Institutional development and Capacity Building for Local Authorities

The project constituted a key component in the overall District Development Support. Programme aimed at improved service delivery, and enhanced community development. The project provided support in the areas of:

• management development
• financial management
• result-based management
• HRM and training of managers and staff in local government and community development
• support to personnel and training officer cadre and HRD planning
• computerisation

The project was implemented in four separate phases.

• Phase 1 1983 – 1987 – Strengthening In-house Training Capabilities in local authorities.
  This phase comprised design and development of training modules, training of in-house training co-ordinators and training of trainers. Subject areas included: relations with civil society, community development
• Phase 2 1987 – 1991 – Short-term support in Capacity building of Department of Local Government Service Management (DLGSM).
  This phase comprised continued support to in-house training activities in the local authorities, support to DLGSM in development of an in-house training system and management advice to the Establishment Secretary.
• Phase 3 1991 – 1994 – Long-term support in Capacity building of Department of Local Government Service Management (DLGSM).
  This phase emphasised long-term consultancy support in the form of provision of six long-term advisors: Management advisor, Manpower planning advisor, Organisational development advisor, in-house training co-ordinator, financial management training advisor and Training advisor for the Water departments in local authorities. The objectives of all long-term advisors were to train and develop local counterparts in DLGSM. The overall support to the in-house training system in local authorities continued during this phase.
• Phase 4 1994 – 1997 – Development of budgeting and accounting system of local authorities, Development of a Human Resources Management System and Training of Heads of local authorities.
  This phase comprised of two long-term advisors in financial management and Human resource management in addition to short-term consultancy support in training of managers in the local authorities.