African local governments unite to attain water and sanitation MDGs

Focal Point (in-country) representatives in 15 countries have been identified by national associations of local government to participate in a flagship project of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA):`Local initiatives in the promotion of the attainment of the water and sanitation MDGs’. The UCLGA is implementing this groundbreaking water and sanitation project in collaboration with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Africa Secretariat. The project is implemented with financial assistance from the European Union, through a Europe Aid grant. 

Representatives from national associations of local government in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, came together as the UCLGA Water and Sanitation Focal Point Network from 15 –19 August 2010. The official project launch was planned for 18 August 2010. The Development Bank of Southern Africa’s Pan-African Capacity Building project played host to the inaugural working session at its Vulindlela Academy in Midrand, Johannesburg.   

The Water Research Commission hosted a knowledge exchange session on 17 August 2010.MrJay Bhagwan,WRC Director, Water Use and Waste Management explained the role of the WRC research within the South African water sector. Dr Heidi Snyman,WRC Director,Water-Centred Knowledge  presented on the initiative by  African countries to collaborate   towards building the Network for Centres of Excellence.

The UCLGA Focal Point Network (FPN), established in 2008, is a unique network on the African continent, in both the water and local government sectors, as it brings together representatives from 15 national associations of local government on the African continent. Together these countries have a total populace of some 383 million inhabitants.

“Members of the FPN have been identified by the 15 participating national associations of local government. These representatives are a diverse group of highly skilled municipal practitioners, with valuable insight into and immeasurable experience of service delivery at grassroots level” says Bev Pretorius who coordinated the visit by different country representatives. 

According to Bev the UCLGA FPN is expected to make a positive contribution to national efforts to reach the water and sanitation Millennium Development Goals, through enhanced municipal participation in advocacy, policy development, local planning and delivery processes”.

Project milestones

In order for the UCLGA FPN to function effectively, a primary objective of the inaugural working session is to ensure that national association representatives are well-capacitated to take up their in-country project responsibilities.

Key milestones planned for completion in the first year of the project (2010) include:

Ø  Input into and popularisation of the project Baseline Study, which provides a basis from which to implement the overall project  

 Ø  The development of Country Action Plans, that provide details on how the UCLGA project will be implemented in each national association

Ø  The development of in-country policy briefs articulating  the position of municipalities on the progress towards the water and sanitation MDGs, as a contribution to the UCLGA’s Annual MDGs statement

Ø  In-country advocacy for the development of clear local municipal plans aimed at the attainment of the water and sanitation MDGs

Ø  Piloting the Water Institute of Southern Africa’s eWISA   Municipal Assistant in three pilot municipalities and the development of case studies on this experience in order to promote knowledge sharing

While the primary aim of the working session was to establish the FPN network, and to capacitate national representatives to successfully implement their project responsibilities; given the urgent need to strengthen the sphere of government most vital to the sustainable delivery of the water and sanitation Goals, and recognising the catalytic nature of the project, it became essential that the opportunity provided by the inaugural working session is also utilised to facilitate key partnerships that will add value to in-country efforts.

The UCLGA is in the process of exploring key partnerships that will not only have direct benefit for project outcomes, but will also create additional opportunities to benefit the work of national associations

For more information contact:

UCLGA Project Knowledge and Communications Officer,

 bevpretorius@uclgafrica.org