The Challenge of Local Democratic Governance

The Ethiopian Government has undergone massive change over the last few decades, transforming from a centralized Dictatorship to a decentralized “Democracy” (keep in mind, it’s a work in progress). Grassroots empowerment has become Ethiopia’s revolution and the terms “citizens voice” and “local governance” have become its slogan.

My work with the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) has thus far taken me into the slums, low corridors and high towers of Institutional Governance in Addis Ababa. I have rummaged through hundreds of reports, City proclamations and governance manuals. I have meandered through the display cases and best practice tents of Ethiopia’s Great Cities Competition. I have even interviewed Officials and Woreda Council Managers on local urban governance. Throughout it all, one reality resonates – Woredas have increased in scale and capacity, they have more discretionary funds and interaction with the people than ever before.. yet there exists a glass ceiling of unclear vision, uncoordinated dissolution of responsibility and, most of all, a need for manpower. The Municipality is prescribing more powers to the local Woreda Authorities and they are faced with a severe shortage of capacity to exercise this power.

Good local governance is not just about creating the right legal and political frameworks, it’s also about long-term transformations and investment in people. It’s about the overarching themes (Effectiveness, Accountability, Participation and Equity) and the everyday tasks of listening to people, surveying their needs, and developing long term plans that meet the challenges of today and the values of tomorrow. If there is a shortage of skilled and knowledgeable manpower, however, the system can only fumble forward.

While the physical and infrastructural landscape here never stops changing, it is an opportune time to teach people and their systems to evolve with this change. Local leaders with the vision, foresight and guts to plan 100 years down the road and start building a culture of innovators and visionaries is what is needed. At the rate Addis is developing and re-developing, investing in human capital seems like one of the better long-term solutions with the potential to ripple down the generations.

Part of CUI’s mandate in Ethiopia is to do just that – build capacity. Typically, there are three main areas of capacity building: (1) Strengthening Governance and its ability to perform functions (i.e. provision of basic services), (2) Building Sub-sector capacity to plan and implement programming, and (3) Investing in civil society to help people identify their own needs and carry out development.

While these are general areas of development, there are real pitfalls and gaps in capacity building that need to be addressed before diving in. Some of these I have learnt here in Addis and wish to impart:

(1) Avoid Generic Training. To be effective, it must be clear in purpose, targets and development from the outset. It’s not just about imparting knowledge, but also instilling independent ways of thinking, working and problem solving.. a.k.a. the West is not always best.
(2) Start small - build small teams of experts that can mentor their greater office and have peer to peer training
(3) Organizational change takes time; therefore, capacity building must give it time and incorporate long term initiatives
(4) Make sure to avoid training that meets funders criteria and not that of the people being trained.
(5) Experts are way more beneficial if they incorporate the local context and the needs of beneficiaries
(6) Capacity building is NOT just training – it’s action planning, small discussion groups, deliverables in the work place and real life, and performance management. It’s making sure people learn by seeing, doing, hearing, discussing and creating.
(7) Think outside the box – institutional support comes in many shapes and sizes, such as through resources, centers, mentorship programs, partnerships, networking, transferring knowledge and the list goes on.
(8) Take it step by step – deal with the immediate demands of the people then build upon this foundation… For example, if people want greater access to employment opportunities, work on it..
(9) Look for opportunities to bring the local government together with community members. Bridge the gap.

I hope this information is helpful to anyone investing in capacity building. It’s opened my eyes to societal change.

Till next time…

Krystie Babalos

Yeut?

Approaching the UN headquarters, I come across yet another reminder that while things seem different here, they are in a lot of ways the same. Urban agriculture still exists. At home it takes the form of community gardens, while here; herds of sheep and goats, each displaying the color of their herder, take over the road. Addressing also takes on its own unique form. When I first arrived, I found it difficult to distinguish where I was and especially to give directions on how to get somewhere. Very quickly though and without realizing it, I’ve taken on the local tactics. In a city where most streets lack names and addresses are nonexistent, landmarks are the way to go, “Across from this, down the street from...., just past....” are now my replies. In the office, I am linking the addresses of Kebele houses to surveys given to residents last year. The only problem? Most people don’t use addresses. As a result, what is standardized in the computer, doesn’t actually exist on the ground. It is easy to understand why. Even myself, raised living at exactly 2936 West 31^st avenue in a city laid out in a grid, no longer know exactly where I live. When clearing UN security for the first time, I was asked to list my current address. My answer: “ummm.... I’m not sure….Wallo Sefer??” (My neighborhood), “.....Down the street from Biomedical college???”. This was the closest I got to conveying my place of residence for over a month. Without realizing, I have been converted. My house by the way does indeed have an address. It’s even listed on the front gate, but do I know it? No. Will I learn it while I live there? Probably not. The guard didn’t seem too fussed about it in the end. It probably would have been stranger if I had actually had given an exact location.

