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MALAWI LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY AND
PERFORMANCE
QUARTERLY REPORT FISCAL YEAR 2017
QUARTER 3
Prepared by DAI.
2
MALAWI LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND
PERFORMANCE (LGAP)
Quarterly Report
Fiscal Year 2017 – Quarter 3
(April-JUNE)
Program Title: Malawi Local Government Accountability and
Performance (LGAP)
Contract Number: AID-OAA-I-14-00061/AID-612-TO-16-00004
Sponsoring USAID Office: USAID/Malawi
Contractor: DAI
Date of Publication: July 30, 2017
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
MALAWI LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND PERFORMANCE (LGAP) ................. 2
Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Overall ObJective ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
Program Strategy ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
Key Project Achievements ..................................................................................................................................... 8
GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT ........................................................................................................................ 16
Part II – Progress on Key Result Areas ............................................................................................................. 17
MONITORING AND EVALUATION .............................................................................................................. 43
LGAP PERFORMANCE FROM OCTOBER 2016 TO JUNE 2017 ............................................................ 46
CHALLENGES ......................................................................................................................................................... 51
Project Management and Administration ......................................................................................................... 52
FYQ4 Activities ....................................................................................................................................................... 56
Part III – Progress And Findings By Sector ....................................................................................................... 57
Annex I: Success Story – Public Financial Management ................................................................................. 61
Best Practice: Pompo-Pompo Knowledge Transference and Reinforcement ............................................. 62
Annex II – LAPA Strategic Issues and Proposed Actions ............................................................................. 65
Annex III: Intervention Design & Impact Evaluation Planning ...................................................................... 68
Annex IV: Key Results Of The Citizen Perception Survey ........................................................................... 81
Annex V: Devolution Plan Matrix for the Ministry of Local government and Rural Development ... 91
Annex v: Summary table of Recommendations From Capacity Assessment Of MLGRD and Local
Councils. ................................................................................................................................................................... 97
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ACRONYMS ADC Area Development Council
AEC Area Executive Committee
CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy
CDF Community Development Fund
COP Chief of Party
COR USAID Contracting Officer’s Representative
CPS Citizen Perception Survey
CBO Community Based Organization
CLA Collaborative Learning and Adaptive
CSO Civil Society Organization
DADO District Agricultural Development Officer
DC District Commissioner
DCOP Deputy Chief of Party
DDB District Data Bank
DDP District Development Plans
DDPF District Development Planning Framework
DDPS District Development Planning System
DEC District Executive Committee
DEM District Education Manager
DHO District Health Officer
DHRMD Department of Human Resources Management
DNCC District Nutrition Coordinating Committee
DMECC District Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinating Committee
DOF Director of Finance
DPD Director of Planning and Development
EPAs Extension Planning Areas
EP&D Ministry of Economic Planning and Development
EWs Establishment Warrants
FISP Fertilizer Input Subsidy Programme
FY Fiscal Year
GIS Geographical Information system
GOM Government of Malawi
GUC Grants under Contract
HACs Health Advisory Committee
HR Human Resources
HRM Human Resources Management
HRMIS Human Resources Management Information Systems
HAS Health Assistant Surveillance
ICT Information and Communications Technology
IFMIS Information Finance Management Integrated System
LAPA Local Authority Performance Assessment
LASCOM Local Authority Service Commission
LDF Local Development Fund
LGA Local Government Accountability
LGSC Local Government Service Committee
MALGA Malawi Local Government Association
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
ME&L Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
MGDS111 Malawi Growth Development Strategy 111
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MISA Media Institute of Southern Africa
MLGRD Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
MP Member of Parliament
MSCE Malawi School of Certificate of Education
NGO Non-Government Organization
NICE National Initiative for Civic Education
NORC University of North Carolina
NLGFC National Local Government Finance Committee
OPC Office of President and Cabinet
ORT Other Recurring Transactions
PAC Public Affairs Committee
PEA Political economy analysis
PFM Public Financial Management
PMEP Performance Management and Evaluation Plan
PIRS Performance Indicator reference Sheet
PTA Parent Teacher Association
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SEPS Social Economic Profile
SMS Short Message Service
STTA Short-Term Technical Assistance
TAMIS Technical Administrative Management Information System
TD-PFMA Technical Director for Public Financial Management and Accountability
TORS Terms of Reference
USAID United States Agency for International Development
VDC Village Development Council
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report presents progress made on the Local Government Accountability and Performance Program
(LGAP) as planned in the Annual Work Plan 2016 – 2017, for the third quarter of the first year (April to
June 2017), of implementation. It highlights activities conducted towards the outcomes and outputs, as
well as towards achieving the targets. The report tabulates challenges and lessons learned that inform
program priorities and makes recommendations for the program to achieve its objectives.
Summary of key achievements for Executive Summary:
• SEP and District Development Planning support to LGAP districts;
• Local Authorities Performance Assessment;
• Devolution Plan and Management Guidelines for the MLGRD;
• Political Economy Analysis;
• Impact Evaluation;
• Citizen Perception Survey;
• Roles and functions mentoring for finance and audit service committees of council;
• Institutional Capacity assessment;
• Human Resource devolution stakeholders interface meet.
• HRMIS Training; and
• IFMIS Training
Key Statistics for Quarter 3:
59 - Number of Councillors trained on financial management oversight:
12,000 - Number of Citizens consulted through the Citizen Perception Survey.
28-Number of Districts with increased capacity in the use of HRMIS.
67% of CPS Survey Respondents who reported knowing their Ward Councillor.
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THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
(LGAP)
OVERALL OBJECTIVE The overall objective of LGAP is to “support local government to effectively, efficiently and democratically fulfil
its mandate of providing public services and representing citizen interests”.
The program has three Key Result Areas, which are further explained and guided by targeted sub-result
areas, as follows:
Result 1: Local government performance and transparency increased – supply side.
1.1 District development planning, budgeting, and implementation processes improved;
1.2 Accountability, PFM, and oversight of public expenditures improved;
1.3 Capacity of councillors to serve as effective representatives improved;
1.4 Own-source revenue and local economic development increased; and
1.5 USAID activities are better integrated in district planning and budgeting.
Result 2: Demand for accountable government strengthened at the local level – demand side.
2.1 Citizen Participation in local government planning and policy development increased;
2.2 Social accountability and transparency of public expenditure management and service delivery
improved; and
2.3 USAID support is better integrated in social accountability activities.
LGAP is a five-year (2016 -2021) United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded
activity designed to support the government of Malawi (GOM) and facilitate the implementation of
decentralization and increased local governance. LGAP deliberately targets: agencies and institutions
responsible for improving local governance to provide institutional support; non-state actors to ensure
citizen voice, participation and visibility; and the policy environment to create the space for interaction
where there may be gaps. The program is implemented in tandem with major GOM reforms in order
to strengthen them, including public sector reforms, decentralization of the development budget,
administrative decentralization – moving specific functions from the central to local government
(whose high point is the devolution of human resources), revisions to the local government act and
the chiefs act, and the elevated significance of district-led development.
LGAP is implemented in the eight districts. These are the six districts which have been selected by the
GOM as the pilots for the public sector reforms (M’mbelwa, Kasungu, Zomba, Mulanje, Lilongwe Rural,
and Blantyre) plus Balaka and Machinga, which are priority districts for USAID in Malawi, in line with
the Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS).
Uniquely USAID/Malawi has, in line with its new focus on district-led development, slated LGAP as the
vehicle to improved sectoral approaches and service delivery through integration with democracy and
governance concepts of accountability, representation, and policy reform. As a result, LGAP possesses
a significant integration component – building synergies with USAID sector supporting implementing
partners.
The program was awarded to DAI in August 2016, in the amount of US$23 million over the 5-year
period.
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Result 3: Decentralization policy environment and systems improved – policy interface.
3.1 Select policies and legal reforms related to decentralization supported;
3.2 Public financial management systems improved;
3.3 Human resources and key management systems improved; and
3.4 USAID sectoral support for policy reforms coordinated, reinforcing decentralization.
PROGRAM STRATEGY To achieve the objectives, LGAP supports the District Councils to improve their systems (functionality
and service delivery coordination and management), while supporting civil society and communities to
hold the District Councils accountable to delivery as anticipated through participatory planning and
budgeting processes. To remove potential bottlenecks to the ability of District Councils to meet
expectation of the communities, LGAP invests in supporting the Ministry of Local Government and Rural
Development and other central government institutions such as the National Local Government Finance
Committee (NLGFC), Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development (MoFEP&D), Directorate
of Human Resource Management and Development (DHRMD) in the Office of the President and Cabinet,
Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) and Malawi Local Government Association (MALGA), to
improve the policy and regulatory framework for local governance and effective decentralization.
While staying focused on the above, LGAP seeks to integrate and rationalize the USAID’s 3Cs –
collaboration, coordination and co-location, approach at the district level.
KEY PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS To fully reflect the program activities, this report is divided into 3 parts. Part I – progress on foundational
activities; Part II – progress under each objective per the program results framework, and activities; and
Part III – progress and findings by sector. The report details the accomplishments under each objective,
the challenges encountered (if any), methods used to resolve those challenges, the lessons learned, and
the measures taken to improve project implementation. For activities that were not completed or
implemented, the report provides reasons for delays in implementation, and outlines follow-up actions
for the outstanding activity, detailed with specific time line, responsible person, and approach(es) for
implementing the activity.
PART I – PROGRESS ON FOUNDATIONAL ACTIVITIES
In the third quarter of year 1, LGAP completed the final key benchmarking assessments (the Political
Economy Analysis and the Institutional Capacity Assessment), that had to be completed to provide analysis
on possibilities and opportunities for LGAP to achieve objectives. In addition, and in keeping with the
workplan, LGAP promise to provide the GoM with new information to improve the formulation and
application of policies, the two assessments provide answers and analysis of critical factors to full
implementation of devolution, specifically, and decentralization, more generally.
Institutional Capacity Assessment of MLGRD and targeted councils:
The capacity assessment of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) which
was conducted in the 8 district councils that are supported by the Local Government Accountability and
Performance (LGAP) Project was concluded. The assessment was carried out from March to May 2017 in
light of the Establishment Warrants (EWs) issued for councils by central government through the
Department of Human Resource Management and Development (DHRMD) in the context of the National
Decentralisation Policy of 1998. The EWs were handed over to the councils in December 2016 by the
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Kondwani Nankhumwa, M.P.
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The issuance of the EWs and their hand-over to councils was a very important development in the
decentralisation process as it marked the formal devolution of the various cadres of civil servants from
central government ministries and departments to councils. These government employees subsequently
became fully under the responsibility of District Commissioners as their Controlling Officers. Significantly,
this devolution of the human resource demonstrated government’s commitment to the decentralisation
process as it brought the staff closer to the people that they serve, and to whom they should ultimately
be accountable, than was hitherto the case. The devolution of the human resource was buttressed by the
devolution of devolved civil servants’ payroll, starting with staff in the education, health and agriculture
sectors at the council level. Consequently, salaries of staff in these sectors have been processed by councils
from January 2017, onwards.
The overall objective of the assessment was to analyse the capacity challenges that councils have faced in
operationalising the devolution of the human resource and the payroll system from central government.
The findings of the assessment will assist the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development,
district councils, and other stakeholders to effectively and efficiently address the emerging capacity
challenges while improving councils’ service delivery and development administration. The assessment has
identified and highlighted councils’ capacity gaps and made recommendations for redress in order to
facilitate the completion of the devolution exercise. It further provides basis for technical support to the
councils and central government in managing devolution as a change process. On skills, the assessment
targeted cadres strategic for facilitating improved service delivery in the councils – both on the supply and
demand side of the chain.
The devolution of the human resource and the payment of salaries of devolved civil servants by councils
would be expected to generate the following benefits to both the central government and councils:
i) a reduction and elimination of payments of salaries and allowances to staff that cannot be traced or
identified immediately, commonly known as “ghosts” thereby realising savings on the government’s wage
bill;
ii) a drastic reduction in salaries and allowances arrears for devolved staff thereby contributing to a fall in
government’s indebtedness;
iii) efficient or timely handling of staff changes and related salaries, allowances, gratuities, pensions, and
other related benefits which previously delayed the payment of salaries to staff and contributed to the de-
motivation of staff and affected their service delivery;
iv) improvements in staff recruitment, disciplining, performance, rewards, and discharge; and
v) identification of ways and means of rationalising, harmonising, and integrating central government and
local authorities staff so as to eliminate discrepancies in staff remuneration and other terms and condition
of service and improving human resource planning and development and job performance.
The findings of the assessment have been summarized in Table 1 below. They have emerged from the
analysis of the data collected during institutional audits carried out with DCs, Human Resource
Management Staff, Accounting Staff, DADOs, DEMs, and DHOs and their staff. In essence, the approach
to the collecting of data and information involved comparing the provisions in the EWs with the actual
staffing positions. Table 1 shows the analysis of the data using such variables as aggregated capacities by
post and function/unit across councils’ secretariats, vacancy rates and capacity in each council as a
percentage of established posts and the corresponding overall vacancy rates by council.
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Source: Derived from primary data collected during council-level consultations, April and May 2017
Comparing the capacities by post, across council secretariats, overall, DEM and DHO were the best filled
positions hence the negative vacancy rates registered. The lowest vacancy rate was for DEM for Balaka
where there was no establishment for DEM but one was in post followed by Mzimba South (in M’mbelwa
District Council) where an additional DEM was posted by higher authorities due to poor coordination.
The tendency by such authorities to post staff from one council to another without regard to the
controlling officers’ priorities results in such inefficient allocation of scarce human resources. The DEMs
were followed by DHOs, DCs, DADOs and Chief Economists. The most unfilled posts are Directors of
Education, Health, Agriculture, Administration, Planning and Development, and Chief HRMOs. There is
need, therefore, for DCs. LGSC, DHRMD, and Treasury to prioritize the filling of these council posts so
as to strengthen the technical and managerial capacities of the councils.
VACANCY
Post/Dept Estab. Filled Estab. Filled Estab. Filled Estab. Filled Estab. Filled Estab. Filled Estab. Filled Estab. Filled Estab. Filled Rate (% )
DC 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 8 0
Dir. Education 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 8 0 100
Dir. Health & Social 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 8 0 100
Dir. Agriculture 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 8 0 100
Dir. Admin 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 100
Dir. Planning 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 7 0 100
Dir. Finance 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 6 1 83
DEM 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 8 10 -25
DHO 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 8 9 -13
DADO 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 9 9 0
Chief Administrator 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 2 33
Chief Economist 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 6 14
Chief Accountant 1 1 2 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 16 8 50
Chief HRMO 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 7 0 100
ADC 2 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 23 0 100
Internal Audit 4 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 3 0 3 1 5 1 35 7 80
Recurrent Account 13 2 13 4 12 3 13 6 11 24 12 1 12 8 13 3 99 51 48
Development Account 6 2 8 0 8 3 9 3 7 0 6 3 8 3 6 2 58 16 72
Reconcilliation 8 0 5 0 7 0 5 0 7 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 47 0 100
Cash Office 4 2 5 1 6 2 9 1 3 6 5 2 5 2 5 2 42 18 57
Salaries Office 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 100
HRM 22 9 21 9 21 9 21 0 21 10 29 1 28 11 21 3 184 52 72
HR Planning &Devt 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 0 24 0 100
Planning & Policy 12 2 13 1 14 1 16 0 15 0 15 1 14 0 13 1 112 6 95
Chiefs Affairs 16 2 16 4 58 16 40 30 26 10 28 4 14 8 12 0 210 74 65
ICT 6 1 6 1 7 1 9 7 0 9 1 9 2 7 1 53 14 74
Totals by Council 104 26 117 28 158 42 149 55 114 56 135 23 118 41 107 20 1002 291 71
Capacity (%)
Vacancy Rate (%)
TOTALSBalaka Blantyre Kasungu Lilongwe Machinga
49
M'mbelwa Mulanje Zomba
17 35 19
Table 1- Human Resource Capacities in the Sampled Councils, April and May 2017
Councils' Staffing Situation
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75 76 73 63 51 83 65 81 71
25 24 27 37
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Table 2- Variations between the number of established posts and those paid through councils,
January to April 2017
Name of
Council
Total
Establishment
Total
GP5A
Jan 2017
Total
GP5A
Feb 2017
Total
GP5A
Mar 2017
Total
GP5A
April 17
Average
GP5A
Capture
% GP5A of
Establishment
Balaka 3,250 2,907 2,903 2,899 2,899 2,902 89.3
Blantyre 3,921 5,626 5,609 5,594 5,586 5,604 143.0
Kasungu 5,423 4,873 4,869 4,855 4948 4,891 90.2
Lilongwe 8,799 12,882 12,887 12,932 13,115 12,954 147.2
Machinga 3,404 3,463 3,458 3,480 3,477 3,470 102.0
Mzimba 7,102 7,126 7,173 7,177 7,135 7,153 100.7
Mulanje 4,015 4,367 4,370 4,370 4,370 4,369 108.8
Zomba 4,486 5,089 5,096 5,105 5,110 5,100 113.7
TOTALS 40,400 46,333 46,365 46,412 46,640 46,443 114.9
Source: Derived from EWs and GP5A Forms for January to April 2017
The above table shows that there were some differences between the number of established posts and
the number of employees captured by the GP5A forms for each of the councils. The staff captured by the
GP5A forms between January and March 2017 included mostly those in education, health, and agriculture
sectors. However, from April 2017, some employees in the remaining cadres in council secretariats and
the other sectors were being introduced on the payroll and the GP5A forms. This increased the number
of employees whose salaries are processed at the council level but the general pattern might not change
substantially as the largest contingents are in the education, health and agriculture sectors that were
introduced on the devolved payrolls first.
In general, the table shows that the GP5A forms captured more employees received their salaries through
the devolved payroll than the numbers of established posts, except in Balaka and Kasungu. The highest
differences occurred in Lilongwe (by 47.2 percentage points), followed by Blantyre (by 43.0 percentage
points), and Zomba (by 13.7 percentage points). District Commissioners, DEMs, DHOs, and DADOs in
those districts explained this pattern in terms of staff of sector ministries requesting to be posted to these
urban councils to follow their spouses who worked or resided in these cities. In addition, the difference
was also attributed to an increase in the numbers of staff in education and health sectors on account of
expanded service provision due to rapid population growth that increased the demand for education and
health facilities. The increased demand led to the establishment of new schools and health centres between
the year when the councils’ functional reviews were undertaken (2004) and the time of the capacity
assessment (April and May 2017). This underlines the need to regularly conduct functional reviews for
councils so as to track changes in demand for and supply of basic services and adjust provisions for service
delivery in the councils accordingly.
In the light of the findings, the assessment concludes that the human resource and payroll devolution
processes have generally been implemented satisfactorily despite the challenges faced over the 4-months
period covered by the assessment. This was evidenced by the fact that, by the end of the field inquiries
for the assessment, staff in all the 8 councils were able to process their payrolls with little support from
the centre. Furthermore, before the field inquiries, councils’ familiarity with the Establishment Warrants
was very low but this changed significantly during the assessment. There are still many challenges that
need to be addressed by various stakeholders especially at central government and council levels.
To address the challenges effectively and efficiently, specific recommendations have been prepared with
indications of who should take action and corresponding time-frames which are presented in Table 3 in
Annex IV. There is an urgent need for the persons or institutions identified to originate actions or
implement the recommendations that would facilitate the timely resolution of challenges being faced by
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councils with Human Resource and Payroll Devolution as quickly as possible. This will enhance the benefits
that are expected to accrue from this very important devolution process.
Political economy analysis (PEA).
At the end of the second quarter, LGAP project commissioned a Political Economy Analysis (PEA) Study
to offer the project a clearer understanding of the current Political Economy dynamics around the Ministry
of Local Government and Rural Development’s priorities in the implementation of the decentralisation
agenda of the GoM, as illustrated in the Performance Service Contract between the Ministry of Local
Government and Rural Development and the Office of the President. The study is meant to ensure that
LGAP’s support and contributions are strategic and meaningful to deliver the greatest impact as these
reforms move forward. The PEA examines stakeholder commitment to reform through the lens of the
following reform priorities: Review/amendments to the Local Government Act; review of the role of Chiefs and
the Chiefs Act of 1967; devolution of human resources; and devolution of the development budget.
The PEA also looked at specific political dynamics driving decentralization in the wake of 2014 tripartite
(presidential, parliamentary and local) elections, and in the context of Malawi’s political settlement. The
analysis seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the interests aligned for and against each policy
or reform area, a clearer overview of historical legacies and current realities shaping them, and the ability
to identify practical activities within the scope of the LGAP project that will drive positive, albeit likely
incremental, change. The researchers, Carmen Lane and Dr. Asiyati Chiweza, also point to issues that
may be outside the scope or control of LGAP, but may be interesting to stakeholders including the
Ministry, USAID and other donors working to strengthen local government.
The study was conducted through a problem-based framework, with document and literature review and
key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders at national and district levels, including in six rural
districts of Balaka, Kasungu, Lilongwe, M’mbelwa, Mzuzu and Zomba.
Key Issues and Recommendations from PEA Study
The following are the major issues that arose from the study and the specific recommendations according
to the Policy Reform area.
a) Cross Cutting and Political Settlement Issues
Issue 1: There is an open question as to whether the continued pressure of federalism creates a window
to drive decentralization reform, or, conversely, if the pressure is off, will the government pull back on
such issues as fiscal devolution? There is a parallel argument with the push for electoral reforms – which
could arguably reduce dynamics that favor politicians that rely on a regional (typically southern) base, and
distribute patronage accordingly.
