Order the book on : “Delegated Management of Public Services in Africa: A New Approach, Case of the Water Sector”

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What are the key elements that local authorities need to know when they decide to delegate the management of a public utility to public or private operators?

The book on “Delegated management of public services in Africa: A new approach, the case of the water sector” is an excellent practical guide to this effect.

Written by Mr. Mounir Zouggari, who worked for 35 years at the Moroccan National Water Office (ONEP), the book essentially addresses the theme from three angles:

– The upgrading of the performance of public operators and the quality of the public service they provide.

– The delegated management of public services to large international private groups as currently practiced.

– An unprecedented proposal to reform the mode of intervention of large international private operators so that this intervention is effectively and unconditionally part of a process of sustainable development of the sectors where the management of public services is delegated to them.

UCLG Africa was involved in the production of the book, whose preface was written by its Secretary General, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi. It raises the observation that most decentralization laws applied in Africa recognize a certain number of competences to local authorities, in particular the responsibility to organize the provision of basic network services to the populations (water, sanitation and drainage, waste, electricity, mobility and transport, telecommunications…), but given their capital-intensive and technical nature, cities and local governments are often led to delegate these services to public or private operators in order to ensure the regular and continuous supply of the said service at a price that the population can bear.

Read the rest of the preface here ( In French)

Order your copy of the book here (Unit price: 70 EUR). Available in French.

Discover the video presentation of the book by its author: Mr. Mounir Zouggari. Available in French.

 

Call for contributions for issue N°5 of the Voice of the African Local Manager

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The African Local Manager Voice is a periodical publication produced by the African Local Government Academy (ALGA) of UCLG-Africa, the Network of HR Managers of African Local Governments, and the Observatory of Human Resources of Local Governments of UCLG Africa, within the framework of the enhancement, motivation and development of Human Resources of Local and Subnational Governments in Africa, as well as within the framework of regional and local initiatives.

It is a forum offered to Territorial Managers as a space for exchange, communication, debate and networking, making it possible to give visibility to Territorial Managers, to hear their voices, opinions and concerns, to exchange their experiences. success stories, and best practices. It is also a window where they can present and promote their missions, their jobs, their challenges, their innovations, and their creativity. Finally, it is an opportunity for them to discuss the various issues related to Human Resources Management at the local level. Taking due account of the cultural diversity which characterizes our continent, the Bulletin can welcome contributions in the different languages used at UCLG Africa, in particular English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic.

This 5th Issue of the “The Voice of the African Local Manager” bulletin will be a Special Issue dedicated to the following general theme: “Digital Transformation at African Local Level in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond: Benchmark of regional and local experiences”.

The choice of theme is not accidental. The Covid-19 crisis has radically changed the forecasts, the order of priorities, public policies, the action plans, as well as the strategies and prospects at all levels of governance. ICTs have proven to be a strategic lever to allow people to stay connected, to continue to govern, manage and produce, and to meet the expectations and concerns of populations. The pandemic has also been an accelerator of digitization according to the Twilio Report 2020, Covid-19 Digital Engagement Report.
The contribution must consist of four (4) pages maximum, i.e. 1,500 words, up to a maximum of 2,000 words; Font Type: Times New Roman, and Font Size 12; Any quotation from another author must be put in brackets and include its source, namely the author of the quotation or the document from which it is extracted, the exact title of the document, the date of publication, and the place of publication, by respect for intellectual property rights. You must provide your photo and a short biography (100 words maximum), mentioning the name of your Local Authority / Institution, as well as your contact information (Mobile phone, home or office phone, Fax, e- mail or Website of the Local Government / Institution to which you belong).

Deadline for submitting contributions: November 15, 2021.

Read  the full call here. 

Macoura Dao: Marching forward !

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Since her arrival in 2013 at the head of the municipality of Foumbolo (Côte d’Ivoire), Ms. Macoura Dao Coulibaly has climbed the ranks within the sphere of local governments of Côte d’Ivoire but also on the continental level. Being the current vice-president of the Union of Cities and municipalities of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI), Ms. Dao who has been president of the Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA) since 2019, first joined the executive board of the Network in 2015 during the general assembly of the 7th edition of the Africities summit (November 29 to December 3, 2015 in Johannesburg).

The flagship actions carried out for the benefit of her municipality (Foumbolo) include the creation of road communication channels and support for women’s associations to contribute to their empowerment.

During her re-election at the end of the municipal elections in April 2018, Ms. Dao confided that she had placed her second term in office under the sign of bringing the daughters and sons of Foumbolo together for social harmony, a guarantee of real development.

