UNDP strengthens local authorities to address post tsunami reconstruction needs

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka handed over 63 tractors and trailers to authorities of the tsunami affected districts in the southern and north-eastern provinces as part of a resource and skills enhancement project to help better handle post disaster reconstruction activities and needs.

These are being provided as part of a UNDP effort to strengthen local networks in the post tsunami recovery activities under the 'Capacity Development of Recovery Programme' (CADREP) with funding from the Norwegian and German Governments.

The project aims to promote good governance including efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, accountability and transparency. These will drive the project in each focus area and in so doing, will enhance the resources, competencies and skills of Government and civil society stakeholders in disaster recovery management and sustainable service improvement.

This hopes to strengthen co-ordination and management between and within different actors and increase participation in planning and decision-making as well as improves knowledge and information flows for better service entitlements and delivery.

"There remains a need to support the Government in sustaining the recovery process and to address the governance capacity challenges for planning, implementing and monitoring the delivery of reconstruction activities, at the central, district and divisional levels," Miguel Bermeo, UNDP Resident Representative in Colombo said.

Bermeo said through this effort, the project aims at strong local partnerships which will encourage greater and more efficient exchange of information, experiences and best practices.

Specialised training from experts in participatory planning, project cycle management, engineering management and financial management as well as management development and process consulting support will be given to programme co-ordinators and selected civil and government employees.

Under the larger CADREP umbrella, UNDP has launched an initiative for Governance for Local Development supported by UNDP Rome, Federation of Municipalities of Italy and Spain which have more than 300 members.

This initiative will provide technical assistance for the provincial government by assisting in preparing a "provincial economic development strategy".

This will lift local economies where provincial working groups draw up economic strategies for their respective provinces and the sectoral action plans will be implemented with UNDP assistance through the local authorities.

"The main objective of the project will be to develop the capacity of Government and civil society in the planning, disaster and information coordination, management and delivery of recovery and reconstruction services on a sustainable basis," said Rajendrakumar Ganesarajah, Advisor, Governance and Capacity Development, UNDP.

This project will provide assistance to 10 district secretariats, 48 divisional secretariats, 10 district audit office, two provincial administration and agencies such as provincial education, health and engineering, 10 Assistant commissioners for local government, 59 local authorities in addition to Vocational Training Authority, Public Service Training Institute, Sri Lanka Institute of Local Governance and Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration.

This assistance also includes providing of office space to some Government Agent offices and providing numerous human resources for functions such as planning, land management, coordination, livelihoods and recovery, civil construction and so on.

Janaka Bandara Tennakkoon, Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, UNDP Country Director, Abu Selim, Cashian Herath, Secretary of the Provincial Councils, D. Dissanayake, Secretary of the Local Government Ministry and the chief secretaries of the Southern, North-Eastern and Western provinces participated.