Local Governance Program
Program Snapshot
- Award Amount: $125.5 million
- Start/End Dates: January 2009 - December 2010
- Implementer: RTI International
Provincial Powers
The third phase of the Local Governance Program
(LGP III) supports implementation of Iraq's new Law for Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region which is also known as the "Provincial Powers Act."
The program is designed to build the capacity and strengthen the performance of local government institutions to represent citizen priorities and create a more responsive public administration through planning for public investment in the provinces, executing the provincial budgets, and holding service providers accountable.
The specific objectives of LGP III are to define, strengthen, and facilitate the operation of recognized local government bodies in relation to Iraq's prescribed governance systems by:
- Enabling aspects of democratic representation in local government bodies;
- Engaging recognized local government bodies in sub-national planning processes;
- Promoting the constructive, informed involvement of local government bodies in budget formulation and budget execution processes; and
- Enhancing oversight functions of local government bodies.
The focus of LGP III is to stand up the new provincial and qada' (district) councils and local executives as set forth in the new Provincial Powers Act. Specifically, the project will focus on developing the councils' powers of legislation and regulation, as well as their role in planning for the provinces, formulating and executing a budget, carrying out effective public outreach, and their enhanced role in supervising and holding to account local government staff.
LGP III will provide technical assistance to provincial governorates to strengthen their capacity in planning, design, delivery and oversight of services such as water, sewage, roads, street lighting, and electrical distribution.
The focus provinces currently include: Anbar, Babil, Baghdad, Basrah, Diyala, Karbala, Maysan, Najaf, Ninawa, Salah ah Din, and Wasit. The project will feature intensive programming in these eleven provinces and consultative programming for four additional provinces.
LGP III will engage with the USAID representatives and PRT local governance specialists on the PRTs to ensure that they benefit from the experience, policy analysis and training materials produced for the LGP focus provinces.
Activities under the Local Governance Program III will include:
- Further development and implementation of Provincial Development Strategies (PDS) and Provincial Development Plans and (PDP);
- Budget-formulation/execution and strategic planning and management training;
- Capacity building for newly elected Provincial and District Councils to represent citizen concerns and provide oversight on the delivery of services by the executive branch;
- Enhancing financial management and reporting of capital Investment by the Provinces to improve accountability;
- Information systems for project management and financial accounting;
- Planning for public investment in the province through further development and use of:
- Geographic Information System (GIS) applications;
- Governorate Accounting and Project Tracking System (GAPTIS) enhancement
- Developing public outreach, women's leadership, and reconciliation;
- Monitoring, supervision, and improvement of service-providers' performance and
- Supporting Professional and Membership Associations.
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