Faced with the resurgence of motorcycle accidents recorded in his locality, in particular during the Monday weekly market, the local councilor has promoted the creation of separate roads in the city to curb accidents. Statistics showed around ten motorcycle accidents every Monday, the weekly market day.

As part of the support for women’s associations in the field of social and solidarity economy, a “partnership was forged with women from Burkina Faso to allow the association of women producers of attieké from Foumbolo to sell their products in this brotherly country. This enabled these women to increase their turnover, “Ms. Dao told the Agence Ivoirienne de Presse (AIP).

Last May, the REFELA Côte d’Ivoire country chapter, of which she is also the president, organized the second edition of the gala evening called “The Mother’s Day”. It was an opportunity to celebrate the locally elected women of Côte d’Ivoire as mothers, but also as major actors in the development of Côte d’Ivoire, working effectively to improve the living conditions of their fellow citizens at the local level.

Promoter of continental female leadership

At the head of REFELA, Ms. Dao advocates for the promotion of female leadership in cities and local authorities on the continent. This requires the setting up of the national Chapters of the network. Thus, she does not hesitate to provide assistance to the new national REFELA chapters in their deployment. This was particularly the case in April and June 2021 for REFELA Togo which benefited from a capacity building workshop for a draft roadmap to be submitted to Delegation of the European Union in Togo as part of the Programming of the European Cooperation Process in Africa for the 2021-2027 period.

The Raising awareness and inviting the various REFELA country chapters to implement the 3 campaigns launched by the network is also its main battle horse. These are the Campaign of African Cities without Street Children (launched in 2018 and which is supported so far by 54 members), the Campaign of African Cities with Zero Tolerance in the Face of Violence Against Women (launched in 2019 and which has 22 memberships), and the Campaign of African Cities for the Economic Empowerment of Women (launched in 2020 and which is supported by more than 80 members).

EXPRESS BIOGRAPHY

Sources : Source 1 , Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5, Source 6

REGISTER TO THE 4th UCLG CULTURE SUMMIT IN IZMIR

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The UCLG Culture Summit is the main meeting point at global level of cities, local governments and other stakeholders that are committed to the effective implementation of policies and programmes on culture and sustainability.

Since 2015, UCLG has convened three editions of the UCLG Culture Summit, which were respectively hosted by the City of Bilbao (Basque Country, Spain, March 2015), the Jeju Self-Governing Special Province (Jeju-do, Republic of Korea, May 2017), and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (Argentina, April 2019). Following the success of the three first Culture Summit of UCLG, and considering the growing importance of culture in the framework of sustainable cities, the Executive Bureau of UCLG has decided to convene a 4th UCLG Culture Summit in 2021.

The 4th Culture Summit will be held in Izmir on next 9-11 September 2021, under the title “Culture: Shaping the Future”.

The detailed programme is available here and you are invited to register here.

Website of the Summit: www.uclg-culturesummit2021.org/en/Home/Index

New Dates for the Africities Summit in Kisumu , Kenya 

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Following consultations with the Government of Kenya, the Council of Governors of Kenya and the lead partners in the organization of the Summit, namely UCLG World, UN Habitat, and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA),  the Executive Committee of the ninth edition of the Africities Summit to be held in Kisumu, Kenya, informs the public and interested institutions, organizations, associations, and stakeholders, that the ninth edition of the Africities  Summit initially scheduled on 26 to 30 April 2022, will be held on 17th to 21st May 2022 in Kisumu, Kenya.

As a reminder, the theme of the 9th Africities Summit is: “The Role of Intermediary Cities of Africa in the Implementation of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations and the African Union Agenda 2063”.

These two Agendas call for the urgent need to develop resilient and sustainable urbanization in Africa, cognizant of the fact that by 2050 the bulk of African population will be living in cities, and that the majority of city dwellers will settle in intermediary cities. The improvement of the living conditions of the African people and the economic and social structural transformation of the African continent is therefore closely linked to the way the realization of these agendas will be addressed in African intermediary cities, which are for sure the places where Africa will be inventing her own approach and trajectory to sustainable human development based on her realities but also taking stock of the knowledge and experiences accrued across the world. As much as possible, the development models to be implemented in Africa should be more energy efficient, low carbon, more inclusive, and more resilient.

Do join us in Kisumu on 17 to 21 May 2022 at the Africities Summit, to be part of this endeavor in a place where Africa will be defining her new development trajectory based on African intermediary cities.

 

Download press release here. 

For further information, please contact:

Gaëlle Yomi : Tel : + 212 610 56 71 45

e-mail : gyomi@uclga.org

Visit the UCLG Africa website : www.uclga.org

Young local officials facing the effects of Covid-19

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On 27 July 2021, UCLG Africa held the first virtual meeting of the Network of Young Elected Officials of Africa,  on the theme of « Young local elected officials facing the effects of Covid -19 ».

