CLGF Pacific Local Government Capacity Building Project
Building on the work carried out since the project was initiated, in late 2004, CLGF and the Commonwealth Secretariat, with the Government of Fiji, co-sponsored a Regional Symposium on Local Governance in the Pacific, held in Suva. This event, the first of its type in the region focusing exclusively on local government, was attended by 90 representatives of 14 Pacific countries and development partners.
Emerging from this symposium and its 14 recommendations, was a scaled up five-year regional local government capacity building project with the goal to improve quality of life for communities in the Pacific region through strengthened local democracy and good governance.
The project aims to achieve:
- Strengthened regional networks and cooperation between local government practitioners.
- Enhanced training and capacity building opportunities for local government.
- Institutional strengthening programmes and activities that demonstrate fundamental values such as a human rights based approach and mainstreaming of the tenets of good urban governance.
- Regional exchange of policy and good practice, and technical cooperation.
Over 100 separate activities are included in the annual workplans to meet these objectives, including: research, professional development, civic awareness, intergovernmental/civil society dialogues, gender and human rights in local governance, legislation review, local elected leadership development, financial management, strategic planning and exchange programmes.
The project is founded on relationships, involving a range of international and regional partners with collective values and beliefs in the institution of local government and the desire to see it improved in the Pacific region. It links closely to regional strategies, in particular the Pacific Plan. Training of counterparts and local capacity development are key focus areas. 
This project is being implemented by CLGF and its partners with funding and other support from New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), UN Agencies, Commonwealth Secretariat and regional partners in including the University of the South Pacific (Pacific Institute of Advanced Studies in Development and Governance), Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Local Government New Zealand, Australian Local Government Association and others.
The five year project is now in its third year, and is entering its consolidation phase. It continues to provide learning opportunities at several levels for all involved. So far, around 500 local leaders in the region have experienced this programme. In many cases, this is the first time that local leaders have participated in such training and is contributing to an increase in the leadership knowledge and skills across the region, enabling local governments to better respond to the challenges of rapid urbanisation.
A mid term review of the project will be carried out in August/September 2008.
Last updated: 10 July 2008