Recommendation: LGAP should continue to observe this dynamic over time, leading into a pre-election
period. If electoral reforms are passed and implemented before the 2019 elections –doubtful, as the
current government would be a potential “loser” as is resisting tabling of legislation – a brief analysis
should be conducted on how this might alter behavior with regards to decentralization policy.
Issue 2: Malawi’s political settlement involves a narrow group of elites. The history of lack of inclusion
and civic engagement in Malawian society is still evident, including at the local level. While citizens are
certainly concerned with local service delivery, and increasingly the (sometimes negative) role of the chiefs,
the majority of the Malawian public is generally not well informed about many local government processes
and how the system works to be able to exert pressure for reform. Pressure from formal CSOs related
to issues of local governance, or reforms related to local government, decentralization is adhoc and limited
in scope and geographical focus. It remains significantly dependent on donors, who have funded related
advocacy activities that end when funding stops.
13
Recommendation. Consider supporting a broad coalition of actors for each reform area, through a
coordinated “campaign” approach. Examples are included below. This should include but go beyond a
few “usual suspect” large NGOs and organizations such as the Malawi Association of Local Governments
(MALGA), the latter which has its own political limitations and requires broader political cover.
b) Local Government Act and Related Laws
Issue 1: Former members of the Task Force of stakeholders who have been championing the efforts to
amend the Local Government Act 1998, as amended in 2010, are asking themselves whether to advocate
for a compromised bill. Some reforms are eagerly awaited and positive, such as extending the mandate
of council chairs beyond one year. However, reportedly, two contentious good governance
recommendations have been but are like to be removed from the proposed document before it is tabled:
that is (i) removal of MPs voting power in Councils (particularly expressed as important to councillors),
and (ii) delinking the appointment of district commissioners/chief executive officers of councils from the
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, which has resulted in frequent and disruptive
transfers. In Cabinet these were reportedly labelled “the opposition agenda” and killed. However, in the
first instance there is no incentive for MPs (of government or opposition parties) to let go of power at
the local level; there is no incentive of the Cabinet to allow the centre to let go of appointing power, and
the resulting problem (frequent DC transfers) are highly politicized beyond the control of the Ministry.
Recommendation: Given the political economy realities of Malawi at this time, LGAP and other
stakeholders should consider a “go with the grain” approach, and advocate for tabling of the law as is, so
that the current window is not missed. MPs voting or not does not address the real issue of the power
of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) managed by MPs at local levels, so voting by MPs is an
issue, but not the fundamental one driving local patronage politics.
Recommendation: Regarding the matter of DC appointment, LGAP may take an interim step by reducing
the over-reliance on the District Commissioner as the person who holds all the knowledge of local
administration, and focus on creating an integrated unit in the districts. A related fact is that, the District
Commissioners have received no formal training on their roles in a number of years, and the role itself is
not institutionalized across districts. The Ministry or LGAP should consider further capacity building for
DCs across districts.
Issue 2: Suggested electoral reforms discussed above also include provisions to ensure councillor position
should be holders of Malawi School Certificate of Education and be able to speak and read English enough
to take part in proceedings in council meetings (there are similar recommendations for MPs). Observed
in districts was that some councillors cannot be “capacitated” without basic learning skills; this
requirement may be helpful.
Recommendation: Examine whether specific reforms can be decoupled from a large reform package that
is politically untenable at this time. Observed in districts was that some councillors cannot be “capacitated”
without basic learning skills; the educational requirement may be helpful. Failing any policy changes, or in
the interim until the next elections, support the MLGRD to set educational or experience standards for
key positions such as Council Chairs, Chairs of Finance and Development Committees and/or all service
committees. Work with MALGA to promote having this practice fully articulated in the Standing Orders.
Issue 3: Multiple bodies are involved in decentralization policy coordination, but currently the locus is
supposed to be the Sector Working Group on Decentralization. The Sector Working Group appropriately
involves representatives of the Office of the President, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural
Development, ministries involved in devolution, and donors. However, devolution continues to be chaotic,
with multiple ministries having different understanding and approaches. The Sector Working Group
14
members nor its Steering Committee meet quarterly as intended; attendance of meetings that do occur
are delegated to more junior officers, all sectors are not represented, and policy issues discussed don’t
get pushed up to decision-making levels. There is no internal incentive for the government of Malawi to
change this pattern, given the uneven interest in decentralization.
Recommendation: LGAP itself cannot change this dynamic. USAID, possibly in cooperation with other
donors, may be able to leverage their influence with the highest levels of the government to restructure
the coordination mechanism, with a more deliberate role for the OPC and meetings to be called directly
by the Secretary to Cabinet.
c) Chiefs Act/ Reform
Chiefs remain important actors in local government service delivery, at minimum as interlocutors with
communities, and they sit as non-voting members of Councils, although the dynamics are slightly different
in each district as laid out in the report. In general, there are growing concerns by civil society – and
including some chiefs -- of the “politicization” of chiefs and their use in carrying out a political agenda of
the “government of the day.”
Recommendation: As a first step, disseminate the Law Commission report broadly – it is nominally a
public document, but no one – Paramount and senior chiefs, CCJP-Lilongwe, PAC, councillors, and select
local CSOs -- have their hands on these documents. Hold small focus groups with chiefs per district
specifically on the legal recommendations to gage their more specific views on the recommendations
rather than the abstractions of “reform”, and determine those who can take a visible leadership role in
reform.
Recommendation: Consider developing and funding a multi-stakeholder “campaign-like” approach to
passage of the amended Chiefs Act (entitled The Traditional Leaders Act in the Law Commission draft),
with the express understanding that the campaign may be aiming for passage early into the administration
of a new government in 2019. A recommended set of stakeholders (broader than previous efforts)
includes tapping the religious community, youth groups, several independent MPs (such as the former
head of the Committee on Legal Affairs) and the private sector, who have interest in land reform that
touches on chiefs’ roles.
d) Fiscal Devolution
Issue 1: Starting in 2015/16, government has indeed reduced DDB in favour of funding CDF. MPs use
two key arguments to legitimize their position: (i) that the councillors are failing to utilize funds to
complete projects, and (ii) council officers are not accountable for the resources (i.e. corrupt). This in
turn provides fertile ground for the Ministry of Finance to not increase the flows for DDB, but also for
MPs to argue against it in Parliament in order to access increased CDF flows. Correspondingly, there are
no incentives for a district adhering to, or penalties for a district not adhering to, DDB guidelines. There
is also no provision for citizen participation in implementation, monitoring and oversight of DDB, further
weakening accountability.
Recommendation: Take some air out of the political argument to reduce the District Development Fund
in favour of funding CDF, by enhancing rules of the DDB to improve effective allocation and accountability
by refining the guidelines to include: Appropriate sanctions and incentives of adhering to the DDB
guidelines; Linkage of the delivery of the DDB to the performance assessment of the Councils. This should
be synchronised with the recommendations of the Local Authority Performance Assessment exercise;
and Citizen involvement in implementation and oversight of the DDB projects, for example supporting
set up a local implementation committee of DDF at the ward level.
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Issue 2: The formal oversight system does not work effectively because of the power imbalance between
powerful management actors and weak council service committee members and lack of commitment and
cooperation among the voting members - MPs and councillors -- to promote and enforce the
accountability of the Council. Financial reports are indeed produced at least on a quarterly basis and are
given to the councillors. However most of the councillors are not able to fully understand reports, which
are distributed on the spot at meetings. The effect is more pronounced in councils where the chairpersons
of Finance and Audit Committee have low knowledge levels on financial matters.
Recommendation: Support intensive capacity of the Council structures, particularly the full Council,
development and finance committee to be able to exercise the relevant oversight through mentoring and
the on the job training. It is important to pay attention to sustainability issues by exploring administrative
ways of strengthening the guidelines regarding tenure of office members so that institutional memory is
enhanced. Strengthening accountability and oversight of council resources needs to go beyond a focus on
councillors only but building cooperative oversight capacity that includes other council members such as
capable chiefs and supportive members of parliament and representatives of other interests.
Issue 3: Although there are generally positive perceptions about DDB among district stakeholders, there
is limited documentation and showcasing of evidence over district development results (what is working
and what is not working in CDF, DDB and LDF) in order to counteract the dominant political arguments
of MPs, induce dialogue and reflection among donors and government, incentivize Councils that are doing
well, create an informed public and civil society that is able to demand effective reforms in this area.
Recommendation: LGAP in collaboration with other donors such as Irish Aid and World Bank that are
supporting development finance in councils should promote a coalition of actors, including local CSOs,
working together with media that will conduct semi-annual tracking and showcasing of locally generated
revenues, district development financing and their outputs, i.e. (public dissemination of DDB outputs vis-
à-vis the CDF, LDF and locally generated revenues). This is an important element of creating pressure
from outside the local government system; inducing dialogue and reflection among donors and
government; and creating an informed public and civil society that is able to demand effective reforms in
this area
Issue 4: Internal audit systems do not function effectively, external audits are irregular and the
inspectorate capacity in the MLGRD is very weak. This contributes both to the reality of abuse of local
funds, and to the perception issues raised above that argue against fiscal devolution.
Recommendation: Promote regular targeted audits and inspection, and enhance the oversight capacity of
council members through mentoring and on the job coaching towards addressing financial irregularities
and audit queries while paying attention to sustainability issues.
Issue 5: Councillors are resisting the use of District Development Plans (though this varies amongst the
districts) because councillors want equal shares for their wards, and they argue that the practices on the
ground are sufficiently participatory; this is likely to worsen in the run up to the elections. It is not enough
to invest in the development of Socioeconomic Profiles and District Development Plans.
Recommendation: More attention needs to be given to the process of developing the District
Development Plans as well as the output. It is important to ensure that the process is participatory, the
annual investment plans are updated, they are well publicized, and that there is actor buy in and ownership
of Council members.
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e) Administrative/HR Devolution
There is no shared vision and understanding amongst stakeholders – even within the central government
–of administrative devolution, particularly in health and agriculture, nor as previously discussed, a clear
driver or functioning coordinating mechanism. The role of OPC as the main driver of present Public Sector
Reforms is not clear in terms facilitating review of progress and dealing with the observed blockages at
the sector level.
Issue 1: This lack of shared vision is creating a tremendous amount of confusion, anxiety and passivity at
lower bureaucratic levels, but cuts across multiple areas. There are pockets of champions, but they are
not able to get out of the maze. Some actors are clear on next steps, and some are not. Related, there
remains resistance to devolve by sector ministries to devolution, particularly ministries of health and
agriculture.
Recommendation: Support the MLGRD in developing a clear road map, particularly with regard to
administrative/human resource devolution, stipulating the role of the various central government actors,
sector ministries as well district actors which can be widely disseminated in writing and through round
table discussions.
Recommendation: The national Department of Human Resource and Development (DHRMD) needs to
engage OPC reforms unit or the Chief Secretary (whichever is appropriate) as the driver of these reforms
to ensure that it plays its rightful role in reducing bureaucratic resistance and enhancing the reporting and
accountability of reform implementation agencies such as the MLGRD.
Issue 2: There does not appear to be any local champion to drive the reforms on the ground, and facilitate
dialogue and resolving issues with sector departments and develop action plans. Even HR officers in the
Districts, beyond payroll management, are not clear of their specific roles in the devolution process and
how they can enhance effective HR management in the councils.
Recommendation: In the districts where LGAP is working there is need to empower and capacitate
District Commissioners and HR officers to be the local champions of administrative decentralisation who
can effectively lead and steer human resource devolution including rationalisation and integration of staff
in the Councils. In the interim, DHRMD in collaboration with LASCOM should develop facilitate the filling
of vacancies, development of local authorities HR operational manuals as well as simple fact packs about
the HR devolution process for council staff that should assist District Commissioners, HR officers and
other council staff to be familiar with the process and know what to do in particular circumstances.
GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT During the period, Request for Application (RFA) as well as program description has been developed and
approved by DAI home office. This has been submitted to USAID for COR’s concurrence. The RFA will
be issued to the pre-identified applicants in the fourth quarter upon being approved by USAID Contracting
Officer.
Immediately upon approval, LGAP will conduct pre-application workshops in all three LGAP regions.
These workshops will help the prospective applicants to respond appropriately to the RFA.
In the quarter, Grants under Contract manual (GUC) went through revisions based on the
recommendations made by USAID COR. The revisions were necessitated with the aim widening the
eligibility of the prospective applicants. GUC manual has been resubmitted to COR for the approval.
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Malawi Local Government Association has submitted its proposal under key result area one. This is
under review. The Pre-award assessment has been conducted with satisfactory results.
Field procurement management training
In May, seven LGAP staff attended a field procurement management training in Pretoria, South Africa
from 1-6th May 2017. The purpose of the training was to enhance the understanding of thein country
operation team with field procurement management. At the end of the training the Procurement and
Operations team has deeper understanding of the importance of following procurement procedures and
processes to the book by ensuring that all requests are made through TAMIS; The team also appreciates
the need to enhance collaboration with Technical Leads in developing Scope of Work and drafting
Technical Specifications and Terms of Reference (ToRs). The next Step is to engage Technical Leads in
identifying needs, i.e. activities and all associated procurements that will be performed in the next 3
months. This will help in developing a Procurement Plan with clear cost estimates.
LGAP Staff Gender Position
Alfred Kamphonje Male Deputy Chief of Party
Bronex Kathyola Male Grants Specialist
Edson Kamtukule Male Procurement Specialist
Chiliritso Gwaza Female Administrative Officer
Simeon Kumichembo Male Procurement and Logistics Officer
Phunziro Ngaiyaye Female Accountant
Chisomo Milazi Female Administrative Assistant
PART II – PROGRESS ON KEY RESULT AREAS
RESULT 1: INCREASING LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND TRANSPARENCY
LGAP has achieved significant progress under Result Area 1 in Q3 of FY 2017. In collaboration with
MLGRD and District Counterparts, the project has: (i) undertaken an overhaul of the entire planning,
budgeting, and assessment process; (ii) with the arrival of the Public Financial Management specialists for
the Blantyre and Balaka offices, identified key constraints in public financial management, and started an
aggressive effort to have the districts clean up their financial records, in preparation for beginning
FY2017/18. To support the achievement of desired functionality level LGAP supported efforts to
empower elected councillors to fully understand the financial statements and record of council which they
are required by law, to understand and approve, in their role as duty-bearers in the local government
system. We have identified and begun to address opportunities for improved own-source revenue
generation and management, again addressing both the need for improved oversight of funds collected
and identification of leakages and new opportunities for inbound revenue within the councils. Finally, we
have jump-started engagements with other USAID Implementing Partners (IPs) both nationally and within
the districts to improve collaboration, coordination and identify opportunities for colocation and
improved communications.
As a whole these activities create a foundation on which to build a cohesive governance structure. In
Quarter 4 we will move to the next step in building this structure, which involves institutionalizing this
framework within the councils through a period of intensive capacity building across all Result Area 1 sub-
results.
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Sub-Result 1.1: District Development Planning, Budgeting, And Implementation Processes Improved
In Quarters 1 and 2 of FY2017, LGAP identified the need for improvement of the very foundation of local
government at the district level. All LGAP Councils lack the necessary planning and analysis tools that can
inform and drive basic local development. Essentially all planning tools, namely socio-economic profiles
(SEP), district development plan frameworks (DDPFs), approved DDPs, approved district development
budgets derived from those plans, and basic processes for implementing and monitoring progress against
those plans; are all expired across the Districts. An important factor is the misalignment of the district
development tools against the national planning frameworks, making it difficult for prioritised national
indicators to be achieved across the districts at the same time, directly resulting in a lack of funding for
the priorities of the districts from the central government. In order to address this problem, LGAP
embarked on working with the Planning Directorate of the MLGRD and the Department of Economic
Planning and Development to revamp the whole DDP process. The year 2017 presents a rare and unique
opportunity for aligning the national and district systems because the GoM’s Malawi Growth and
Development Strategy III (MGDS III) will be launched early in the fiscal year beginning July 2017.
Therefore, LGAP adopted a two-pronged approach of working with the Directorate of planning in the
ministry and each of the 8 districts. The work with the ministry will be reported in detail under Key
Result Area 3. In April 2017, LGAP started supporting the review and development of District
Development Plans (DDP) in the eight focus districts, beginning with the SEP. The Act mandates the
Councils to promote infrastructure and economic development through the formulation, approval and
execution of district development plans. The mandate further empowers the Councils to be formulating
Socio-Economic Profiles (SEPs) and District Development Plans (DDPs) periodically in order to guide and
coordinate all the developments in the districts. Recognising that each of the districts are at different
points in the process of completing their planning tools, LGAP adopted an approach of meeting each
district where they indicated a need for support.
An important factor of this support, was the recognition that the MLGRD had given guidance that the
new generation of DDPs will follow a new and revamped process, therefore LGAP’s investment in this
reporting period could only support the completion of the SEPs and wait for the next step after the
ministry rolled out the new direction.
Below is the summary of the progress of the DDPs in the districts;
Lilongwe District Council SEP: With support from LGAP, Lilongwe District Council organized a
review workshop in Salima district from 18-20th April 2017 to formulate the Socio-Economic Profile (SEP)
for and ensure that the required guidelines were adhered to. Thirty key devolved sector staff and council
management attended the meeting. The council completed the review and consolidation of the sector
specific SEP chapters and District Development Planning Framework (DDPF). In the period under review,
particularly in the month June, LGAP staff managed to provide comments and necessary input to draft SEP
and DDPF for Lilongwe District Council before they proceed with the production of the DDP.
Balaka District Council SEP: LGAP organized a three-day workshop at Sun ‘n’ Sand-Mangochi from
21st -23rd June 2017 where chapter authors from 13 government sectors including the council secretariat
met to finalize compilation of their chapters. The workshop was attended by 20 government staff from
key devolved sectors and council management. The objective of the workshop was update the district
Socio-Economic Profile (SEP) for Balaka District Council and ensure that the required guidelines were
adhered to.
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Three LGAP staff also attended the workshop to provide technical backstopping, to ensure adherence, to
set guidelines, and to carry out logistical arrangements of the workshop. By the end of three-day working
session, the secretariat finalized the SEP chapters and now the district is ready to consolidate and edit
these chapters in order to have the SEP available for use.
Kasungu District SEP: Kasungu district had already written and compile a first draft of their SEP, but
they did not take into consideration the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as guided by the
Department of Economic Planning and Development (EP&D). Therefore, from 21st to 23rd June,2017
the Kasungu LGAP office supported a 3-day workshop with technical expertise support for the from
Balaka LGAP office from, to orient the Council secretariat and Task force members on how to align their
SEP to MGDS III and SDGs.
Having already worked with Lilongwe and Balaka, LGAP learnt that from this activity that all SEPs and
DDPs must be aligned with the SDGs. Therefore, the remaining 5 councils under LGAP who are
finalizing their SEPs plus Lilongwe and Balaka will have to be oriented or assisted on aligning their SEPs
to MGDS III and SGDs.
Blantyre District Council SEP: For Blantyre, a review of the planning tools, with the Director of
Planning and Development and district Monitoring and Evaluation Officer found that:
• Since 2013, the SEP and DDP have been in draft form and are expiring in 2018. These were
development with little consultation or linkage to the village action plans (VAPs). This was
attributed to lack of adequate funding. The council has set up a technical working group to update
the SEP during the first week of July which shall be presented to full council before end of July.
Thereafter, the council will commence work on development of the DDP in conformity with the
MGDSIII.
• There is need for the councillors, ADCs and MPs to be oriented on the district planning process.
This is coming as a result of the conflicts that are being observed due to different levels of
understanding of this process among the actors.
Very early in the fourth quarter therefore, LGAP will support Blantyre district to complete the SEP. with
full alignment to the SDGs and the MGDS III, at the same time supporting Lilongwe, Balaka, Zomba,
Machinga, Mulanje, and M’mbelwa to align their SEPs to the SDGs. In addition, in the last quarter of the
year, LGAP will be supporting all the LGAP districts to finalize the SEPs and get them approved by Council,
as well as simultaneously supporting community consultations at the VDC and ADC structures. To
facilitate the support to the VDCs, LGAP will retain the services of a team of nine (9) (1 senior and 8
Balaka District SEP team addressed by DC Kanyangalazi
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junior) consultants. The junior consultants will receive training from the senior consultant and the
MLGRD.
It is anticipated that by the end of Year 1, the districts will have draft DDPs, which will then go through
the approval processes by Council before December 2017. Meaning that implementation will begin with
the FY 2017/2018 – hence aligned to the national planning instruments.
Local Authority Performance Assessment review
The Local Authority Performance Assessment (LAPA) tool, is a
performance monitoring tool designed to set and monitor standards
for local government performance. The tool was originally deployed
in Malawi in 2008, but was subsequently shelved due to the subjective
nature of the tool, which contributed to a rift between MLGRD and
some councils who felt the scoring of the LAPA had become political
and punitive.
At the onset of LGAP, MLGRD requested that the project support a
review and redeployment of the tool to serve as the standard-setting
benchmark for district government performance. To that end, LGAP
recruited a LAPA Consultant in April 2017 to consult local
government and key civil society stakeholders on revision of the
existing LAPA tool and process. The Ministry of Local Government
and Rural Development (MLGRD) and councils themselves will use
the tool to assess the functionality of the local government system
and delivery of municipal services in order to identify strengths and
areas for improvement for local government institutions. Local authorities, in collaboration with MLGRD
will use the results of the assessment to adaptively manage how they carry out their responsibilities to
people they serve. In the context of LGAP, the findings of the LAPA will feed a subset of the AMEP’s
District Capacity Index sub-indicators measuring effectiveness.
The LAPA Consultant conducted a review of five district and four urban councils to assess the issues with
the previous LAPA that resulted in its discontinued use. After compiling the draft tool, the LAPA was
presented to a forum including representatives from District Councils, MLGRD, MALGA, and LASCOM.