This meeting was attended by about fifty participants, which included elected youth, researchers and entrepreneurs, who assembled to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on young people,  and the initiatives and role of the youth in the context of the ongoing health crisis.

Two panels structured these exchanges. The first, on the theme “Youth and responsibility“, addressed the political dimension of youth engagements at the height of the crisis, which was handled  by Mrs. Thérèse Faye Diouf, Mayor of Diarrere; the impact of digital on the security dimension of our territories, was taken care of  by M. Tom Marten.

The second panel on “Youth as a workforce in the growth of the continent” focused on the role of young people in economic recovery. This slot was marked by the intervention, of Mr. Frederik Tchoungui, Founder of “Community of Global Leaders”.  Mr. Oliver Bastienne, President of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made an impressive presentation with explanation and examples of how young entrepreneurs  were faring the recovery of the effect of the pandemic.  Mrs. Jacqueline Moustache-Belle, Director of the Gender and Youth Department at the General Secretariat of UCLG Africa, moderated this meeting in the presence of the Secretary General, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi.

The first panel highlighted two important points; the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 crisis on young people, both politically and in terms of mobility of people, and the importance of involving young people in the stimulus strategies.

The closure of public places and restrictions of movements have completely changed the behaviour of the youth in African cities. The Mayor of Diarrere, emphasized on the importance of the involvement of young people in the economic recovery and in building the future of African cities. She encouraged young men and women to invest in municipal councils and to actively participate in decision-making processes and deliberations relating to budgets.

For his part, Mr. Marten emphasized the constraints of COVID-19 on international travelling particularly for tourism purposes. The tourism  industry  has been brought to its knees by the pandemic. The closure of frontiers worldwide indirectly accelerated the use of technology and innovation in the digital field.  The use of digital technologies by governments, for example Seychelles has been favored to revive and foster tourism, in and to create the conditions for a return to normalcy and equally ensuring the health security of citizens and tourists. During this panel, the questions were mainly focused on the political aspects of the contribution of young people to the revival of urban economies: how to mobilize young people? How to increase the participation of young people in political parties? It was proposed that UCLG Africa and the national associations of African local governments, should develop advocacy for national governments and political parties,  to facilitate the access to electoral lists and political affairs.

The second panel addressed the issue of economic recovery by highlighting the role of young people in the field of entrepreneurship. In this panel, it was first a question of promoting the initiatives of young people who aim to create and find sources of funding, despite the context of the health crisis. Mr. Tchoungui thus encouraged young entrepreneurs and elected officials to make digital technology one of the keys to the development of African cities. To achieve this, improving and upgrading telecommunications infrastructure is essential, hence the appeal to the public authorities for more investment in this sector.

Mr. Bastienne’s presentation showed how COVID-19 has impacted all areas of the private sector employing young people (drop in productivity, unemployment, etc.). The Seychelles Chamber of Commerce has supported young people by providing them with financing, technical support, and training, especially for entrepreneurs. The government, together with the private sector also designed  a recovery and prosperity plan in which the youth participated actively. The importance of Information and Communication Technologies was underlined to show the impact of young people in digital development as a provider for the jobs of the future.

The summary of the discussions highlighted the need to network and form coalitions because the many issues facing young local elected officials cannot be addressed without the participation of all stakeholders. Synergies is of utmost necessity towards  building the Africa we want.

The exchanges on this vital issues allowed the participants to realize that “one cannot build Africa without its driving force, namely the youth”, and that the COVID-19 crisis has brought changes that will be here to stay. We have to learn to adapt. It is only through solidarity that our African cities and the world will overcome this pandemic.

By way of closing this meeting, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa stressed on the importance that the national and local levels should work to produce youth policies and youth participation, and to include youth representation at decision making level,  in order to have credible and lasting responses.

Find the concept note of the meeting here.

Read the final report of the Lomé Forum on: “Strengthening the Resilience and Increasing Climate Ambitions of Local Governments in Africa”

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On the 10th and 11th June 2021, was held in Lome, Togo, under the patronage of His Excellency, M. Faure Gnassingbe, President of the Republic of Togo, the regional Forum on Local Authorities and the Role of Cities and Territories in Addressing Climate Change, under the theme “Strengthening the Resilience and Increasing Climate Ambitions of Local Governments in Africa”. This Forum was co-organized by UCLG Africa, the Government of Togo, the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa (COM SSA), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the West African Development Bank (WADB) and Expertise France.

The final report of the Forum is available here.

