The LGI is the Somaliland government’s principal institution for providing training to local governments.
The Somaliland government is undertaking major reforms to enhance local governance and service provision for the benefit of the population. These include the Expansion Strategy, an initiative by the Somaliland government in partnership with the United Nations Joint Programme on Local Government and Service Delivery (UN JPLG), whose aim is to extend government support to all 23 districts in Somaliland. Since 2012 the Somaliland government and the UN JPLG have been piloting service delivery in 8 districts – i.e. Berbera, Borama, Burao, Gabilay, Hargeisa, Odweyne, Sheikh and Zaylac – through devolution of some functions to enhance service delivery. Progress made and lessons learned in the process have made it possible for the government to extend the intervention to the remaining 15 districts to close the capacity gap between both sets of districts. The expectation is that improvements in local governance and service delivery will enhance the well-being of the people of Somaliland.
Local Government Institue
Background
The LGI itself was established against a backdrop of two major strategic initiatives undertaken by the Somaliland government, namely, Somaliland Vision 2030 and the Local Government Expansion Strategy.
Somaliland Vision 2030 aims to turn Somaliland into “A Stable, Democratic and Prosperous Country Where People Enjoy a High Quality of Life”. This is intended to be achieved through five pillars, namely: 1) Economic Development; 2) Infrastructure Development; 3) Good Governance: 4) Social Development; 5) Environmental Protection.
Good Governance’ is defined in Somaliland Vision 2030 both as a pillar and as guiding principle. As a pillar ‘Good Governance’ implies that “The establishment of democratic, transparent, accountable and efficient public institutions is a necessary pre-condition for the successful pursuit of the other development pillars”. As a guiding principle ‘Good Governance’ means that “The practice of government should be democratic, transparent, accountable, law abiding and efficient”. The LGI is intended to contribute to good governance in the local government system.
The Local Government Expansion Strategy, on the other hand, is being undertaken as part of local governance reforms which aim at promoting better governance, peace and socio-economic development in Somaliland. The Expansion Strategy emanates from the Somaliland Constitution (Articles 109-112) and the Local Government Law No. 23, both of which provide the legal framework for decentralization in order to enhance local service delivery. Somaliland’s decentralization process is described in the Decentralization Policy (2014).
The broad aim of the Expansion Strategy is to promote the implementation of the decentralization policy by establishing a uniform framework for promoting local governance across Somaliland. The expansion strategy borrows heavily from the experience generated in the 8 pilot districts being supported by the UN JPLG where specific policies, tools, systems and regulatory frameworks have been tested and shown to work.
This Strategic Plan has been developed against the backdrop of two significant developments relating to the LGI. First, a new Ministerial Decree was issued in September 2018 re-establishing the LGI. Second, and consequent to this, the LGI Board of Advisors was set up to provide oversight and guidance to the LGI in its operations. This, more than anything else, has demonstrated the government’s commitment to the LGI in its mission to enhance the capacity of local governments in Somaliland.
Vision
To be a Centre of excellence for developing capacity for local governance and decentralized service delivery.
Mission
To provide quality in-service training for local government personnel and leaders in order to enhance local governance and service provision.
Core Values
The LGI will be guided by the following core values when pursuing its mission:
The Institute’s services will be provided on the basis of professional considerations and recognized best practice.
All the Institute’s activities and transactions will be carried out in a transparent manner, and in strict accordance with approved regulations and guidelines.
Institute employees and staff will be individually accountable for their actions in the performance of their duties. The LGI as a whole will also be accountable to its stakeholders for its activities, outputs and results.
Deliberate efforts will be made to ensure that the Institute’s services meet or surpass user expectations.
Lessons learned during implementation of various Institute tasks will be used to enhance performance going forward. In addition, the Institute will learn from other organizations in order to improve its performance.
Efforts will be made to develop teamwork among Institute employees and staff in order to enhance operational performance, promote organizational harmony and efficiency, and achieve the Institute’s mission, vision, goals and objectives.
The Institute’s work environment will reflect understanding of the realities and the needs of women and men, and every effort will be made to address the issues of both sexes.
There will be an unwavering commitment to the achievement of results; this will be clearly stated in the Institute’s planning documents and emphasized in actual implementation.