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SENEGAL: POLITICAL OVERVIEW

Application of The ARVIN Framework To Assess Civic Engagement in the Decentralization in SENEGAL Meetings of World Bank External Advisory Group On the Enabling Environment for Civic Engagement Initiative June 7-8, 2004 Professor Linda Beck. SENEGAL: POLITICAL OVERVIEW.

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SENEGAL: POLITICAL OVERVIEW

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  1. Application of The ARVIN Framework To Assess Civic Engagement in the Decentralization in SENEGALMeetings of World Bank External Advisory GroupOn the Enabling Environment for Civic Engagement InitiativeJune 7-8, 2004Professor Linda Beck

  2. SENEGAL: POLITICAL OVERVIEW Pres. LS Senghor (1960-1980) Pres. Abdoulaye Wade (2000-present) Pres. Abdou Diouf (1981-2000) Source: AFP and BBC

  3. Casamance Secessionist Movement(1981-Present) Source: BBC

  4. Background and Rationale of Assessment An ineffectual decentralization intended to address poor public service delivery. • Technical and Administrative Constraints • Lack of Political Will and Bureaucratic Resistance • Lack of Effective Demand from Below  Leading to decision to undertake 3 - piece ESW

  5. The Decentralization Process in Senegal • Colonial legacy of Embryonic Local Government: Elected Officials in Urban Communes often in adversarial if not subordinate position with local administration • 1972 Reform introduced Rural Councils which were subjected, along with Urban Councils, to Tutelle relationships with local administrators • 1990 Reform restored autonomy of Urban Communes • 1996 Reform extended autonomy to Rural Councils and added another layer of Local Government without a stable source of revenue

  6. 1996 Transfer of Mandates to Local Government • 1) Land Management • 2) Natural Resource Management & Environment • 3) Health, Population and Social Protection • 4) Youth, Sports and Leisure • 5) Culture • 6) Education • 7) Planning • 8) Regional Planning • 9) Urban Planning and Housing

  7. Political Motives for Undertaking Decentralization • Mounting international pressures • Incumbent desire to maintain power by: • Generating new patronage appointments in Regional Councils • Deflecting criticism of Central Government • Potential solution to chronic Casamance crisis

  8. Objectives of Study • To analyze conditions in the institutional context of civil society that undermined capacity to demand effective decentralization, local governance and public service delivery. • To help identify policy and legal reforms for enabling civil society to fulfill this role.

  9. Process and Methodology • Consultations with Country Team on scope and focus of study • Concept note and Terms of Reference • Institutional mapping of stakeholders (also used for identifying informants) • Literature reviews and background paper • Elaboration of priority themes and key questions for research based on ARVIN • Setting criteria and selecting research sites

  10. Selection of Case Studies

  11. In-Country Data Collection • Survey of CSOs • Semi-structured interviews with key informants in CSOs, media, national and local government, international donors • Town hall meetings and break-out sessions • Analysis of information and data, final report and recommendations • Peer review and finalization of ESW

  12. ENABLING ELEMENTS OF CIVIL SOCIETY: ARVIN • ASSOCIATION: De-emphasized by CT • RESOURCES: Human, Financial and Physical Capital • VOICE: Voting, Lobbying, Demonstrating, Talk Radio • INFORMATION: Right and Access to No or Low Cost Information • NEGOTIATION: Frequency and Influence of Forums

  13. STRUCTURAL CONSTRAINTS ON CIVIL SOCIETY • LEGAL: Decentralization, NGOs, civil rights • POLITICAL: Patronage politics • ECONOMIC: Tax base, CSO resources • SOCIO-CULTURAL: Illiteracy, religion, caste, gender

  14. Senegal Study: Selected Findings • ASSOCIATION: • Supportive legal framework but cumbersome registration procedures for CSOs • Political patronage undermine civic engagement especially at local level • Economic pressures compromise CSO mandates and breed rivalries

  15. Senegal Study: Selected Findings • RESOURCES: • Weak economy limits financial and physical resources • Political distribution of resources (patronage) major factor in opposition to decentralization by political leaders • Limited human resources particularly in rural areas due to high level of illiteracy among leaders and members

  16. Senegal Study: Selected Findings • VOICE: • Illiteracy gives rise to importance of talk radio which is recent and limited by costs and red-tape • Periodic infringements on freedom of expression giving rise to culture of self-censorship • Lack of awareness of and clarity in provisions about participation in local government

  17. Senegal Study: Selected Findings • INFORMATION: • Similar issues regarding Illiteracy, Talk Radio, Freedom of Expression • Lack of awareness of their legal rights and obligations of elected officials and administration • Legal ambiguities regarding requirements to provide information

  18. Senegal Study: Selected Findings • NEGOTIATION: • Illiteracy as well as Social Hierarchies influence who participates in speaks at, order and with what degree of authority and autonomy in public forums • Patriarchy and Gendered division of labor often keep women from participating in public forums and CSOs in general

  19. Policy Implications

  20. Policy Implications

  21. Policy Implications

  22. CHALLENGES, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES CONSEQUENCES OF RESOURCE LIMITATIONS: DIVERSITY OF CASES PROBLEM OF SECTORAL FOCUS SURVEY APRIORI FOCUS ON ELEMENTS OF ARVIN

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