Programs: Advocacy, Civil Society Building and Institutional Development, Community Mobilization and Development

Countries: Angola

The Angolan Citizens Participation Initiative (IPCA) was a 20-month program designed by America’s Development Foundation and funded by USAID/Angola. The Initiative took place in fourteen communities of the Planalto region in Angola. Activities contributed to participatory local development while building citizen participation and fostering productive engagement between communities and local government. 

 

From February 2005 through September 2006, IPCA worked closely with fourteen communities to develop effective approaches to citizen-based local development. The Initiative had three key components:

 

·         citizens’ meetings to define local priorities and elect representative Community Development Groups (CDGs), which were  trained as effective interlocutors with government and project managers;

·         promoting dialogue and partnerships between communities and local government; and

·         implementing local development projects responding to priorities identified by participating communities.

 

IPCA achieved important results that paved the way to stronger democratic governance in the provinces in which it took place, contributing to USAID/Angola’s Strategic Objective for Constituencies Promoting Democratic Governance Strengthened. Fourteen communities in the municipalities of Caála (province of Huambo), Lubango and Cacula (province of Huila) gained direct experience in electing representative Community Development Groups and, more importantly, holding these Groups accountable for their mandate to transparently serve the community’s interests. These Groups included and actively involved previously marginalized groups such as women, youth, ethnic minorities and ex-combatants. Additionally, communities recognized that the solution to some of their problems was most effectively met by collaborating with other communities and they formed five Cluster Committees (CCs) to pursue shared goals. Both CDGs and CCs learned to engage local government as a partner in improving local conditions and, through experience, highly productive collaboration developed between local government authorities and community representatives, overcoming a tradition of passivity and distrust. There were 268 contacts, meetings and conversations between citizens and local government that resulted in 21 projects being developed and implemented by communities with IPCA funding support, including schools, health posts, water points and agricultural investments and improvements. Local cost-sharing contributed 40 percent of the total cost for community projects, including both resources raised within the community and those leveraged from partners. More than 46,000 citizens benefited from socio-economic improvements that were a direct result of democratic and highly participatory processes.

 

One of IPCA’s key achievements was to significantly increase dialogue and productive collaboration between local governments and the local communities. This increase occurred in all communities and was manifested in a variety of ways. Citizens were no longer reticent to contact local authorities, and were eager to engage with them in open and productive dialogue. Community Development Groups successfully leveraged government resources for local projects, as well as technical assistance in their design. Increased confidence allowed citizens to identify strategies and allies to work around problems and unhelpful officials. Authorities increased instances of community consultation. This increased dialogue will be crucial to sustain high levels of citizen participation beyond IPCA’s implementation.

 

Citizens in the target communities also became more effective at mobilizing their communities in an inclusive manner. This was evident in how CDGs interacted with their constituents towards the end of the Initiative, compared to the months after they were first established. There was a significant increase in dialogue, greater demand for information and clarifications and more collective efforts on the part of both CDG members and citizens.

The community mobilization approach introduced by America’s Development Foundation produced a level of engagement that is crucial to help Angola’s transition from post-conflict to equitable and participatory development.