A Users' Guide to Measuring Local Governance

Box 2: Report extract – Local Democracy Assessment in Lusaka, Zambia
The sections below concern the form and methods of citizen outreach (13) and the evaluation of citizen outreach (14)
(participatory democracy).
Which of the following forms of citizen
outreach have been used in the past 12 months?
Rating Please mark with an X
Not used
at all
Used between one
and three times
Used more than
three times
Public Information
13.1 Distribution of printed materials (leaflets, newsletters etc.) to the public X
13.2 Regular media briefing X
13.3 Public presentation and exhibitions X
13.4 Scheduled programmes in local media X
13.5 Computer-based applications, such as websites and e-mail X
13.6 Others: motorized broadcast on the eradication and prevention of
diseases, such as cholera
Public Constation
13.7 Consultative meetings X
13.8 Community forums X
13.9 Public surveys X
13.10 Others: None
Public Decision Making
13.11 Working groups and focus groups X
13.12 Public workshops X
Cooperative Implementation
13.13 Public–private partnerships or public–non-governmental partnerships X
13.14 Others: Involvement of NGOs
Community outreach processes are very important to the city council’s operations. The most effective means of
community outreach is the community participatory process that is built into CBO/NGO programmes.The community
is not only involved directly in decision-making, but it also participates in the implementation and monitoring of
programmes. In short, it is a bottom-up approach.The least effective was the now abandoned method under which all
decisions were taken by civic centres without consultation with affected people. This invariably resulted in lack of
ownership of the programmes or projects and hence vandalism and indifference towards the payment of fees and
charges. CBOs/NGOs now work together with local authorities.The rate of citizen participation in community outreach
is relatively good, but CBOs/NGOs are striving hard to ensure a much higher level.The basic barrier to citizen participation
is poverty, which, in turn, contributes to illiteracy and lack of interest in community activities.The mission of Lusaka City
Council is to ‘provide high quality services and an enabling environment, with stakeholder participation, in order to
improve the quality of life for all those who live, work visit or conduct business in Lusaka’.The five-year strategic plan is
supposed to enhance the prospects of achieving this vision. It was developed through broad consultations with a
cross-section of the Lusaka community. This was done to ensure that the objectives of the city take into account the
priorities of local communities, especially with respect to service delivery.
Source: http://www.idea.int/publications/dll_africa/upload/Full_Report.pdf
72 UNDP Oslo Governance Centre