About Local Authorities Capacity Enhancement Project (LACEP)

In December 2014, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Zimbabwe released a grant to the tune of 1.8 million Euros to support a 30 month project aimed at strengthening the institutional and operational capacity of Local Authorities and the Associations of Local Authorities in Zimbabwe.  The project is co-financed by the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG International) and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) and falls under the EU Delegation’s Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development program (NSA-LA).   The project was launched on 29 April 2015 in Bulawayo at the sidelines of the ZITF by then Minister of Local Government Public Works and National Housing, Dr. Ignatius Chombo in the presence of the EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr. Philippe Van Damme.

 
VNG International in partnership with the Municipal Development Partnership (MDP); and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) are the implementing partners to the project which will directly benefit selected rural and urban local authorities in Zimbabwe.

The specific objectives of the Project are:

1. To develop and support the realignment and reform of legislation and regulations in line with the devolution provisions.
2. To enhance the skills and knowledge of local authority staff and local authority associations, councillors, residents associations, ward and village committees
3. To engage citizens in local governance.

VNGi and MDP are implementing the project in the South Western region under the title Local Authorities Capacity Enhancement Project (LACEP) providing direct support to 13 Local Authorities from the 5 Provinces of Masvingo, Bulawayo, Midlands, Matabeleland North and Matableland South.   

View LACEP in a Nutshell Here

Participatory Policy Making in Local Authorities: Review Workshops

The thirteen LACEP participating Local Authorities and selected Civil Society Organisation's operating under their areas of jurisdiction were once again provided with a platform to interface under LACEP. Two clustered provincial capacity building workshops held in Gweru (6 - 7 April, 2017) and Bulawayo (10 - 11 April, 2017) allowed the stock-taking of experiences by the LA's and CSO's on their engagement on some key issues affecting them using the participatory approaches and tools. The capturing moment during the capacity building workshops was the assessment of cooperation between LA's and CSO's, the results showed tremendous improvements from some strained relations to cooperation and collaboration which has resulted in more space being opened up for citizen participation at local government level. Read More>>

LACEP Kenya Study Visit on Devolution and Citizen Participation

LACEP conducted a study visit to Kenya from 21 - 26 November 2016 for a delegation of eighteen comprising of representatives from the Zimbabwe national government, local authorities, local government associations, civil society and project staff.

The study visit which forms part of the project activities which aim to raise awareness on the New Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20 Act of 2013 with emphasis on the Constitutionalisation of Local Government.  The study visit to Kenya which focused on two topics Devolution and Citizen Participation was motivated by some similarities which the two nations share, as both are implementing new Constitutions which  mandate for Devolution of Powers to Local Governments and strongly promotes the active role of citizens in governance issues.

Programme | Presentations | Documents

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