The Local Governance Strengthening Project (LGSP)—During the recently held LGSP 8th Senior Beneficiary Working Group, the LGSP Pilot State Governors, Speakers, national and external partners together with the Minister of State validated the effectiveness and the need for maintaining the Governance Strengthening Program for the benefit of our State Governments and communities, in especially during the political transition at the local level of governments. The Senior Beneficiary Working Group (SBWG) is designed to support the implementation of the LGSP through a working dialogue headed by the Minister of State and comprised of the LGSP Pilot State Governors and Speakers along with national and external expert partners to consider LGSP activity design, effective implementation and strategies and to undertake contextualization of LGSP intervention to meet local needs.
The Governance Strengthening Program are governance capacity building programs design for our State Governments, communities and youth to ensure enhanced capacities at the State’s Executive & Legislative Offices to better plan, manage and report on public resources to deliver basic services to our communities. The Program is segregated into three (3) independent Governance Clinic aimed at three (3) different audience (the state leadership, the community and for the youth) to enhance capacities and understanding on our governing systems and how to effectively participate in its decision making.
The Governance Clinic for State Leaders is a two (2) part Clinic designed for the State Government’s Executive and Legislative Offices; Governance Clinic for Activity Planning Budgeting & Implementation is designed for the Office of the Governor while the Legislative Strengthening Clinic with the House of Delegates is for the Office of the Legislature. The Governance Clinic for the State Leaders is a two (2) part Clinic designed and geared toward specialized expertise and skill sets necessary to address the very core business of both the State’s Executive and Legislative mandate. The Governance Clinic for State Leaders aims to enhance capacities on both systems of governments (nation & state) budgeting, planning, implementing and monitoring processes to allow State Leaders well informed and timebound decision making to manage public resources and to deliver basic services to throughout our respective communities.
The Governance Clinic for Community is a civic duty capacity building program designed and aimed to increase and enhance community and general population awareness of both the national & state constitutions by providing technical and practical information on joining and implementing these two constitutions. The Community Clinic aims to encourage community members to take part in local decision making and to explore barriers to civic engagement and its community-based solutions.
The Governance Clinic for Youth is a civic duty capacity building program that is designed and has similar aim to the Governance Clinic for Community but developed especially for our youth population.
The Local Governance Strengthening Project—A joint partnership between the Ministry of State and the United Nations Developmental Programs having one (1) of its major Output aimed for local residences, including youth and women, have increased understand of the national and state governments’ roles & responsibilities and to participate more actively in local decision making and oversight.
The 8th SBWG validating the effectiveness and the need for the Governance Strengthening Program to continue have tasked the Ministry of State to carry on delivery of the Governance Strengthening Program to State facing state elections in future times to ensure leaders and constituents are well informed, aware of their system of governance and are actively participating in public decision making and oversight. The Local Governance Strengthening Project is at its terminal closeout year; therefore, the Ministry of State along with the Governance Strengthening Program’s national and external partners will be soliciting partnership and support to explore possible solutions to carry forward the Governance Strengthening Programs to benefit the remaining eleven (11) State Governments outside of the current LGSP. (press release)