 |
|
|
SUBSCRIBE
|
|
Your email address:
|
|
|
Angolan Citizens’ Participation Initiative
2007
America’s Development Foundation
The Angolan Citizens Participation Initiative (IPCA/ACPI) was a 20-month program designed by America’s Development Foundation and funded under USAID Cooperative Agreement 690-04-00025. The Initiative took place in fourteen communities of the Planalto region in Angola. Activities contributed to participatory local development while building citizen participation and fostering productive engagement between communities and local government.
From February 2005 through September 2006, IPCA/ACPI worked closely with fourteen communities to develop effective approaches to citizen-based local development. The Initiative had three key components:
-
citizens’ meetings to define local priorities and elect representative Community Development Groups (CDGs), which were trained as effective interlocutors with government and project managers;
-
promoting dialogue and partnerships between communities and local government; and
-
implementing local development projects responding to priorities identified by participating communities.
IPCA/ACPI achieved important results that paved the way to stronger democratic governance in the provinces in which it took place, contributing to USAID/Angola’s Strategic Objective for Constituencies Promoting Democratic Governance Strengthened. Fourteen communities in the municipalities of Caála (province of Huambo), Lubango and Cacula (province of Huila) gained direct experience in electing representative Community Development Groups and, more importantly, holding these Groups accountable for their mandate to transparently serve the community’s interests. These Groups included and actively involved previously marginalized groups such as women, youth, ethnic minorities and ex-combatants. Additionally, communities recognized that the solution to some of their problems was most effectively met by collaborating with other communities and they formed five Cluster Committees (CCs) to pursue shared goals. Both CDGs and CCs learned to engage local government as a partner in improving local conditions and, through experience, highly productive collaboration developed between local government authorities and community representatives, overcoming a tradition of passivity and distrust. There were 268 contacts, meetings and conversations between citizens and local government that resulted in 21 projects being developed and implemented by communities with IPCA/ACPI funding support, including schools, health posts, water points and agricultural investments and improvements. Local cost-sharing contributed 40 percemt of the total cost for community projects, including both resources raised within the community and those leveraged from partners. More than 46,000 citizens benefited from socio-economic improvements that were a direct result of democratic and highly participatory processes.
|
|
Download document...
|
|
|
|
| INFORM US |
| Tell us about events relating to social accountability in the region |
|
|
|
|
Newsfeeds