The final tool will be completed and administered in LGAP districts in the 4th Quarter. The preliminary
results that have implications on LGAP project include:
Local authorities feel that the LAPA is a useful tool to help councils improve performance in
implementation of their mandates. The tool highlights issues related to the public sector reforms and
decentralization;
The LAPA promoted a competitive spirit among councils to enhancing performance. It provided an
incentive to councils to work harder;
The LAPA process resulted in development of Council Capacity Development Plans. Unfortunately,
the plans were largely unimplemented;
Central government funds transfers contribute to around 85% of the council budgets. This situation
implies that councils remain reliant on government funding rather than locally generated revenues;
The presence of councillors is a positive development in helping to enforce LAPA assessment results.
However, the oversight role of councillors on council secretariats is often undermined by capacity
limitations resulting from low education levels among councillors
Figure 2 - LAPA Consultant Bright Sibale shows the LAPA's stoplight performance monitoring dashboard
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LAPA is largely implemented on ad-hoc basis. Has been largely headquarter and donor driven since
its inception. Also councils often confine project appraisal to externally funded projects ignoring
council funded projects
LAPA Performance areas largely focused on financial management and governance performance areas
yet financial support remained the weakest link in achievement of good performance in the LAPA
experience. Scores were also heavily weighted towards these performance areas as compared with
other areas. Overall, it was heavy on process areas and limited on measuring impacts to offer more
solid performance assessment of councils
The LAPA tool assesses the secretariat and leaves out the political arm of the council which sometimes
exert undue influence on secretariats causing the poor performance
The use of MLGRD has the potential to undermine independence of the assessment teams
Results presentation seemed intended more on naming and shaming. This has the potential to
demotivate some council leaders instead of encouraging them.
The LAPA scores range is rather too short and to an extent misleading. There were cases when
councils got a zero score on the Likert scale yet the actual score showed 70%.
Cumbersome LAPA tool that is not user friendly
The key recommendations includes;
Integrate the LAPA as part of the local authority reforms program as a performance assessment tool
for local councils to enhance service delivery
Develop separate LAPAs for urban and district councils to address the varied mandates
Provisions of the LGA that hinder the efficient delivery of council services should be reviewed in the
context of devolution of power
Strengthen resource mobilization capacity for local councils to enhance their revenues and overall
financial capacity
Designated resources in council budgets towards development of SEPs and DDPs to guarantee their
timely availability to strengthen council planning capacity
Should consider training of councillors in governance issues and financial management
The current ongoing review of the LGA is proposing MSCE as a minimum academic qualification for
councillors to stand in elections. This may create room for improved capacity of councillors to oversee
council secretariats on performance
Needs to be part of the wider performance management system of government in local authorities
that is council driven not headquarters drive
Improve timeliness of remission of revenue payments from central government to urban councils. If
not improved, the LAPA needs to take this into consideration to avoid unfairly assessing councils
poorly.
Apart from process based performance areas, the new LAPAs should include performance areas based
on the service mandates of councils as stipulated in the Local Government Act.
Align indicators with the new program based budgets for councils.
Include outcome level indicators for key sectors (Agriculture, Health & Education). Add team building
indicator to leadership under management
Factor in the relationship between the political and management arm of councils in the LAPA
assessment performance areas
Use one independent and well-structured and multi sectoral assessment team in all councils to avoid
inconsistences. The use of independent consultants can also be explored
The involvement of MLGRD staff in LAPA assessment teams needs to be avoided to enhance their
independence and trust in the assessment outcomes
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Undertake grading of councils and create standard performance measures relevant to the grades to
ensure fairness. Comparing Blantyre District Council on equal terms with Neno district council seems
very unfair.
Awards should also be done against specific performance areas (special categories). This will enrich
the overall performance results as done during MISA awards
The scores range of 0-3 on the Likert scale for the LAPA needs to be wider to give the assessment
more meaning.
Needs to focus more on lesson sharing and learning among councils not shaming
Strengthen the administration of the LAPA through increased independence, transparency and impact
based evidence
Develop a rewards system that celebrates corporate as well as individual performance at council level
to improve performance
Develop a smaller tool that is web based and user friendly and automated to produce trends/reports
as done in the health sector using ODK technology
Improve resource mobilization to support LAPA capacity building plans
Allocate local council resources towards implementation of capacity building plans to avoid relying on
donor funds. External funding needs to be complimentary
Current review of DDPs & Reforms should integrate the LAPA as a performance measurement tool
at council level to enhance sustainability
The LAPA tool should be institutionalized to transcend to lower levels of implementers such as health
centers and EPAs
Based on these recommendations (further detailed in the LAPA Strategic Issues and Proposed Action
Points, attached here as Annex II), the revised tool will contribute substantively to the devolution process,
as it will clearly lay out expectations for council performance in the following key performance areas
(KPAs):
KPA 1: Development Planning
KPA 2: HR Planning and management
KPA 3: Financial Management and
Procurement
KPA 4: Governance
KPA 5: Service Delivery – Public
Works
KPA 6: Service Delivery – Sectors
The tool will be finalized and tested
in the LGAP districts in the 4th
Quarter, providing baselines that are
important as the program goes into
the second year of implementation.
Review of LGAP/District bi-lateral Work plans
At the beginning of the third quarter the LGAP regional office in Balaka embarked on an effort to discuss
and agree on each work plan their three assigned districts - Zomba, Balaka and Machinga, to build
consensus on activities to be implemented during the quarter.
Figure 3- MLGRD and District Council staff jointly review LAPA indicators
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Zomba District Council secretariat; The LGAP district team based in Balaka held a meeting with the
council management team from 1 to 5th May 2017. The purpose of the meeting was to review progress
on the district work plans. The team reviewed all the proposed activities for the council in a participatory
manner and a consensus was reached on the general understanding of proposed activities as well as the
implementation approach. The review observed that;
• Social economic profiles and district development plans for the district are all valid up to 2018.
The SEP needs to be re-aligned to include updates from other council sectors like fisheries,
environment, agriculture, forestry. A five-day working session is required to carry out this activity
and the council was tasked to submit a proposal by May 10 2017. DDP has to be modified to
match with the national requirements making reference to sustainable development goals (SDG’s).
• Area Executive Committee (AEC) and Area Development Committee (ADC) trainings. The
training is required in order to impart knowledge of these committees on climate change, SDG’s
as well as refresh the members on their routine activities. The AEC members will be able to train
ADCs who will in turn train other local structures like the village development committees (VDC)
which will in turn impart the knowledge to their communities hence improvement in LDF and
CDF activities. A 5-days session is required for AEC’s to train ADCs and council will submit the
plan.
• Capacitating the finance committee on public expenditure tracking (PET). The committee has 16
members (9 voting and 7 technical). This will help councillors to play their policy direction role
better unlike the current situation where they just accuse the council of misappropriation of funds
without bringing out evidence. LGAP to spearhead the process.
• Improving capacity in M&E. The M&E framework for the council is not available, that which was
developed by the ministry before used. Need to develop tailor made framework which will
emanate from the DDP. The district monitoring and evaluation coordinating committee (DMECC)
is available in the district but there is need to capacitate it in order to carry out M&E functions
like data collection, analysis and effective reporting.
• Establishment of revenue enhancement plan (REP). The district claimed they need the REP because
it boosts revenue by guiding them on areas where it is doing better and areas to improve on.
LGAP mentioned that it is planning to establish a revenue unit and council should submit a
proposal on the same.
• Capacitating councillors. The rationale behind this activity is for the councillors to understand
who they represent, their roles, how they relate with other duty bearers (council staff, chiefs,
MP’s) irrespective of their political affiliation, change management skills, as well as separation of
powers between different service providers. There was a plea from the council to review the
training content proposed by MALGA to ensure that it captures their needs. A one-day session
is required.
• By-laws; the council is currently doing consultations where a lawyer has been engaged. FISH
project implemented by PACT with assistant from USAID is supporting development of by-laws
for the fisheries sector. Education sector has by-laws in place, council will submit a proposal to
LGAP on requirements by other sectors.
• IFMIS and HRMIS trainings for council members. The council lamented that there is a growing
need to have these trainings in place because the on-job trainings conducted by the ministry with
support from LGAP was rushed through to ensure that the salary processing is not affected. LGAP
will facilitate the training in this month of May.
• Demand for accountable government strengthened. LGAP mentioned that CSO’s are
implementing this activity and that there is need for the council to partner with the CSO’s to
ensure effective service delivery. The council complained that CSO’s are not accountable to them
despite the fact that they (CSO’s) demand accountability from the council.
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Machinga District Council secretariat: The review meeting was held with the District
Commissioner, Senior Human Resources Management Officer, and Acting DPD. The key issues discussed
and agreed includes;
• Social economic profile and district development plan for the district are all expiring in
December 2018 and the work of renewing will begin immediately, and the sector heads
to agree on set indicators, thereafter a team should compile it. DDP process has to be
modified to match with the national requirements making reference to sustainable
development goals (SDG’s). There is need for technical assistance in terms of
development of DDP.
• Training of AEC; District training team will draw a program which will be rolled out to all
ADC’s which in turn will train VDCs. There is need to revamp ADCs and VDCs in order
to ensure that only eligible members are co-opted. Council will submit a proposal with a
justification well spelled out.
• Capacitating the finance committee; this is very critical due to the fact that councillors do
not understand their role in this committee. Trainers should conduct a step by step
training other than a mere induction process.
• M&E framework; is available, expired but has never not implemented. Should be
developed to capture all indicators that NGO’s and other partners capture which will be
fed into the DDP. The district was advised to make use of SNIC project which has funds
under strengthening of District Monitoring and Evaluation Coordination Committee
(DMECC). LGAP to utilize this committee in its M&E functions.
• Revenue enhancement; the council plans to establish a one stop centre to boost revenue
collection. They will learn from Zomba City Council. Council to submit proposal on the
same to LGAP by May, 19th.
• Demand for accountable services: LGAP need to build the capacity of CSO’s on social
accountability since most of them lacks it. There is need for council and LGAP to start
checking on CSOs to determine their social accountability since most of them are not
accountable.
Balaka District Council: Held a review meeting with the Director of planning and development. The
review meeting observed the following key issues
• Social Economic Profile and DDP expired in 2014. The council will brief full council and DEC on the
plans to have SEP in place, then a task force comprised with sector heads will be engaged to develop
the SEP, consolidate it and print. The council has the technical expertise but requires some guidance
so that it conforms to national standards. Council to submit proposal to LGAP on DDP, the council
awaiting communication from central office so that it matches with national guidelines.
• Area Executive Committee training; need to be conducted to cater for newly established AECs.
Currently the district has 10 ADCs. Also, some have existed for the past 5 years hence a need to
revamp them. AEC will train ADCs who will in turn train VDCs that will pass the messages to the
communities.
• Capacitating the finance committee; critical towards performance of the council. Mostly, members of
this committee (who happens to be councillors) accuses the council for misappropriation of funds
without providing any evidence. The training will improve their policy direction role they are supposed
to carry out.
• Formulation of sector-specific by-laws; draft version of by-laws is available but not being enforced.
Need to revise them to ensure conformity to standards and implementation.
The three districts we the last of the LGAP districts to engage on this consensus exercise. The other
districts had these meetings in the second quarter.
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SUB-RESULT 1.2: Accountability, PFM, and oversight of public expenditures improved
Final Accounts Preparations
In the third Quarter, the regional office Public Financial Management specialist positions were all filled. As
part of their initial activities, the PFM Specialists visited all District Councils to take stock of current
financial management practices and determined that most councils were significantly behind in terms of
production of regular financial statements and finalization of monthly accounts for auditing and financial
reviews. They determined that there were several issues that needed to be addressed and LGAP decided
to intervene in:
• Financial reporting;
• Financial accounting;
• Locally Generated Revenue Reporting System;
• Local Revenue Supervision;
• Finance staffing and quality; and
• Internal controls in finance department
The desk officers of the National Local Government Finance Committee noted the same. LGAP therefore
recommended supporting the eight districts to produce and finalize all financial accounts in order to bring
them up to date. Some councils had not finalized financial documents for years. This prohibits the conduct
regular audits and for the District Finance Committees to conduct their activities.
In the third quarter Balaka, Machinga and Zomba Councils all managed to come up with the final accounts
for the previous years that were lagging behind for some years and are now just remaining with the just
ended financial year (2016/17) Final Accounts because at that time they had not closed the books accounts.
It is envisaged that in the next quarter, LGAP will be providing hands-on support to the Councils to make
sure that their books remain current. LGAP will also invest in preparing the council for them to declare
their accounts for audits. An incentive approach is being considered for those who successfully declare
their accounts for audit and this will be announced at the “LGAP Indaba” (the LGAP tribal meeting) to be
held in the middle of August 2017.
More specifically, the status of each Council was:
Balaka: LGAP through Balaka regional office conducted a working session meeting to address the above
situation for the districts of Balaka, Machinga and Zomba from 25th June to 2 July 2017, Sun ‘N’ Sand
Holiday Resort, Mangochi. The working session meeting drew some total participants of 30 which include
male (22) and females (8) from the above mentioned districts. The objectives of working session aimed
at ensuring that the final accounts for Balaka Council for the years 2014/15 and 2015/16 are finalized and
final accounts for Machinga and Zomba Councils for the year ended 2015/16 are finalized.
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Figure 3: Machinga district council officers doing bank reconciliations and Filing System using KAIZEN
Model
The matrix below shows the some of the notable achievement from the working session
Name of District Achievement Remarks
Machinga All the vouchers in order of cheque numbers
were organized
Completed
vouchers with the Cashbooks were cross
checked
Completed
Updating missing records in IFMIS Partly done
Preparing Bank Reconciliations Partly done – 90% done
Drafting final Accounts Not done
Preparing the textual write-ups for notes to the
Financial statements and the District
Commissioner and the Council Chairperson’s
statements
Not done
Balaka All the vouchers in order of cheque numbers
were organized
Completed
Vouchers with the Cashbooks were cross
checked
Completed
Updating missing records in IFMIS Partly done
Preparing Bank Reconciliations Partly done
Drafting final Accounts Not done
Preparing the textual write-ups for notes to the
Financial statements and the District
Commissioner and the Council Chairperson’s
statements
Not done
Machinga District Council: 90% of the tasks have been done and what was remaining was to finalize
the Bank Reconciliations for the Chiefs Bank Account and CDF bank account which have minimal
transactions. Filing has been done 100%. It was agreed that the remaining tasks should be concluded at
their offices after they finalize year end transactions.
Balaka District Council: At the end of working session about 65% of the total work that was completed
because some of the main bank accounts like; Education ORT, Health ORT and Agriculture ORT bank
reconciliations had been done up to 30 June 2016. Filing was done at 100%. The Major bank accounts that
were remaining were ORT Local Revenue, Stadium Bank Account and DDF. These bank accounts had a
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lot of transactions which were done outside IFMIS. It was agreed to resume on the tasks either in the
second week to complete the outstanding tasks.
A notable, reaction as a result of this intervention was that despite being involved very closely in the
processes, staff of the NLGFC complained about “LGAP infringing on their mandate”. It was understood
that indeed NLGFC is supposed to be providing this support, but they have not been doing it and therefore
the Districts were more than delighted to receive the desperately needed help.
The other five Districts were scheduled to begin their exercises in the first week of July 2017. The lessons
learned in Balaka, Machinga and Zomba will be useful for these other districts. Most important lesson
being that the NLGFC will be involved more directly in the exercise to ensure continuity and sustainability
and even, hopefully that the NLGFC desk officers can take the practice to the non- LGAP districts.
SUB-RESULT 1.3: Capacity of councillors to serve as effective representatives improved
Handholding Exercises for the Finance and Audit Committees of Council:
As part of the activity described above, the councils were closing their financial books this quarter in an
effort to produce financial reports for the 2016/17 fiscal years. These reports provide a crucial indication
on how councils utilized their finances over the past years. However, in all consultations with the
councillors, they expressed that:
• They do not receive procurement and audit reports and monthly financial reports are not
shared with the finance committee;
• Committee members have limited to no knowledge of what type of financial reports they
should receive and cannot interpret basic accounting information presented in such reports.
• The councillors are consequently, not able to ask the right questions in executing their
oversight role in tracking council finances.
• When financial reports are given, they are delivered on the day of the meeting and they do
not have time to study the reports before the meeting;
• Even when finance staff provide financial reports, the finance committees did not know where
to start on analysing the reports;
• Finance committee quarterly meetings do not happen as scheduled in a year.
LGAP organized a series of orientation workshops for all the eight districts targeting Finance Committee
members including the Council Chairperson and Development Committee Chairperson to equip the
members with financial report analysis skills critical for oversight during end-of-year reporting. LGAP’s
Institutional Capacity Specialists together with the PFM specialists designed the sessions using a hands-on
approach that involved an analysis of the previous reports providing a practical experience to the
participants.
The workshop covered the following areas:
o Basis of councilors’ roles and responsibilities in the Local Government Act.
o Roles and responsibilities of service committees, specifically the Finance Committee.
o Planning and budgeting (quick overview of participatory budgeting and budgeting tools -SEP,
DDP-).
o Important budget documents (program based budget report, the work plans, procurement
plans, the maintenance plans, the capital budgets, the training plans, the items summary budget
report and the detailed budget report). The session enlightened on the link between these
documents and their significance in budget tracking.
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o Critical financial reports for the finance committee and the importance of each report in
decision-making (financial reports, program based reports to link finances to programs, the
procurement reports, capital expenditure reports, financial statements, internal and external
audit reports).
The workshop was largely a set of rolling practical sessions exposing the councilors to practice interpreting
basic financial reports in order to make decisions.
Blantyre District was the first to conduct this training on the 7th and 8th June, 2017, attended by all the
7 members of the Finance Service Committee (5 men and 2 women). On the second day, the exercise
was attended by the Mr. Mark Billera, the Deputy Director in the Office of Southern Africa Affairs in
USAID, who was on mission at that time.
Attendees recommended that LGAP develop a checklist and guiding manual for reviewing and analysis of
public financial reports for Finance Committees. LGAP agreed that this exercise will be championed by
the PFM Specialists and supported by various stakeholders. The checklist will also guide them in developing
questions for the Director of Finance during the sessions. The sessions also highlighted opportunities for
the PFM Specialists to continue mentorship of the Finance Committee and Finance Departments of the
Councils. LGAP staff will attend full council meetings to assess improvements in the way finance
committees present finance-related resolutions to the full councils.
At the end of the training, on comparing expenditure against budget and alignment to priorities reflected
in the DDP and Annual Investment plan, Service Committee members were able to point out some
inconsistencies between the council budget and the council’s Dec 2016 financial reports. For example, the
report did not reflect an accurate picture of the expenses done in the office of the DC such as transport
expenses and IFMIS is not fully used to record all council expenses, market reports indicate that collections
are either not done or not entered in IFMIS.
Councillor Jumbe and Senior Chief Kuntaja analysing variances on the Council’s December 2016 financial
report during the workshop’s practical session.
Lilongwe, Kasungu and M’mbelwa Finance and audit service committees had a joint session convened
at Mpatso motel in Mzuzu. It was attended by 27 councillors (24 males and 3 females) - 10 councillors
from Lilongwe (2 women and 8 men), 10 councillors from M’mbelwa (1 woman and 9 men) and 7 male
councillors from Kasungu.
Key outcomes
At the end of the sessions councillors understood which type of reports to demand from the Director of
Finance, the Procurement Officer and the Internal Auditor. It was very encouraging to note that the
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finance committee was able to pick up issues in the financial reports that LGAP provided to them during
hands on group exercise tailored per Council specific committees. The final exercises were presentations
by, the Finance Chairs of resolutions on noted issues to the group. Participants noted that the session
was an eye opener to them in the sense that they learnt a lot and they have acquired necessary skills and
knowledge whereby they will be able to analyse financial reports.
Balaka, Zomba, Mulanje, Machinga Finance and Audit Committee: Armed with the experience of the
Blantyre sessions, the LGAP Blantyre regional team proceeded to support the other Districts in the South.
Using the analytical skills shared in the workshop on comparing expenditure against budget and alignment
to priorities reflected in the DDP and Annual Investment plan, Service Committee members pointed the
following insights on the council’s financial reports:
Balaka:
• On revenue it was noted that revenue collected from markets was very low and that the council
has potential to collect more but there were challenges which some councilors attributed to lack
of supervision and pilferage. It was further revealed that because of poor management in
collection of revenue finance committee members stated inspecting the markets themselves.
• On the expenditure reports for markets the expenditure was on the lower side reflecting that
the council was not using IFMIS for payments.
Zomba:
• Reports were not provided on time for the committee to scrutinize.
• The lack of procurement reports was a sign of hiding procurement theft (there were concerns on
overpricing of commodities.
• The members also noted over expenditures on internal travel budget.
• Some markets were budgeted at a loss which is not cost benefit.
Mulanje:
• Revenue collection was very low mostly on commercial ventures because the newly constructed
stadium was not yet open until December 2016.
• The procurement report was not provided to the members.
• The members noted that report are given to them during the meeting and that there is not enough
time for them to scrutinize and provide feedback.
Machinga
• It was noted that the council expenditure on salaries was very low meaning that they have salary
arrears for up to 4 months.
• Revenue collection was very low this was attributed to poor revenue management by council
officers.
• It was noted that the amounts reported in the sector reports were not agreeing with the output
based report.
• There was no procurement report provided for all expenditure reports in Machinga and there
was a request to capacitate the procurement unit.
More generally the councillors observed that:
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• There was a general concern from members from almost all Districts that CDF is not properly
reported and the procurement of CDF materials is not transparent there were specific mentions that
most of the projects in the reports were either not there or the amounts did not tally with what’s on
the ground. The same applied to the LDF project specifically the procurement of trees which they
believed was abused.
