Local Development Practices and Instruments in West Africa

A Synthesis of Case Studies from UNCDF Programmes in Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal.

September 2006

Foreword from the UNCDF Executive Secretary

Full report as a pdf file

Full case studies are available in French.

Decentralization initiatives in the Least Developed Countries and the commitment of the international community to the Millennium Development Goals underscore the importance attached to the establishment of mechanisms to support the emergence of sustainable and lasting local development. But what is the situation on the ground?

Some 10 years ago, UNCDF embarked, together with various partners, on a programme of close cooperation with a number of countries, particularly in West Africa, with the aim of supporting the implementation of their decentralization policies. With the benefit of the experiences which it has had in collaboration with the Governments of six countries in West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal) as well as with the local populations of local governments, it can today cast a critical eye on its interventions in order to draw useful operational lessons.

This summary has been prepared from case studies carried out in the six countries mentioned to try and understand the environment in which these decentralization programmes are taking place. The analysis then looked at the approaches, methodologies, and instruments used to support local development. Lastly, the various studies have sought to better understand the role of the MDGs in local development and to look at the dynamics associated with the various types of partnerships: at the central, local, financial and operational levels.

This summary is therefore the result of these national case studies. It presents a global but specific portrait of these West African countries both in terms of their environment and in terms of the lessons learned from their practices in the field of local development and decentralization. Lastly, this summary is intended to promote greater understanding of the practices used by UNCDF in West Africa and to share them with a wider range of development practitioners and others interested in local development.