 

Happy ADD 2021

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On the occasion of the celebration of the African Decentralization and Local Development Day (ADD) on 10 August 2021, we have collected the wishes of some African mayors.

Armand Roland Pierre Béouindé: Always on the move! 

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The mayors of large cities are characterized by the fact that they manage multiple challenges related to the complexity of their city.  Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, is no exception to this reality. At the helm of the city ​​since June 18, 2016 for a 5-year term, Armand Roland Pierre Béouindé shows proactiveness and initiative to make the Burkinabe capital ” the most welcoming, the most charming, and most prosperous city there is”, as mentioned in his inaugural speech.

 

 

Among the projects launched by the local councilor and his team is the “Grand Ouaga” project. This is an inter-municipal project that aims to create the conditions for socio-economic development for the benefit of the citizens of the eight (8) municipalities involved. The project also aims to improve agricultural productivity by promoting the green economy and strengthening urban economic growth by promoting cotton in the territories of Grand Ouaga, as well as governance and urban planning. The project is supported by international partners including the European Union and UN Habitat. Last March, during the visit to Burkina of the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Maimounah Moh Sharif, the mayor of Ouagadougou seized the opportunity  to highlight the issues of urbanization of spontaneous settlements, the problems of urban security, land, management of household waste, and the role of women in urban development, especially at the level of IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) sites.

All these themes are in line with his 2016-2021 mandate program “Ouaga21, living together, free together”. This program is based on three priority areas: urban mobility, urban safety, and urban environment.

Another initiative implemented by the municipality of Ouaga is the computerization of the tax collection system. The process was launched in October 2020 to allow the city to broaden its tax base. “Ouagadougou is a large open-air market. Shops are located on every street corner. It is manually difficult to identify all these traders. This leads to significant discrepancies between budget forecasts and actuals. The potential of the city of Ouagadougou is about 50 billion per year. Today, we are not even able to collect a billion, for the simple reason that we do not control the number of taxpayers, or the spaces occupied“, explains Armand Pierre Béouindé.

The 23rd mayor of the capital since 1956 and the 6th elected since the country gained independence in 1960 is also president of the Association of Municipalities of Burkina Faso (AMBF). The advocacy mission with the central government is a major focus of the association. On June 23, 2021, the president of the AMBF, Armand Roland Pierre Béouindé led a delegation of the AMBF to an audience with the President of the Republic of Faso around the question of the sustainability of the Competition for Excellence in Local Governance (COPEGOL).

This is an initiative promoted by the government of Burkina Faso with the support of the World Bank with the aim of creating emulation between municipalities (rural and urban) and especially of promoting good innovative practices of local governance that can be duplicated in all municipalities.

In his process of managing the city of Ouaga and the AMBF, Mr. Béouindé is involved on a regular basis in the work of the international organizations of local elected officials. He is notably a member of the Executive Committee of UCLG Africa, a member of the board of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF) and vice-president for the Africa region of the world organization UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments). Being very active in the various meetings of bodies and other activities organized in favor of local authorities, Mayor Béouindé gives pride of place to communication in order to keep his fellow citizens as informed as possible.

In order to not miss out on the initiatives led by the municipality of Ouagadougou and the AMBF, consult their Facebook pages here  and here .  

Express Bio

Family Name: BÉOUINDÉ

First names: Armand Roland Pierre

Date of birth: November 10, 1962

Location: KAYA

Nationality: Burkinabe

Family status: Married, father of 4 children.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Mr. Armand Roland Pierre BÉOUINDÉ is a manager by training and has acquired twenty years of experience in the management and administration of companies (IT Services Company, Graphic Industries, Consulting and Communication). Shareholder and Director of several companies and member of several associations, clubs, trade unions, and other organizations. Mr. BÉOUINDÉ is Knight of the National Order. Mr. BÉOUINDÉ is the Managing Director of the GRAPHI IMPRIM SARL company.

Political career

 1983-1987: Active participation in the advent of the revolution of August 4, 1983 as a member of the ULC / R

2010: Joined the CDP

2012: Election to the Political Bureau of the CDP

4 January 2014: Resignation from the CDP with 75 other senior executives, including Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Salif Diallo, and Simon Compaoré.

 January 25, 2014: Founding member of the MPP, elected to the National Executive Board, 2nd Secretary for Information and Communication. He fiercely opposed the law aimed at amending Article 37 of the Constitution of Burkina Faso with the sole objective of allowing President Blaise Compaoré to remove the presidential term limit. Mr. Béouindé actively participated in all CFOP demonstrations on the front line, always alongside President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and other opposition leaders.

