receive recognition for its effort and work. The comparison also brings to light any weaknesses. Tatia Brodlidze The moderated exchange helps to develop improvements on the basis of other positive experiences. Further results of this process include the development and coordination of appropriate software, a monitoring standard mutually endorsed by the local governments, and quality assurance measures. Involving numerous partners to enable joint learning Surveys have revealed that 80 per cent of citizens rate the services as good or very good, 75 per cent feel they are receiving competent advice, 85 per cent of those surveyed confirm that processing deadlines are being met. Overall, 90 per cent are satisfied with Programme implementation involved not just public administrations and civil society actors but educational facilities and the private sector as well. This allowed a broad range of experience and technical skills to be harnessed for developing and 61

62 improving the citizen service offices. In this context GIZ also supported an international exchange of experiences in the context of the Caucasus Cities Network. It enables cooperation between local authorities in Germany and the South Caucasus. Themes such as improving local public services, promoting local business, and solid waste and contaminated site management are jointly addressed within the region. In the Azerbaijani town of Sumgait, for example, an electronic register of contaminated sites was established with support from the Cities Network in order to establish a database for sustainable urban development in the heavily contaminated town. The municipality of Saarbrücken in Germany participated in setting up Georgia's first citizen service office in Tbilisi, the capital. It benefits not just the partners from the South Caucasus, says Heike Bornholdt-Fried, who works for the business development office in Saarbrücken. 'Many themes are relevant for us, too. One of them is how to make cities competitive, how to attract and retain talent these are challenges for us in Saarbrücken as well. We can benefit from the other partners' experiences because we interact on a level playing field. You look at your own situation more closely and take your blinkers off. Some things then become clearer and you see advantages for your own city.' Achieving broader impact the basis of local experiences. The concept of citizen service offices is now selling itself. Neighbouring municipalities are asking their colleagues or GIZ about their experiences and requesting support. The responsible ministry has now declared the concept developed for introducing citizens' bureaus a national standard. The following elements and factors of the programme strategy promoted these successes. One essential factor was the approach of working with the responsible actors of the local government while involving numerous other actors on a functional level as well. Important partners in the responsible ministry at national level were not just informed but involved, allowing them to develop an interest and eventually take ownership of the approach. In this framework, the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, which was established in 2009, supported the further dissemination of the approach in cooperation with GIZ. This was done by preparing a methodological manual and issuing recommendations for setting up citizen service offices to all local governments. Clear political signals and the personal commitment of national actors thus prepared the ground for further disseminating the idea of the citizen service office. The concept was disseminated further in the framework of the town twinning scheme. Direct communication through the GIZ team, work with the media, political signals from the national level and the involvement of associations were also beneficial. As a result of the positive experiences with the citizen service offices, the programme in Georgia was able to support a countrywide transformation process on. Stimulated by the regional exchange, citizen service offices are continuing to spread in Armenia as well 62

63 The citizen service offices areas of impact Through the citizen service offices, the programme results contribute directly to achieving the two aggregate indicators of the 2016 results data State services: The number of people who have received access to state services as a result of support provided by GIZ measures and projects. This also comprises improved access to municipal services. Political participation: The number of people who have benefited from greater participation in the political process as a result of support provided by GIZ measures and projects. With its results the programme contributes to achieving the following Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, particularly with the target o 16.6 developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels 63

64 Photo credits and sources Photo credits/sources: GIZ / Ranak Martin, Carlos Alba, Dirk Ostermeier, Ala Kheir URL-Verweise: This publication contains links to external websites. Responsibility for the content not contain any URL links. The listed external sites always lies with their respective publishers. When the links to these sites were first posted, GIZ checked the third-party content to establish whether it could give rise to civil or criminal liability. However, the constant review of the links to external sites cannot reasonably be expected without concrete indication of a violation of rights. If GIZ itself becomes aware or is notified by a third party that an external site it has provided a link to gives rise to civil or criminal liability, it will remove the link to this site immediately. GIZ expressly dissociates itself from such content. Maps: The maps printed here are intended only for information purposes and in no way constitute recognition under international law of boundaries and territories. GIZ accepts no responsibility for these maps being entirely up to date, correct or complete. All liability for any damage, direct or indirect, resulting from their use is excluded. 64

65 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Registered offices Bonn and Eschborn Friedrich-Ebert-Allee Bonn, Deutschland T F Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg Eschborn, Deutschland T F E info@giz.de I 65