Municipal Governance

USAID’s program to create models of democratic governance in five targeted municipalities in Mozambique includes the provision of technical assistance and training to: (1) increase participation by citizens and civil society; (2) improve the performance of municipal governments by strengthening accountability, responsiveness, and transparency; and (3) reduce the opportunities for corruption in municipal government and public service delivery institutions.

Some examples of the types of activities that USAID engages in under this program are:

• Weak civic organizations and lack of knowledge of civic rights have constrained citizen participation in local governance and allowed petty corruption to flourish. In order to increase participation, strengthen civil society, and reduce opportunities for corruption, USAID is improving citizen understanding of their rights and responsibilities as well as their awareness of municipal government authorities through civic education. USAID is providing training and technical assistance to enable community groups to identify issues, articulate needs and priorities in terms of service delivery, and mobilize community resources.

• Limited opportunities for participation or even formal expression of interests, along with generally poor administration have contributed to low public confidence in government. USAID is helping targeted local governments improve their overall performance by strengthening accountability, responsiveness, transparency, and the provision of services. To accomplish this, USAID is providing technical assistance and training on development planning, financial and human resources management, budget formulation, ethical and transparent public administration, and public relations. USAID technical assistance, in conjunction with local officials and communities, is designing and implementing a system of incentives and infrastructure improvements to bring about positive changes in service delivery. Some commodity support for specific community infrastructure projects will also be provided.

• USAID is continuing its effective partnership with Ética Mozambique, the leading Mozambican anti-corruption non-governmental organization. USAID training and technical assistance will lead to the establishment and operation of corruption reporting centers in eight of the country’s main cities. Training for key staff and technical assistance to the centers will enable them to provide citizens with legal advice, ombudsman services, and a mechanism for confidentially reporting corruption-related crimes to the Attorney General’s office. Technical assistance and training will be linked to municipal government activities so as to foster reduced corruption in service delivery, especially in hospitals, schools, and business licensing centers.

By the end of this program, USAID will have assisted Mozambican citizens to become more aware of their rights and responsibilities and to actively participate in community and municipal decision-making processes; municipal governments to operate more efficiently; a reduction in corruption through an increase in the reporting and prosecution of it; and the legal framework for fighting corruption to be strengthened.