• There is a need to provide support to the council secretariat so that the reports are updated and that
they are provided to councilors at least seven days before the meetings.
• There is need to provide training on procurement to council staff and sensitize MPs not to interfere
with procurement.
As result of this intervention, LGAP anticipates an increased call for accountability in the councils following
empowering of councillors in their oversight role. LGAP will also be intervening in the councils on issues
that emerged such as:
• Lack of comprehensive and timely reports to service committees that provide necessary information
e.g. suppliers’ list on council procurement as well as audit reports. LGAP will engage in mentoring the
secretariat finance staff on producing relevant IFMIS generated reports for the councillors.
• Limited tenure of service for the service committees, compromising the long-term benefits of building
the capacity of councillors in specific service committees.
• IFMIS is not consistently used by Finance personnel to provide monthly reports necessary for Finance
Service Committee’s oversight role. Mismanagement of council funds usually happens on transactions
that are done outside IFMIS. LGAP will work with the ministry towards making operating in IFMIS a
must not an option.
SUB-RESULT 1.4: Own-Source Revenue and Local Economic Development Increased
Local Revenue generation program and Impact Evaluation:
In collaboration with the University of North Carolina (NORC), LGAP facilitated the MLGRD and district
council buy-in of the impact evaluation on revenue generation enhancement. The NORC team, was led
by two principal investigators, Principal Investigators, Brigitte Zimmerman and Lucy Martin. All eight
district councils were visited. The purpose of the meetings was to introduce the local revenue generation
activities that are a subset of LGAP, obtain buy-in from District leaders, and delineate role for District
leaders in program and impact evaluation. Local Revenue Generation will provide support to districts to
increase their own-source revenue base and focus on markets in Year 1.
Program
component
Key issues Activities
Improve
collection
capacity
▪ Not clear how much revenue
to expect from each market
▪ Low morale, capacity among
fee collectors
▪ Hard to track funds
▪ Monitoring collectors can be
difficult
▪ Improve information on market fee
potential
▪ Create pay incentives for market agents /
collectors
▪ Improve training, monitoring of fee
collectors
▪ Improve technology used in fee collection
& tracking
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▪ Enhance IFMIS’ revenue tracking
functionality at the district level
Improve vendor
compliance
▪ Vendors don’t feel engaged
with government
▪ Vendors not satisfied with
services received in the
markets
▪ Low transparency and
accountability in the use of
fees collected
▪ Facilitate active market committees
▪ Promote agreement between District and
vendors on market revenue use
▪ Increase ongoing transparency in market
revenue use
▪ Jump-start service provision with small
infrastructure projects
Key feedback from the councils
Overall, the Councils appreciated the revenue generation initiatives because it is in line with the current
council reforms agreed with central government and the office of the president and cabinet. However,
the councils pointed out that there is need to:
▪ Seek council approval through the finance committees;
▪ Expand the focus in revenue generation in general to all own sources in order to enhance revenue
generation;
▪ Ensure transparency in selection of markets hence need for NORC to share councils with the
market selection exercise;
▪ Some councils are reluctant to approve the impact evaluation for fear of affecting revenue
generation especially in the control sites.
NORC and LGAP developed a more detailed package of possible interventions – both bottom up and
top-down – that may be considered in the IE. A draft document is attached as ANNEX III.
Establishment of Revenue Collection and Management Unit
With support from a Consultant, Silver Oyet Okeny, the recommendation from the Tax Assessment
conducted in the second quarter was implemented in all LGAP districts. The District Commissioners have
been very enthusiastic and supportive about the prospect of setting up revenue units in the districts. It is
believed that this will boost their revenue as well as streamline accountability and improve their control.
In addition, there has been contact with NBS Bank to explore their Pafupi saving scheme which is run by
agents throughout the country to evaluate suitability for use by revenue collectors in rural areas. It was
however, verified that the assertion that the Bank is all over the districts is not true. A potential solution
being considered is in partnering with Airtel Money on the NBS platform at low cost.
The consultations also continued with central level actors including LGSC where the discussion focused
on a proposal on how to insert an effective, accountable and responsible revenue collection unit in the
Project District Councils within the existing establishment. This recognizes the pending harmonization of
Service Commissions by GoM in order to enhance own source revenue badly needed by councils.
The LGAP proposal is that the said revenue unit will be responsible for all aspects of local revenue
collection like planning, forecast, registration, collection, enforcement and reporting. It is further intended
that the said unit shall have two clear separate functional streams or sections; compliance and
enforcement. The unit would be headed by a senior staff of the Directorate of Finance reporting and
accountable to the DOF. It is further proposed that section heads shall be accountants as resources may
permit. Internal audit will have oversight of the functions of this unit as required of all government arm.
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LGSC highlighted some of the concerns regarding capacity across both Finance and Internal Audit
establishment in the districts. It was suggested that the proposal should take into account rationalization
of staff that would be required, incentives for revenue collectors as well as outsourcing opportunities for
some local revenue which will be addressed.
SUB-RESULT 1.5: USAID Activities are better Integrated in District Planning and Budgeting As described below, LGAP hosted a national-level integration event bringing together implementing
partners from across the sectors. One of the key goals of the forum was to create an environment to
jump-start integrated planning at the district level strengthening the council’s role in donor coordination
thereby reinforcing decentralization. The activity was successful in that it spurred a set of follow-on
engagements at the district level.
In the fourth quarter, LGAP will capitalize on this engagement beginning a series of district-based
integration fora, designed to improve coordination amongst IPs, and also providing a unified front from
which to engage districts in a more coordinated fashion.
Integration forum workshop in Lilongwe
USAID has made substantial in-roads on implementing its 3C agenda, both at the USAID/Malawi mission
and at integration focal districts Balaka, Lilongwe, and Machinga. There are opportunities to expand this
agenda to additional districts and improve coordination between USAID and district governments. LGAP
organized an integration forum on 16th May 2017 at Wamkulu Palace with USAID implementing partners.
The forum focused on developing relationships between LGAP and flagship USAID partners in the
agriculture, education, environment, and health sectors. Additionally, LGAP provided insights into:
▪ The roles and responsibilities of local authorities;
▪ The need for development partners to act and think politically;
▪ An overview of key devolution reforms;
▪ Progress on devolution activities including IFMIS and HRMIS;
▪ An overview of the district budgeting and planning cycle and process.
A post-forum survey showed that over 80% of attendees thought the forum met or exceeded their
expectations. As a result of the forum, LGAP received numerous requests from partners to engage in IP-
to-IP integrated activities and also identified potential areas for collaboration including:
▪ ONSE: offered to contribute resources to development of District Development Plans (DDPs)
in non-LGAP supported districts;
▪ MERIT: Requested one-on-one integration sessions with LGAP integration staff in Balaka,
Machinga and Zomba;
▪ DREAMS and ASPIRE: requested LGAP lead an integration session in Zomba District bringing
all USAID Implementing Partners operating in the District together;
▪ UBALE:
▪ Economic Growth: Could offer support to promote more strategic use of social infrastructure
funds such as the Constituency Development Fund and the Local Development Fund;
▪ Linking asset transfers at the end of projects to district performance as measured by the LAPA;
▪ Economic Growth: Include councillors on site visits, and “ribbon-cutting” activities;
▪ All sectors: Develop a curriculum for councillors to build skills in sector oversight functions;
▪ Duplication of HR Systems: The forum identified the existence of duplicate systems, IRIS and
HRMS, which both serve as human resources management systems, and are both being supported
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by USAID. As a result of the integration forum, USAID is working with IPs to harmonize and avoid
cross-sector duplication in the face of devolution.
LGAP has been following up on many of these items and is developing joint-activities related to them. In
the coming quarter, LGAP will hold district-based integration exercises to promote direct coordination
amongst IP field staff.
As noted in the list above, interest generated by the forum came from partners beyond the USAID-
identified “flagship partners” invited to attend the forum. This suggests great demand for integration
support amongst Implementing Partners. While LGAP understands the need to focus on the core flagship
partners at the national level, we plan to engage those interested, especially at the local level, in order to
build momentum towards district-level integration fora amongst IPs and between USAID IPs and District
Authorities.
Subsequent to the national-level forum, LGAP engaged in a number of district-based integration activities
focused both on sector-specific needs as well as strengthening coordination amongst IPs. These meetings
and activities represent the genesis of future work at the district-level and took on three basic forms:
LGAP-District meetings, LGAP-IP meetings, and joint LGAP-District-IP meetings.
LGAP-Balaka Regional SEP and IP inception meeting:
In May 2017, LGAP hosted a session with Balaka designed to serve as the basis for the district SEP and to
generate IP commitment in contributing to the SEP. In discussions between the district and three major
IPs (ONSE, ASPIRE, and LINKAGES), Balaka District council and the IPs agreed to greater coordination
and the need for IP activities to be reflected in the District Development Planning process.
Mulanje Health Stakeholders Meeting: LGAP worked with MSH through the ONSE project to
support the DHO to convene a health sector stakeholder’s review meeting. The objective of the meeting
was to improve planning and coordination among the sector actors. The health sector in Mulanje has been
operating without proper coordination with some NGOs not following proper protocols and not
reporting to the DHO. This led to duplication of activities with little impact on the citizens. The meeting
had the following outcomes:
• All health sector players should submit their plans to the taskforce that will consolidate the DIP
for Mulanje. NGOs that will not participate in the DIP formulation will not be allowed to
implement activities in the district;
• NGOs implementing interventions were requested to submit quarterly reports to the DHO
through the M&E Officer. Failure to report would mean no endorsement of the project by the
DHO;
• All partners to attend quarterly review meetings and present reports on progress of
implementation.
USAID Partner Coordination Meeting – Zomba: During initial discussions with the DREAMS project,
DREAMS identified a need for LGAP to step in and play a greater integration role amongst USAID IPs.
Prior to LGAP, DREAMS had taken on the role of convening regular USAID IP coordination meetings.
During this session, DREAMS effectively passed the torch to LGAP. IPs present included:
• PCI (Zomba)
• BLM (Zomba)
• One Community
• Dignitas International
• FHI-360/YONECO (DREAMS Core and DREAMS IC)
• ASPIRE/Save the Children (DREAMS Core and DREAMS IC)
34
• Village Reach
• Badilika Foundation (Zomba)
• PACT/FISH
• CAMFED
Similar to the activity in Balaka, Zomba council officials identified the need for IP involvement in the
production of the DDP.
RESULT 2: DEMAND FOR ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT STRENGTHENED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
Activities related to increasing citizen demand for accountable government must start with a fundamental
appreciation of the issues and challenges facing the constituency. Activities in the first and second quarter
focused on establishing an inventory of potential partners, while this quarter LGAP focused on developing
a concrete understanding of the needs of citizens. LGAP achieved this through three formative baselining
activities: understanding, in broad strokes, the macro-political environment, through the political economy
analysis (PEA) activity; developing a meso-level basis of how citizens perceive local governance, and service
delivery, and; zero-ing in on a mechanism for identifying on the ground needs for increasing citizen
participation.
Progress and activities under this Key Result Area slowed down due to the departure of the Social and
Accountability Manager early in the reporting period and the fact that the GUC manual has not yet been
approved by USAID. Efforts were however immediately made to fill the position and in June 201, the
position was filled. Edwin Msewa is now the Social and Accountability Manager.
In the fourth quarter LGAP will scale up the work to ensure that civil society participation in especially
the DDP process is increased with a quality that enable substantive checks and balances from the elected
councillor and the secretariat. The strategy is that this work will then converge with Result Area 1 where
the planning and budgeting development processes require direct input from the citizenry through the
VDCs, ADCs, and the DEC, for the and final production of the DDP. CSOs ad CBOs will also be targeted
(in each district) for sessions on decentralisation, good governance and human rights – enabling them to
understand the full picture of the desired reform.
In addition, and in response to a request from the MLGRD, LGSC and the Human Resource
Implementation Committee, LGAP will be supporting significantly increased public engagement and
awareness on decentralisation and the devolution agenda that this on-going.
SUB-RESULT 2.1: Citizen Participation in Local Government Planning and Policy Development Increased
Review of scorecard applicability in LGAP project
As part of LGAP’s Result Area 2: Demand for Accountable Government Strengthened at the Local Level,
we engaged Kirsten Weeks of DAI home office, to review and develop a methodology for appraising civic
engagement with local government. USAID and other partners identified community scorecards as a
possible tool for measuring citizen engagement. The Social Accountability Monitoring Consultant was to
assist the project in developing and/or customizing existing tools using the community scorecard
methodology to measure citizen engagement at the community level. Social Accountability brings together
citizens and civil society to participate and engage with government in the planning, administration, and
monitoring of public services and public sector decision making. While the interviews during this STTA
and literature review are not exhaustive, a few trends in social accountability emerged;
35
• Community scorecards are widely used by implementers to improve facility-level performance (see
further details below);
• Public Expenditure Tracking (PET) is happening in some communities with the support of Tilitonse
and other projects– and appears to influence accountability at village and district levels (beyond a
facility focus). A few interviewees reported challenges with complaints and judicial remedies. E.g. if
corruption is identified, the penalty is minor when compared with the offense. There were reports
of penalties for drug theft in particular being less than 1/10 of the value of the drugs stolen and
sold;
Given that LGAP is working at the level of local authorities, and not individual service provider
accountability and performance, LGAP should invest in using the evidence and plans generated by
community scorecards – but not invest in directly administering community scorecards as a social
accountability tool. While there will arguably be various degrees of quality and accountability, LGAP should
focus on creating an enabling environment for social accountability rather than one-off efforts. Illustrative
opportunities include:
• Incorporating ongoing scorecard efforts into the LAPA Incorporating the use of scorecards and other
social accountability efforts into District Planning. This could be evidenced in the LAPA as well as
the LGAP District Capacity Index reflecting both effectiveness and legitimacy;
• Incorporating citizen participation questions within the GeoPoll Surveys. Current drafts of the
GeoPoll surveys explore whether citizens are satisfied or not with services, it will also be key to
understand whether citizens are participating or not;
• Using evidence from the GeoPoll Surveys and LAPA data, conduct deeper qualitative research to
document and disseminate best practices for how districts use local evidence from social
accountability efforts, types of social accountability efforts with higher citizen participation, and
profiles of citizens most likely to participate (or be excluded from) social accountability efforts;
• Increasing Media Engagement on Social Accountability. Sponsoring a social accountability media
awareness and engagement training for national and local journalists to understand social
accountability efforts underway in targeted districts and improve quality and accuracy of reporting
to foster general awareness and demand for social accountability;
• Promoting Public Expenditure Tracking (PET). The LAPA already includes standards around
participatory planning and budgeting, and sharing of expenditure data across domains of the LAPA;
• Co-investment in scorecards with potential for sustainability. While LGAP doesn’t have the resources
to launch large-scale community scorecard efforts, there are a few areas where scorecards could
be useful if LGAP could unlock their continued use rather than one-off grants;
• LGAP staff review the World Bank’s Social Accountability E-Guide and join the broader community of
practice;
• Collaborating with other Governance and Development Partners on Social Accountability. The National
Social Accountability Working Group is an opportunity for LGAP to participate and facilitate the
sharing of tools, resources, and as promising practices are identified potentially invest in taking
them to scale.
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SUB-RESULT 2.2: Social Accountability and Transparency of Public Expenditure Management and Service Delivery Improved
Citizen Perception Survey
This quarter LGAP ran the citizen perception survey (CPS) for the first time (Attached here as Annex IV).
The Survey reached over 12,000 households in all LGAP districts. The survey documented, the
perceptions of constituents in areas such as overall perception of government service, transparency,
accountability, financial management, and views on ground-level service delivery in the agriculture, health,
and education sectors. Citizens were generally most pleased with the government sub-structures closest
to them. Citizens perceive positively the work of the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and Health
Advisory Committees (HACs), while most had a distinctly negative impression of the Fertilizer Input
Subsidy Program (FISP). Refer to the report for a full write-up of the survey results.
LGAP will utilize the results with two main purposes in mind: a) use the results as a method of engaging
councillors to increase their own awareness about how citizens perceive them and b) use the results to
identify gaps across districts for district-specific interventions on social accountability.
SUB-RESULT 2.3: USAID Support is better integrated in Social Accountability Activities
Mulanje and Blantyre District NGO Profiling: LGAP, in collaboration with the DPD and NICE has
worked on profiling of NGOs currently implementing developmental projects in the districts. The
objective of the exercise was to enable the councils have a good understanding of the partners that it is
working with, their interventions and geographical locations. This will assist the districts, through sector
heads, to track projects, improve coordination and allow citizens track progress on the ground. The
exercise helped LGAP and the district to identify gaps in coordination of both USAID and other donor-
funded projects. The exercise highlighted to the councils the need for memorandum of understanding
with NGOs.
RESULT 3: DECENTRALIZATION POLICY ENVIRONMENT AND SYSTEMS IMPROVED
The LGAP project commissioned the Political Economy Analysis to offer the project a clearer
understanding of the current Political Economy dynamics around each of the four aforementioned policy
areas (Local Government framework/Act; fiscal decentralization, administrative decentralization and role
of Chiefs) to ensure that LGAP’s contributions are strategically and meaningfully directed to deliver the
greatest support and impact as these reforms move forward.
The PEA examines stakeholder commitment to reform through the lens of four areas that are stated
priorities of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, as illustrated in the Performance
Service Contract between the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Office of
the President; those reform priorities include:
• Review/amendments to the Local Government Act,
• review of the role of Chiefs and the Chiefs Act of 1967
• devolution of human resources, and
• devolution of the development budget.
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The PEA also looked at specific political dynamics driving decentralization in the wake of 2014 tripartite
(presidential, parliamentary and local) elections, and in the context of Malawi’s political settlement.
The primary goal of the PEA is to inform the work of the USAID Local Government Accountability and
Performance (LGAP) project, which is concentrated on strengthening local governance in eight rural
districts, with an emphasis on sectoral service delivery in the areas of health, education and agriculture.
The analysis seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the interests aligned for and against each
policy or reform area, a clearer overview of historical legacies and current realities shaping them, and the
ability to identify practical activities within the scope of the LGAP project that will drive positive, albeit
likely incremental, change. The researchers also point to issues that may be outside the scope or control
of LGAP, but may be interesting to stakeholders including the Ministry, USAID and other donors working
to strengthen local government.
The study was conducted through a problem-based framework, with document and literature review and
key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders at national and district levels, including in six rural
districts of Balaka, Kasungu, Lilongwe, M’mbelwa, Mzuzu and Zomba.
SUB-RESULT 3.1: Select Policies and Legal Reforms Related to Decentralization Supported
Guidelines for Preparation of District Development Plan (2017 -2022)
The Government of Malawi, in its effort to promote participatory poverty reduction processes,
approved and is implementing a decentralized development planning system at the district level. The
Local Government Act 1998 stipulates that all District Councils shall have a District Development Plan
for the purpose of poverty reduction and enhancing service delivery.
The process of producing a DDP succeeds the production of a Socio- Economic Profile and a District
Development Planning Framework. The inputs into the DDP are the envisaged projects developed from
the people’s needs through the District Development Planning System. The DDPS is characterized by its
four principles: bottom up, participatory, district focused and people centred. It is within the same framework
of the DDPS and its basic principles that the DDP is developed. For District Councils to be able to
facilitate production of the DDPs more efficiently, it is necessary to provide guidelines that aligned the
Malawi Government aspirations.
Since the guidelines were developed in 2009, no review was done and this has prompted LGAP to
embark on the process of the review of the Guidelines for Preparation of District Development
Plans in month May, 2017 with the aim of the incorporating the emerging issues. With LGAP support,
Guidelines for Preparation of District Development Plans reviewed, shared with Ministry of Local
Government and Rural Development and a technical meeting held in Salima with Directors of Planning,
M&E officers and selected officers from key sectors of Agriculture, Health and Education.
Devolution of Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD)
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) is coordinating the implementation
of the National Decentralization Policy. One of the key components of decentralisation is the devolution
of sectors. The MLGRD has since 2003 been leading in facilitating sector devolution. To date 17 sectors
have developed their sector devolution plans as well as management guidelines guided by the MLGRD.
However, there have been calls to devolve the MLGRD itself so that some functions and responsibilities
are transferred to the Councils to achieve efficiency and improve service delivery. During the Local
38
Government Authorities Conference that took place in March 2016 in Mangochi, participants
overwhelmingly expressed the need to devolve some of the functions being carried out by the MLGRD.
The MLGRD engaged a Consultant to facilitate the preparation of the devolution plan and management
guidelines. The Task Team and the consultant were tasked to develop the plan and management guidelines
by attaining the following objectives:
i. To examine the current mandates and functions of the MLGRD and determine how they
contribute towards the attainment of national goals as enshrined in existing legislation.
ii. To determine and eliminate any areas of overlap and duplication with Councils or any other
institution.
iii. To recommend, through a thorough engagement process, appropriate functions to be devolved
by the MLGRD and those to be retained;
iv. To develop and draft the local governance sector devolution plans and management guidelines
with the assistance of the Ministry’s LG Sector Devolution Task Team;
v. To compile and submit a report detailing recommendations and an implementation plan.
MLGRD Response to Sector Devolution
The MLGRD agreed with key stakeholders on the need to develop its Devolution Plan and Management
Guidelines to support implementation of the plan.
