The study is aimed at understanding how the initiatives achieved success in the extremely difficult conditions commonly found in ‘fragile states' (or, according to the World Bank terminology , ‘low income countries under stress’). The cases show that development initiatives which engage local communities and local level governments are often able to have significant impact.

Led by James Manor, from the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University in the United Kingdom, the researchers found that “development programmes need to be based not just on established principles from elsewhere, but also on an assessment at the outset of distinctive conditions at and just above the local level within fragile states. Among these conditions” – they added – “power dynamics and governance issues proved to be especially important.” According to the authors, the resulting programmes should be implemented in a flexible manner, adopting an approach which incorporates “lessons learned from trials, errors and successes - and which avoids being too managerial.”

The Decentralized District Planning and Finance Programme programme started in 1996 in Nampula Province. Major areas of its contribution include capacity building and the establishment of key government institutions at a time when very few development partners were operating in Mozambique. A critical contribution has been the promotion of local governance through participatory district planning, a flagship capacity building programme undertaken in Mozambique.

Based on the referred Programme, local governments and communities have had the authority to plan, decide and execute expenditures for maintenance of local institutions under their authority. It is commonly recognised that this process has been successful. It helped to develop methodologies for Local planning, and identify mechanisms to decentralise responsibility for Local development to the regions.

With UNDP/UNCDF assistance, the model was subsequently replicated in the northern region of Cabo Delgado, as well as in four other regions – Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambézia - with World Bank support. Currently, it is adopted as national policy by the Government and a national government led programme is being formulated covering all 10 provinces and 128 districts.

The study includes contributions from the following researchers: Jim Manor, Martin Greeley, Andrew Rosser, from the Institute of Development Studies, Caroline Hughes, from University of Birmingham, Sarah Lister, from the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, and Fidelix Pius Kulipossa, from Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique.

For more information, please contact:

Nelson Xavier, UNDP Communication Officer

Mobile phone: + 258 82 3140600

Office + 258 21 481438

E-mail: nelson.xavier@undp.org