About the Good Practice Scheme

The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) Good Practice Scheme seeked to improve the delivery of local authority services through the spread of good practice. The Scheme matches UK councils with an overseas partner. CLGF supported both parties through identifying a project of mutual benefit and developing a project plan, and can provide up to £40,000 to support selected project activities.

Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals was the overarching goal to which the Scheme aimed to contribute. Improving the capacity of local government to provide quality basic services to local communities will contribute to reducing global poverty. Projects were therefore designed to contribute to “Improving capability – effectiveness, responsiveness, and accountability, in sustainable forms – of participating local authorities in target countries to serve their citizens.”

The Good Practice Scheme (GPS) brought benefits to both partners. UK local authorities have been increasingly encouraged to work in partnership with the community they serve using different methods of participation. The Scheme enhanced their learning centred on accountability, resource management, communication, monitoring and evaluation, adaptability and transparency – all tools which are required within their day to day working environment.

Phase 3 of the Good Practice Scheme (GPS) is now nearing completion. In total there were 28 active individual partnership projects designed to promote good practice policy and practical projects to reduce poverty in the following areas:

·         South Africa: Local economic development

·         India: Governance and service delivery

·         Ghana: Local economic development

·         Jamaica: Strategic planning for service delivery

·         Sierra Leone: Service delivery