The ultimate goal of the Local Government Reform is increased capacity and efficiency of delivering services to people, to foster local economic development and to alleviate poverty. This goal is in line with Tanzania’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. Community participation, including both women and men, is central for the success of the reform.
Local Government Reform Programme
Norway has supported the Local Government Reform since 1997. The Local Government Reform Programme (LGRP) was established as the implementing body of the reform. Norway entered into an agreement to support the Local Government Reform Programme in 1999, and has been part of the common basket fund, which is currently financing the reform programme. In July 2008, a new plan, which provides direction and priorities in the implementation of the reform, will be presented. In the new plan a central issue is that decentralisation must be embedded in all the ministries.
A major achievement of the reform in the present phase (2005-2008) has been the Local Government Capital Development Grant system. The system is formula based and has performance criteria. The system has improved financial management in the districts and provided local governments with funds that are more flexible and more in line with the vision of greater autonomy for local authorities.
Task force on governance
Norway has been part of a task force on governance in the present phase of the programme. Through this Task force Norway has especially supported work on gender mainstreaming in the reform and in the Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG). The Task Force on governance has also underlined the cooperation between civil society organisation and Local Government Authorities (LGAs) and facilitated Public Expenditure Tracking of civil society organisations in districts.