INDUCTION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS

Good Governance Practice (GOGOP) is a Community Based Organisation (CBO) registered by Wakiso District of Uganda.  The organization has found out that there are big weaknesses in the Councils’ Conduct of Business, more often than not; quarrels and misunderstandings which hinder progress.

The problem is largely due to councilors who join the councils every time after an election; in that, they join when actually they don’t know the roles they should play, hence the need to undertake an Induction Course so that they are better able to understand the local government system and how it operates and their roles in it.

We are kindly appealing to you to help in financing our project which will be used as a model for other parts of the country.  We also love getting into some memorandum of understanding with your council for enhanced cooperation in a number of areas.

Willy Kituuka

Chairman

GOGOP

PROJECT PROPOSAL            : INDUCTION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS

PROPOSAL BY                     : GOOD GOVERNANCE PRACTICE

                                           (GOGOP)

                                           P. O. Box 2678, Kampala – UGANDA

                                           

CONTACT PERSON              : Willy Kituuka

                                           Chairman (GOGOP)

                                           

AREA FOR IMPLEMENTATION: Wakiso District of Uganda

PROPOSAL AMOUNT            : Pound 19,360

PROJECT DURATION            : 12 months

INDUCTION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS

The Mission of GOGOP

To train, support and advocate for good governance for sustainable, efficient and effective service delivery which is corrupt free as well as promote participation in governance issues by all in local governments.

The Vision of GOGOP

To have democratic, participatory decentralized local governments that can sustain development and delivers services efficiently to the people.

1.   BACKGROUND

                                                             i.            The training of councilors is a critical element in strengthening the decentralization system of governance.  It is a fact that there is a very high turn-over of councilors each time there are local council elections.  It is therefore necessary to run Induction Courses for newly elected councilors to provide them with knowledge and skills to enable them understand the local government system they operate in and their roles in it.

                                                          ii.            The Principles of Decentralisation are entrenched in Uganda ’s Constitution and the Local Government Act.  These provisions empower Local Governments with responsibilities of allocation of public resources, integrated participatory planning and budgeting, local resource mobilization and investment management within their areas of jurisdiction.  The decentralization policy aims at improving service delivery, accessibility to services and reduction of poverty.  Therefore, to consolidate the decentralization policy and implementation, there is increased demand for concerted and coordinated effort in capacity building.

2.   THE PROBLEM

Failure of Councils to deliberate on business due to the fact that many new councilors are ignorant of the roles they are expected of playing in the council, and more often than not, instead of seeking to know and or learn what is expected of them, many cause confusion in the councils and this is a problem in many councils in Uganda where conflict is the order of the day, and, this has greatly hampered development as precious time is wasted.  Many councilors are at a loss regarding the role of political vis a vis technical organs of the council.

3.   AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR INDUCTION AND THE TIME COMPONENT

1)     Background to decentralization in Uganda – 90 minutes

2)     Local Government system in Uganda

                                                             i.            Legal Framework – 150 minutes

                                                          ii.            Local Government Councils and Administrative Units in Uganda – 90 minutes

                                                        iii.            Relations between Central and Local Governments; and Inter relations among Local Governments – 105 minutes

                                                        iv.            Council Meeting procedures – 105 minutes.

3)     Development Planning in Local Governments

                                                             i.            Development Planning: Objectives and features of a Development Plan – 60 minutes

                                                          ii.            The Local Government Planning Steps – 45 minutes

                                                        iii.            The role of Political and technical organs of Council in Planning – 60

4)     Financial Management in Local Governments

                                                             i.            Revenue mobilization in Local Governments – 60 minutes

                                                          ii.            Budgeting in the Local Governments – 60 minutes

                                                        iii.            Financial Control Mechanisms in the Local Governments – 45 minutes.

                                                        iv.            Key players in the Local Governments Financial management system – 60 minutes.

5)     Legislation in the Local Councils

                                                             i.            The Legislation Process at District Level – passing bills into ordinances – 60 minutes

                                                          ii.            The Legislation process at Lower local Councils level – making by-laws – 45 minutes

6)     Gender and Local Governance in Uganda

                                                             i.            Definition of concepts – 60 minutes

                                                          ii.            The role of local Governments and planners in the promotion of gender sensitive strategies and programmes – 60 minutes

                                                        iii.            The relationship between Local Government Councils, women and Youth Councils – 60 minutes.

7)     Ethics and Integrity in Local Governments – 60 minutes

8)     Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in Local Government activities

                                                             i.            HIV/AIDS factors that affect the spread – 90 minutes

                                                          ii.            The impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic on Local Governments – 60 minutes

                                                        iii.            Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in Development Planning in Local Governments – 60 minutes.