-Krista

St. Abo Sunday

Early morning the church hymns echo. The voice of an Amharic singer floats through the city beckoning Orthodox Christians to join in prayer for St. Abo’s celebration. Listening to the howling dogs, melodic sermons and the grinding of construction has become my morning’s routine. However, this morning is unique because Helina, our friend and house-owner, has invited us to join her in breaking fast and celebrating St. Abo. We walk only a few miles away to find an alley that opens up onto a hidden church adorned with images of Mary, Jesus and other saintly beings. All around is an open terrace and we walk amidst a sea of women and children covered in traditional white headscarves – a symbol of purity and humane same-ness. Men stand at the outskirts in their Sunday Best; some enter the church by making a cross with their fingers.

We prayed for hours outside the walls until finally Helina led us inside the belly of the church – which was a flood of white figures clapping and chanting lalala in unison to the beat of large African drums and a singing Priest. We swayed with the crowd and joined in drinking blessed water for the sake of Jesus. From seeing the thousands of people that attend everyday, I realize now how pivotal the Church is in uniting people from across Addis in ritual ceremony. In light of growing urbanization - where overcrowding, displacement and the struggle for limited resources reigns – Church and the hope it brings is a sanctuary for all.

While Ethiopia is the second most populated nation within Africa with 77.1 million inhabitants, over 16% live in urban areas (Central Statistics of Ethiopia, 2006). This surge of urbanization outpaces even a developed countries ability to plan and strategize accordingly. Addis Ababa, in particular is one of the most alluring urban centers and has already started to experience some of the consequences. For example, mass overcrowding in the Kebeles is rampant and inadequate housing and waste disposal systems run-off through side streets and makeshift drains. Overburdened health centers help hundreds of thousands of people with only a few doctors and nurses on deck. A burgeoning generation of youth face shortages in job opportunities. This is a constantly evolving city and I can even feel it moving outward, expanding through the forest and into the agricultural lands.

As part of my work with the Canadian Urban Institute in Addis, I am to observe this phenomenon in the Kebeles and be part of the planning solution. Ethiopia has released another 5-year poverty reduction plan - the Growth & Transformation Plan (GTP) – and continues with two lofty but exciting goals: (1) an Eco-City/KIP urban upgrading program, and (2) Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) that will redesign the city government’s processes and institutional performance. My role has just begun. I am now looking at ways to assess and strengthen this institutional capacity and I have my first meeting on Monday. I will keep you posted. Wish me luck..

Krystie Babalos

Teanastëllën

A week has passed since I first arrived in Addis Ababa and already I have seen an ancient kingdom standing at the edge of modernity. Bole, in particular, is a street where all things come together and the evolution of this culture can be seen. Barefoot peasants beg for money while young men and women rush by in suits. Merchants care for their kiosks, while luminescent lights tower over the westernized markets. Donkey-drawn gharries and bleating goats put along next to taxis and young men calling out destinations to lure pedestrians onto their private minibuses. Eucalyptus trees, firs and acacia stand tall on the outskirts of the city, but stumpy palm trees are manicured into place, planted equidistant along the uneven cement sidewalks and dirt drains. Corrugated tin and Cl sheeting blankets the city of one-storey mud, thatch and clay homes interrupted only by concrete office spaces, cafés and restaurants. Main thoroughfares like Bole are drawn into dusty side roads. Unpaved and full of pocket holes, these roads are lined with wrought-iron gates and concrete walls dividing the haves from the have-nots.

This is a city of landmarks, where the streets have no name and the best map is the one found is your minds eye... It can be a struggle at times when you are trying to retrace your steps, searching for the faint memories of yesterday’s sights.

Near the intersection of Bole and Ethio-China (landmarks in and of themselves), there is a hidden gem of quiet ambience and delectable food. From the main street, the sign reads “Rodeo” and the image of a western cowboy taking the reigns of his horse reveals a man’s kind of place. However, the restaurant itself is a bit off the path and secluded from the city bustle and cacophony of cars. Rodeo is a modern saloon, with Eucalyptus tables and benches shaded under a canopy of trees. Cowboy paraphernalia hangs from the exposed wood walls, and a faux stream of water trickles in behind. The menu is the best part, with its eclectic mix of Western and Ethiopian food, for locals and “forenges” (Amharic for foreigner) alike. The Salads are refreshing and safe, doused in vinaigrette, and a source of unexpected greenery in a city where you are warned to avoid anything uncooked from the land. Next, the doro and tuna wot is delectable – I recommend everyone try this! Red chicken or tuna curry is cooked in Ethiopian peppers. The meat is then poured onto a crepe-like injera and soaked with layers of curried injera. This is one of my favorite dishes because it is easy to scoop up with your fingers. My mouth is watering just thinking about this dish.

Until next time..

Krystie Babalos