CLGF has teamed up with local government practitioners from the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU, UK) for the development of a local government institute in Rwanda, in partnership with the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA). The Institute will bring together a number of key stakeholders to work together to develop curricula and provide practical training and capacity building support for officers and elected representatives.

The training will run alongside a master’s level programme which RALGA is developing with the University of Rwanda and GIZ, and will contribute to efforts in Rwanda to professionalise local government, in order to help the councils to retain and develop their staff and councillors.

CLGF will be working together with partner to develop the institute to provide good quality and accessible information to support the work of local government leaders.

The LGiU runs an extensive briefing service for councils in the UK, and through the partnership it is proposed that LGiU will work alongside RALGA to support them in developing a similar service tailored for its members and owkri together with CLGF to develop the business plan for the Institute.

A return visit by a RALGA team planned for May 2016 will enable key practitioners who will be involved in progressing the work of the Institute to work alongside counterparts at the LGiU.