Background and Objectives
This program builds on the Sustainable Colombo Core Area (SCCA) Project and the Urban Governance Support Project (UGSP) to support the Government's Ten Year Urban Development Framework (UDF). The SCCA and UGSP projects introduced the environmental planning and management approach to 18 cities focusing on environmental issues and poverty reduction, and thereafter diversified to include participatory urban governance, gender inclusiveness and localization of Millennium Development Goals. The objective of this project is to institutionalize the good practices and processes to improve performance at provincial and local level in delivering services in a transparent and accountable manner.
Activities
The main activities include:
* Conduct a thorough review and audit of participatory governance training modules, toolkits, good practices etc. and prepare a national compendium of Good Governance Practices and Training Approaches, including a manual on participatory planning and governance for Sri Lankan cities;
* Use these experiences to institutionalise the lessons learned in national policies through the preparation of appropriate Cabinet recommendations, legislative reform and supporting implementation guidelines;
* Conduct Local Elected Leadership Program, conduct TOTs and prepare revised customized modules that will further strengthen the national replication of the lessons learned;
* Strengthen the City-Provincial and National linkages, especially at the Provincial-level, and build the capacity of Provincial Governments to better support urbanisation in the country;
* Establish principles for the formulation of provincial strategic frameworks capable of articulating local level priorities and the successful localization of the MDGs, and integrating these into the Provincial-Local (city) development planning and budgeting process;
* Support three local authorities on localization of MDGs through EPM approach and city profiling, city consultation, establishing working groups, developing strategies and action plans;
* Build the capacity of selected Provincial Training Centres to institutionalise the lessons learnt in their training programmes, and support their outreach to additional cities.
Results
* Project Implementation Unit in place, including the city teams in Dambulla and Batticaloa;
* Compendium of Good Practices in participatory governance and urban management completed;
* Draft Cabinet papers prepared and under discussion to introduce new participatory planning principles and practices in all urban local governments in the country;
* Local Elected Leadership Training of Trainers programme completed, with follow-up roll-out of customised and translated training materials under implementation;
* Review of all participatory planning and management toolkits and approaches (by a variety of international agencies) underway, with a view of preparing a synthesised approach for national application, including integration into curricular at Moratowa University's Urban Planning and Development course;
* City Profiling and City Consultations completed in the three cities, with priority MDG implementation strategies prioritised and under implementation.
* Consolidated Training Manuals prepared on Participatory Planning, Good Governance and Local Leadership
* National Workshop on Governance and Dissemination of Project activities and information
* Guidance Manual on Provisional Strategic Framework – to link Provincial Councils & Local Authorities with Participatory Governance prepared.
* Monitoring Tools developed to measure the effective delivery to Local Authorities.
* Initiated a replication program in Batticaloa with UN-Habitat support.
Development Partners / Partners
Development Partners: UNDP
Partners: Ministry of Urban Development & Sacred Area Development, Ministry of Provincial Councils & Local Government, Dambulla Growth Centre (05 Local Authorities), Cities of Batticaloa and Kotte
- Catalytic Support to Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka
- Preparation of the Resettlement Plan (RP) for Households Affected by the Rehabilitation of the Kelani Valley (KV) Railway Line in Sri Lanka (Phase I)
- Emergency Shelter Relief for Flood and Landslide Affected Households in Kalutara and Galle Districts of Sri Lanka
- The State of Sri Lankan Cities Report
- Human Development Initiative through Empowerment and Settlement Improvement in the Plantation Settlements in Sri Lanka
- Indian Housing Project in Central and Uva Provinces
- Emergency Shelter Relief for Flood Affected Families in Colombo and Gampaha Districts in Western Province, Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Sustainable Resettlement through Community-Driven Improvement of the Learning Environment in Mannar District, Sri Lanka
- Support My School: Supporting Schools in Northern Sri Lanka with Access to Water and Sanitation Facilities (Completed)
- Project for Rehabilitation of Community Infrastructure, Improvement of Livelihoods and Empowerment of Women in the Northern and Eastern Provinces (RCI) (Completed)
- Rainwater Harvesting in a Water Scarce Small Village in Northern Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Climate Resilient Action Plans for Coastal Urban Areas (Completed)
- Disaster Resilient City Development Strategies for Sri Lankan Cities (Completed)
- Disaster Resilient City Development Strategies for Four Cities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka (Phase II) (Completed)
- Rehabilitation of Community Infrastructure and Facilities in the Conflict Affected Areas in Northern Province of Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Improving Living Conditions in Returnee Areas of Sri Lanka through Housing (Completed)
- Indian Housing Project (Completed)
- Support to Conflict Affected People through Housing (Completed)
- Shelter Support to Conflict-affected IDPs in the North of Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Jaffna Tsunami Recovery and Reconstruction Project (Completed)
- Community Recovery and Reconstruction Partnership to Support the People's Process of Rebuilding (Completed)
- Reconstruction of Fish Market in Galle (Completed)
- Rebuilding Community Infrastructure and Shelter in Tsunami-Affected Areas (Completed)
- Lunawa Lake Environment Improvement and Community Development Project (Completed)
- Pro-Poor Partnerships for Participatory Settlement Upgrading (Completed)
- Early Recovery Shelter for IDPs in Batticaloa (Completed)
- Support to the Urbanization Framework
- Post Disaster Housing Coordination Project (Completed)
- Sustainable Cities Programme (Completed)
- Urban Governance Support Project (UGSP) (Completed)
- Rebuilding Communities in North East Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Urban Poverty Reduction Strategy - Colombo (Completed)
