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KEK CDC Consultants Biel/Bienne

Study defining the competencies of municipalities, Burundi, 2009

Kunde: DEZA - Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit

Background

The government of Burundi has been engaged for several years in a process of decentralisation that is based on the Arusha accord for peace and reconciliation and on the constitution of March 2005. After a status report on decentralisation in 2007, provincial consultations on related issues were organised in 2008, culminating in a document on national decentralisation policy in Burundi, along with a call for the implementation of a three-yearly action plan. This document clearly indicates the need to define the competencies of municipalities, distinct from those of the state. This is meant to permit the municipalities to exercise their responsibilities as managers of local development.

Activity

SDC mandated A. Boin to lead the study team and present the reports at a debriefing at SDC headquarters. In collaboration with the Ministry of Decentralisation and communal development, the team of consultants observed the current situation in Burundi, looking for possible ways to decentralise tasks and competencies to municipalities. To do this, they worked in collaboration with all of the ministries involved in decentralisation, as well as with different actors in decentralisation. Afterwards, they proposed a draft law defining the competencies to be assigned to municipalities.

Results

The report on the study contains the following results:

• an analysis of the current situation, included with the aim of explaining and justifying propositions contained in the draft law defining the competencies of the municipalities;

• a draft law defining the competencies of the municipalities; and

• an exposé of motives in a document explaining the reasons and the contents of the draft law, meant for different ministers and members of parliament (deputies and senators).

Responsible