The following steps were taken by the MLGRD as part of the process:
a. The MLGRD established a Devolution Task Team headed by Directorate of Local Government
Services. The technical team was tasked with the preparation, mobilisation of necessary tools and
assist in the development of both the devolution plan and management guidelines. The Task Team
agreed on its Terms of Reference and a Roadmap for the devolution process.
b. The MLGRD sought approval from the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to
carry out the process. The MLGRD also informed the Government’s Chief Secretary to notify
him of the Ministry’s intention.
c. Prior to the development of the plan and management guidelines, a one day briefing meeting of
management took place in order to sensitise them on the requirements to undertake the process.
d. Conduct a Meeting for MLGRD and key stakeholders to develop Devolution Plan and Management
Guidelines
Meeting on Development of Devolution Plan and Management Guidelines
The MLGRD held a week long meeting from 2nd -7th April 2017 at Sun n’ Sand Hotel in Mangochi to
develop a Devolution Plan and Management Guidelines for devolving the functions of the Ministry to
district Councils. The meeting brought together senior staff and technical staff from all Directorates of
MLGRD. It was also included MLGRD affiliate institutions such as NLGFC, LDF, LASCOM and MALGA.
The meeting was opened by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon Kondwani
Nankhumwa. The meeting was attended by USAID Mission Director, Littleton Tazewell as well as
Director for Democracy, Rights and Governance, Meral Karan. The USAID Mission Director, indicated
USG commitment to support MLGRD and HRMD on payroll devolution and ensure that there are right
capabilities in the system and accountability. USAID also called upon Government of Malawi to turn
decentralization into tangible form through an actual implementation plan.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kondwani Nankhumwa, reiterated that the
aim of National Decentralization Policy is to speed up service delivery and that Malawians are looking for
services to improve. The MLGRD’s mission is to provide leadership and oversight in the promotion of
local governance and participatory democracy by creating an enabling environment for socio-economic
development through local authorities or councils.
39
The rationale for devolving the MLGRD is that it is the coordinating agency of Malawi’s devolution process,
Since Cabinet Approval of the Decentralization Policy in October 1998, various ministries have been
devolving their sectoral functions and financial resources to local councils. However, MLGRD lagged
behind while it was pre-occupied with the coordination of the devolution of other ministries. As the
preparation of sector devolution plans is nearing its end, and MLGRD needs to play an effective
coordination role in support of the re-alignment of sectoral ministries’ roles and functions as a result of
their devolution and how they will work with councils.
At the March 2017 Local Government Authorities Conference in Mangochi, participants very directly
expressed the urgency for the ministry to devolve and lead by example instead of continuing to manage
the councils from Lilongwe while leading devolution. The Former Mayor of Blantyre City, Councillor
Noel Chalamanda, highlighted some of the concerns requiring redress including
• Conflict over mandate: He noted the need for the MLGRD to be communicating on who is
responsible for provision of various services as there is apparent lack of clarity on the part of
service providers e.g. Councils, Ministry of Lands, MLGRD etc.
• Capacity development for Councillors: The need to orient Councillors on devolution and
decentralization to enable them take leadership role.
• Important to have clear timelines and indicators of success on devolution.
• Need for communication on decentralization informing people on what is happening and the
expected change as well as clarity on their participation.
During the working session the staff of the ministry agreed to devolve the following key functions to the
district Councils:
Rural Development:
• Coordination and guiding of and on Rural Development Activities at District council;
• Site selection;
• Procurement of contractors for construction;
• Project Management;
• Supervision of construction Works;
• The actual construction works;
• Intra or inter districts projects;
• Procurement of contractors;
• Supervision of construction Works;
• Actual construction works;
• Devolution of micro-projects;
• Enforcement of policies, standard and guidelines at the lower level;
• Production of Urban Structure Plans;
Policy and Planning:
• Development of DDPs and SEPs;
• Councils will formulate their development programs and projects;
• The councils will plan and implement their approved reforms;
• Planning for the micro-project;
• Approval of DDPs and SEPs;
• The alignment will be done by the council;
40
• Provide oversight role with regard to Planning on the functionality of Local Governance Structures
such as VDC’s, ADC’s and DEC;
• Mainstreaming of crosscutting issues in Planning and Implementation of micro-projects;
• Monitoring and Evaluation of micro-projects;
• Conduct M&E of the recurrent & development interventions;
• Capacity development for frontline workers involved in data collection;
• Development and management of Sector Specific Monitoring and Evaluation Systems; and
• District Database.
Local Government Services:
• Coordination of sectors at Council level;
• Management of devolved functions at Council level;
• Management of devolved Human Resources;
• Management of the devolved assets;
• Establishment of effective local governance structures at local level;
• Establishment of functioning technical coordination structures at local level;
• Capacity building of local governance structures;
• Capacity building of technical coordination structures;
• Disseminate legal and policy interpretations to various stakeholders at Council level;
• Establish a repository centre for accessing legal and policy documents at Council level;
• Management of internal and external communication;
• Dissemination of regular government correspondences and circulars to stakeholders at Council
level;
• Establish mechanism for civic and community engagements at local level; and
• Facilitate reconstitution of IEC committees in local authorities.
Key Outputs of the Meeting in Salima
As a result of the meeting in Salima, the following main outputs have been achieved:
a) Completion of Devolution Plan
During the meeting, the participants jointly reviewed the draft Devolution Plan and proof read it to ensure
that facts are well represented and inconsistencies were addressed. The Devolution Plan has since been
finalised and the Consultant will do the final edit. The Devolution Plan will then be presented to MLGRD
for onward submission to the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.
b) Development of Management Guidelines
• The Devolution Plan is supposed to be accompanied by the Management Guidelines which outline the
detailed steps to be undertaken to enable the Devolution Plan.
• The Decentralisation Coordinator and the Consultant provided the guidance to all participants in
terms of what is required to be included in the Management Guidelines. There were discussions on
how the Guidelines should be stipulated either in terms of matrix or narrative form. In the end, an
agreement was reached that the narrative form was more informative and instructive to the district
councils than a table or matrix.
It is expected that early in July, the Devolution Plan and Management Guidelines will be submitted to
management for endorsement and then forwarded to the Office of the President and Cabinet for approval
LAPA Technical Meeting
41
The Technical Meeting was held from 22nd – 23rd June, 2017 to review the Local Authority Performance
Assessment (LAPA). The meeting was convened following a study carried out by independent Consultants
aimed at revising the existing LAPA tools and processes based on the experiences and international
practices on measuring the performance of local Councils. The participants included officials from central
Government Agencies (such as MLGRD, OPC, LASCOM, MALGA), and Sector Ministries (Health,
Agriculture, Labour); and district level participants (District Commissioners, DHOs and Education
officials).
The meeting agreed on the importance and relevance of LAPA in enhancing District Council performance
in their mandate and improved service delivery. Despite its significance, participants shared concerns
regarding the challenges in administration of the previous LAPA. There was a perception that LAPA
findings were deliberately being manipulated in favour of some individuals and Councils. The decision and
steps taken to revise the tool and process was deemed as timely and necessary to improve the
performance of Councils.
There was consensus among the participants that the new LAPA tool would improve the objectivity of
the assessment since the Standards and Indicators have been revised extensively based on local and
international experience. However, one key issue that was highly debated related to how impartiality
would be best be achieved during its administration in annual assessments. The two scenarios that are
under consideration include the use of independent Consultants, or maintain the status quo of having
teams from Central Government Ministries.
The Consultants will review the tools based on the input and make submissions to the MLGRD for
adoption. The MLGRD is expected to formally reintroduce the LAPA and put in place mechanisms to
guide its implementation.
Sub-Result 3.3: Human resources and key management systems improved
HRMIS TRAINING
In May 2017, LGAP supported trainings in the Human Resources Management Information System
(HRMIS). A total of 96 employees from 28 district councils have been trained. The intensive residential
training places were in 4 districts: Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Blantyre and Zomba. In these districts, there were
new staff that were not part of the previous on the job trainings. LGAP staff, including the Public Finance
Management Specialists, attended the sessions as participants so that they would be able to better support
the Councils and specific Server sites.
Anticipated Outcomes
The councils will be able to regulate the number of employees on the payroll, be able to monitor the
monthly wage bill, reduce instances of ghost workers, reduce reporting lines i.e. reporting to the District
Commissioner only, enhanced decision making on HR recruitment, and assist in harmonization of services.
All the Councils will be able to prepare the payroll and pay salaries for civil servants on time. Though we
anticipate that councils will realize the above outcomes after the training, it is worth mentioning that it
was observed that HRMIS devolution of user rights on employment module was at 8% as at the day of
training whilst on employment module it was at 100%.
District Male Female Total
Balaka 4 0 4
Machinga 4 3 7
Mangochi 1 2 3
Phalombe 0 4 4
Zomba 3 1 4
42
Chitipa 3 0 3
Nkhatabay 7 1 8
Karonga 3 1 4
Mbelwa 6 7 13
Rumphi 5 1 6
Likoma 1 0 1
Blantyre 1 6 7
Chikwawa 0 4 4
Chiradzulu 2 2 4
DAI 3 0 3
DHRMD 1 2 3
Mulanje 4 0 4
Mwanza 1 3 4
Neno 3 0 3
Nsanje 3 1 4
Thyolo 2 1 3
Total 57 39 96
Challenges on HRMIS – Reactions from participants
An employee can be entered twice without detection by the system– An employee was terminated and later on
employed as HSA and he was getting half pay on the previous employment and full pay on the new
employment of HSA but HRMIS could not detect that the same name was already in the HRMIS already
on another position or division.
Advances – An employee having an advance from one division and when posted to another division, HRMIS
does not prompt the continuation of deductions of advance in another division.
Third party deductions / payment solutions- If the wrong employee number is captured, the wrong person is
deducted. Controls to do with third parties needs to be enhanced so that this does not happen. Though,
if the third party identifies the problem, the employee is traced and refunded the wrongly deducted funds.
Poor filling system by HR personnel – HR does not keep records of property in readiness for third parties.
Most of the records are kept by the accounts personnel. HR needs to be proactive, more especially on
keeping their records, like files for payrolls and other necessary records.
No chance for practicing because activities done once in month – DHRMD will install a stand-alone replica on
one of the computers at the councils for practicing purposes. Practicing will be done on the user rights
that one have been issued with only.
Unless they are given the necessary user rights, participants will not be able to practice fully.
It is recommended that Councils should conduct head counts for each district so that the payroll should
have bonafide list of civil servants; thereafter, there should be a follow up on all transferred employees
appearing on the council payroll but not removed from the council payroll, this will clean up the council
payroll; and finally DHRMT should allocate the Desk Officers for specific District Councils for back up
services on time. LGAP may consider supporting the proposed activities. HRMIS do not produce report
for New introduced employees in any given month and report for promoted employees. It was
recommended that the developer of the system introduce these reports in HRMIS.
43
Sub-Result 3.4: USAID sectoral support for policy reforms coordinated, reinforcing decentralization
One of LGAP’s key integration roles is to support coordination of decentralization across USAID
Implementing Partners. During the 3rd Quarter, LGAP began laying the groundwork by introducing key
aspects of decentralization to Implementing Partners through the IP Integration Forum and at the district
level. Specifically, we:
• Held sessions during the IP Integration Forum on understanding the District Development
Planning and budgeting processes, HR devolution, and how to think and work politically at the
district level;
• Began coordinating Implementing Partner interventions at the district level and soliciting partner
input for the DDPF;
• Identified the need to encourage the GoM to develop a unified approach to HR Management
Information Systems. Currently USAID, through multiple implementers, supports competing HR
systems: IRIS and HRMS. LGAP held discussions with the ONSE project (health systems
strengthening) in order to develop a unified needs-based approach to implementing HR systems
in Malawi.
In the fourth quarter, we will further capitalize on this work by encouraging district-level participation of
USAID IPs in the DDPF process, thereby increasing the legitimacy of district officials and creating the link
between district-identified needs and priorities and the activities of development partners in the districts.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Activity Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan In the FY17Q3, LGAP continued updating the Activity Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. The
current APMEP was provisionally approved in March 2017. In Q2, the draft integration index is comprised
of the 11 sub indicators with a possible total scores of 44. The Likert scale is 1-4. The integration index
sub indicators include;
• Scoring of Wilder Collaboration Index from Social Impact
• Number of beneficiaries reached through joint cross-sectoral activities
• Number of technical activities jointly designed, implemented, and/or strengthened with cross-
sector partners
• Number of integration activities facilitated by, but not directly implemented by LGAP, as a result
of LGAP supported meetings
• Dollar value of cost-share funding for cross-sectoral activities
• Number of opportunities to engage and support civil society and GoM on Integration
• Number of integrated communications activities jointly designed, implemented and/or
strengthened with cross-sector partners
• Quarterly supervisory visits by district Health management teams to district health points
• Quarterly supervisory visits by district agriculture management teams to district agriculture points
• Quarterly supervisory visits by district education management teams to district education points
• Risk-reducing practices/actions, climate information for decision making, increased knowledge of
climate change impacts and response options
44
Knowledge management and Learning strategy In Q2 started the development of the knowledge management and learning strategy. In Q3, the knowledge
management and learning strategy is undergoing the necessary quality reviews and control. The strategy
is in line with the ADS Chapter 201 of USAID Collaborative, Learning and Adaptive (CLA) policy. To
attain its knowledge vision and objectives, four strategic knowledge actions have been identified on which
LGAP’s knowledge management and learning activities will be concentrated. The four actions include:
• strengthening knowledge generation; effective performance of any organization or program
depends on the generation and capturing of relevant data, information and knowledge that can be
analyzed and be used for decision making
• leveraging knowledge through partnerships; will put emphasis on building and strengthening
technical partnerships and collaborations with local and international academic and research
institutions. These institutions will help in conducting relevant operations research and generating
knowledge that will help improve the performance of the program and enable it to achieve
meaningful results.
• enhancing knowledge dissemination and sharing; LGAP intends to blend technology tools and
human practices to enhance the sharing of knowledge.
• enhancing knowledge application: The core purpose of enhancing knowledge management is to
improve the performance of a program or an organization. Thus the value of knowledge can only
be seen when knowledge outputs can translate into effective and better implementation of
program activities.
Development of the Geographical Information system (GIS) In Q2 GIS consultant was recruited to design the GIS system for LGAP in the eight focus districts. The
consultant started working from 12 June 2017. The GIS is significant because it will improve co-location
activities in line with the USAID 3C approach. The expected deliverables include;
• GIS geodatabase developed and functional with district council, ADC, VDCs, constituents, wards,
health facilities, primary schools, Agriculture extension offices,
• Link democratically elected councilors and Members of parliament to wards/constituents
• Visual linkage of District Capacity Index with council performance
• Design interactive maps using google earth for LGAP
• Produce GIS maps for councils, wards, constituents, VDC, ADC, health facilities, schools,
agriculture extension officers, USAID implementing partners and other LGAP CSO
• Training and mentoring report for M&E staff
Development of the Monitoring and Evaluation guide In Q3, the process of developing the M&E guide started and will be completed on Q4. The purpose is to
guide the frontline staff in operationalizing and coordinate the implementation of the APMEP. The draft
M&E guide key components includes;
• Monitoring and Evaluation set up
• Roles and responsibilities of M&E players
• Indicator Performance Tracking Tables
• Data flow maps
• Communication and reporting maps
45
Collaboration Monitoring and Evaluation with MLGRD on data sources and reporting tools Following the approval of the APMEP, LGAP has identified key data sources and reporting systems owned
by the district councils.
• Data Sources: In FY17Q3, the M&E has worked with the National Government Finance
Committee on the financial reports, budgets and IFMIS data sources. The emerging issues include
underreporting of financial data by the councils attributed to inadequate accounts personnel and
few modules being operational on the IFMIS rendering creation of parallel data sources.
• Local Authority Performance Assessment: The review of the LAPA tool continued in FY17Q3.
Draft LAPA review process report and two district and urban LAPA has been developed. A
technical workshop was organized in Salima from 22-23rd June 2017 to review and enhance the
LAPA content. The two LAPAs are currently being cleaned based on the feedback. The next steps
are a) submission to Local Government for review and approval in Q4, b) dissemination and launch
meeting, c) training of DEC members in eight districts, d) Self-assessment by councils e) external
LAPA assessment in July/August 2017.
• MLGRD Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: The MLGRD currently has no master M&E Plan to guide
the development of council M&E frameworks. This has led to weak M&E systems at district level.
This is evident with lack of functional integrated M&E framework leading to inadequate use of
information. In this regard, LGAP intend to support the development of the MLGRD M&E plan,
District M&E frameworks linked to the DDP and district M&E coordinating committees for
effective coordination.
46
LGAP PERFORMANCE FROM OCTOBER 2016 TO JUNE 2017 LGAP M&E Report FY17Q3 Report
No. Performance Indicator Unit of
Measure
Baseline
(May
2017)
FY17
Target
FY17Q2 FYQ3 Cumul.
Actual
%
Actual
Explanations
LGAP Activity Goal: Government accountability and effectiveness improved
A-1 Percent of households satisfied
with how District Government
consults citizens. (CDCS
indicator).
Percentage 30.5% 30.5% 30.5% 30.5% 30.50% 100% The data is obtained through Citizen
Perception survey and the reporting is
based on the baseline findings. The follow
up will be reported in FY18
A-2 Composite District Capacity
Index (DCI) (CDCS Indicator)
Score TBD This indicator will be updated once the
LAPA baseline is implemented and
completed
A-3 Composite score of Integration
Index
Score 0 20
A-4 # of projects financed and
implemented by district
governments originating from
district led local development
planning process(Custom)
Number 14 14 14 14 14 100% Councils continued implementing the
same projects in the year hence reported
under Q3. Currently LGAP is supporting
the review of the DDPs in eight districts
and hence expects improvements in FY18
Education 0 0 0 0
Health 0 0 0 0
Agriculture 0 0 0 0
Others(Public works) 14 14 14 14 100%
Result 1: Local Government Performance and Transparency Increased
R1.1 Own-source revenue as a
percentage of % of total district
budget
Percentage 7.80% 7.80% This indicator tracks Locally generated
revenue every quarter. LGAP is yet to
roll out impact evaluation activities at
district level hence not reported.
R1.2 % of district budget entities’
publishing budgets, audits, and
reports to share budget
performance(Custom
Percentage 0% 50% This indicator will be reported based on
the LAPA findings in August 2017.
47
R1.3 # of sub national entities
receiving USG assistance
demonstrating improved
performance(Custom)
Number 0 0 0 0 0 This indicator requires two datasets to
demonstrate improvements. The first
dataset will be in August 2017 hence this
indicator to be reported in FY18 after
follow up using LAPA
R1.4 # of consensus building forums
(multi-party, civil/security
sector, and/or civil/political)
held with USG
Assistance(DR.3.1-1)
Number 0 11 3 3 6 55% LGAP has implemented the DDP,
integration forum of USAID IPs and
LAPA consensus in FY17Q3. In FYF17Q2
implemented DC conference, MLGRD
Devolution plan and MALGA.
Multi-party 0 0 0 0 0
Civil/security 0 0 0 0 0
Civil/Political 0 11 3 3 6 55%
R1.5 # of sub-national entities
receiving capacity building
assistance during the reporting
period(Custom)
Number 0 224 28 29 29 13% In FY17Q3,LGAP has mentored the
councils in budget performance reviewed
in Blantyre and continued the training and
mentorship of the DEC or council
management in HR payroll IFMIS
Full Council 0 8 0 1 1
DEC 0 8 28 28 28
AEC 0 89 0 0 0
ADC 0 89 0 0 0
CSO 0 30 0 0 0
VDC 0 0 0 0 0
R1.6 # of technical activities jointly
designed with cross sector
partners(Custom)
Number 0 32 0 1 1 3% LGAP are working with USAID
Implementing partners in designing the
DDP in the councils. In Q4, a number of
district based integration activities have
been planned hence the target will be
achieved.
Result 2: Demand for Accountable Government Strengthened at the Local Level
48
R2.1 % of households in focus
districts that understand roles
of districts, ADCs, and
VDCs(CDCS)
Percentage 64% 64% 64% 64% 64% 100.0% The data is obtained through Citizen
Perception survey and the reporting is
based on the baseline findings. The follow
up will be reported in FY18
R2.2 # of citizens who participate in
participatory planning
processes(custom)
Number 0 5340 0 0 0 0% The target is expected to be achieved in
FYQ4 through DDP activities
R2.3 # of mechanisms for external
oversight of public resource
use supported by USG
assistance(DR.2.4-2)
Number 0 8 0 0 0 0% With the implementation of the LAPA
system in August, LGAP expects to
achieve the target in FY17Q4.
R2.4 # of individuals receiving voter
education through USG-
assisted programs(DR.3.2-4)
Number 0 0 0 0 0 This will be reported in FY18 and FY19
during election period
Male 0 0 0 0 0
Female 0 0 0 0 0
R2.5 # of individuals receiving civic
education through USG-
assisted programs(DR.3.2-5)
Number 0 5887 0 0 0 0% This will be achieved in FY17Q4.
Male 2894 0 0 0 0%
Female 2893 0 0 0 0%
R2.6 # of human rights organizations
trained and supported(DR.4.2-
1)
Number 0 30 0 0 0 0% This will be achieved in FY17Q4.
Number of women's rights
groups
14 0 0 0%
Number of disability rights
organizations
8 0 0 0 0%
Number of youth rights
organizations
8 0 0 0%
R2.7 # of civil society organizations
(CSOs) receiving USG
assistance engaged in advocacy
interventions (DR.4.2-2)
Number 0 30 0 0 0 0% This will be achieved in FY17Q4.
49
Number of women's rights
groups
0 14 0 0 0 0%
Number of disability rights
organizations
0 8 0 0 0 0%
Number of youth rights
organizations
0 8 0 0 0 0%
R2.8 # of beneficiaries reached
through joint cross-sector
activities.
Number 0 320 0 39 39 12% LGAP has organized integrations forums
and have reached 39 USAID
implementing partners.
