NEPAL

Local Governance and Community Development Programme is a government's programme, supported jointly by six UN agencies to support decentralised, local governance and community development in Nepal.

Background

Much progress was made in the 1990s on decentralising government to district and village levels to move away from the over-concentration of power in the capital city Kathmandu. The Local Self Governance Act, 1999 paved the way for planning and programme implmentation to be more accountable to local people and to put education, health and other services under greater local control. Since 1995, UNDP and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) have helped build the capacity of local bodies and communities for self-governance. This support continued through the armed conflict (1996-2006) and was crucial for keeping up the momentum for local governance reform in spite of the absence of elected local government from 2002 and the disruptions of the conflict.

About the Project

The Local Governance Community Development Programme (LGCDP) began in 2008 as the first nationwide integrated support programme for local government in Nepal. It is going ahead under the government leadership across all Nepal's District Development Committees, Village Development Committees and Municipalities. Three-quarters of the funding comes from the government of Nepal whilst 12 development partners provide financial and technical support. The programme is successfully providing a single channel through which donors direct their support for local governance.

Objectives of the Project

LGCDP's objective is to reduce poverty by supporting inclusive , effective and accountable local governance and participatory community-led development through its five areas of work.

Empowering citizens and communities for their active engagment with local governments and for strengthening downward accountability.

Funding DDC, Municipality and VDC led local development.

Developing the capacity of local governments to effectively deliver services.

Providing policy support for decentralisation and local governance.

Promoting gender equality and social inclusion in local government affairs.

The UN Joint Programme of Support to LGCDP began in 2009 to provide technical and capacity building support to the Minsitry of Local Development to implement LGCDP. UNDP administers this joint programme. The programme is facilitating more coordinated UN inputs from the six UN agencies through joint work plans, reveiws and field visits and the production of a single procurement plan for providing technical advice and other inputs.

Achievements of the UN Joint Programme

Support from UNDP and the UNCDF through the joint programe is making a large contribution to:

the demand side of local governance to give local people more influence on decision making;

the supply side of local government to improve service provision to local people; and

strengthening the management of public funds by local bodies.

Project details
 

UNDP and UNCDF are also supporting initiatives to monitor local government expenditure as a means of reducing corruption. In 2010 the semi-autonomous Local Governance Accountability Facility was established and grants were awarded to more than 70 organisations to monitor the performance of local bodies and to assess their accountability to local citizens. Alongside this fiduciary risk action plan in being implemented through regular meetings and briefings and better access to reports to provide stakeholders with timely information on local governance corruption cases.

New Joint Programme Initiatives in 2011/12

Pilot a social protection scheme in Dadeldhura and Kanchanpur districts by making annual payments of 1,290 ruees to the poorest children in these districts.

Carry out studies on fiscal decentralisation and formula funding to help the Ministry of Local Development prepare for the new system under the forthcoming federal constitution.

Strengthen local public financial managment systems to reduce fiduciary risk in local bodies.

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