Commonwealth Local Government Forum
Research reports
CLGF research reports
Local Government: Building Resilience Across the Commonwealth
This background sets the scene for the CLGC2023 conference on reilience; explaining why the issue is so crucial to local government across the Commonwealth; and detailing the diversity of issues. Download paper
Commonwealth Youth and the Cities
This think-piece and the CLGF youth survey are important first steps in helping to better understand the needs of young people from a city perspective. It is also a means of exploring ways of ensuring that young people are integrated more effectively
into political processes and are better reflected in the planning and decision making of their cities.
The Green Deal
This paper looks at one of the EU’s key policy priorities and the importance of action on climate change at the local level and the core role of cities in adaptation and mitigation.
Social media toolkit
This toolkit provides an overview of the various social media platforms available to councilors and shares tricks and strategies for using them successfully in a political context.
Cities, climate change adaptation and sustainable development: The role of local governments in Commonwealth Small Island Developing States
This report looks at the particular issues around the impact of climate changes on the smaller, more vulnerable states.
COP 26 - November 2021, Glasgow, UK.
This is a report from the organising partners of a key session for local government entitled: Urban informality and inequality.
Mentoring for women
A Review of Mentoring Programmes for Women’s Political Advancement and Leadership. This paper is part of the work of CLGF's Commonwealth Women in Local Government network and looks at how mentoring can support women in their political quest and ultimately bring about better gender parity.
Local Economic Development as a Driver of Trade in the Commonwealth
This paper reviews the work that CLGF and its local and national government
partners have done to support and mainstream local economic development, looking at how this work, and a strong focus on supporting local
development, plays a role in enabling trade and the Commonwealth trade dividend​
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Localising the SDGs in Jamaica: 2016-2018 Case Study
Case study on work with ALGAJ and three local councils in Jamaica on localising the SDGs in line with the implementaiton of the Local Sustainable Development Plans (LSDP), as part of the wider EU funded project "Strengthening local government's Role asr a Partner in Development" implemented by CLGF 2015-2018.
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Background paper for the CLGF Southern Africa Regional Conference held in Lusaka, Zambia
25th to 26th June 2019
Download background paper Promoting Local Governance and LED in Southern Africa
CLGF Pacific Urban Forum preparatory workshop for local government report
Report and outcomes of the meeting held at Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi, Fiji Islands
11th to 13th December 2018
Download report PUF preparatory workshop 2018 for local government outcomes
Meeting report of the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities meeting held in Kigali 19 Sept 2018
Download background paper Inclusive Urban Economies
This paper explores decentralisation’s contribution to post-conflict state building in four Commonwealth countries: UK (Northern Ireland), Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone and Rwanda.
Download Research paper on decentralisation as a post-conflict state-building strategy
Successful, safe and sustainable cities: making cities fit for the future
Meeting report of the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities meeting 'Successful, safe and sustainable cities: making cities fit for the future' held at Marlborough House, London on 13 July 2016
The Constitution of Zimbabwe 2013 as a basis for local government transformation: A reflective analysis 2016
Contributions in this volume provide an in-depth understanding on the constitutional provisions on local government and search for trajectories critical for entrenching the mechanisms needed to implement and optimise those provisions. Much of the discussion on local government constitutionalisation has hitherto been limited to realignment of laws. It did not engage with deeper governance transformations anticipated in the constitution. As such, this paper teases out key questions and reflects on possible avenues for making the constitution live. The paper generates preliminary yet foundational knowledge to guide further debate and practical processes needed for local-national constitutionalism post 2013. Important governance issues need not continue to be usurped by party political actors and interests. More empirical research on how the constitutional provisions can be a factor in local governance is required to further inform the implementation of local government constitutionalisation.
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Successful, safe and sustainable cities: towards a New Urban Agenda 2016
There is a new interest in cities by national governments and international agencies from three perspectives. The first is the recognition of their economic importance - for attracting investment and innovation in national and regional economies. The second is in the healthy living conditions and high quality of life they can provide, if they are well governed. The third is in their potential to delink a high quality of life from high greenhouse gas emissions and thus contribute to avoiding dangerous climate change. This paper looks at the global trends in urban poverty and urbalisation and poses questions for the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Network to consider in its future activities. Paper written by Prof David Satterthwaite, of the International Institute for Environment and Development commissioned by CLGF of the CSCN 2016 meeting in London.
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Cities 2030 Vision, leadership and public service excellence 2015
Background discussion paper and meeting report for the inaugural meeting of the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Network co-hosted by the Global Centre for Public Service Excellence and the Centre for Liveable Cities in Singapore. Includes discussion on: Urbanisation in the Commonwealth, The pre-2015 development agenda, The post-2015 development agenda. The Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 and, Issues for discussion and questions for the workshop. Whilst the workshop report covers Urban perspectives 1: Aligning the SDG agenda with the goals and ambitions of cities: challenges and opportunities. Centre for Liveable Cities: long term planning, Urban perspectives II – what type of political and administrative leadership is needed for the cities to achieve the SDGs?, Urban perspectives III – implementing SDGs 11 and 16 at the city level – concrete next steps, Peer learning session and closing roundtable discussion, Conclusions, next steps and the role of the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Network
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Local government 2030: achieving the vision - background paper 2015
Background discussion for Commonwealth Local Government Conference 2015. CLGF commissioned two “thinkpieces” Local government 2030 achieving the vision – the role of local democracy and good governance and Local government 2030 achieving the vision – the importance of local government in economic development and cities as engines of economic growth.