Male 0 160 0 29 29 18%
Female 0 160 0 10 20 13%
Result 3: Decentralization Policy Environment and Systems Improved
R3.1 # of policies to devolve
authority to district
governments being
implemented with USG
assistance(Custom)
Number 0 1 1 1 1 100% HR payroll policy implementation in 28
districts councils
R3.2 # of sectoral budgets being
managed by district
governments(Custom)
Number 9 9 9 9 9 100%
HR budget 0 9 0 0 0 0%
Asset budgets 0 0 0 0 0
Development budget 9 9 9 9 9 100%
R3.3 # of policies regulations, and/or
administrative procedures in
stages of development as result
of USG assistance(CDCS)
Number 0 11 3 13 13 118% HR payroll devolution policy, HR
integrations, Devolution plan, district
development plans, Local authority
performance guidelines and Local
government act review, taxation policy,
revenue generation reforms
National 0 3 0 5 5 167%
Stage 1: Analysed 0 1 0 1 1 100% HR integration policy
Stage 2: Drafted and presented
for public/stakeholder
consensus
0 1 3 1 1 100% LAPA guidelines produced.
50
Stage 3: Presented for
legislation/decree
0 2 0 2 2 100% Devolution plan & Local Government Act
Stage 4: Passed/approved 0 0 0 0 0
Stage 5: Passed for which
implementation has begun.
0 0 0 1 0 HR payroll devolution
Sub National 0 8 0 8 0 0%
Stage 1: Analysed 0 0 0 8 0 Socio economic profiles have been
produced in 8 councils and this lead to
DDP development
Stage 2: Drafted and presented
for public/stakeholder
consensus
0 0 0 0 0
Stage 3: Presented for
legislation/decree
0 0 0 0 0
Stage 4: Passed/approved 0 0 0 0 0
Stage 5: Passed for which
implementation has begun.
0 0 0 0 0
R3.4 # of district with completed
annual performance
assessments(Custom)
Number 0 8 0 0 0 0%
R3.5 # of integration or cross cutting
forums, joint work planning
activities, sector/technical
working groups held with USG
assistance(Custom
Number 0 9 2 6 8 89% In FY17, 8 integrations forums will be
held and the forums will increase by 20%
each year. These are district based
integration forums
National 0 1 2 1 3 300%
Sub National 0 8 0 5 5 63%
51
CHALLENGES Challenges Action
Underreporting of M&E data
especially financial data
Assign dedicated financial data clerks in councils to enter
financial data. Compare council from parallel system and
NLGFC submitted to ensure similarities
Inadequate record management
processes at council level
Support the maintained of the integrated database, Support
councils with lockable cabins to ensure safe keeping of records
Different reporting timeliness with
the council
Review the reporting dates and have data reported with one
month lag
Inadequate knowledge and skills
among LGAP staff in M&E
Mentoring and hands on training of front line staff in PIRS and
M&E guide
Weak coordination and integration
of the district M&E
Capacity the District Monitoring and Evaluation Committee to
support performance reporting and data use
Weak functioning of the IFMIS
affecting accurate reporting of
financial data
Mentor and coach in IFMIS modules affecting data entry and
reporting
52
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
STTA in the Reporting Period From April to June 2017, LGAP retained the services of the following STTA to support key programmatic
deliverables.
Patrick
Mutabwire
To conduct a Rapid Assessment on the functionality of
councillors plus implement the recommendations of the
assessment
Paschal Ntanda To conduct a Rapid Assessment on the functionality of
councillors plus implement the recommendations of the
assessment
Silver Oyet-
Okeny
Implementation of the recommendations of the review of
the laws governing tax revenue environment in the councils
of February 2017.
STAFFING Recruitment efforts continued to be a main project priority during this reporting period. At the beginning
of the quarter, the following positions were vacant:
1. TD-PFMA
2. Finance Specialist
3. Communications Specialist
4. Procurement Specialist
5. Institutional Development Coordinator- Blk
6. Institutional Development Coordinator- KU
7. District Coordination Assistant
In May the TD-PFMA was filled with Phaniso Kalua moving from Decentralisation Manager to occupy this
key position. The Communication Specialist also reported on July 1, 2016.
Below, is a list of the current LTTA on the program:
53
Name Post
Virginia Chitanda Chief of Party
Jeremy Keeton Technical Director Integration
Alfred Kamphonje Deputy Chief of Party
Brenda Kacheche Institutional Capacity Specialist
Phaniso Kalua Technical Director PFM
Chiliritso Gwaza Administrative Officer
Addien Katawa Information Technology Officer
Chisomo Milazi Administrative Assistant
Macwilliam Shumba Driver
Chrissy Maleyi Office Assistant
Ernest Mlenga M&E Officer -(ICA)
Aaron Luhanga District Programme Manager(Centre &
North)
Davie Chikoti Local Government Manager
Bronex Kathyola Grants Specialist
Tapson Ndundu ME&L Director
Phaniso Kalua Decentralization Manager
Edson Kamtukule
Chimwemwe Mangeni Social Accountability Manager
54
Phunziro Ngaiyaye Accountant
Bright Saka District Coordination Assistant-
Kasungu
Mtende Msendama District Coordination Assistant- Balaka
Francis Bonongwe District Coordination Assistant-
Blantyre
Jimmy Kwangwani Integration Coordinator-Blantyre
Elton Edward Program Manager-Blantyre
Dalton Binali Integration Coordinator-Balaka
Simeon Kumichembo Procurement and Logistics Assistant
Moses Aaron Program Manager- Balaka
Micheal Mwachilale Public Finance Management Specialist-
Lilongwe
Dennis Chikunkhuzeni Public Finance Management Specialist-
Blantyre
Christina Nyambalo Communication and Outreach Specialist
Anthony Liyao PFMS- Kasungu
Annie Jimu Integration Coordinator
Chifundo kasonga Project Driver- Bt
Davie Simale Project Driver- Bt
Benjamin Phiri Project Driver- Ku
Smith Sikelo Project Driver- Blk
Edwin Msewa Social Accountability Manager
55
Victor Lowe Project Driver- HO
Abby Masikamu Project Driver- Bt
Tisungane Nanthoka Institutional Development Coordinator-
Blk
Hentry Mwale Institutional Development Coordinator-
KU
Jessie Njikho District Coordination Assistant
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 56
FYQ4 ACTIVITIES • Facilitate the dissemination of the LGAP baseline assessments
• Facilitate the review and administration of the Local Authority Performance Assessment system
in collaboration with the MLGRD
• Assess Councils decentralised structures on utilization of information for decision-making
Promote data use at VDC, ADC and Council
• Support councils to ensure the maintenance of complete paper records as per guidelines, with
timely reporting to DECs. Support councils with learning resource centers/library of
documents/lockable cabin
• Design and update the LGAP Geographical Information System
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 57
PART III – PROGRESS AND FINDINGS BY SECTOR
Below is a table that summarises the key achievement of LGAP by sector. These are the number of people reached because of USG assistance.
However, on Citizen Perception survey the numbers represent the actual responses based on the number of questions on which the citizens
participated.
No Activity and its impacts Education Health Agriculture Governance CSO Total Next steps
1 Development of Socio Economic Profiles.
By improving local government
performance, LGAP will strengthen local
planning and service delivery in education.
In total 100 council DEC staff were
involved and reached.
12 20 16 44 8 100 Develop the District
Development Planning
Framework
Development of the District
development plans for the
eight councils
2 Citizen Perception survey. This quarter
LGAP completed the citizen perception
survey (CPS) for the first time, reaching
over 12,000 households in all LGAP
districts. Citizens were generally most
pleased with the government sub-
structures closest to them, and had a
particularly positive view of the work of the
Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs). In
addition, 84% were satisfied with the Village
action planning process
1,440 1,440 960 5280 288
0
12,000 Develop implementation
strategies in order to
improve quality of service
delivery in collaboration
with USAID implementation
partners
3 HMIS formal training for improved salary
processing in councils. The devolution of
human resources was buttressed by the
devolution of devolved civil servants’
payroll, starting with staff in the education,
health and agriculture sectors at the council
level. A total of 146 council staff were
41220
36068
20610
5153
0 103051
Ensure complete transfer of
users’ rights to council staff
for continued salary
processing at the council.
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 58
trained in salary payroll and 103,051
employees received there salaries in time.
Support councils with
computer infrastructures for
easy process of salaries
4 Local authority performance assessment.
A final LAPA tool has been developed that
includes sectors such agriculture, health
and education performance areas. In
addition, the LAPA includes the public
financial management, HR planning, and
governance. This tool will be used to assess
council performance in each year. This in
itself will ensure capacity building of
councils and improve its services. In total
145 council, NLGFC, MALGA, LASCOM,
MLGRD, Ministries and CSO staff have
been consulted.
15 18 14 98 0 145 Train council DEC in the
new LAPA tools.
Councils undertake LAPA
self-assessments.
MLGRD conduct LAPA
external assessments in
August 2017
5 The first Integration Forum was held in
Lilongwe, bringing together flagship USAID
implementing partners from across the
agriculture, education, environment, and
health sectors. This will improve
coordination and collaborations of USAID
implementing partners and council sector
staff in the districts. In total 39 USAID IP
and sector staff has been reached.
8 15 16 0 0 39 Develop joint work plans
and identify key activities for
collaborations
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 59
6 Updating of final accounts. In the third
quarter Balaka, Machinga and Zomba
Councils all managed to come up with the
final accounts for the previous years that
were lagging behind for some years. This
will enhance financial accountability and
will also reduce qualified audits in LGAP
supported districts. 51 council staff has
participated.
10 14 15 12 0 51 Provide hands-on support to
the Councils to make sure
that their books remain
current.
Invest in preparing the
council for them to declare
their accounts for audits.
Share financial reports with
the citizens to ensure
transparency
7 Review of scorecard applicability in LGAP
project. This will improve citizens and civil
society to participate and engage with
government in the planning, administration,
and monitoring of public services and public
sector decision making. 48 council staff and
CSOs were reached.
2 3 2 6 35 48 Incorporating ongoing
scorecard efforts into the
LAPA.
Incorporating citizen
participation questions
within the GeoPoll Surveys.
Using evidence from the
GeoPoll Surveys and LAPA
data, conduct deeper
qualitative.
Increasing Media
Engagement on Social
Accountability.
Promoting Public
Expenditure Tracking (PET).
8 Interface of HR devolution stakeholders.
148 HR staff and HRMD staff participated.
39 35 32 42 0 148 Support a sustained
engagement of HR
devolution stakeholders to
develop a harmonized and
costed roadmap of
completing the devolution
process.
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 60
Support a systematic
implementation of the
roadmap (staff integration
and rationalization) with
proactive involvement of
controlling officers and
councils.
9 Hands-on payroll processing. 149 council
staff has been trained.
39 35 32 43 0 149 Engage central government
on completing transfer of
HRMIS & IFMIS for payroll
processing to councils.
Facilitate technical support
to councils on refining salary
processing through
mentoring.
1
0
Councilors training (Finance Service
Committee). Councilors understood which
type of reports to demand from the
Director of Finance, the Procurement
Officer and the Internal Auditor. This will
enhance accountability and oversight in the
councils. 54 councillors in finance
committees were mentored.
0 0 0 54 0 54 Support council secretariat
to compile quality financial
reports
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 61
ANNEX I: SUCCESS STORY – PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT
CAPACITIATION OF BLANTYRE DISTRICT COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE ON
OVERSIGHT ROLE
WEDNESDAY 7TH JUNE TO THURSDAY 8TH JUNE 2017
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 62
BEST PRACTICE: POMPO-POMPO KNOWLEDGE TRANSFERENCE
AND REINFORCEMENT
Introduction: The ability of members of the Blantyre Council Finance Committee to immediately apply knowledge and
skills acquired during training at a District Council Finance meeting offers evidence of retention of
information and potential for reinforcement of the learning experience. The proximity of the dates of the
training to the Council Finance meeting created a useful and relevant learning experience to apply recently
acquired tools of their oversight functions to practice. Among other things, members of the Finance
Committee reported that with increased understanding of their oversight function they actively
participated in demanding relevant reports and adherence to appropriate processes of accountability.
The training was conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, while the District Council Finance Committee
meeting was held on Friday.
This training was demand-driven and goal oriented.
1. Context of Intervention:
Blantyre District Council has had councilors since 2014. The expectation is that for three years they have
been providing the much needed oversight role. The Finance Committee of the Council has, among other
duties, to ensure safeguard of public funds at the Council.
Meetings conducted by LGAP team with the Finance Committee members revealed that much as the
members have tried to provide the finance oversight role, most of them felt they had no basic accounting
knowledge and skills to scrutinize finance reports provided to them during Finance Committee meetings.
In addition, they indicated that they had no clue as to what type of reports they had to scrutinize and how
to link such reports to budgeting documents like the work plans, the procurement plans, capital budgets,
and output based budgets (or program based budgets).
The Chairperson of the Finance Committee requested LGAP team to train members on how they can
best execute the finance oversight role by equipping them with the basic accounting knowledge and skills
in readiness of the finance committee meeting schedule that week Friday. LGAP team responded by
coming up with a two-day training on the oversight role of councilors.
The training was conducted on the 7th and 8th of June 2017 respectively and the members were trained
on various topics which included:
1. Functions and services for which councils have a mandate.
2. How a council works and the nature of the accountability system.
3. Roles and functions of finance and audit committee.
4. The type of reports that should be presented to the finance and audit committee.
5. Interpreting basic financial reports from IFIMIS (practical session).
6. Members should be able to understand the planning and budgeting process.
7. Members should be able to understand the link between budgeting documents and actual finance
reports.
The training used the Council’s second quarter financial report for the practical session and members had
hands on experience in interpreting financial information and linking them to the financial documents.
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 63
Blantyre District Finance committee members having a practical session on how to interpret
financial reports
At the end of the two-day training session an evaluation was done. Most of participants expressed
confidence that, if reports were provided to them, they had the acquired the necessary aptitude to
scrutinise them and provide input or recommendations to the full council. Some of their action
commitments following the workshop included:
“Make sure that all reports are given to us in good time”
“My capacity will be higher [than before] and people from my community will be changed”
“Make sure that the Council uses IFSMIS all the time”
“Ndikagwira ntchito ndi office ya zachuma, DOF, DPO, DC and Finance Committee.” (I am well
disposed to work with DOF, DPO, DC and Finance Committee).
“I will be able to make decisions with backing “
“Make sure that the internal auditor gives reports to Finance Committee in terms of Control”
“Monitoring will not be a problem on finance”
“I will be able to scrutinize financial documents without difficulties”
“Make sure that the Licensing Board is functioning and visiting premises in all licensed areas.”
“I will influence my community.”
After the training, it was now up to the members of the Finance Committee to put what they had learned
into practice and the opportunity was the Finance Committee meeting for the Council which was
scheduled for Friday the same week.
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 64
Informal discussion with the training participants suggest that during the meeting members of the Finance
Committee demanded that the Secretary should forthwith provide reports at least seven days before a
meeting. It was also reported that when members noted that most reports were not available, they
demanded that all relevant reports should be given to the Committee. The Secretary only presented one
report called the sector-wide report which members felt did not provide adequate information on its own.
The Finance Committee also claimed to have managed to scrutinise the sector-wide report and input was
provided on over expenditure which were inherent in the report.
According to the chairperson of the Finance Committee, the training was timely as it gave them a chance
to look at issues before the year-end and that they have a chance to correct issues before the next budget
starts.
2. Lessons for Best Practice:
Effectiveness of interventions that aim to capacitate beneficiaries with ability, skills, understanding and
information to perform effectively requires immediate learning reinforcement through practice. The
juxtaposition of training and practice improves retention of information. The ability of participants to use
information and skills acquired through training to their official functions is a vita indicator of the potential
impact of such an intervention. But, most important is the need to ensure that training is demand-driven
and relevancy-oriented.
3. Conclusion:
It is clear from this experience the ability of members of the Blantyre Council Finance Committee to
immediately apply knowledge and skills acquired during training was enhanced by the goal-driven nature
of the training need identification, the relevance of the content, the practical dimension of learning process,
and its reinforcement through the transfer of knowledge and skills from a workshop to a real-life
situation.
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 65
ANNEX II – LAPA STRATEGIC ISSUES AND PROPOSED ACTIONS Specific issues Key strategic actions
LAPA is generally felt to be a useful tool to help councils improve performance in
implementation of their mandates. It’s made even more useful in view of the public
sector reforms and decentralization. Its contributed to efforts to address the
business as usual attitude and service delivery
Integrate the LAPA as part of the local authority reforms program
as a performance assessment tool for local councils to enhance
service delivery
The LAPA promoted competitive spirit among councils which tends to enhance
performance. It provided an incentive to councils to work harder
The LAPA process resulted in development of Council Capacity Development
Plans. Unfortunately, the plans were largely not implemented
The LAPA process has also helped other players such as the ODPP to improve
access to procurement plans from councils
One size fits all design meant that urban councils had most of their mandates not
covered in the LAPA. It was more inclined to the needs of district councils
Develop separate LAPAs for urban and district councils to address
the varied mandates
The LGA provides a legal and policy framework for implementation of the LAPA.
Enforcement of its provisions is however weak and sometimes restrictive to
efficient delivery of council service delivery. For example, Local Councils remain
with limited mandate in functions such as policing, land administration,
procurement of vehicles, promotion of trade and commerce. The MLGRD, Min of
Lands & Department of Physical Planning yet to devolve some of their functions to
district and urban councils. This has tended to affect effect urban and district
council capacity to implement its mandates.
Provisions of the LGA that hinder the efficient delivery of council
services should be reviewed in the context of devolution of power
Central government funds transfers contribute to around 85% of the council
budgets. This situation implies that councils remain reliant on government funding
rather than locally generated revenues.
Strengthen resource mobilization capacity for local councils to
enhance their revenues and overall financial capacity
Most councils have expired SEPs and DDPs. Many did not have the output based
Integrated Annual Work plans as required by the NLGFC, which shows limited
commitment and capacity to embrace good management practice.
Designated resources in council budgets towards development of
SEPs and DDPs to guarantee their timely availability to strengthen
council planning capacity
The presence of councillors is a positive development in helping to enforce LAPA
assessment results. However, the oversight role of councillors on council
The LAPA capacity development plan should consider training of
councillors in governance issues and financial management
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 66
secretariats is often undermined by capacity limitations resulting from low
education levels among councillors
The current ongoing review of the LGA is proposing MSCE as a
minimum academic qualification for councillors to stand in
elections. This may create room for improved capacity of
councillors to oversee council secretariats on performance.
LAPA is largely implemented on ad-hoc basis. Has been largely headquarter and
donor driven since its inception. Also councils often confine project appraisal to
externally funded projects ignoring council funded projects
LAPA needs to be part of the wider performance management
system of government in local authorities that is council driven not
headquarters driven
Central government has been often unable to remit revenue payments due to
urban councils such as rentals which has tended to affect revenue collection
targets for the councils and affected service delivery
Improve timeliness of remission of revenue payments from central
government to urban councils. If not improved, the LAPA needs to
take this into consideration to avoid unfairly assessing councils
poorly.
LAPA Performance areas largely focused on financial management and governance
performance areas yet financial support remained the weakest link in achievement
of good performance in the LAPA experience. Scores were also heavily weighted
towards these performance areas as compared with other areas. Overall, it was
heavy on process areas and limited on measuring impacts to offer more solid
performance assessment of councils
Apart from process based performance areas, the new LAPAs
should include performance areas based on the service mandates
of councils as stipulated in the Local Government Act.
Align indicators with the new program based budgets for councils
Include outcome level indicators for key sectors (Agric, Health &
Education)
Add team building indicator to leadership under management
The LAPA tool assesses the secretariat and leaves out the political arm of the
council which sometimes exert undue influence on secretariats causing the poor
performance.
Factor in the relationship between the political and management
arm of councils in the LAPA assessment performance areas
Employment of varied LAPA assessment teams across the country has potential to
create inconsistences
Use one independent and well-structured and multi sectoral
assessment team in all councils to avoid inconsistences. The use of
independent consultants can also be explored
The use of MLGRD has the potential to undermine independence of the
assessment teams
The involvement of MLGRD staff in LAPA assessment teams needs
to be avoided to enhance their independence and trust in the
assessment outcomes
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 67
Assessment of councils as equals is generally felt to be unfair as all councils are at
different levels of age, capacity and type
Undertake grading of councils and create standard performance
measures relevant to the grades to ensure fairness. Comparing
Blantyre District Council on equal terms with Neno district council
seems very unfair.
Awards should also be done against specific performance areas
(special categories). This will enrich the overall performance results
as done during MISA awards
The LAPA scores range is rather too short and to an extent misleading. There
were cases when councils got a zero score on the Likert scale yet the actual score
showed 70%
The scores range of 0-3 on the Likert scale for the LAPA needs to
be wider to give the assessment more meaning
Results presentation seemed intended more on naming and shaming. This has the
potential to demotivate some council leaders instead of encouraging them.
The LAPA results announcement needs to focus more on lesson
sharing and learning among councils not shaming
Stakeholders generally felt that winning councils did not adequately demonstrate
corresponding levels of performance in service delivery. This shows that evidence
of performance was generally weak as it focused more on process indicators not
impact indicators
Strengthen the administration of the LAPA through increased
independence, transparency and impact based evidence
Weak rewards regime for the LAPA performance assessment. It rewards councils
ignoring individuals that caused the performance
Develop a rewards system that celebrates corporate as well as
individual performance at council level to improve performance
Cumbersome LAPA tool that is not user friendly Develop a smaller tool that is web based and user friendly and
automated to produce trends/reports as done in the health sector
using ODK technology
Limited capacity building as a result of LAPA assessment
Improve resource mobilization to support LAPA capacity building
plans
Previous capacity building plans largely not implemented due to lack of resources Allocate local council resources towards implementation of
capacity building plans to avoid relying on donor funds. External
funding needs to be complimentary
Currently the LAPA remains donor driven. Without donor funding streams, it has
not been able to progress. However, there is a strong opportunity at Council level
to integrate it through ongoing review of DDPs and Reforms
Current review of DDPs & Reforms should integrate the LAPA as
a performance measurement tool at council level to enhance
sustainability
The LAPA tool focuses largely on assessing higher echelons of councils ignoring
lower levels of implementation such as EPAs in agriculture and health centres in
the health sector.
