Lessons of Participatory Governance from Angola

The Municipal Development Program and potential lessons learned for REDD+ in Brazil

Amy MerrittUNDP-IPC, Brasilia, 22nd February 2011

Agenda

• Explain rationale and background to research • Share the MDP project as good practice for

participatory decision-making• Explain ODI’s work in climate change and the

environment • Background to REDD+• Discussion on the potential for MDP in the

Brazilian context, inc. REDD+

MDP Goals and objectives

‘To increase the accountability of municipal governments to the communities they serve and to achieve broad community participation in decision-making and oversight of local public investments’

MDP Goals and objectives

• Objective 1: Municipal planning, budgeting and project implementation routinely follow a process of broad and inclusive community participation, meet minimum standards for design, implementation and accountability and feed effectively into the provincial planning and budget process

MDP Goals and objectives

• Objective 2: Targeted communities can organize themselves effectively to make decisions, feed into local issues and demonstrate basic skills in participatory planning, management, and evaluation.

MDP Goals and objectives

• Objective 3: Completed projects demonstrate social inclusion value to the community, including sufficient community support to give evidence of sustainability.

Context of MDP• Post-war context (1975-2002 – 1975-1991;

1992-4; 1998-2002) and perception by government of the need for decentralisation

• USAID responded to need in partnership with corporate partners (2005)

• CARE, SC and DW had previous experience with LUPP

• Consortium and partnership reflected principles of good governance

Baseline 2006-7

• Legislative context• Municipal and communal administrations• Community organisation• Engagement mechanisms

MDP approach

• Trainings – community and local government• Community organisation – ODAs• Forums – communal, municipal, national• Micro-projects – communities selected own

priorities and development needs• Planning process and integrated development

plan with shared responsibilities• Exchange of experiences• Leverage additional funding from donors

MDP outcomes• Improved understanding of the role of local

government within municipality• Improved capacity to respond to community concerns• Improved community organisation• Capacity to design, oversee and implement projects• Bottom-up planning processes endorsed by provincial

government• Evidence of MDP as pilot project influenced GoA’s

commitment to decentralisation• In its third phase of implementation, about to enter

forth (lessons learned from Brazil can feed into this process)

Important lessons from the MDP

• Governance matters• Community organisation matters• A shared participatory space matters• Legitimising community concerns into formal

political processes matters• Leveraging additional financing matters• Shared responsibilities and the distribution of

benefits matters

Questions on MDP?

REDD+• Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and

Degradation• A policy framework that result of international CoP and

UNFCCC negotiations, particular inputs from LA • Builds on PES initiatives to provide incentives and

compensation from avoided deforestation• REDD+ includes wider sustainable development

benefits and biodiversity• Still in negotiation at international level CoP 17,

Durban• Brazilian national REDD+ process underway: i.e. REDD+

bill; key inputs from Brazilian civil society, i.e. REDD+ principles

Overseas Development Institute

Climate Change Environment and Forest Department (CCEF)

Climate Finance (Climate Funds Update)Adaptation (DRR and ACCRA – African Climate Change Resilience Network)Low carbon development REDD+ net (2011 focus on adaptation)

REDD+ net

•ODI, CATIE, USCD and RECOFT•Build civil society capacity to participate in the national and international level REDD+ processes•Ensure REDD+ pro-poor•Regional partners work on thematic issues to influence advocacy and awareness raising in the regions•www.redd-net.org

Challenges for REDD+• National/sub-national design • Local government capacity and risk

intensifying poor governance • Participation of indigenous communities (i.e.

FIP and grant mechanism) and low community organisation

• Benefit sharing• Encourages business as usual and not

encourage change in practice

Challenges for REDD+• Adequacy of compensation• Privatizing and commodifying indigenous land• Leakage• Land title• Markets for alternative livelihoods• Keeping forest communities poor/migration

Opportunities for REDD+• Compensation and incentive structure can galvanise

communities, local government and economic actors to work towards common environmental agenda

• Formalised community participation can strengthen governance mechanisms in forest areas (score cards)

• Could allow for local revenue raising mechanisms, i.e. green tax for REDD+ on agro-forestry industry

• ICMS ecological tax can be used to leverage REDD+ funding – addressing sustainable development and greener economy

• Allow REDD+ to become integrated into governance context vs. stand-alone projects

• Create a link between private money and public action

Lessons from the MDP for REDD+Challenge Response

Communities are bypassed in project design and decision-making processes

Forums allow for community inputs where government and other stakeholders jointly participate

REDD+ may bring limited sustainable development

Through forums and a participatory process communities decide micro-projects ,implement and oversee

REDD+ does not address root causes of deforestation or provide adequate compensation to affected communities

Forums and participatory process allow key stakeholders to design a municipal plan that meets the concerns of stakeholders with shared responsibilities to implement the plan

REDD+ will cause a resource curse in local government

Linking incentives, municipal planning and community oversight will strengthen overall governance and increase capacity to apply for additional funding - i.e. ICMS or other donors

Discussion

Can the MDP model improve effectiveness of REDD+ in the emerging policy context – how?

Contact Details

For further information on any of today’s discussion please contact:

Amy MerrittProgramme Officer

Climate Change, Environment and ForestsOverseas Development Institute

a.merritt@odi.org.uk