Project Overview: The Enhancing Citizen Participation in Governance Processes project is a collaborative initiative between NGO Africa Watch and GRRA, designed to strengthen the active involvement of Gweru and Vungu district residents in governance. This project will focus on 18 wards in Gweru district and 3 wards in Vungu district, targeting duty bearers, women, youth, and People with Disabilities (PWDs). The project will run from 2023 to 2025, aiming to foster greater participation in local governance, enhance service delivery, and empower marginalized groups. The project will utilize the Engagement for Progress (E4P) model, building on the successful community engagement strategies from its first phase (2019-2022).
Key Objectives:
- Build the Capacity of Women and Youth: Strengthen their ability to advocate for improved service delivery and actively participate in governance processes.
- Support Home-Grown Initiatives at Ward Level: Facilitate local solutions to service delivery challenges, fostering community-driven development.
- Enhance Engagement Between Duty Bearers and Rights Holders: Build mutual understanding and collaboration to improve service delivery outcomes.
Activities Overview:
- Ward Consultative Meetings:
- Objective: Create platforms for residents to engage with councilors, enabling direct discussions on ward-level service delivery issues.
- Target Groups: Residents (including women, youth, and PWDs) in all 18 wards of Gweru and 3 wards of Vungu.
- Outcomes: Residents and councilors collaboratively identify solutions to local issues, strengthening trust and communication.
- Service Delivery Champions Training:
- Objective: Equip GRRA ward structures in Gweru and Vungu with the skills to advocate for better service delivery in areas such as water, sanitation, road maintenance, and refuse collection.
- Target Groups: Women, youth, seniors, and PWDs from each ward.
- Outcomes: Empowered citizens with actionable skills to demand accountability and transparency from service providers.
- Participatory Budget Meetings:
- Objective: Facilitate resident involvement in local budget processes, ensuring that community priorities are reflected in council budgets.
- Target Groups: All residents of Gweru.
- Outcomes: Increased civic understanding of budgeting and the creation of a budget-tracking toolkit for ongoing community monitoring.
- Accountability Forums:
- Objective: Promote dialogue between residents and councilors on policy decisions and the oversight of local authority services.
- Target Groups: Gweru residents, civil society organizations, and local authorities.
- Outcomes: Strengthened resident oversight of council performance, fostering a culture of accountability.
- Leaders We Want Dialogues:
- Objective: Provide a platform for residents to interact with aspiring political candidates, discussing service delivery issues and candidates’ plans.
- Target Groups: Women, youth, PWDs, aspiring councillors, and MPs.
- Outcomes: Informed voters and enhanced scrutiny of candidates on service delivery issues.
- Youth Participation Dialogues:
- Objective: Engage young people in understanding and participating in governance processes, fostering future civic leaders.
- Target Groups: Youth, junior councillors, and MPs from Gweru and Vungu.
- Outcomes: Increased youth participation in local governance, with solutions tailored to youth-specific concerns.
- Councillors and Technocratic Trainings:
- Objective: Provide councillors and municipal technocrats with the skills necessary for effective service delivery and community engagement.
- Target Groups: Elected councillors and local authority staff in Gweru.
- Outcomes: Enhanced capacity of local officials to meet the needs and expectations of their constituents.
- Residents Indabas:
- Objective: Facilitate community-led discussions on service delivery challenges, with residents, civil society, and local authorities coming together to propose solutions.
- Target Groups: All residents of Gweru and Vungu.
- Outcomes: Active participation of residents in finding solutions to service delivery challenges, and increased duty bearer accountability.
- Water Ideas Summits:
- Objective: Address water challenges in Gweru through collaborative discussions among residents, local authorities, civil society, and other stakeholders.
- Target Groups: Residents, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission Distribution Company (ZETDC), local authorities, and civil society organizations.
- Outcomes: Collaborative solutions for improved water provision in Gweru, with a focus on inclusive decision-making.
- Radio Talk Shows:
- Objective: Engage a wide audience through discussions on service delivery issues in Gweru, with expert opinions and resident feedback.
- Target Groups: Gweru residents, local authorities, and the broader public.
- Outcomes: Increased public awareness on service delivery issues and enhanced transparency in local governance.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
To ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of these initiatives, regular monitoring and evaluation will be conducted through:
- Feedback from participants in each activity (via surveys and focus group discussions).
- Assessment of the implementation of agreed-upon solutions from consultative meetings and forums.
- Tracking of budget and service delivery improvements through community-based monitoring tools.
Conclusion:
By fostering greater citizen engagement and empowering marginalized groups, this project will contribute significantly to the improvement of service delivery in Gweru and Vungu districts. The multi-stakeholder approach will ensure that all voices are heard, leading to more inclusive and responsive governance. Through sustained capacity-building and participatory processes, this project aims to create a model of governance that is transparent, accountable, and inclusive for all citizens.