To achieve improved council performance, the LAPA tool should
be institutionalized to transcend to lower levels of implementers
such as health centres and EPAs
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 68
ANNEX III: INTERVENTION DESIGN & IMPACT EVALUATION
PLANNING Tax Decentralization Impact Evaluation
Prepared by: Kate Stotesbery, Research Assistant at NORC
Summary
The tax decentralization project, as a partnership between NORC and DAI, proposes a set of
interventions and a research methodology to test whether increasing services/support to vendors or
services/support to market fee collectors is a more effective way to increase own-source revenue
collection in Malawian markets.
Crucially, it will be implemented as a randomized control trial at the market level in the eight LGAP
districts. The two sets of interventions are: those aimed at increasing vendor compliance (“Bottom-Up”),
and those aimed at improving zone manager collection and remittance (“Top-Down”). Between August
2017 and August 2018, the LGAP program will work directly with the district staff to implement the below
treatments in markets that have been randomly chosen
1. Market Vendor Committees
Activity Person Responsible Timeline Resources
Required
Determine/Develop
Election & Training
Protocols
Davie Chikoti
Late June 2017
Hire Temporary
Workers to Assist with
Elections & Trainings in
All Treatment Districts
Davie Chikoti
Late July 2017 Wages for
Temporary
Workers
Hold Market Elections
in Treatment Markets
Without Elected
Committees
Davie Chikoti, LGAP
PMs
August 2017 Transportation
Stipends for
Councilors, Hired
Staff Wages
Hold Market
Committee Trainings
for Treatment Markets
with District Council
Davie Chikoti, LGAP
PMs
August 2017 Transportation
Stipends for
Councilors, Hired
Staff Wages
Create LGAP Budget
for Market Kickoff
Events
Davie Chikoti, LGAP
PMs
Late June 2017
Create LGAP Budget
for Market Unveiling
Events
Davie Chikoti, LGAP
PMs
July-August 2017
Hold Market Kickoff
Events
Davie Chikoti, LGAP
PMs
August 2017 Budget for
Refreshments,
Transport
Bottom-Up Interventions
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 69
Overview: This is a three-part intervention, aimed at supporting the fair elections of market vendor
committees and at holding visible, (high profile) intervention kickoff events and construction unveiling
events to signal the partnership of local government and USAID in market interventions. Headed up by
Davie, these will include having LGAP support the trainings on market committee elections, holding both
unveiling and kickoff meetings in each treatment market, and providing ongoing support.
Theory Tested: This intervention is aimed to test whether providing vendors with high degree of
involvement in running market affairs, through elected vendor committees—and a clear representative to
interact with the district government on their behalf—would improve vendors’ willingness to pay taxes.
The PIs theorized that providing vendors with more representation and empowerment might increase
compliance.
Implementation: Ernest will design the details of this intervention collaborate with Dave and
coordinate its implementation at every step with the technical team in each LGAP district. The first step
of this intervention is to create a central, widely applicable protocol on market committee elections that
can be applied in each LGAP district. Next, the LGAP teams will implement this protocol in markets that
have not held elections, by holding elections according to the defined protocol in bottom-up treatment
markets.
After all markets that have been randomly selected for this treatment have functional, openly elected
market committees, the LGAP team will work directly with the district councils to train the market
committees according to the GIZ training manual. Davie will determine to what degree the councilors are
involved in these trainings, and coordinate the details of those.
Next, the LGAP team will set a budget for the market “kickoff” events, and begin to plan these events
for August 2017. These events will be publicly attended events with soda, a few speakers, etc., and
attended by local councilors. Their aim is to show that the councilors in this area are directly invested in
the progress of this market and involved in interventions in this district.
Key Events and Actions:
- Market Kickoff Event
- Market Committee Elections
- Market Committee Trainings
- Market Unveiling Event
Actions:
1. Determine the protocol for market committee elections (where there are none), and how
the market committee handbook from GIZ and USAID that will be used for training. Come
to a consensus on this general protocol for all LGAP districts.
2. Gain buy-in from both the secretariat and council side in each district.
3. Assess how many of the treatment markets (decided in August 2017) are led by elected
chair persons in the market committees.
Hold Market Unveiling
Events
Davie Chikoti, LGAP
PMs
November-December
2017
Budget for
Refreshments,
Transport
Provide Periodic
Support for Market
Committees, Mediating
Disputes
Davie Chikoti, LGAP
PMs
January-May 2018
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 70
4. Work directly with the PMs in each LGAP district to plan the market committee elections
in places where there currently are none—ONLY among bottom-up treatment districts.
5. Work directly with the PMs in each LGAP district to plan the market kickoff events (set a
budget, send invitations, arrange for councilors to attend) in all bottom-up treatment
markets.
6. Work directly with the PMs in each LGAP district to plan the market committee trainings,
in coordination with the local councilors. This will involve the PMs being fully trained on the
contents of the market training manual that GIZ and USAID developed, then holding
individual trainings in all bottom-up treatment markets.
7. Work directly with the PMs in each LGAP district to plan the construction unveiling events
(set a budget, send invitations, arrange for councilors to attend).
2. Improved Service Delivery
Overview: This intervention aims to improve public services/physical infrastructure in each market.
Within a $5000 USD budget per treatment market, LGAP hopes to offer the market committees a suite
of four to five construction options, from which they can choose one.
Working in close coordination with public architects in the Department of Public Works, we hope to cut
overhead costs by using publicly available blueprints and designs. By partnering with public architects that
have offered their help, we hope to be able to provide this suite of construction options across every
treatment market in LGAP districts while staying within budget.
Activity Person Responsible Timeline Resources
Required
Finalize Suite of
Construction Options
Within Budget
Infrastructure Specialist
Late June 2017
Gain USAID Approval
for Construction Plans
Infrastructure Specialist August 2017
Liaise With Public
Architects to Gain
Designs, Detailed
Budgets
Infrastructure Specialist June-July 2017
Create Detailed
Timeline and
Procurement Process
for Each Construction
Option
Infrastructure Specialist June-July 2017
Offer Construction
Options to Each
Market Committee,
Facilitate Decision-
Making
Jeremy Keeton, Social
Accountability,
Infrastructure Specialist
August-December 2017 Construction Budget
Funds
Hire Contractors for
Each Project
Infrastructure Specialist August-December 2017 Construction Budget
Funds
Periodic Monitoring,
Support for
Construction Projects
Infrastructure Specialist,
LGAP PMs
September 2017-January
2017
Construction Budget
Funds
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 71
Theory Tested: One of the most commonly cited reasons that vendors gave for not paying their taxes
was that they saw few government services in their market. With many vendors citing that they believed
that their district government was supposed to provide 25% of the fees back into the market, the direct
expectation of public infrastructure and services for market fees was pervasive. We want to test the
theory that, if USAID and the district government can use a grant to “jump start” service delivery, then
vendors will be more likely to pay their taxes. With this increase in revenue, hypothetically, local
governments may be both more well-equipped and incentivized to continue these public service projects
and maintenance.
Implementation: When the Infrastructure Specialist joins DAI in late June, the construction intervention
will largely be their responsibility. They will continue the process of obtaining precise bids on each
construction option, sourcing publicly available designs of each of these, and securing contractors that
meet USAID regulations in each district. Likewise, they will follow the outlined timeline to communicate
the construction options to each market committee and facilitate that decision-making process.
Tentative Budgeting for Construction Options:
Project Appx. Budget Details
Borehole MK3.5 million
($4800 USD)
- Contact: Macpherson Nkhata, specialist in boreholes in the water
division of Agriculture
- Average borehole price is about $3.5 million MK, but warned that it
could be a little less ($3 million) for a shallow dig, and more like $4
million if the water table was deeper. This cost includes labor, a
surveyor and the materials for a manual borehole.
- Approval process should be streamlined, can drill while awaiting final
approval
- We have public borehole designs
Permanent
Washing
Station
TBD - Contact: Margaret Nkosi, the Project Architect for Rural Growth
Centre Developments in Public Works
- Awaiting precise quote
Garbage Bins $1000 USD - Contact: Margaret Nkosi, the Project Architect for Rural Growth
Centre Developments in Public Works
- She has offered to provide architectural plans to USAID pro bono
Paving
Pathways
Size-Dependent,
$5000 USD
- - Contact: Margaret Nkosi, the Project Architect for Rural Growth
Centre Developments in Public Works
- Plans, approval should be easy
Electricity TBD
Security TBD
Market Stalls Size-Dependent,
$5000 USD
- Contact: Margaret Nkosi, the Project Architect for Rural Growth
Centre Developments in Public Works
- She will provide plans for market stalls within budget pro bono
Key Events and Actions:
- Finalize Construction Options and Quotes
- Facilitate Market Committee Decision on Construction Project
- Invite Local Bids
- Gain USAID Approval for Construction Plans
- Facilitate Construction in All Bottom-Up Treatment Districts
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 72
As the construction and other interventions take place in these markets, the LGAP district team will
provide periodic support and further training to the market committees in the treatment markets. When
the construction projects are completed, the LGAP team will hold “unveiling” events for those projects;
these will be very similar in form and budget to the “kickoff” public events, and will take place immediately
after the construction projects have been completed.
3. SMS Messaging & Transparency
Overview: Prior research in Malawian markets indicated that low information about the amount of
money that tax collectors turned into the district seemed to be directly linked with vendors’ refusal to
pay taxes. To test this connection, this intervention will allow vendors in bottom-up treatment markets
to receive monthly SMS messages detailing the amount of money from their market making it back to the
district. It will also provide them with a platform to report abuses or fraud from tax collectors.
Theory Tested: Prior research in markets across Malawi indicated that vendors’ low level of information
about how much money was being “leaked” after collection contributed greatly to tax noncompliance.
Their lack of information about corruption broke down trust in government and seemed to be directly
linked to refusals to pay market taxes. The theory we test here is whether the dissemination of
Activity Person Responsible Timeline Resources
Required
Finalize Contract with
mHub
Jeremy Keeton June 2017 Budget for mHub
Services
Determine Details of
SMS Registration
System
Jeremy Keeton June 2017
Work With PFMs
Reforming IFMIS to
Gain Market-Level
Revenue Reports
Jeremy Keeton July-August 2017
Design, Procure SMS
Advertising Posters
for Each Treatment
Market
Jeremy Keeton/ Comms July-August 2017 Funds for Printing
Create System for
Monthly IFMIS
Market-Level Reports
to be Sent to mHub
Jeremy Keeton, LGAP
PMs/ M&E
August-September 2017
Roll Out mHub SMS
Reporting in
Treatment Markets,
Meeting with Vendor
Committees Where
Applicable
Comms, Jeremy Keeton,
LGAP PMs
August-December 2017
Monitor and Assist
with SMS Reports and
IFMIS Reporting
Jeremy Keeton, LGAP
PMs
September 2017-July
2018
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 73
information on tax collection increases citizens’ trust in government—and whether this leads to an
increase in tax collection revenue.
Implementation: This intervention will provide interested vendors in every bottom-up treatment
market with a monthly report about revenue collection in their market, as well as a platform to report
abuses by tax collectors or other issues experienced in the markets. These reports will be channeled to
the district governments.
Working directly with the Lilongwe startup mHub, Jeremy Keeton will secure a proposal from their
technical team providing a detailed plan to disseminate monthly IFMIS reports at the market level to all
vendors that sign up for the service. Jeremy will facilitate vendor sign-up in treatment markets, creating
informational posters that include the details of reporting and SMS reports. Likewise, he will liaise between
mHub’s system, the local LGAP technical team, and the market committees to create a fluid flow of
information between the stakeholders involved. Likewise, he will identify a point of contact in each market
committee (likely the chairperson) to be included in the discussions of SMS rollout.
Revenue Forecasting/Vendor Counting
Activity Person Responsible Timeline Resources
Required
Create Protocol for
Counting Vendors in
Treatment Markets
(Who Counts as in
Market, by Overall
Number vs. Good
Sold)
Davie Chikoti July 2017
Create Plan, Budget
for Hiring Temporary
Counters
District PMs July-August 2017
Set Schedule for
Counting – 2 Market
Day counts, 2 Non-
Market Day Counts
District PMs July-August 2017
Interview & Hire
Temporary Market
Vendor Counters
District PMs July-August 2017
Create Budget to
Hire for around 64
Market Counters,
Twice Monthly (Paid
in Airtime Vouchers)
District PMs July-August 2017 Airtime for 64
Market Counters,
Twice Monthly
Across all Districts
(NOT just focused on
treatment markets),
Institute Market-
Dennis Chikunkhenzi,
District PMs
June-July 2017 Transport to District
Offices
Top-Down Interventions
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 74
Overview: This intervention tests the potential link between the ability for districts to accurately forecast
revenue from every market and the revenue amounts they collect. By supporting efforts to count vendors,
coupled with the IFMIS reform to track market revenue in every LGAP district, this intervention aims to
better equip districts to track and project revenue in treatment markets.
Theory Tested: The preliminary research from indicated that there may be a link between low
information by a district about who sells in their markets—and how much to expect—and low remittance.
A major barrier to effectively collecting market fees is the inability of a district to either project funds
collection or accurately monitor the funds remitted. A key element to this is a lack of information about:
1) who actually sells in the market; 2) whether each vendor has been paying market fees; and 3) whether
tax collectors are truly remitting funds back to the district.
Implementation: LGAP is instituting reforms in every LGAP district finance office to enable market-
level revenue projection and tracking. In addition to this reform—across the whole of the project—this
intervention will specifically empower top-down treatment markets with an additional tool for revenue
projection. Sending in temporary workers to count market vendors on market days and non-market days,
this intervention aims to give districts and market committees both a more accurate picture of what kinds
of funds they can expect from a given market—and more accountability when funds are not remitted.
Level Revenue
Tracking
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 75
2. Mobile Money Fee Payments
Overview: This intervention will have fee collectors remit their funds directly into the district
government bank account via a mobile money vendor at the end of every market day, rather than holding
onto the funds for a week or two weeks until the district’s remittance day.
Theory Tested: The prior market research suggested that “leaks” occurred when tax collectors were
responsible for holding onto the funds they collected for a full week or two weeks before turning them
into the cashier’s office or depositing them directly into the district bank account. This intervention will
test that link, to examine whether district revenue from market tax collection increases when
opportunities for “leaks” are reduced and the potential security risk to each collector is also minimized.
Implementation: Using mobile money vendors (Airtel,), the districts will require that revenue
collectors/Agents/Market Masters in treatment markets remit funds on every market day or any day they
collect tax through Airtel. Through a mechanism set up by Airtel, Funds will automatically be pushed to
Council’s bank accounts without reaching any council’s member’s hands. Plans will be made for markets
that don’t have airtel money agents. One option is to ask Agents/Market masters to deposit money though
an airtel agent in a nearby trading center. LGAP through District offices will train and support local revenue
Activity Person Responsible Timeline Resources
Required
Determine the
Number of Markets
with Mobile Money
Vendors
Silver/District PFMs July 2017
Create Plan with
Mobile Money
Vendor to Bring
Services into
Treatment Markets
Without Vendors
Silver/TD-PFM July 2017
Facilitate Basic
Training for Tax
Collectors on Using
Mobile Money in
Collections
Silver/PFM Specialist/
Brenda K.
July-August 2017
Ensure that All
District Accounting
Offices are Equipped
for Shift to Mobile
Money Deposits
LGAP PFMs July-August 2017
Work with Districts
to Begin Mobile
Money Deposit
System
Silver/PFMs August-December 2017
Monitor Mobile
Money Deposits in
Treatment Markets,
Ensure Mobile Money
Providers Support
Silver/PFMs/M&E August
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 76
collectors where needed, with the involvement of the district government. Likewise, Ernest and the
district PFMs will ensure that the district governments are fully trained and bought into this change in the
system, particularly in the finance departments.
Next step: Airtel is supposed to come up with operational costs that councils will bear in the process. It
is estimated to be between 1-1.5% of council’s revenue. There are specific banks that have Airtel money
liked to its account, LGAP will have to support councils to open accounts that are Linked with Airtel
money facility.
3. Incentive-Based Pay for Local Collectors
Overview: This intervention aims to institute incentive-based pay for temporary collectors in treatment
markets, evaluating whether or not having an incentive pay structure motivates collectors more fully.
Theory Tested: The market scoping exercises revealed that many zone managers—and temporary fee
agents themselves—believed that fee collection would be more efficient and productive if there were
monetary incentives tied to successful fee collection. This intervention tests that link, by providing
incentive-based pay for only the agents in treatment districts.
Implementation: Working closely with the district PFMs and the Council Finance Committee, Silver
and/or Phaniso will institute an incentive-based pay structure in only treatment markets for agents only
(Temporary workers). After collecting thorough information about the current payment structure in each
LGAP district, Silver and Phaniso will determine the new incentive payment rates in each district, applied
only to the selected treatment markets, that is reasonable given existing district wage rates.
1. Balaka
2. Zomba
3. Mulanje
4. Lilongwe Rural
Activity Person Responsible Timeline Resources
Required
Determine Current
Pay Structure for
Temporary Workers
in all LGAP Districts
Silver, LGAP PFMs June-July 2017
Create New Payment
Rates in Each District,
in Coordination with
Council Finance
Committee
Silver, LGAP PFMs July-August 2017 Additional Funds in
Each District (Self-
Funded, not LGAP
grants)
Institute New
Payment Rates by
Commission in all
Treatment Markets
Silver/TD-PFM August 2017-January
2018
Monitor and Intervene
in Disputes
LGAP PMs/TD-PFM August 2017-January
2018
District Buy-In Progress & Contacts
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 77
5. Blantyre
6. Machinga
7. Kasungu
8. Mzimba
1. Balaka:
o Meetings:
▪ First: May 18th
• LGAP Attendees: Kate, Ernest
• District Attendees: DC, DOF, Assistant Accountants
▪ Second: June 1st
• LGAP Attendees: Kate, Ernest, Jeremy
• District Attendees: Council Finance Committee, other council
members, a few secretariat employees
o Progress:
▪ The Balaka secretariat side (May 18th meeting) was very on board with the plan,
but expected to have more questions when we revisited them with further
details on the interventions. The council was also engaged with the
interventions and bought into making them part of their programming this year;
they pushed back on the random assignment of markets, but that was expected
and it wasn’t ultimately a roadblock.
▪ The Full Council is meeting the week of June 5th, and after full council meets,
we will contact the LGAP POC in Balaka to get the final go-ahead. Balaka should
be ready to begin piloting the week the 12th, if that approval comes then.
o Contact:
▪ DOF
▪ LGAP Staff Contact: Michael Mwachilale
• Blantyre:
o Meetings:
▪ First: May 30th
• LGAP Attendees: Kate, Ernest, Jeremy
• District Attendees: DPD, Accountant, Chair of Finance Committee,
other councilors
▪ Second: N/A
o Progress:
▪ The Blantyre secretariat team is very much on board, and most councilors were
in agreement as well that the impact evaluation on taxation was a welcome and
needed aspect of LGAP support. Following up with further details will be key in
Blantyre.
▪ One point to note is that the council will be doing other activities in each
market, and they are open to input as to how to do this well around the impact
evaluation. There are two markets in Blantyre that will be privatized, likely.
▪ Their Council Finance Committee will meet the week of June 5th; there, the
LGAP PM will brief the committee and deliver updates, it will also be presented
by someone on the local LGAP team to full council on June 6-9th. By the 10th,
we should hear from Edson that we have finalized approval to go forward with
data collection.
o Contact:
▪ LGAP Staff Contact: Edson
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 78
• Secondary: PFM, Dennis Chikunkhuzeni
• Machinga:
o Meetings:
▪ First: May 31st
• LGAP Attendees: Kate, Ernest, Jeremy
• District Attendees: Council members, Chair of Council, Council Finance
Committee Chair, DC, etc.
▪ Second: N/A
o Progress:
▪ The Machinga DC and Council Chair (as well as most of the attendees) were
particularly excited about the tax decentralization project. The mobile money
component was particularly appealing to this district, where their tax collectors
reportedly have both a security risk and a risk of “leakage”, because they carry
around their collected earnings for a full two weeks before remitting. The
district does set their projections and their revenue tracking measures at the
individual market level, but they track revenue by hand rather than in the
electronic IFMIS system right now. One issue raised in Machinga is that they also
buy from a receipt/ticket supplier who produces unauthorized tickets. It’s also
noticeable that the DC’s main request was for toilets in the markets, although
DAI is not authorized to construct any toilets.
▪ Other notable points include that the district is currently experiencing a loss
from market tax collection; they currently spend more on paying the collectors
than they collect in the markets. Machinga also hoped that we could involve the
chiefs in the market committee activities. They also discussed the E-Ticketing
design that Zomba City is reportedly using.
▪ We didn’t discuss a concrete next steps as far as full council, etc.; we should
talk to Michael the week of June 5th for final approval to begin baseline data
collection.
o Contact:
▪ LGAP Staff Contact: Michael Mwachilale
• Zomba:
o Meetings:
▪ First: May 17th
• LGAP Attendees: Kate, Ernest
• District Attendees: DC, DOF, Chair of Council, other secretariat-side
officials
▪ Second: N/A
o Progress:
▪ The first meeting went very well, with the secretariat side on board and
certainly the DC as an ally in the project. We have not been able to meet with
councilmembers other than the Council Chair, because our follow-up meeting
was cancelled. However, the attendance at the first meeting was thorough, and
in a brief follow-up with just the DC, he still seemed invested in the project and
its timeline.
