Strengthening Sub National Governance
Strengthening Sri Lankan subnational systems (SSG) so that they are more effective, inclusive, resilient and accountable
With a five-year plan commencing with the inception period from July to December 2022 this project builds on 15 years of Australian engagement in strengthening subnational governance in Sri Lanka. Creating a consortium to carry out the project will be The Asia Foundation (TAF), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and Search for Common Ground (Search).
Supporting effective, responsive governance (where you focus on quality of engagement between government, private sector and communities) in key sectors is fundamental to Australia’s development cooperation programme in Sri Lanka. It hopes to support rules, processes, institutions and policies that enable resources to be managed in a way that maximizes the benefit to all social groups. The plan is to work in conjunction with the subnational policies of the incumbent Sri Lankan government.
This initiative seeks to achieve evidence-based policies to improve SSG in order to deliver responsive, inclusive and accountable services, to improve local government dialogue with citizens, to address local priorities and to include the voices of marginalized groups. There will be focus on social security including food security which is the need of the hour, local business facilitation and election management. It hopes to avoid previous common practices of merely building up supply and demand of government services and instead hopes to bring about a further understanding of current worldviews and build coalitions of willing partners and seek sustainable reform opportunities.
Search plans to develop 3 prototypes within the first year of implementation which will be piloted and thereafter refined and disseminated among other regions of the country.
Along with these aims, the Consortium hopes to address gender-based issues that prevent full participation of women in local government. It hopes to identify solutions to deliver services equitably and inclusively to reduce gender gaps. It also hopes to address issues relating to climate change and impending risks, which is crucial for Sri Lanka which is in line to be one of the worst affected countries if climate change goes on unabated.
Going on the premise of ‘nothing about us, without us’ this programme hopes to include disability rights and political access. It will likewise rigorously encourage innovative approaches to solve subnational governance issues.
