Application of The ARVIN Framework To Assess Civic Engagement in the Decentralization in SENEGAL Meetings of World Bank External Advisory Group On the.

Application of The ARVIN Framework To Assess Civic Engagement in the

Decentralization in SENEGAL

Meetings of World Bank External Advisory GroupOn the Enabling Environment for

Civic Engagement Initiative

June 7-8, 2004Professor Linda Beck

SENEGAL: POLITICAL OVERVIEW

Pres. LS Senghor (1960-1980)

Source: AFP and BBC

Pres. Abdou Diouf (1981-2000)

Pres. Abdoulaye Wade (2000-present)

Casamance Secessionist Movement(1981-Present)

Source: BBC

Background and Rationale of Assessment An ineffectual decentralization intended to address

poor public service delivery.

• Technical and Administrative Constraints

• Lack of Political Will and Bureaucratic Resistance

• Lack of Effective Demand from Below

Leading to decision to undertake 3 - piece ESW

The Decentralization Process in Senegal • Colonial legacy of Embryonic Local Government:

Elected Officials in Urban Communes often in adversarial if not subordinate position with local administration

• 1972 Reform introduced Rural Councils which were subjected, along with Urban Councils, to Tutelle relationships with local administrators

• 1990 Reform restored autonomy of Urban Communes

• 1996 Reform extended autonomy to Rural Councils and added another layer of Local Government without a stable source of revenue

1996 Transfer of Mandates to Local Government

• 1) Land Management

• 2) Natural Resource Management & Environment

• 3) Health, Population and Social Protection

• 4) Youth, Sports and Leisure

• 5) Culture

• 6) Education

• 7) Planning

• 8) Regional Planning

• 9) Urban Planning and Housing

Political Motives for Undertaking Decentralization

• Mounting international pressures

• Incumbent desire to maintain power by:•Generating new patronage appointments in Regional Councils

•Deflecting criticism of Central Government

• Potential solution to chronic Casamance crisis

Objectives of Study

• To analyze conditions in the institutional context of civil society that undermined capacity to demand effective decentralization, local governance and public service delivery.

• To help identify policy and legal reforms for enabling civil society to fulfill this role.

Process and Methodology•Consultations with Country Team on scope and focus of study

• Concept note and Terms of Reference

•Institutional mapping of stakeholders (also used for identifying informants)

• Literature reviews and background paper

• Elaboration of priority themes and key questions for research based on ARVIN

• Setting criteria and selecting research sites

Selection of Case Studies

In-Country Data Collection•Survey of CSOs

•Semi-structured interviews with key informants in CSOs, media, national and local government, international donors

•Town hall meetings and break-out sessions

•Analysis of information and data, final report and recommendations

•Peer review and finalization of ESW

ENABLING ELEMENTS OF CIVIL SOCIETY: ARVIN

• ASSOCIATION: De-emphasized by CT

• RESOURCES: Human, Financial and Physical Capital

• VOICE: Voting, Lobbying, Demonstrating, Talk Radio

• INFORMATION: Right and Access to No or Low Cost Information

• NEGOTIATION: Frequency and Influence of Forums

STRUCTURAL CONSTRAINTS ON

CIVIL SOCIETY • LEGAL:

Decentralization, NGOs, civil rights

• POLITICAL: Patronage politics

• ECONOMIC: Tax base, CSO resources

• SOCIO-CULTURAL: Illiteracy, religion, caste, gender

RESOURCES VOICE INFORMATION NEGOTIATION

LEGAL * Tax Systems, Fund Raising, Procurement Regulations

* Freedom of Expression;

* Media and ITC Laws

*Freedom of Information

*Required distribution of information

* Legally est. forums for dialogue

POLITICAL * Political control of the distribution of Govt resources

(ie, patronage)

* Political control of the media, including access to resources such as paper, airwaves

* self-censorship by media due to climate of political intolerance

* Passive attitudes toward Govt that discourage pursuit of information

* Dependence on intermediaries to interpret information

* Political control of forums, esp. by political parties, including preventing them from occurring or dominating them

ECONOMIC * Weak economy (high unemployment)