May 22, 2016: Elected municipal councilor for sector 54 of district 12 of Ouagadougou.

 June 18, 2016: Elected Central Mayor of the municipality of Ouagadougou

Sources: 

Source 1 

Source 2 

Source 3 

Source 4 

Source 5 

Source 6

 

The Extended Consultation Workshop on the Local Authorities Charter for Gender Equality in Africa

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On 14 and 15 July 2021, a broad consultation workshop was held via the Zoom platform in the framework of the drafting of the “Local Authorities Charter for Gender Equality in Africa”.

Open to the public, the two day workshop aroused the interest of many.

A total of seventy three participants were registered, of which 42.5% were men and 57.5% were women, they came from about twenty African countries, and also Belgium, Spain, France, and Canada.

The Workshop aimed at providing a platform for dialogue, allowing local and regional government representatives, gender experts and civil societies organisations from Africa and Europe to exchange on the Charter in order to have a more inclusive final document, which will reflect the diversity of the African realities and therefore facilitate its application. This was also a first step towards ownership.

In accordance with the established programme, the two-day Workshop was held under the moderation of Mrs. Jacqueline MOUSTACHE-BELLE, Director of the Gender and Youth Department of UCLG Africa.

The opening speeches for the Workshop, were made by Mrs. Macoura DAO COULIBALY, President of REFELA, (Reseau des Femmes Elues Afrique), Mrs. Emilia SAIZ, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments – World and Mr. Jean Pierre ELONG MBASSI, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments  of Africa.

Mrs. DAO COULIBALY, recalled the history of the process of elaboration of the Charter and noted its importance as a political instrument aiming at truly engaging Local Authorities on the path of equality between women and men. She affirmed REFELA’s conviction that this Charter will be the starting point of a new era for gender equality in Africa and expressed her confidence that the final version of the Charter will be adopted as planned during the 9th edition of the AFRICITES summit in Kisumu, Kenya, which will be held from 26 to 29 April 2022.

The Secretary General of UCLG  World, Ms. Emilia SAIZ, noted the importance of the Charter and the involvement of Local Authorities in the battle for equality between women and men, especially that women

represent more than 50% of the world’s population, and yet remain the most exposed to violence and discrimination. She expressed the wish that the consultation be open to actors from other continents.

The Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr Jean Pierre ELONG MBASSI, recalling the history of the birth of REFELA in 2009. He emphasized on the importance of the Charter to guarantee the presence and participation of women at the local level to become concrete.

He praised the cooperation and collaboration with UCLG World and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), which allowed the idea of this Charter to emerge and become a reality. He also acknowledged that by involving the other branches of UCLG at global level, the dynamics aiming at addressing the issue of gender equality would be more effective and sustainable.

Finally, Mr MBASSI thanked the teams of UCLG, CEMR and UCLG Africa for their excellent work, the fruits of which are visible today. The Consultant, Ms Silvie SIYAM was also commended for her remarkable work. The consultant then presented the Charter to the participants following which they went into three groups work for deliberations of the draft.

Dr. Najat ZARROUK, Director of the African Academy of Local Authorities of UCLG Africa, headed the Arab speaking, Mr. Brygo GAUTIER, Director of the Department of Territorial Coaching of UCLG Africa was with the francophone and Mr. Charles PATSIKA, Adviser on Decentralisation and Local Governance of UCLG Africa was the moderator for the English speaking participants.

The day concluded with a plenary debriefing session of observations and suggestions from the groups.

On the second day the Consultant presented the newly amended draft which had taken into consideration the comments proposals and suggestions the participants had made the day before.

The concluding remarks was made by Mr Frédéric VALLIER, Secretary General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) said he was impressed by the challenge undertaken since 2018 to make the

Charter for Equality for women in Africa a reality, whereby he referred to the similar work carried out in Europe more than 15 years ago. Mr Vallier congratulated the dynamic that, through REFELA, has allowed African women to be involved in the elaboration of this Charter, thus ensuring that the particularities of the African continent are taken into account. Finally, he reaffirmed the support that CEMR will continue to give to the elaboration of the Charter.

As for the Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr MBASSI wished for a strong commitment from all in the implementation of the Charter which, once adopted, will be the subject of a call for voluntary adhesion in the direction of African Local Authorities. UCLG Africa, CEMR and UCLG will need to be ready to support local and regional governments in the implementation of the Charter, in particular through decentralised cooperation with certain European local authorities.

It was on this note that the moderator, Mrs. MOUSTACHE-BELLE, ended the Workshop by thanking the secretary generals of UCLG Africa, UCLG World and CEMR, the team of focal points, the facilitators of the working groups, the consultant and especially the participants.