DTCE's Community Empowerment Model
DTCE is a non governmental organization working for the strengthening of Local Government system at district, tehsil, and union levels. Its programme includes Citizen Community Boards (CCBs) Mobilization, building association of Local Government and networks of CCBs, establishment of Local Citizen Information Network (LCIN), technical support and capacity building of local Monitoring Committees, promotion of Police-community relations as well as partnership with the Press Clubs and Bar Associations for consolidation of community empowerment process.
The following paragraphs present a detailed overview of DTCE's Community Empowerment Model:
CCB Mobilization at the grass roots level starts with agreements with Unions in a District. MoUs are also signed at District and Tehsil levels. Local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) undertake capacity building at the Union level. Services of the local CSOs are contracted to implement and monitor union level interventions. The active involvement of 1/3rd women representatives in the CCB mobilization activities is to be assured through allocation of funds for women councilors. The targets set for registration of CCBs also include registration of at least one woman / mixed CCB per Union. DTCE finances at least 1 CCB project of women / mix CCB out of the 3 for every Union. The main sectors in which the CCB projects are being demanded by the communities include Health, Education, Water Supply, and Sanitation.
2. CCB Networks and Local Government Associations
A. CCB Networks: The network being proposed
by DTCE will have a village or neighborhood
base, through a proper election process in
each village or neighborhood to form a
CCB Finance and Coordination
Committee comprising of 5-8 people
with the Chairman securing the
highest number of votes. This will
also link CCBs to their
communities, ensuring that they
remain connected with the
community interests they are meant
to serve and do not become a clique
over time. The elections will be in
collaboration with civil society local
organizations and the CCBs. All the
chairmen of the CCB Finance and
Coordination Committees will be members of
a Tehsil Network to represent their interests at
the Tehsil and District levels.
B. Local Government Association (LGA): The
model of community empowerment will be
strengthened through the process of formation of LGAs
that will play a vital role in stabilizing the local political structure and
local governance. These associations can facilitate advocacy, capacity
building of elected officials, and mutual support. The three levels of
LGAs will include Provincial Association of Union Councils,
Provincial Association of Tehsil/Town/Taluka Governments and
Provincial Association of District Governments.
3. Local Council Monitoring Committees
The new Local Government System provides monitoring through the elected representatives. This is the first time in the history of Pakistan that local elected representatives have been assigned the responsibility of monitoring rights and service delivery under the law. The Monitoring Committees ensure that feedback from the people reaches the policy makers and the planners. In particular bottlenecks in service delivery will be duly reported and addressed. There are three tiers of monitoring committees that will be strengthened i.e. Union Monitoring Committees (UMCs), Tehsil Monitoring Committees (TMCs) and Zila Monitoring Committees (ZMCs). Special attention will be paid to Public Accounts Committees (PACs) at the three levels given their importance for transparency and accountability.
4. Local Citizen Information Network
This initiative promotes transparency and accountability through information, analysis and debate. It seeks to make government more responsive and accountable to the community. This will be achieved through local television programs and discussions on development issues, CCBs, and accountability with participation of elected and government officials through Local Citizens Information Network (LCIN). To initiate the network, four programs of televised public interest panel discussions will be organized in every District on different subjects related to social service delivery, governance, and CCBs. The program called “Government and You” will be aired on the local cable networks as well as use other local media including direct screening. Specific issue oriented programming will draw attention to the needs and problems relevant to the community, e.g. deficiencies of schools, dysfunctional BHUs, water shortages, etc. as well as possible solutions.
There are significant knowledge gaps amongst lawyers and journalists regarding LGO 2001 especially CCB relevant sections; CCB Rules 2003; Public Interest Litigation (PIL) past activities, existing activities, and future direction; investigative journalism and issues and solutions regarding the community empowerment in the broader framework of the Local Government Ordinance. DTCE in collaboration with Universities/Law Colleges will contract courses on PIL and Investigative Journalism as well as on Orientation of LGO 2001 and CCBs Rules 2003 and community empowerment. It will also facilitate the establishment by the Legal Aid Committees and Community Empowerment desks at Bar Association and Press Club offices respectively, to facilitate CCBs in participation and community empowerment initiatives in general.
Local institutions such as Union Public Safety Committees (UPSCs), Citizen Community Boards (CCBs), District Public Safety and Police Complaints Commission (DPS-PCC), Citizen Police Liaison Committees (CPLC) and District Public Safety Fund (DPSF) are all key institutions that can facilitate the process of improving public safety. The activities of this initiative will include training of police officials, establishment of Police Community Relations Centers, holding of Khuli Kacheries (town hall meetings on public safety issues) at the Union level, activating Union Public Safety Committees and linkages with District Public Safety Commission and Citizen Police Liaison Committee, as well as facilitating Union Council/police station performance contracts based on objectives determined by communities.
CCB Networks are conceptualized as uniting all CCBs in a district into a single forum. The objective is to give greater voice and negotiating power to CCB concerns in relation to local government, government officials, donors, and politicians. Such a forum is to have a large representative membership base. Empirical research was conducted on the existing CCB Networks and their growth processes. Based on situational analysis, the needs of CCBs and the constraints being faced, a model of CCB Networking was designed. In order to strengthen the CCB movement DTCE prepared a plan to facilitate CCB networking and to advance the demand side of citizen’s entitlements under the Ordinance. In the implementation framework DTCE facilitates elections, registration and execution of envisioned roles. These Networks are functional at the TMA and District level and are registered under the prevailing laws. The district networks can eventually form provincial and national level networks of CCBs. The main objective of the networks is to troubleshoot any CCB problems and ensure their working as per the LGO 2001and CCB Rules Thereof.
8. Village and Neighbourhood CouncilsThe LGO2001/05 envisages a tier below the Union Councils, called Village Council in the rural areas and Neighborhood Councils in the urban areas. The creation of village and neighborhood councils is an opportunity for direct interface between the people at the grass-root level and the local governments for exchanging views and promoting innovative community drives catering to local needs. In each council one seat is reserved for women. The Village Council is responsible for assessing finances required for projects and mobilizing contributions of the people, promoting civic education and community learning, organizing recreational and youth activities, promoting gender and women’s issues and, facilitating the creation and functioning of Citizen Community Boards.
Village Council elections have been held for the first time in the history of local governments as a result of DTCE interventions. These councils have the potential to fuel the demand side of citizens rights prescribed in the LGO2001. Activated district allow DTCE to promote successes and also to evaluate and analyze in terms of lessons learned for replication in other districts.
For a description of the previous CCB Mobilization Model, click here