4.   PROBLEMS THE INDUCTION TRAINING ANTICIPATES

                                                             i.            Councilors are not employees of the council, they have their own employment and do council work like would be overtime.

                                                          ii.            Councilors in Lower Local Governments have varied education levels and a number are below Advanced level Education.

                                                        iii.            If training is a requirement, the councils would have to foot the bill for transport to the training venue and cost of meals.

                                                        iv.            It only leaves Saturday as the day when such training can be done.

                                                           v.            Absenteeism is greatly anticipated due to various commitments people normally have on Saturdays.

                                                        vi.            Punctuality for Saturday classes.

5.   SOLUTIONS TO INDUCTION TRAINING PROBLEMS

                                                             i.            It will be necessary to initially talk to all councilors who need the Induction Training, emphasizing why the training is necessary as a personal benefit to which not only have they got to sacrifice time to attend, but also be able to spare financial resources to travel to the training venue and also afford eats from own pocket.

                                                          ii.            Get the targeted councils fully briefed about the intended training, and where it is possible, to allocate some funds, get a slice to facilitate the councilors who need the training.

                                                        iii.            Emphasize the importance of being knowledgeable about what is expected of them in conducting meaningful council business as well as representation of the electorate which calls for being educated, hence active participation in the training.

                                                        iv.            Endeavour to have easy to understand printed reading materials supplied to all prospect participants so that in their free time or if they miss some session they can read on their own.

                                                           v.            Have a certificate issued to those who successfully complete the Induction Course and organize a function to officially hand over the certificates to successful participants.

                                                        vi.             A free venue availed by the council to effect the training.

6.   REACH OUT TO COUNCILS

It is a fact that Sub-County Councils have pronounced problems among Local Councils as per observation, and the project would love to start with them as regards the Induction Course.  A Reach – Out shall be done in form of a Formal Communication to a targeted council regarding the proposed training.  It will be clearly stated that the project personnel will be ready to call on the Council when invited to clarify/explain the training modalities.  And, during such a session, it is anticipated that the matter will get concluded and a venue as well as the date when the training should effectively take off.

7.   INTERNAL ORGANISATION FOR TRAINING

                                                             i.            Once funding is realized, staff shall be recruited and shall be doing part time work so that the facilitation is effected on every Saturday a part from some few when it will have been agreed not to.  At least 4 stations shall be operational for the training with each having two facilitators for the day. 

                                                          ii.            The facilitators shall be expected to give the trainee councilors written exercises to be done as homework and when the work is marked, it will form part of the assessment/evaluation hence the grade of the certificate awarded on completion of the course. 

                                                        iii.            The facilitators shall follow a set up timetable and shall be required to religiously observe it more so, the time allotted and end each day’s business successfully on completion of what was planned.

                                                        iv.            Facilitators shall have to interact at least twice at the office and discuss how to effectively disseminate whatever topic that is to be handled.

                                                           v.            Facilitators are to be transported by the office van to and fro the venues for the Induction Course.

8.   MONITORING AND EVALUATION

1)     There shall be the keeping of records for the councilors who will attend the sessions

2)     There shall be exercises given to the councilors and marked by the facilitators.

3)      There shall be Independent Inspectors (External) who will be expected to give their own opinion/remarks regarding the course and examine individual participants.

4)     The individual councilor’s performance through contribution in Council meetings that will follow after the course has started on evaluation shall be additional proof that the course is beneficial.

5)      There shall be the Trainee Councilors also evaluation process about the training.

6)     The facilitators shall also evaluate individual trainee councilors and be able to grade them prior to the completion of the training.

 
 

Willy Kituuka – Chairman (GOGOP); holds a B. A. (Hons) Economics/Rural Economy degree of Makerere University .  He is a Professional Banker; Practicing Journalist, not only has he had various contribution in Uganda papers, but also interviewed a number of personalities for publication as well as contributed to discussions on issues concerning economic development and other aspects.  In Career Guidance, not only has he been involved in publication of career material but also been invited by schools on Careers’ day to talk to students.  He is involved in Consultancy Work where he writes project proposals when approached.

He was participant of Africa Good Governance Radio Program by (MDP – ESA) which is the basis of the GOGOP mission.

9.   THE BUDGET

9.    

No	Particulars	Amount (Pounds)
1	A Second hand Van to transport the Course facilitators to various venues when training is on.	6,800
2	Fuel for the vehicle at least 30 litres per week for an average of 40 weeks (targeting Saturday’s) each litre at shs 2,750.	1,320
3	Stationeries for office use (Plain paper, Pens, ruled paper, etc)	240
4	Vehicle repairs and servicing	1,000
5	Printing 200 Reading Literatures including the cost of compiling the literature	2,000
6	Allowance at (Pound 100) per month for 10 months to be able to cover 4 stations every Saturday.	8,000
	TOTAL	19,360