Commonwealth Cooperation
The Centre is closely involved with the work of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) and the Commonwealth Secretariat, both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. It is currently engaged in four major projects:
- the launch of a Commonwealth e-Journal on Local Government
- the Commonwealth Local Government Pacific Project
- the Honiara City Council Capacity Building Project
- Research into Pacific Local Government Legislation
Commonwealth Local Government Forum
The UTS Centre for Local Government is a longstanding member of the London-based Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF). Centre Director, Graham Sansom was recently re-elected to the CLGF Board and appointed to the Policy and Resources Committee.
CLGF was founded in 1995, as a focus for action on local democracy in the Commonwealth and was endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government that year. CLGF ensures that local government's voice is heard within the Commonwealth. It works closely with other Commonwealth and international organisations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations, notably UN-Habitat.
The Forum works to promote democratic local government and to encourage the exchange of best practice - through conferences and events, the Commonwealth Local Government Good Practice Scheme, research and information, and working with Commonwealth countries to support the development of democratic values and good governance.
CLGF has more than 170 members in 40 Commonwealth countries. Members include local government associations, individual local authorities, ministries with responsibility for local government, training and research institutes, and professional bodies.
Click here to go to the CLGF website.
See also details on the 2007 Commonwealth Local Government Conference and the affilliated Colloquium and Seminar on Local Government Research.
Commonwealth Local Government Pacific Project
The Centre is providing monitoring and evaluation advice and other inputs to this project, which is managed by CLGF and involves nine Pacific Islands countries: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Cook Islands. The project is funded by NZAID and AusAID, and both NZ and Australian local government organizations are playing a supportive role. The University of the South Pacific and several major international organizations are also involved, including UN-Habitat, UNESCAP, UNDP, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Commonwealth Secretariat and Pacific NGOs.
The project is funded for 5 years and is approaching its mid point. During 2008 Centre Director Graham Sansom will be part of a mid-term review team which will assess progress and consider the need for any adjustments to project goals, content and management.
A very successful series of annual project meetings was held in Suva, Fiji in mid November. This included meetings of the Technical Advisory Panel, Mayors of capital cities, and heads of local government departments across the region. In addition, workshops were held on local government legislation and the interaction between local government and traditional governance.
For further information contact Graham Sansom or go to the CLGF's Pacific page
Honiara City Council Capacity Building Project
CLGF is also managing a major 5-year project to re-build the capacity of Honiara City Council following the period of ethnic unrest leading up to the 2003 RAMSI intervention. Again, the Centre is providing monitoring and evaluation and other advice.
Centre Director Graham Sansom visited Honiara in early September to carry out a preliminary review of progress. The project has been operating in a particularly complex and difficult environment following the tensions generated by the 2006 national elections. However, there are now encouraging signs of progress. The Centre will continue to undertake periodic monitoring and evaluation during 2008, plus a full mid-term review in 2009. It is also providing specific inputs on key issues such as urban planning.
For further information contact Graham Sansom
