Promoting citizen participation and decentralisation

Context

There is great poverty in Madagascar. The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have exacerbated the situation and made economic, socially just and environmentally friendly development more difficult. In addition, the political situation is unstable.

Despite political crises, local communities form a basis for sustainable development in the country. However, they often face major challenges. These include weak citizen participation.

The Government therefore adopted the ‘Lettre de Politique de Décentralisation Emergente’ (LPDE) in 2021 and the implementation plan in 2023. This can create a legal and strategic basis for taking reform steps towards decentralisation.

Objective

The partner municipalities in the regions of Boeny, Diana and the greater Tana area, including the city of Antananarivo, help to promote pro-poor local development and work together with civil society and public institutions.

Approach

The programme builds on two previous projects that involved various local and national stakeholders in order to promote sustainable development in the communities.

The project focuses in particular on facilitating and consolidating the transfer of knowledge and exchange of experience between the municipalities. It also promotes the ability of municipalities to manage themselves and respond better to citizens. For example, the project supports transparency in municipal financial management by organising workshops for civil servants.

At the same time, the project is developing exchange and learning platforms in the partner municipalities that are geared towards local development actors and are intended to introduce effective local governance. At the same time, the project is developing opportunities for dialogue and participation so that the state and citizens can interact locally and provides approaches for inclusive and pro-poor urban development in the partner communities.

Last update: December 2023