Supporting Decentralization and Municipal Development in Benin (PDDC V)
Context
Benin has set about reforming its territorial administration with the aim of consolidating democracy and further reducing poverty. Significant progress has been made since this process of decentralisation and territorial administration was launched some 15 years ago. Milestones include, among others, the establishment of the legal framework for decentralisation, the introduction of a uniform mechanism for financial transfers regulating national financial equalisation between the state and municipalities, and the creation of important institutions, such as the Training Centre for Municipal Administration and the National Association of Municipal Authorities. Nevertheless, despite these achievements diverse challenges still need to be met.
Project description
The project „Supporting Decentralization and Municipal Development in Benin (PDDC)“ aims to strengthen the participatory planning, coordination and management capacities of Beninese municipalities on the basis of existing capacities in order to provide the population with basic services that meet their needs in a sustainable manner. In general, the entire population of the 25 advised municipalities benefits directly and/or indirectly from this. Special attention is paid to the needs and participation of poor people, women, young people and people with disabilities, many of whom live in rural areas.
The GIZ-project is being implemented in 10 of the 12 Beninese departments and follows a multi-level approach. To improve living standards for the population in partner municipalities and facilitate better access to basic services, the programme is carrying out activities in the following fields of action:
- Support for municipalities in drawing up lessons learned with regard to implementing the 2030 Agenda at local level and contributing these as an input into the national and international debate
- Advice at national level on better structuring of the financial relationships between the state and municipalities. At the same time, the programme is helping municipalities to generate their own local revenue (taxes and duties);
- Tailored advisory services for each of the partner municipalities and also for national structures, particularly the Training Centre for Municipal Administration;
- Promotion of effective civic participation at local level, gender equality and transparency in the use of public finances.
Services
The consortium AMBERO-VNG is responsible for field of action (3) strengthening of municipal administration and delivers two different but complementary service packages which are built on different consultant services:
- Individual support of the 25 target municipalities, based up on individually existing capacities and needs:
- Municipal constructing and public tenders;
- Civil status system;
- Human resource management and municipal administration procedures;
- Municipal budgeting;
- Municipal development planning with a focus on climate change;
- The support of the training the training center for the municipal administration (CeFAL),
- via an analysis of CeFAL’s management structures;
- the improvement of the CeFAL course & training offer;
- institutional, organisational and capacity development of CeFAL;
- improving CeFAL’s monitoring & evaluation system;
- supporting synergies with other training centres in Benin and in the West Africa region.
The services delivered include trainings & workshops, technical assistance, on-the-job trainings and different coaching instruments including communities of practice and peer-to-peer learning as well as studies.
