North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 18/02/2010

1. North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme18/02/2010 www.localfinland.fi/north-south www. kunnat.net/north-south

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION - HISTORY FINNISH DEVELOPMENT POLICY • Development cooperation in Finland started about 60 years ago • Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland has traditionally financed: • States • Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) • Since 2002 also Local Governments GLOBAL TRENDS IN DIFFERENT DECADES • 1960´s: So called gold war era • 1970´s: Loans (oil dollars) - debts • 1980´s: Structural adjustment programs • 1990´s: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) • 2000´s: Discussions on Local Governments in development North-South Local Government Programme

3. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT CO-OPERATION BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS? • Local Governments are the nearest public administration level to people and their activities can have huge impact on peoples´ well-being and every day life. In local level local residents can participate to influence on issues which straight affects them. • In Finland people believe and value local governments work when they get good, quality services (basic health care, education, technical infrastructure, water and sanitation, waste management, library services etc). • Local Governments all over the world share similar aspirations, aims and challenges even if local government structures or cultures are different. North-South Local Government Programme

4. BASIC FACTS ABOUT THE PROGRAMME • Started 2002; initiative of the AFLRA and some LGs • The AFLRA administrates the Programme and Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland funds: Agreements renewed every 3 years • 2002-2004 total 1,17 million euros • 2005-2007 total 3,95 million euros • 2008-2010 total 5 million euros • for 2011-2013 negotiation are going on. The AFLRA aims to get permanent status for LGs´ funding • Amount of lingages were: • 2002-2004 total 6 (Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland) • 2005-2007 total 14 (Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Kenia, Senegal, Ghana) • 2008-2010 total 15 (Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Kenia, Ghana) • special themes 2008-2010 are environment and gender equality North-South Local Government Programme

5. BASIC FACTS ABOUT THE PROGRAMME • LGs can apply funding two times in a year 15.3 or 15.9. • The AFLRA makes the decisions. • Funding for the planning phase can be max 20 000 e • Funding for the implementation phase can be on average 100 000 e North-South Local Government Programme

6. TOGETHER FOR INCREASED COMPETENCE AND PARTICIPATIONThe Co-operation between Finnish and African local governments in 2009: • Hattula, Janakkala – Nyahururu (Kenya) • Hartola – Iramba district (Tanzania) • Hämeenlinna joint municipality – Omaruru (Namibia) • Lahti – Ho (Ghana) • Kemi – Tanga (Tanzania) • Kokkola – Ilala (Tanzania) • Lahti – Bojanala Platinum (South-Africa) • Oulu – Tswhane (South Africa) • Lempäälä – Ondangwa (Namibia) • Kangasala – Keetmanshoop (Namibia) • Salo – Mbabane (Swaziland) • Tampere – Mwanza (Tanzania) • Hämeenlinna – Nakuru (Kenya) • Vantaa – Windhoek (Namibia) • Haapavesi – Bagamoyo (Tansania) North-South Local Government Programme

7. BASIC FACTS ABOUT THE PROGRAMME FOCUS • It aims to promote peoples´ well-being by supporting institutional cooperation between Finnish and African local governments. • And also increase tolerance in Finland. BENEFICIARIES Direct/immediate: • Finnish and African local governments: officeholders and elected representatives Final: • Local residents North-South Local Government Programme

8. OVERALL OBJECTIVE To strengthen the capacities of local governments to provide: • Public basic services (depends on Southern local governments tasks; Local Government Acts): • health and social affairs and/or • education and/or • environment and/or • technical infrastructure including water and sanitation and/or • information technology and/or • local business sector and/or • library services and/or to promote • Good governance (e.g. municipal administration, procedures, budgeting etc.) and/or • Local democracy (e.g. councils co-operation) all by taking into consideration the principles of sustainable development. North-South Local Government Programme

9. CO-OPERATION IN SEVERAL MUNICIPAL SECTORS The Northern and the Southern local governments negotiate together which sectors are selected! North-South Local Government Programme

10. CO-OPERATION PRINCIPLES Co-operation is grounded on promotion of equity, reciprocity and interaction between Finnish and Southern municipal partners. Both partners e.g.: • Can learn from each other – co-operation goes two ways – South can influence also North • Activities and Budget will be planned together. Co-operation Plans and Reports will be written together. Both partners know where the funding is used. • Respect each others views, aims and cultures. • Have an active dialogue with each other. • Trust will be built so that different views can be discussed. North-South Local Government Programme

11. CO-OPERATION IN PRACTICE IS • Local government Strategy work and/or • Training and/or • Peer reviews and/or • Developing quality indicators for public basic services and • Surveys, researches and/or • Exchanges information about good administrative practises, taxes, budgeting etc. etc. and doing development plans based on these and/or • Promote business opportu- nities especially to benefit Southern partner • Small investments North-South Local Government Programme

12. PLANNING PHASE After partner identification partners should get to know each other as well as possible: • Local Government structures, strategies, aims, tasks, responsibilities, financial resources, working cultures etc. • Local Government Profiles should be prepared from Northern and Southern Local Governments. Both partners know each other. • Southern local government representatives will have a working visit in Finnish Local Government and vice versa • Active dialogue to negotiate and decide about the co-operation sectors • Northern and Southern colleagues should be identified • Implementation Plan (Application B) will be prepared • There is concrete activities planned as detail as possible: who does what and when North-South Local Government Programme

13. IMPLEMENTATION PHASE • GENERAL • Both partners commit themselves for co-operation 1-3 years after that they can renew their agreements if there is a will • Co-operation administrative structure will be created • E.g. both partners create Steering Committees • If possible a common Steering Committee will meet e.g. once a year • Co-operation is active between colleagues – not only during work visits • STRONG COLLEAGUE TO COLLEAGUE CO-OPERATION • Both learn and benefit • Concrete activities are promoted together • WORKING VISITS • Are important part of the co-operation • Are efficiently planned together before travelling • Are also used for writing together plans and reports; used for common meeings • Promotes concrete aims (is not for turism) North-South Local Government Programme

14. QUALITY OF THE CO-OPERATION Ownership, sustainability and results: OWNERSHIP • Ownership of the co-operation should be in local governments • Southern aims, needs and strategies are main focus. At the same time co-operation will be done so that also Northern local government can learn and improve their activities • Capacity of Southern and Northern local government officeholders and elected representatives will be increased North-South Local Government Programme

15. SUSTAINABILITY All sustainability issues should be taken into consideration: • environment • equality • economical (not to create economical dependence) • administrative • personnel • socio-cultural • technological North-South Local Government Programme

16. HARMONIZATION BACKGROUND Different organizations from the North bring their own procedures to the South (applications and budgeting forms etc.) and it takes a lot of time from the Southern partner to try to fulfil those different requirements. HOW TO HARMONIZE SO THAT PROCEDURES WOULD BETTER SUIT TO SOUTHERN SYSTEMS??? • All co-operation should go towards harmonization; OECD processes: (Paris declaration on Aid Effectiveness 2005, Accra Action plan to Reform Aid Delivery 2008) • It means that Southern ownership, strategies and procedures are the most relevant basis for the co-operation • good governance should be taken into consideration • The question is HOW TO PROMOTE HARMONIZATION? • applications / co-operation plans, daily allowances etc. North-South Local Government Programme

17. THANK YOU!!!! North-South Local Government Programme