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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