Encouraged
by the results of the first year of implementation of decentralization policy,
the Royal Government of Cambodia through the National Committee to Support
Communes/Sangkat and with the Department of Local Administration and other
ministries, institutions, and donors, has continued to strengthen and expand
activities during its second year, all aiming at achieving the objectives of the
decentralization policy. Among these achievements are the issuance of legal
instruments to guide the implementation of decentralization, the strengthening
of support systems for commune councils, and strengthened cooperation with donor
projects such as the United Nations Development program Support to
Decentralization Project [UNDP SDP], Asian Development Bank’s Commune Council
Development Project [CCDP/ADB], GTZ, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Commune
Council Support Project [CCSP].
The
civil society sector had been supportive of the overall implementation of the
decentralization programme. Through CCSP,
an NGO Liaison office was established within the Department of Local
Administration. The NGO Liaison Office serves to enhance the exchange and flow
of communication between the government and civil society of decentralization
and local governance reforms issues. It also serves to promote government-civil
society partnerships in decentralization. A promising coalition of NGOs is now
actively involved in the promotion of civil society-commune council partnerships
in the implementation of projects. The Working Group on the Decentralization Partnerships evolved from
a major national workshop spearheaded by CIDSE
to pilot partnerships among commune councils and community-based
organizations in project implementation. Aside from these, a growing number of
NGOs are now actively involved not just with funding commune projects but in
capacity building of commune council members. Concern
Worldwide is realigning its program to work closely with the
government and other stakeholders in a capacity building program for the commune
council. Buddhism for Development is conducting capacity building
initiatives on decentralization for political parties.
Star Kampuchea has conducted
research related to commune council transparency. Indeed, there is a healthy
diversity of NGO initiatives in the decentralization sector.
Almost
all communes had developed Commune Development Plans and Commune Investment
Plans in a manner which has been regarded as highly participatory. However, no
measures were set in place to make sure that the projects identified through
participatory processes are those that would have greatest impact in reducing
poverty. The project identification and prioritization processes were, in many
cases, based on some crude voting procedures both at the village and the
Planning and Budgeting Committee level. Assistance from technical support units
was weak, putting into question the technical feasibility of the chosen projects
and, ultimately, its effects and impact or reducing poverty in the communes.
Needs
from the communes should be fed up to province and national levels to inform
policy and resource allocation
Provincial
plans of national ministries are still developed without prior discussion and
coordination with the communes. Thus, provincial line agency plans are presented
during the District Integration Workshop for communes to consider. This puts
into question the importance of the participatory planning process itself. The
“take it or leave it” principle is pervasive and it would seem that
Provincial representatives of line agencies have not internalized the spirit of
decentralization.
There
is so much emphasis on local planning; other dimensions in decentralization such
as fiscal decentralization and local revenue generation are not pursued with
interest.
Local
planning, and the participatory processes it involves, is a cornerstone in
decentralization. However, sufficient local funds for the implementation of
projects also need to be ensured to sustain interest and faith in the process.
Without adequate funding, decentralization can turn into a hollow dream and
people in the communes will lose interest or even go against it if it does not
lead to concrete results.
Transparency
should be observed, both in decision-making and in financial transactions.
While
some guidelines have been issued to guide financial management in the communes,
systems and responsibilities for auditing have not been established. In some
cases where auditing had taken place, audit reports were not circulated to
concerned institutions.
Commune
chiefs continue to be exclusive decision-makers; traditional authoritarian
decision-making processes continue to prevail in spite of participatory
processes being promoted. In a lot of cases, decisions being made by the commune
chief or commune councils take place without inputs from those affected by them.
To
the Government:
·
Increased technical support should be given to commune development
planning processes to provide options that are technically feasible and
responsive to the needs identified.
·
Establish with partners systems to assess the impact of decentralization
on poverty reduction.
·
Ensure the congruence between different levels of planning [commune,
district, provincial, and national plans] by setting a system for commune plans
to fit into the framework of higher level plans.
·
Provide continuous capacity building not just on development planning,
but also on other aspects that affect governance such as transparency and public
accountability.
·
Make regulations to ensure transparency in the disbursement and use of
commune funds. Audit mechanisms for commune funds should be set in place. An
anti-corruption program comprising of education, prevention, and prosecution
should be launched at least at the local, if not all levels of the government.
·
Decentralization should not only focus on local planning but on other
aspects of governance such as the promotion and internalization of concepts like
transparency, public accountability, fiscal decentralization, and capacity
building in these areas.
To
Donors:
·
Agree on a common framework for the long term perspective of
decentralization in Cambodia.
·
Continue to support decentralization and local governance initiatives,
both by the government and NGOs.
·
Follow where their money goes and establish mechanisms with the
government to ensure financial transparency.
·
Provide policy advice to the government and ensure that these are being
considered.
To
NGOs:
·
Continue to improve participation of citizens in local governance
processes by raising their awareness of the rights and responsibilities in the
new system of local governance.
·
Continue promoting partnerships between civil society and commune
councils, not only in the implementation of projects but also in building the
capacities of commune councils, community organizations, and other stakeholders
in local governance.
·
Implement programs that seek to instill among the citizens the concept
that commune officials are accountable to the citizenry as well. Introduce
innovative approaches or programs which facilitate citizen’s monitoring of the
performance of commune councils, in providing feedback, and in promoting local
civil society and commune council dialogues to institute needed reforms at the
communes.
____________________________________________
For more information and the issues raised in this paper, please contact The Commune Council Support Project, Tel: 023 427197
Email
ccsp.pl@online.com.kh and
ccsp@online.com.kh