Christiane Loquai ECDPM/Institute for Development Studies, University of Bochum

Decentralisation and poverty reduction in a ‚non-performing‘ state:

The case of the Republic of Guinea

Christiane Loquai ECDPM/Institute for Development Studies, University of Bochum

OECD/DAC Workshop on Decentralisation and Poverty Reduction Paris, 29-30 September 2004

Contents

• Introduction

• Decentralisation and poverty reduction

• The role of external assistance

• Perceptions on impacts of decentralisation

• What scope for action?

• Conclusions and outlook

The relevance of the Guinean case

• National decentralisation programme in the context of liberalisation and transition to democracy (1986)

• Decentralisation presented as a central pillar of national poverty reduction strategy (HDR, PRSP, Memorandum 2004)

• Decentralisation process highly dependent on external support (ODA, NGOs, emigrants)

• Shows dilemmas of support to decentralisation in a ‘non-performing’ state.

Some facts about the Republic of Guinea

Political system:

semi-presidential Republic, de-

centralised unitary state, ‘virtual

democracy’

Pop.: 9.2 mio (est. 2004)

Ethnic groups: 40% Peul, 30% Malinké, 20% Soussou, 10% smaller groups

Urbanisation: 27.9% (2001)

Nat. resources: water, bauxite, gold, diamonds, water etc.

GDP per cap.: 430 US$ (2002)2100 PPP US$ (2001)

HDI ranking: 160/177(2002)

Source: World Fact Book 2004

Political institutions and culture marked by historical experiences

• 1958 ‘le non’ and independence from France

• 26 years of dictatorship and relative isolation under Sékou Touré (Socialist Republic)

• 1984 military coup: military government under the Lansana Conté promises transition to democracy

• 1993 Conté wins first multi-party presidential election

…..

• 2001 Change of constitution referendum: Conté President for life?

• Introduction





• Conclusions and perspectives

The ‚poverty-paradox‘

• Guinea has abundant natural resources, but remains one of the poorest countries in the World

• HDI-ranking 1992-1994: lowest of the World, 2003: 157/173

• 40.3% of the population live in ‘absolute’ poverty (1995 household survey)

• Guinea belongs to the category of HIPICs

The national decentralisaton programme

• 1985 discours programme

• 1986 reform of territorial administration

• 1988-92 decentralisation/devolution:

– 303 Rural development communities

– 33 + 5 urban communes

– City of Conakry (spec. status)

• 1990 democratic constitution

• 1991, 1995, 2000 municipal elections

• 2000 efforts of fiscal decentralisation?

Urban commune(33+5)

CRD (303)

Collectivités locales(‘local governments’)

Regional decentra-lisation committee

Regional dev.committee’

MADT

Prefectoral dev. committee

Administrativecouncil

Planning mechanisms(concertation, coordination)

Governor (7)

Prefecture (33)Dec. service providers(health, educ. Rural devetc.)

Su-prefect (302)

Non

-ope

ratio

nal

tutelle

tutelle

Territorial Administration and Local Government

Source: based on UNCDF 1999

Neighbourhood level

District level

Urban communes CRDs

Municipal council

Mayor

Secretary general

Community council

CRDPresident

Community sec.

District councils

Administration

Neigh. councils:

Administration

Local government before the constitutional referendum

Quartiers: urban electorate Villages: rural electorate

Articulation of linkages

• Discours programme (1985): improvement of living conditions

• Municipalities and CRDs received broad for ‘self-administration, socio-economic development and local infrastructure

• National Human development reports

• “Guinée vision 2010”

• Formulation (and implementation) of the PRSP

• Introduction






The role of external assistance

• Important source of finance, technical advice and expertise

• A window of opportunity

• Diversity of approaches, views and channels of assistance

• Since mid-nineties: support for integrated municipal development and capacity building for decentralised service provisioning

– Country-wide efforts to strengthen local governance and decentralised service providers

– Testing and replication of institutional innovations for participatory, more inclusive and accountable local governance

• Conceptualisation and documentation of linkages

between support to decentralisation and poverty reduction

• Mapping of poverty situation at the local level

• Pro-poor performance targets/conditionalities

• Increased exchange of experience and co-ordination in the context of

– PRSP-formulation– the new ACP-EU partnership agreement – The context of crisis

• Introduction






Impacts of decentralisation and related external support

How to assess effects and impacts ?

• Perceptions on impacts vary in line with concepts, perspectives and expectations

• Interest in evaluation of impacts on poverty is very recent

• Reliability and relevance of data?

• Hesitations to criticise assistance when it arrives at the local level

Positive effects and impacts

• Institutional innovations

• Changes of institutional landscape

– ‘Liberation’ of local initiative

– Emergence of ‘civil society’ and private sector at the local level

• Experiences with participatory local governance and self-administration

• Mobilisation of local resources and decentralisation of aid

Positive effects and impacts (cont.)

• Improvement of access to basic socio-economic infrastructure and services

• Resistance against re-centralisation and demand for good (local) governance

Challenges

• Problems identified in the 1990s largely remain

• Reactionary tendencies and ‘atmosphère de fin règne’

• Worsening political, economic and social crisis

• Introduction






• Return to authoritarian role: the example of the 2003 presidential elections

• Increasing corruption, insecurity and economic decay

• Efforts to reverse decentralisation?

• Success of new generation of programmes in support of municipal development and local governance

What scope for action?

Neighbourhood level

District level

Urban communesCRDs

Municipal council

Mayor

Sec. general

Community council

CRDPresident

Community sec.

District councils

Administration

Neigh. councils:

Administration

Local government after the constitutional referendum of 2001

Quartiers: urban electorate Villages: rural electorate

Prefect

votevotenomination

Consequences of the change of constitution

• Confusion on legal framework and institutional consequences

• Resistance against nominations of local councillors in rural areas

• Erosion of trust

• Doubts on effectiveness and sustainability of support to decentralisation and local governance

• Political dialogue and suspension of aid

Menu of options

National level

• Coordinate political dialogue• Harmonize conditionalities • Grant performance based support?

Sub-national/local level

• Coordinate and exchange experiences • Decentralise project management structures• Allow for flexible and simple project design • Strengthen systems of checks and balances• Communicate on consequences of political dialogue to

local stakeholders!

• Introduction






Conclusions and outlook

• There is evidence on positive effects and impacts of support to decentralisation especially in rural areas

• Project design, institutional set-up and experience of human resources are important factors of pro-poor outcome

• Need for a more realistic risk assessment and time for testing approaches

• Continue to provide assistance for local governance/partnerships

Documents

Christiane Loquai ECDPM/Institute for Development Studies, University of Bochum