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Local economic development in South Asia - review of policy and practice 2015
This paper reviews the national context and practical experiences of local governments’ role in LED activities across the five South Asian Commonwealth countries: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The paper has been commissioned by CLGF and prepared by Okapi Research and provides recommendations on ways to enhance the enabling environment for pro-poor local government-led LED across South Asia.
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Local democracy today and tomorrow - learning from good practice 2014
This discussion paper provides an overview of key trends and developments impacting local democracy and was prepared by City Insight for the International IDEA and CLGF.
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Local economic development concepts and interventions for local governments in Sri Lanka 2014
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Local economic development in Southern Africa 2013
This paper provides an overview of the status of Local Economic Development (LED) in the Southern Africa region and was used as the background paper to CLGF’s Regional Conference on ‘Creating opportunities for Developmental Local Government through Regional Engagement on Local Economic Development’ which was held in Lilongwe, Malawi in March 2014.
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Local democracy and local governance: benchmarking Rwanda against the Aberdeen principles 2013
This study, carried out in 2011 and published in 2013, coordinated by the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities, reviews the achievements of decentralisation in Rwanda against the Aberdeen principles
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Developmental local government: putting local government at the heart of development 2013
Background discussion paper for the 2013 Commonwealth Local Government Conference, Kampala Research reports
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Local governments in Eastern Africa: an analytical study of decentralisation, financing, service delivery and capacities 2012
This study commissioned jointly by CLGF, the UNCDF and the UNDP, provides a detailed analysis of the state of local government in Southern Africa focusing on four key thematic areas namely: decentralization; local government finance; inclusive service delivery; and related local government capacity. It is aimed at supporting the region’s efforts towards decentralized governance and local development.
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Local governments in Southern Africa: an analytical study of decentralisation, financing, service delivery and capacities 2012
This study commissioned jointly by CLGF, the UNCDF and the UNDP provides a detailed analysis of the state of LG in Southern Africa focusing on four key thematic areas namely: Decentralization; LG Finance; Inclusive Service Delivery; and related LG Capacity. It is aimed at supporting the region’s efforts towards decentralized governance and local development.
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Strategies to promote intergovernmental relations in accordance with the Aberdeen Principles 2012
Background summary paper for the Commonwealth High Level Symposium on Promoting inter-governmental relations and sharing of good practice policies on local government (South Asia), Colombo, Sri Lanka, 24-25 April 2012
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Energising local economies: local economic development around the Commonwealth 2011
Background discussion paper for the 2011 Commonwealth Local Government Conference, Cardiff
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Womens representation in local government in Asia Pacific 2010
Status Report - Going beyond National Targets in Monitoring Status for MDG 3 on Women’s Political Empowerment, produced by the UNDP in collaboration with CLGF
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Municipal finance for inclusive development 2010
Innovative models for funding infrastructure and services for state and local self-government
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Improving local government: the Commonwealth vision 2009
Background paper for Commonwealth Local Government Conference 2009
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Municipal infrastructure planning and financing 2008
Report of the CLGF roundtable, Vancouver, 3 September including discussions on trends in municipal infrastructure finance, fiscal tools: Canadian and international innovations, public-private partnerships, infrastructure financing and long-term local planning, Promoting green infrastructure and green technologies, and an overview of municipal infrastructure financing in selected Commonwealth countries
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Intergovernmental relations local government finances and the role of LGAs in Nigeria 2008
Report of the joint CLGF- ALGON meeting held in Abuja in 2008
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Meeting the challenges of the Aberdeen Agenda - an assessment of local governance and democracy in Uganda 2007
This 2007 study, reviews the achievements of decentralisation in Uganda against the Aberdeen principles
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Financing decentralisation and local government to meet the MDGs 2007
Paper by the CLGF and ComHabitat submitted to the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting, Guyana, 15-17 October 2007
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Delivering development through local leadership 2007
Research paper for background to the Commonwealth Local Government Conference 2007, published by CLGF,
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Obtaining a municipal credit rating 2006
An introduction to the principle of municipal credit ratings and how they can benefit local authorities, with case studies of good practice.
Produced by CLGF in partnership with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). Published by Publications UK for CLGF,
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Municipal finance: innovative resourcing for municipal infrastructure and service provision 2006
Report prepared by Ilias Dirie for CLGF in cooperation with ComHabitat
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Make it local, make it democratic: The case for local democracy 2005
All Commonwealth countries need vigorous and effective local democracy which is genuinely local and truly democratic and which has the necessary powers and responsibilities, a fair allocation of resources and a significant degree of local autonomy. In this booklet two leading figures in the Commonwealth Local Government Forum – Mayor Smangaliso Mkhatshwa and Councillor John Otekat – set out the case for local democracy and describe its key features.
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Deepening local democracy in the Commonwealth 2004
This paper prepared as a discussion paper for the 2005 Commonwealth Local Government Conference presents the case for local democracy. In recent years there has been a shift in focus on governance as a process controlled by the central government to one that involves the citizen in the decisionmaking process as much as possible. This shift in emphasis came about because of many reasons, which will be discussed, but the international financial organizations; donor agencies and governments; and NGOs played significant roles. Thus, interest shifted to democratic local governance that is participatory.
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Symposium on traditional leadership and local government 1997
The symposium held in Gaborone, Botswana brought together some fifty traditional leaders, mayors and senior local and central government officials from twelve African countries. The conclusions emphasised the concept of partnership in local government by all stakeholders and foresaw an active role for traditional leadership in development and service delivery, social change and transformation and governance, as well as with regard to its more wellknown functions in areas of land and customary judicial function
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Local government in Botswana 1995
Paper prepared by Prof Kashav Sharma for CLGF outlining a framework of centre - local relations and enhancing local government capacity
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Best practice in Participatory budget process in Zimbabwe 1995
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