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Dear colleague
 This is the second edition of what we will become a regular update to keep our members and partners informed about what’s happening in local government in the Commonwealth.
One of CLGF’s key aims is to facilitate the sharing of experience and learning. We welcome your contributions on innovations and experiences in your countries to share with colleagues. We would also welcome your feedback on what information you would like to see in future editions of this e-news.
This is a crucial time for CLGF. Now that CLGF has been in existence for 15 years, building its membership, networks, capacity and programmes over those years we recently commissioned a review of the organisation to help us to move forward and shape our future. We are now working on a framework and a detailed action plan to take forward the recommendations and set CLGF on a stronger course for the next decade.
The end of November also is the major biennial meeting of the Commonwealth – Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which this year will take place in Trinidad and Tobago. As a Designated Commonwealth Organisation representing local government, CLGF will be attending the meeting and seeking endorsement for our work and policies at the highest level of the Commonwealth.
We hope that you find this edition of CLGF e-news useful and look forward to receiving your comments and contributions.
Carl Wright
Secretary-General, CLGF
Regards
Carl Wright,
Secretary-General, CLGF
CLGF news
Mauritius: Minister Burty David opens CLGF meetings
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Mauritius Minister for Local Government, Rodrigues and Outer Islands James Burty David led the opening session for a two-day programme of CLGF meetings and workshops in Mauritius. Read more
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CLGF and Communities of Practice – new online community for international development and local government
 This online community aims to help improve understanding of international development issues, how local government contributes and the benefits that are brought to communities both at home and overseas. Hannah Cook, Projects Officer, CLGF, who was involved in the implementation, said: “Communities of Practice are already widely used by local government practitioners in the UK, as a way of sharing experience and best practice with peers. The International Development and Local Government COP for the first time creates an opportunity for those involved in international work to learn from the experience of others, and share achievements.” Click here to join
Local government around the Commonwealth
West India and Leicester City Council: CLGF Good Practice Scheme phase III project update
 The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) Good Practice Scheme (GPS) phase III project called `Local authority facilitated sustainable development with poor communities` is a partnership between Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) from the Gujarat State in North West India and Leicester City Council (LCC), from the largest city in the East Midlands of England. More
Belize: Official launch of local governance national policy
The National Policy of Local Governance in Belize was launched on 14 October at the grounds of the National Association of Village Councils (NAVCO) headquarters in the City of Belmopan. The policy aims to reaffirm Government’s commitment to the people of Belize to decentralise governance through a defined local governance system, to reaffirm and respect the current Municipal and Village Governance Systems and lay out policy guidelines for improvements and to provide for greater legal security to the systems including the Alcalde System of governance in Belize. Read more
Jamaica: Reforms in progress
The reform of Jamaica's local government system, to empower the councils to be more efficient and responsive, is expected to be completed in June 2010. Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) with responsibility for Local Government Reform, Hon. Robert Montague, said that the extended timeline is achievable. Read more
Ghana: Government to improve on decentralisation
The Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, has disclosed that the National Stakeholders Conference on Accelerating Decentralisation in Ghana has been scheduled for December 2009. The minister noted that as part of the preparations towards the national stakeholder conference, the Ministry has embarked on several activities to engage the ordinary Ghanaian in order to engender a stronger sense of ownership of the decentralisation process. Read more
UK: LGA calls for international aid to be run by town hall staff
International aid programmes could be run much more effectively and offer better value for money if the Government stopped using expensive private sector consultants to carry out overseas work and placed more trust in public servants to do the job, town hall leaders in the UK have said. Read more
Namibia: Takes bold steps to improve local government access
The Association for Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN) and the Namibia Association of Local Authority Officers (NALAO) have taken bold steps to improve accessibility to local government by enhancing the effectiveness and efficiencies of all local authorities across Namibia. Read full story
Australia: UTS to lead Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government
Eight million dollars in federal funding has been awarded to UTS and a consortium of academic and industry partners to establish the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG), the first of its kind in Australia.
Read full story
UK: Join venture for procurement advice
A number of government agencies have come together to form an advisory service to local authorities looking to procure contracts and manage projects. Local Partnerships is a joint venture between the Local Government Association and government taskforce Partnerships UKThe joint venture has been set up to provide local authorities with a single source of advice and support on sourcing and commissioning contracts, managing projects and programmes, procurement and contract management.
Election news
Malawi
After some years of delay, Malawi's government has announced local elections for May 2010. Originally, local polls were supposed to take place in 2005, but the councils were dissolved and elections for local councillors were postponed. Building on CLGF’s current work looking at the relationship between local and central government, CLGF, in partnership with the Scottish Executive, is working with Malawi to develop a programme of support and training once the elections have been held.
Mozambique
A Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) observed Mozambique’s national and provincial elections held on 28 October 2009. The Group was constituted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Mr Kamalesh Sharma at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation of Mozambique, HE Mr Oldemiro Baloi. The Group’s mandate is to observe the preparations for the election; the polling, counting and results process and the overall electoral environment. The Group’s report will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will in turn send it to the Government of Mozambique, the National Election Commission of Mozambique and political parties, and eventually to all Commonwealth Governments. The Commonwealth Observer Group comprised 11 eminent persons, and was led by Sierra Leone President HE Dr Ahmad Tejan Kabbah from 21 October 2009 until 4 November 2009.
Publications
UK LGAID newsletter - August, 2009
The UK Local Government Alliance for International Development is back with a new quarterly newsletter. The August newsletter includes the latest international development news affecting local government, updates from UK councils on how they are helping to promote development and reduce global poverty, details of the latest opportunities to get involved and upcoming events.
Equality and Efficiency - October, 2009
 Capital Ambition has produced a new booklet that showcases local perspectives on tackling inequality for greater efficiency. The booklet provides innovative and practical examples of how authorities have been promoting equality to deliver efficient and effective everyday services. The guide forms part of Capital Ambition's ongoing work with London authorities to deepen understanding of the impact of the recession on London and share information on how councils are responding to the challenge. Read more
Topic Guide on Decentralisation and Local Government - September, 2009
 Estimates suggest that decentralisation is currently being pursued in over 80% of developing countries worldwide. For many people, local government (LG) is the part of government that most directly impacts on their lives, particularly via the provision of local services like water, sanitation, primary education and primary healthcare. The Commonwealth Secretariat has launched a new guide on the theory and practice of decentralisation to support national, regional and local government staff. This resource provides overviews for those new to the topic and access to research for specialists wishing to update their knowledge. Read more
Download PDF
DFID White Paper – Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future - July, 2009
 The Department for International Development’s (DfID) new White Paper on International Development, Building our Common Future argues that rather than turn away when things get tough we need to redouble our efforts. Click here to access the white paper.
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