▪ We will need one more buy-in meeting, with the council finance committee,
before baseline data collection. We have tentatively scheduled this to take place
next week, with Michael as the LGAP representative, but this could change.
Michael is our main point person on the progress of Zomba.
o Contact:
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 79
▪ LGAP Staff Contact: Michael Mwachilale
• Mulanje:
o Meetings:
▪ First: May 30th
• LGAP Attendees: Kate, Ernest, Jeremy
• District Attendees: DPD, councilors, assistant accountant and cashier
▪ Second: N/A
o Progress:
▪ Mulanje seemed very receptive to the project, and councilors raised predictable
objections to randomizing districts, but had few issues beyond this. We have not
yet met with the DC or many of the councilors from the finance committee, but
this district seems largely on board and that follow-up could likely come later.
▪ We will check with Dennis about the status of their adoption and
communication of the project to the council.
o Contact:
▪ LGAP Contact: PFM, Dennis Chikunkhuzeni
• Lilongwe Rural:
o Meetings:
▪ First: May 19th
• LGAP Attendees: Kate, Ernest, Jeremy
• District Attendees: DPD, DOF, other secretariat-side officials
▪ Second: N/A
o Progress:
▪ Here, we met with strong resistance from Douglas, their DPD. We are
revisiting our strategy with approaching this district, and still considering
whether we may drop them from the study.
o Contact:
• Kasungu:
o Meetings:
▪ First: May 16th
• LGAP Attendees: Tapson, Lucy
• District Attendees:
▪ Second: N/A
o Progress:
▪ Notes forthcoming
o Contact:
▪ Coming
• Mzimba:
o Meetings:
▪ First: May 17th
• LGAP Attendees: Tapson, Lucy
• District Attendees:
▪ Second: N/A
o Progress:
▪ Notes forthcoming
o Contact:
▪ Coming
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 80
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 81
ANNEX IV: KEY RESULTS OF THE CITIZEN PERCEPTION SURVEY
The following section provides an overview of survey results across LGAP districts, including frequency
analysis and some 2x2 cross-tabulations especially with regard to differences among self-reported
education levels (and by proxy, income), and gender.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Regional Distribution of Sample
The survey asked respondents to identify what district they currently live in. Respondents who
reported living in Lilongwe, Blantyre or Mzuzu City were deemed ineligible for the survey. Despite
removing respondents from the major urban areas, 66% of respondents still described themselves as
living in an “urban” area. The survey asked respondents the highest level of education they had
completed. After adjusting for weighting, the survey found that 9% had completed no school, 43% had
completed primary school, 37% had completed secondary and 11% post-secondary school.
Gender
Most respondents reported that they were the head of
the household (53%), while 29% said they were not the
head of the household and 18% reported sharing
household decision-making.
9%
14%
9%
25%
8% 8%
16%
9%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Balaka Blantyre Kasungu Lilongwe Machinga Mulanje Mzimba Zomba
Responses by District (as a percentage of total)
52%
48%
Gender of Respondents
Female
Male
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 82
Age
DISTRICT COUNCIL AND SUB-STRUCTURE PERCEPTIONS
In most areas of perception of the district council, sub-structures and service delivery areas,
respondents were fairly evenly split in how they rated performance of the local government. In this
section we highlight citizen perceptions across these areas. Here we have included respondents that
responded being neutral to a particular question. In the district CPS Profiles we dropped those
respondents who responded neutrally to make the contrast between perceptions clearer.
We asked respondents if services in their community were better or worse than 5 years ago:
25%
28%
47%
Age Group of respondents
18-25
26-35
36+
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 83
Figure 1 - Responses to the question "Are government services in your community much worse, worse, better, much better or don't know? We asked respondents what they felt the job of the Village Development Committee is. 1) Write by-
laws 2) Make local government policy choices 3) Fix community needs 4) Train ADC in
tech/leadership/management
Response
Percentage of
respondents
Fix community needs 64%
Make local government policy choices 17%
Train ADC in tech/leadership/management 14%
Write by-laws 5%
Total 100%
Respondents were asked to rate their personal participation in the Village Action Planning process.
About 54% of respondents indicated some level of participation. How would you rate your overall
participation in the Village Action Planning process? Reply with a number. 1) None 2) Low 3) Average 4)
High 5) Very high
12%
29%
8%
37%
14%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Much worse Worse Don't know Better Much better
Perception of government services
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 84
Next, we asked respondents how they felt about the council’s responsiveness to community needs.
16%
30%
36%
13%
5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
None Low Average High Very high
Local Development Planning Participation Rate
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 85
Responses were similar to our question asking citizens to rate the quality of projects implemented by
their council.
Finally, we asked respondents to evaluate two areas of council performance related to financial
expenditure and transparency. Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with how their council
manages funds on projects or services; 42% of respondents said they were dissatisfied or very
dissatisfied with how the council manages its funds. On transparency, 37% of respondents reported
being satisfied or very satisfied with the accessibility of information from the councils.
10%
30%
30%
18%
12%
How satistified are you with how your council responds to community priority needs?
Very dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Neutral
Satisfied
Very satisfied
10%
27% 26%
21%
15%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very satisfied
How satisfied are you with the quality of projects implemented by your council?
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 86
SERVICE DELIVERY PERCEPTIONS
Module 1 of the CPS focused on service delivery in general, including questions about the perceived
roles of councilors and local government sub-structures. In Module II we asked questions specific to
sector services delivery.
As a starting point, we asked respondents to rank the services requiring the most improvement with
response options: health, education, water, agriculture, roads, bridges, and other. Respondents
answered as follows:
Health
Of the sectors covered by USAID Implementing Partners, citizens reported that health services required
the most improvement, with over 2,500 (23%) respondents out of our sample identifying the sector. In
the health sector we asked three questions related to service delivery asking respondents to think of
their most recent interaction with a health facility. Those questions were as follows:
• How satisfied were you with the behavior of the health worker during your last visit?
• How satisfied are you with the availability of medicines at your health facility?
• How satisfied are you with the work and involvement of the Health Advisory Committee?
Respondents answered as follows:
27%
23%
16%
13%
10%
7%
4%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Roads Health Water Education Agriculture Bridges Others
Services requiring the most improvement
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 87
13%
23%
20%
25%
19%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Very dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Neutral
Satisfied
Very satisfied
Satisfaction with Health Worker Behaviour (at last visit)
18%
29%
24%
17%
12%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very satisfied
Satisfaction with Availability of Medicines (at last clinic visit)
8%
23%
30%
23%
16%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very satisfied
Satisfaction level with Health Advisory Committee
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 88
Education
The education sector ranked fourth out of the seven sectors we identified, for which respondents felt
was most in need of improvement. Although teacher attendance in schools is often cited as an area in
need of improvement, citizens rated their satisfaction with teacher attendance higher than almost any
other area in the survey, with 56% reporting being satisfied or very satisfied with the availability and
attendance of teachers in their schools. This differed from the availability of learning and teaching
materials in schools, where respondents registered a relatively high level of dissatisfaction with 38% of
respondents reporting being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the availability of learning materials.
As with Health Advisory Committees, citizens generally seem happy with the work of the local Parent
Teachers Associations (PTAs), with over 55% of respondents reporting being satisfied with the work
and involvement of the PTA.
Agriculture
Among the sectors we asked respondents about in the survey, relatively few respondents (11%)
identified the Agricultural Sector as the sector which required the most improvement. While
respondents seemed generally satisfied with the quality of ag extension services in their area (with 48%
reporting being either very satisfied or satisfied) the Fertilizer Input Subsidy Programme registered the
highest level of dissatisfaction of any service sector-related question we asked. Over 53% of respondents
reported being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the programme’s performance.
DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION AMONG RESPONDENTS
In this section we note any significant differences in service delivery perception among three main
groups: gender, varying levels of education (and, as a proxy, income), and age. All differences noted were
statistically significant at the p=.95 level.
Differences of perception by gender
25%
30%
25%
15%
5%
Respondent's reporting satisfaction with work of PTA
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neutral
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 89
Overall, men and women generally mirrored each other
with respect to their perceptions of councils and service
delivery areas with a few exceptions:
• Women were more likely than men to feel like
they were adequately consulted by their ward
councilors;
• Women were more likely to report a higher level
of satisfaction with project implemented by the
council than men;
• Women were slightly more likely to report
dissatisfaction with the behavior of the health
worker they most recently interacted with;
• Men were more likely to report dissatisfaction
with the Feritlizer Input Subsidy Program than
women, although FISP was generally disliked by
both genders.
Differences of perception by education level
Generally, lower education levels were correlated with a
more pessimistic view of directionality of the districts, with people with no schooling more likely to
report that they were worse off than 5 years ago, than those with higher education levels. People with
lower levels of education were also likely to report being dissatisfied across most service sectors.
Satisfaction increased among those with some school, and then generally decreased again among those
with post-secondary educations.
Differences of perception by age
Across almost all perception areas, there was a negative correlation between perception and age,
meaning the older the respondent, the more likely they were to respond with dissatisfaction.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
No School Primary School SecondarySchool
Post-SecondarySchool
Overall perception of service delivery by education level
Percentage of respondents reporting services werebetter or much better than 5 years ago.
Figure 2 - Responses to the question: Are government services in your community better or worse than they were 5 years ago?
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 90
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 91
ANNEX V: DEVOLUTION PLAN MATRIX FOR THE MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
NO Sector Function Sub Function Components Devolved When to
Devolve
ISSUES/Comments Who
I DIRECTORATE OF RURAL DEVELOPENT
1.0 Improved
Coordination and
Implementation of
IRD Programs in
Councils
Rural Development Policy
and Strategy Development
SLGRD
/DRD
Dissemination of Policy and
Strategy in Rural
Development
MLGRD to handle issues up to
district council level
The council will handle issues at
ADC and VDC level
SLGRD /
DRD
Coordination and guiding of
and on Rural Development
Activities
Coordination and
guiding of and on Rural
Development Activities
at District council
July 2018 Lack of by laws on coordination
Low partner participation
Non-compliance by CSOs/NGOs
SLGRD/
DRD
Backstopping Councils in
Rural Development Initiatives
The MLGRD will be monitoring SLGRD/
DRD &
DOPP
2.0 Establishment of socio
economic
infrastructure
Construction of Rural
Growth Centres, Urban and
Rural Markets
Site selection
Procurement of
contractors for
construction
Project Management
Supervision of
construction Works
The actual construction
works
July 2018 Procurement and Management of
Contractors
Political Interference
The MLGRD will provide quality
control
Deciding where and when (district)
to construct
Coordinate the Mobilisation
resources by local and central
SLGRD/
DRD
&DOPP
Construction of Rural Roads Intra or inter districts
projects
Procurement of
contractors
July 2019 As in 20 above SLGRD/
DRD
&DOPP
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 92
NO Sector Function Sub Function Components Devolved When to
Devolve
ISSUES/Comments Who
Project Management
Supervision of
construction Works
Actual construction
works
Management of Micro-
projects
Devolution of micro-
projects
July 2018 Low level of local participation
Resistance from Central Ministries
SLGRD/
Local
Councils
DRD
&DOPP
3.0 Coordinating with line
ministries in providing
specific policies and
standards in relation
to rural development
Coordination and Anchoring
of Donor Funded Rural
Development Programmes
Central will coordinate with
mandated sectors in providing the
Designs, Standard and Checks and
Control
SLGRD/DR
D
Enforcement of policies,
standard and guidelines
at the lower level
July 2019 inadequate resources
Non-compliance by CSOs/NGOs
The district councils will be
reinforcing the adherence to
policies
SLGRD/Lo
cal
Councils
Council Monitoring and
Technical Inspection of
Implementation
The central will be providing
monitoring aspects to the councils
SLGRD/Lo
cal
Councils
DRD
DOPP
Management of core training
in development
The central will be managing the
training and development of staff
DRD
Facilitation of production of
Urban Structure Plans
Production of Urban
Structure Plans
Overlaps of DoPP and DRD
Ministry should focus on policy
formulation and national projects
SLGRD/DR
D
Urban
Councils
DOPP
II. POLICY AND PLANNING
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 93
NO Sector Function Sub Function Components Devolved When to
Devolve
ISSUES/Comments Who
1.0 Provision of Planning
and Programming
Services
Facilitate the development
and review of Policies,
Strategic Plans and Annual
Work plans.
Development of DDPs
and SEPs
Already
devolved
Inadequate capacity
Development of DDPs and SEPs
already devolved to the Councils
This mandate will remain in the
Ministry
SLGRD/D
OPP
2.Coordinate the formulation
/review of the Ministry’s
budgets
This mandate will remain in the
Ministry
SLGRD/D
OPP
Coordinate the formulation
of development programs
and projects.
Councils will formulate
their development
programs and projects
July 2018 inadequate resources
Non-compliance by CSOs/NGOs
Councils to plan and manage their
development project
Local
Councils
SLGRD/
DOPP
Facilitate implementation of
the reforms agenda
(Devolution of Micro
projects).
The councils will plan
and implement their
approved reforms
Planning for the micro-
project
July 2018 Resistance from Councils
Political interference
Local
Councils
DOPP
Provide policy and technical
backstopping in the
formulation of SEPs and
DDPs
Approval of DDPs and
SEPs
July 2018 Political interference
Local
Councils
DOPP
2.Facilitate the alignment of
the Local Level Plans to the
National Strategies in
collaboration with
MOFEP&D
The alignment will be
done by the council
The central will only provide
backstopping by providing
guidelines
Local
Councils
DOPP
3.Support capacity
strengthening for the
Directors of Planning and
Development
SLGRD/
EP&D
DOPP
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 94
NO Sector Function Sub Function Components Devolved When to
Devolve
ISSUES/Comments Who
Provide oversight role with
regard to Planning on the
functionality of Local
Governance Structures such
as VDC’s, ADC’s and DEC
Provide oversight role
with regard to Planning
on the functionality of
Local Governance
Structures such as
VDC’s, ADC’s and DEC
July 2019 Local development planning tools
due for review
This will be fully devolved to the
councils
SLGRD/
Local
Councils
Mainstreaming of
crosscutting issues in
Planning and Implementation
of projects
Mainstreaming of
crosscutting issues in
Planning and
Implementation of
micro-projects
July 2019 Some crosscutting issues not
devolved
Lack of guidelines
This include all the 9 crosscutting
issues
SLGRD/
DOPP
Local
Councils
2.0 Provision of M&E
Services
Coordinate M&E of programs
and projects.
Monitoring and
Evaluation of micro-
projects
July 2018 Lack of M&E Plan
Local
SLGRD/
Councils
DOPP
Conduct review sessions of
the national strategy for the
IRD sector, strategic plan,
annual work plan and annual
budget
Conduct M&E of the
recurrent & development
interventions
Conduct M&E of the
recurrent &
development
interventions
July 2018 Lack of M&E Plan for Council SLGRD/
DOPP,
Local
Councils
2.Facilitate capacity
development for M&E
Officers in collaboration with
EP&D
Capacity development
for frontline workers
involved in data
collection
July 2019 Lack of comprehensive capacity
development plan
Lack of integrated and coordinated
CBM&E
The Councils will focus on the
community based M&E
SLGRD/
EP&D
DOPP
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 95
NO Sector Function Sub Function Components Devolved When to
Devolve
ISSUES/Comments Who
Provide standards in terms of
M&E
In collaboration with EP&D
EP&D
DOPP
Integration of M&E Systems
in councils
Development and
management of Sector
Specific M&E Systems
District Database
Fragmented and parallel systems
Inadequate capacity
This will be done in collaboration
with line ministries and department
Local
Councils
DOPP
CROSSCUTTING ISSUES SECTION (FORMERLY UNDER ADMINISTRATION)
1.0 Enhanced
coordination of
crosscutting issues
programs
Development of harmonized
guidelines for crosscutting
issues
SLGRD
Nutrition/
HIV-AIDS
Coordination of
Decentralised HIV and AIDS
response
Coordination of
Decentralised HIV and
AIDS response at
council level
July 2018 inadequate resources
Non-compliance by CSOs/NGOs
MLGRD will be backstopping the
council through the SNHAO
(Former DACs)
SLGRD/Lo
cal
Councils
Nutrition/
HIV-AIDS
coordination of planning and
implementation of Nutrition,
crosscutting issues
coordination of
planning and
implementation of
Nutrition, HIV and AIDS
and other crosscutting
issues
July 2018 inadequate resources
Non-compliance by CSOs/NGOs
Councils to plan and manage their
development project
SLGRD
Local
Councils
Nutrition/
HIV-AIDS
Improved workplace
programmes at the Ministry,
Headquarters
Improved workplace
programmes in the
councils
Inadequate capacity / resources to
implement workplace program
Training of Senior Nutrition HIV
and AIDS Officers
SLGRD
Nutrition/
HIV-AIDS
M&E of the crosscutting
issues
M&E of the crosscutting
issues
July 2019 Lack of M&E Plan for Council SLGRD/
DOPP
Local
Councils
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 96
NO Sector Function Sub Function Components Devolved When to
Devolve
ISSUES/Comments Who
Strengthen functionality of
the DNCCs and DACCS at
the councils
Nutrition/
HIV-AIDS
Coordinate with line
ministries in providing
specific policies and standards
in relation to crosscutting
issues
Nutrition/
HIV-AIDS
Strengthen functionality of
the DNCCs and DACCS at
the councils
Nutrition/
HIV-AIDS
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 97
ANNEX V: SUMMARY TABLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
CAPACITY ASSESSMENT OF MLGRD AND LOCAL COUNCILS.
Issue Recommendation Responsible
Person/Institution
Time
Frame
1. Council members, DCs, Directors, and
other staff have limited familiarity with
Establishment Warrants and Payroll
processing
Present EWs to council
members, DCs, Directors, and
staff
DCs supported by Human
Resource Management
and Accounting Staff in
councils
1
2. DCs unable to verify the accuracy of
the information used in processing the
payroll. This has contributed to abuse of
GP5A details in terms of facilitating ghost
payments.
Enhance familiarity with the
payroll processes and GP5A
details among DCs and senior
council staff such as DEMs,
DHOs, and DADOs
DC in collaboration with
DHRMD and Accountant
General’s Department,
supported by LGAP
2
3. The tendency among some sectoral
heads (DEMs, DHOs, and DADOs) to
continue with dual reporting and avoid
seeking DCs’ approvals. They submit
their reports to sectoral ministries and
seek approvals for travel and other
decisions from ministries as opposed to
their Controlling Officers (DCs). This is
viewed by DCs and others as deliberate
attempts to undermine DCs authority.
Central government, through
OPC, should issue a written
communication to devolved
ministries and councils that
sectoral and other staff have
been devolved fully to
councils. The communication
should also clarify that the
devolved staff are now under
the DCs.
OPC supported by
DHRMD and MLGRD.
1
4. Segmentation of councils’ staff into
“Direct Staff”, “Seconded Staff”, and
“LASCOM Staff” creates inequalities in
council staff disposition to work and
difficulties in managing the 3 categories
Integrate all the 3 categories
of council staff into one of
local authorities’ or councils’
establishment
MLGRD, DHRMD and
LASCOM
4
5. Significant differences between the
numbers of staff covered in councils’
Establishment Warrant and actual staff
due to postings for staff to follow
spouses and use of information from a
Functional Review conducted more than
a decade ago.
Devise a clear policy on staff
following spouses and update
the Establishment Warrants
OPC, MLGRD, and
DHRMD
3
6. Very high vacancy rates in councils
undermining councils’ capacities to
process the payroll and provide public
services satisfactorily by councils.
Fill the crucial vacant posts
immediately after obtaining
the authority to fill vacant
posts from DHRMD
DCs through LASCOM
and through OPC for
presidential appointments
1
7. Lack of computers and internet
connectivity for payroll processing due to
financial constraints in councils
Mobilise enough resources to
secure computers and provide
reliable internet connectivity
for payroll processing
DHRMD, Accountant
General’s Department,
DCs, Treasury, and
NLGFC
1
8. Inconsistency in establishment of
Salaries and Advances Section only in
Blantyre District Council
Create or establish Salaries
and Advances Sections in all
the councils
DHRMD 3
9. Incompatibility between IFMIS and
HRMIS in salaries processing
Resolve the incompatibility to
synchronise the 2 systems and
DHRMD, Accountant
General’s Department and
3
DAI Local Government Accounting and Performance Project (LGAP) Page 98
eliminate possible duplications
in resource allocation and
utilisation
Department of E-
government.
10. Weak technical capacities to process
the devolved payroll among councils’ staff
due to lack of financial resources
Provide adequate training in
payroll processing using both
IFMIS and HRMIS
DHRMD, Accountant
General’s Department and
LGAP
1 and 2
11. Inadequate operational linkages
between devolved ministries and councils
coupled
Establish strong work
relationships between councils
and devolved ministries
MLGRD and DCs 1 and 2
12. Need to establish optimal staffing for
devolved ministries in view of the human
resource devolution
Conduct a rationalisation
exercise in devolved ministries
and re-deploy excess staff to
councils
DHRMD supported by
LGAP
3
13. Need to establish optimal staffing for
sectoral units in councils in view of the
human resource devolution
Conduct a rationalisation
exercise in sectoral and other
units in councils ministries
and re-deploy excess staff
within councils and to other
councils
DCs supported by
DHRMD, LASCOM and
LGAP
3
14. Uncoordinated postings from “above”
disrupting the human resource and
payroll devolution processes and
facilitating “ghost” payments
Issue circular stopping
ministries and departments
from posting staff from once
council to the other without
the consent of the councils.
OPC 1
