Context
The people of Mozambique continue to have insufficient access to public services. The government of Mozambique is addressing this by strengthening local government to enable it to better meet the people’s needs. It has launched a decentralisation process to transfer responsibilities to the administrative bodies of the nine provinces and 128 districts. Over the course of the gradual decentralisation process, 53 autonomous municipalities have come into existence since 1998.
Despite progress, local administrative bodies are still not able to provide the services they have been tasked with to an acceptable standard of quality. There is a lack of capacity among the administrative staff, funding is inadequate and administrative procedures are not clearly defined.
Objective
Provinces, districts and autonomous municipalities are strengthened and provide services that benefit the poor segments of the population in particular. These changes promote economic and social development.
Approach
Six relevant ministries are being advised on establishing the necessary framework for decentralisation as well as transferring functions to local administrative bodies. Within the three focal provinces for German development cooperation – Inhambane, Sofala and Manica – advisory support and training is also provided to the local administrative bodies on how to carry out their responsibilities. Priority is given to on the following issues:
Strategic planning and participatory budgeting
Promotion of political participation
Financial management and procurement
Land registry and own-source revenue
Municipal services (waste disposal)
Modernising the internal and external monitoring systems for use of public funds
Introduction of monitoring systems
The project is being implemented largely within the context of the National Decentralised Planning and Finance Programme for Mozambique, which falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Planning and Development. It was created with the participation of GIZ and is being financed by six international donors.
Mozambique. Workers at the construction site for a new infrastructure project decided on by the local administrative body © GIZ
Results
Internal and external monitoring procedures have been introduced in Mozambique’s local administrative bodies. Mozambique’s court of auditors has aligned its monitoring procedures to match international standards. The number of audits has increased considerably from 164 in 2006 to 2,280 in 2013.
Important management and monitoring instruments have been developed and established within the local administrative bodies. Examples include:
the electronic financial management system e-SISTAFE (in 25 of 33 districts) and
a computerised monitoring system in the districts, which collects and assesses governance data.
The establishment of a participatory body has helped to strengthen people’s perceptions of democracy. Opportunities for participation are gaining increasing recognition and usage by the people themselves as well as by public authorities. The interests of the population are feeding more and more strongly into strategic and budgetary planning. Measures aimed at combating HIV/AIDS, disaster prevention and gender equality are also being taken into account in planning processes.
In several municipalities, better urban planning has brought improvements in the provision of basic infrastructure, such as safe drinking water, sewage systems and roads, to people living in poverty areas, who now also benefit from improved property usage rights. Through the development of inexpensive construction techniques and the promotion of local construction firms, on-site resources are being used more efficiently and local economic development is promoted.