* Lack of contribution by members

* Remittance from diaspora

*Fees associated with expressing views in media (ads vs. op-ed)

* Costs to present, publish, distribute views (petitions, newsletters, radio stations)

* Costs/fees for access to information

* Fees associated with participating in forums (transportation, wages foregone, etc)

SOCIO-CULTURAL

 * Weak human capital given lack of education among members and leaders

* Hierarchy created by leaders education

* Lack of literacy among members

*Lack of literacy among targeted audience (general public or elected officials)

* Format of information for largely illiterate society

* Efforts to alphabetize illiterates

* Ability to understand and express one’s views in a forum dominated by a single language (French or Wolof)

* Strong history of associational life, but focus on self-help to fill gap in public service rather than challenge state

* Social values and hierarchies that set who can speak on what subject in what context and when

* Passive attitudes toward Govt that discourages pursuit of information

* Dependence on intermediaries (religious, caste, gendered) to interpret information

* Social values and hierarchies that set who can speak on what subject in what context and when

Senegal Study: Selected Findings

ASSOCIATION:

•Supportive legal framework but cumbersome registration procedures for CSOs

•Political patronage undermine civic engagement especially at local level

•Economic pressures compromise CSO mandates and breed rivalries

Senegal Study: Selected Findings

RESOURCES:

•Weak economy limits financial and physical resources

•Political distribution of resources (patronage) major factor in opposition to decentralization by political leaders

•Limited human resources particularly in rural areas due to high level of illiteracy among leaders and members

Senegal Study: Selected Findings

VOICE:

•Illiteracy gives rise to importance of talk radio which is recent and limited by costs and red-tape

•Periodic infringements on freedom of expression giving rise to culture of self-censorship

•Lack of awareness of and clarity in provisions about participation in local government

Senegal Study: Selected Findings

INFORMATION:

•Similar issues regarding Illiteracy, Talk Radio, Freedom of Expression

•Lack of awareness of their legal rights and obligations of elected officials and administration

•Legal ambiguities regarding requirements to provide information

Senegal Study: Selected Findings

NEGOTIATION:

•Illiteracy as well as Social Hierarchies influence who participates in speaks at, order and with what degree of authority and autonomy in public forums

•Patriarchy and Gendered division of labor often keep women from participating in public forums and CSOs in general

Policy Implications

Issue Policy recommendations Legal framework for civic engagement suffers from bureaucratic constraints and weak enforcement

•Streamline procedures for CSO registration

•Expand provisions of Civil Society law to mandate civil society participation

•Identify failures in enforcement by locality

Inconsistencies in application of access to information law

•Improve literacy, train officials and citizens, translate policies into local languages

• Community radio to disseminate information

Socio-cultural factors like social hierarchies and illiteracy are constraining

• Support broad based empowerment initiatives and radio for engaging communities

Policy ImplicationsIssue Policy recommendations

Religious constraints on education policy and goals

• Cultural assessments in education programs and involvement of diverse civil society organizations, including religious institutions

Economic pressure on Senegalese CSOs

• Develop understanding of trade offs that CSOs face due to economic pressure (pursuit of resources vs. civic engagement)

• Promote CSOs as sub-contractors and partners in public service delivery

• Promote Diaspora CSOs

Decentralization law allows civil society to access local govt. budgets

• Support efforts of CSOs to promote social accountability measures, in particular participatory budgeting

Policy ImplicationsIssue Policy recommendations

Existing mechanisms for dialogue between CSOs and national government are not being adequately utilized

• Creation of viable alliances of national NGOs and CBO federations around specific agendas

• Encourage use by NGOs of existing legally sanctioned commission for dialogue with senior government officials

Internal civil society dynamics

• Take more detailed account of internal dynamics in civil society and their influence on ARVIN factors in future assessments of civil society

CHALLENGES, STRENGTHS

AND WEAKNESSES

CONSEQUENCES OF RESOURCE LIMITATIONS:

DIVERSITY OF CASES  

PROBLEM OF SECTORAL FOCUS

SURVEY   

APRIORI FOCUS ON ELEMENTS OF ARVIN